Slashdot Mirror

Interesting, someone thinks the above was a troll. Very odd.

I agreed with one point the parent made and disagreed with another and this is trolling. It sure is easy to troll these days. I hope I catch a barry next time.

To each his own I guess.

One thing I am not interested in is trolling. Oh well.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - Anuddah Bahamian Novel (raw and unedited)

"Then you charge to some people and demand to be paid in gold and refuse to accept dollars."

OK, so I learned something new. I will have to check if the law applies in the same way in my country. BTW, here at least, iirc, coins do not claim to be legal tender.

However, you did not discuss specifically the above part of my proposed situation.

That is, my goods are priced by weight of gold, I let you buy them on credit, I try and insist that you pay in gold weight. By letting you charge, I am creating a debt.

Just as a wrinkle on the discussion. How is the debt angle affected by payment in advance versus payment after setups? For instance, you go to a fast food establishment where they want the payment before you get the goods versus you go to a fine restaurant where you get the goods up front and pay afterwards.

Could you not stretch things and claim that in the latter case you are settling a debt?

Thanks for the info.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
'Tings' BY-SA Song Contest comming.
Record a song and enter to win $1,000.00.

"But really if you found a page about yourself in the wikipedia full of critisisms you would think about changing them."

Thinking about changing it and actually changing it are two different issues though plus...

Not necessarily, look what I put in my latest novel, not all flattering in the least:

[
I want to thank those for sending their big ups and shout outs and their kind accolades.

Mark Anthony: "I come to bury these pages, not to praise them!"

Julius Cesear: "I came, I saw, what STUFF!"

George Washington: "I wish I had access to this information before planning my trip across the Delaware."

Cleopatra: "If I had only known about this book, I might not have fooled with that asp."

Robin Hood: "drew is welcome in Sherwood any day of the week."

Freud: "My mother told me about the ZotzBrothers stuff. It is great!"

Zeno: "The nerve of this boy, coming up with such a cheeky solution to my paradox."

Beethoven: "I told drew to get Bach, but he wouldn't listen. He is so pushy."

Napoleon: "I have never in my life read such a long book with such a short stature."

Elizabeth: "So that's where Drake went!"

Beowulf: "I did not like those Gruff Brothers. Those guys should be locked up."

Jules de Vac: "One who would write such drivel is truly an outlaw!"

King Tut: "Gold! Pure gold! Not!"

Wilbur: "The author is certainly not a write brother, nor is he a right brother and he is not a Wright brother either."
]

If there were lies, I might leave them in and post my corrections/responses as well.

Let the other party do the hiding of info.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Add to the commons and you could win $1,000.00

"So rather than suggesting it's a flaw that anyone can change the most recent copy of the information, we need to realize that it's beneficial that we can see past edits, and who performed them."

Indeed. In fact, you might learn more from the histoty of editing than from the article itself. (On "hot" topics.)

"Indeed, if we see a trend of certain information being edited out of articles about Republicans, it could be quite safe to assume the information that was removed is completely valid, and is being removed because it is the unfortunate truth."

This assertion makes no sense. It is just as reasonable to assume that there would be continuous efforts to fix blatant errors.

For instance, if I were to go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon

and constantly make edits explaining that the moon was made of green cheese, do you not think that they would be removed over and over?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a "copyleft" song and you could win a $1,000.00

"if for nothing else to ensure you are not stealing somebody else's ticket (notwithstanding the security issues)."

I as just beefing about this issue with my wife today. There is no more reason (except greed) to have your airline ticket tied to a specific name than for your ticket to the ball game, your subway tokens, etc.

We want to have one of us take our son to Fl to visit family. Preferably me, but what if I should get sick. Why shouldn't she be able to just use the adult ticket instead of me?

And this does impact their bottom line negatively instead of positively in my case. I go way less because of issues like that.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a song and you might win $1,000.00
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145

"if for nothing else to ensure you are not stealing somebody else's ticket (notwithstanding the security issues)."

I as just beefing about this issue with my wife today. There is no more reason (except greed) to have your airline ticket tied to a specific name than for your ticket to the ball game, your subway tokens, etc.

We want to have one of us take our son to Fl to visit family. Preferably me, but what if I should get sick. Why shouldn't she be able to just use the adult ticket instead of me?

And this does impact their bottom line negatively instead of positively in my case. I go way less because of issues like that.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a song and you might win $1,000.00
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145

"Yes, that is more recent, but it was made retroactive, so that it currently applies to all works created since the first Mickey Mouse movie."

Are you sure of this? can you point us to a reference?

TIA.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - a "copyleft" novel.
1. Find a copyleft novel somewhere online.
2. ???
3. Profit.

"No, it isn't. Anything released after the first Micket Mouse movie = copyrighted."

I think I know what you aregetting at, but I don't think this is worded right. Isn't the lack of requirement for a copyright notice much more recent?

I was particularly dealing with works lacking notice. (Especially those where no notice was ever placed on them.)

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a "copyleft" song from "Tings" and you might win a$1,000.00

"All materials are copyrighted, automatically. Sometimes the owners don't bother with the copyright (implicitly giving everyone permission to use it) or sometimes it gets licensed (such as with the GPL)."

If only. To my knowledge, you do not implicitly get permission to copy things without a copyright notice. This really gums up the works in my opinion. It is very hard to tell the difference between works in the public domain and copyrighted works without a notice.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - a "copyleft" novel - first draft.

I have been pondering ways to raise funding for the production of "copyleft" works.

Could the case not be put to the funders of PBS, NPR, etc. that they should at least consider requiring "copyleft" licensing for the works they fund? (At least completely new works that don't draw upon traditionally copyrighted works.)

Along those lines, does anyone know the situation when it comes to "fair use" by "copylefted" works? Is it possible? Would you be able to "set off" the "fair use" parts and indicate such? Would that be necessary?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/
Whoo, I made it onto the front page of ourmedia.
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - a "copyleft" novel - first draft.

I have been pondering ways to raise funding for the production of "copyleft" works.

Could the case not be put to the funders of PBS, NPR, etc. that they should at least consider requiring "copyleft" licensing for the works they fund? (At least completely new works that don't draw upon traditionally copyrighted works.)

Along those lines, does anyone know the situation when it comes to "fair use" by "copylefted" works? Is it possible? Would you be able to "set off" the "fair use" parts and indicate such? Would that be necessary?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/
Whoo, I made it onto the front page of ourmedia.
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - a "copyleft" novel - first draft.

"It'll only get fun if the film maker decides to try to take it somewhere. Right now it looks like the film wasn't harmed financially, and I don't think the film maker has a major studio backing him with financial and legal muscle."

Are you sure, aren't these things criminal offences these days? (Not that I think they always should be, but aren't they?)

If someone admits to a crime in public, what procedures are law enforcement types required to follow? Any?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record on of three songs and you could win $1,000.00

"What these people sometimes don't get is that there are a million other people just as smart as they are, who worked just as hard who just had worse luck and didn't end up wealthy."

Or perhaps who had better luck and therefore didn't end up wealthy?

-----
The truth we know:

Money doesn't buy happiness.

The lie we buy:

If I had more money, I would be happier.
-----

all the best,

drew
--------
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a song and you could win a grand. [And be happier. - ~;-) - sorry, couldn't resist that last bit.]

So, you don't do multitrack recording? Just mix down and record stereo?

Also, there is no mention of what license these songs are under.

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - a "copyleft" novel in first draft, CC BY-SA license.

Going on the Offensive.

I think we need to stop just defending and reacting to these sorts of issues.

We need to go on the offensive. We need to think of some initiatives that we could push for that would help or just not affect the little players too much and yet would put a monkey wrench in the game plan of the big boys who are constantly trying to pull these stunts.

Push for this change for instance:

No more taking works from the Public Domain and making derivatives with all rights reserved types of copyrights. You can sell public domain works fine. You can make derivatives and put them under a copyleft license fine. But you cannot make a derivative of a public domain work and lock it up as you can if you had made something completely new.

I think something like this might give them the kind of scare that their stunts give us.

Any thoughts on this idea. Any other better ideas to go on the offensive?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261
Record a "copyleft" song and you could win a thousand dollars.

"My group Children in the Game [childreninthegame.net] are giving their album away free for whomever wants it, in an attempt to help topple the RIAA's power. "

I went to the site. I see a link to listen, but none to download and not much else.

May I suggest that if you really want to start making a dent in the big boys that you consider this:

Release your songs under something like a CC BY-SA license. Further, release them as an ardour project file or a gungirl project file as well as flac and ogg vorbis files.

Then do something along the lines of what I just announced here:

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/145261

Good luck with you efforts.

all the best,

drew

"The threat should be to revoke the entire patent system."

Is this a viable and attainable threat? If not, it will not be effective. (Thoughts? How do we go about this? Should we?)

Other thoughts?

-----

Variable length terms based on field of endeavour?

"Intellectual property" (I seriously dislike that term) tax?

Specific working example requirements?

Near simultaneous discovery invalidation?

Patent office must keep an idea bank where people with ideas but not seeking patents can put their work to serve as a prior art repository?

Patents expire much sooner if not being exploited?

-----

One problem, is that most of these ideas do not speak directly to the issue of software patents.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - this is not a patented novel.

"That seems odd to me, and rather childish."

Please, let's not take this into name calling and related fields.

"I mean, your position basically is that if you can't make profits from the work, then no one can."

I think you misread what I said again. I have no problem with other people making money from my work even if I don't. What I have a problem with is them making a derivative, adaptation, etc. of my work, copyrighting it, and keeping that work closed off from my further adaptation and exploitation, etc.

"Also n.b. that copyrights vest in the authors of works."

They do now, but under what you are proposing and the situation I laid out, my work would enter the public domain.

"Possession of an unlawfully made copy isn't infringing. Making the copy or distributing it are what's infringing."

You may know the laws in your country, but do you know them in mine? A while back, some group here put full page ads in the national paper(s) talking about the (new?) copyright laws and such. They put it that posession of such copies is a violation. I asked a lawyer friend, she agreed. So, seems like, around here, posession of one knock-off DVD can get you 5 years in jail and a big fine. $20,000 or more if memory serves.

"They're not that tightly related anyway."

They may not be tightly coupled, but I would hate to see things being "fixed" but only in those areas that make it worse for the public in general and the small guys.

all the best,

drew
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http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984
da bubble man - smokeless smoke rings underwater?
CC BY-SA license

Which is why we need to go on the offensive to put them in this exact situation where one win by us is all it takes but they must win every time.

Any thoughts on the opening salvo?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - NaNoWriMo 2005 winning novel - first draft
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license
(think copyleft)

"Apple is NOT a monopoly, Microsoft IS a monopoly. The first step to understanding monopolies is quite simply that the rules change once you are a monopoly. Monopolies wield incredible power and pervert the forces of a free market into something that is definitely not a free market."

In one sense I agree to a great extent with what you are trying to get across in your post.

However, both Apple and Microsoft make use of government granted monopolies in their day to day business operations.

I even make use of the same in my life but not to the same extent. That is, in fact, the whole point of copyrights and patents, is it not?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - a CC BY-SA (think copyleft) novel in first draft.

"You're basically saying that if an author doesn't provide notice, that they should get some rights of copyright, but not all of them. I don't think that it's sensible to give them any rights if they cannot comply with formalities, and I would require more formalities, frankly. I'm really not that interested in partial steps."

I know you don't think it is sensible, but the fact is they already get all I suggest AND more. Why do you think giving more is better than giving less? (Not that you do, but why argue with giving less as a first step to giving none? Especially if giving less might be achievable sooner.)

"Formalities wouldn't be expensive for copyright and they've never been complicated. But it can't be free."

For digital submission of digital works, it can approach free.

So, you are basically saying no copyright except registered copyright. Deposit and pay a fee. Do you happen to know when such a system was last in place in the US?

I would live with you system and make do, but given the current mood I see in the world, I don't see getting there anytime soon.

It seems the big boys want the automatic and no notice needed plan so that none of their works can possibly escape in the face of their mistakes. My paranoid self says they also want it to prevent the little people from having a current pool of public domain work to draw upon. The little guys don't want the big guys taking their work and copyrighting derivatives and adaptations. How do you see getting around these attitudes?

"Since we didn't need to give them the incentive of copyright, we shouldn't give them a copyright, provided we can identify them."

Yes, but not quite. We don't necessarily want to get into providing a disincentive to publish either.

For instance, I wrote a novel as a part of this 2005's nanowrimo competition. Since I get a free copyright, I posted it up on ourmedia here:

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123

If I had to pay, it might just not be available to the world right now. (I am not actually claiming that that would be such a big loss, but you never know.) Both from a payment point of view, and from the possibility of having someone else take advantage of it to my detriment if I didn't copyright it.

"The fee also defrays the operating costs of the Copyright Office, in that it costs money to process the filing, store the deposited materials, etc."

The Internet Archive will store your digital stuff "forever" at no cost to you. How much defraying is needed in the case of digital documents?

"Copyright is an economic right."

It may be supposed to be one, but these days it is so much more. It is a right to censor as well. To remove "goods" from the public market. (Perhaps not existing books, but new books, public performances, etc.)

"But don't be fuzzy headed or romantic."

To be honest, we have the right to be both. I do appreciate the admonition not to be fuzzy headed, but I take a bit of umbrage at the admonition to not be romantic.

Once again, all the best,

drew

"Meh. Honestly, I think that it's silly to try to make copyright laws uniform worldwide."

I agree, but we have got it. My point is, why does it only ever seem to work in one direction? Is this in the treaties or whatever themselves. Has anyone ever thought of getting more sane laws passed in one of the countries and then calling for harmonization?

"Second, that countries avoid having copyright systems which so conflict with the systems of other countries that it is impossible for an author to get a copyright in both."

Would it not be possible to have a copyright in one, copyright in all plan which still only actually gives the differing protections contemplated in point one?

"'Still, what honest objections exist for automatic copyleft instead of all rights reserved in the case of no notice being affixed?'

'Because if an author cannot even take the trouble to affix notice to a work, or comply with other formalities (such as registration and deposit, which I view as being of great importance), then why should we take the trouble to give them any rights whatsoever?'"

I don't think you got the gist of the question. Please notice the "instead of." I was not asking about honest objections to both.

That being said, those formalaties can get to be expensive and thus favour the big boys over the little guys. Putting the poor man's work in the public domain because he cannot afford the money to register or the legal advice to register properly only to allow the big players to adapt it and copyright that with not compensation to the poor fellow may not be the best plan.

Now, if there was simple and free digital registration possible, things may be different.

"Therefore, for works that are copyrightable but where formalities have not been observed, even a fairly minimal copyright such as you suggest would be too much to bear."

But we are already bearing much worse. So again, does anyone know of honest objections to moving from where we are to automatic copyleft in the event of no notice. (Baby steps. Most people think I am dreaming big time just proposing this.)

If we want to talk the ideal copyright situation, that is another discussion. I am happy to have that one as well.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/78870
"Tings" - A novel under a creative commons attribution-sharealike license. ( CC BY-SA )

Hey cpt,

long time.

What if we harmonize backwards?

Find a country to pass a better law and all the rest will have to harmonize. (Wishful thinking, but why not?)

Still, what honest objections exist for automatic copyleft instead of all rights reserved in the case of no notice being affixed?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - a BY-SA novel in first draft.

Believe me, I am not for this, I think it is stupid. I am pointing out the "bright" side, because I think it would kill those who assert these rights.

Please explain how this would kill what you claim though.

As we like to say around here. (If not around now.)

Break it down.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane design 001 video
CC BY-SA License

nomic then.

But these would be copyrighted items. No change there. Just in the default license.

Here is the debate.

All works not carrying a copyright notice should be treated as copyright with a copyleft license and not as copyright with an all rights reserved license.

This is a win for everyone. Those who want it, can still get all rights reserved simply by attaching a notice to that effect. Those that don't still have their works copyrighted but under a copyleft plan. They still have some money earning potential from the all rights reserved side of things if others want to make use of the work not under a copyleft system. Everyone gets a whole lot of new material to use and reuse free of charge.

What honest, above board objections can anyone have to this proposal?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
1. Write "Tings" - a "copyleft" novel.
2. ???
3. Profit.
Come on slashdot, help me out with 2.

Are you sure the dead stuff is PD? Do the videos show performances of copyrighted songs?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
1. Tings
2. ???
3. Profit

This could kill off the big portals who try to pull this stunt.

This could give a big advantage to a big portal who pulls this stunt but only asserts a copyleft instead of an all rights reserved.

This could give an even bigger advantage to those portals that don't try to pull this stunt at all.

Besides all of this, where is this hugh supply of public domain sound and video content that would make such a play worthwhile?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - try this "copyleft" type novel on for size
Warning! Danger! - first draft and temporal black hole.

[Ultimately, my problem with this is that it reeks of the bullshit "harmonization" crap that's been going on in recent years.]

So, if we can find one country to make all works without a copyright notice, new and existing be treated as copyleft instead of all rights reserved, all the rest will have to do the same to harmonize? Which country would be most likely to listen to this idea?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - speaking of copyleft
how about a novel
first draft but still

Indeed, everyone knows that no one in the world does volunteer work. In fact, everyone demands to be paid up front before lifting a finger to help someone else.

I know I get paid tons of money just for posting here on /.

If you would like to order my book "Outsider secrets on making a fortune posting on Slashdot" just post in my Journal right here and I will get back to you with instructions.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - something else I got paid bundles to write. ~;-)>

From your post:

"If you do not agree to the GPL, you have not made any contractual agreement to be a licensee of the software. Without any license being agreed to, the software is protected by standard copyright law. Standard copyright law does not allow you to use the program, distribute it, or do anything else."

From the GPL:

"Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does."

Admitedly, this is a bit of odd wording, but it seems to say that running the program is outside the scope of the license and is not restricted.

So, even if you agree to the GPL, it does not cover running the program according to its own claims. It covers copying, distributing, and modifying.

Would you care to comment on this thought?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - A CC BY-SA novel in first draft.

"That more and more open source programs make you agree to the GPL like it was some sort of EULA, baffles me. It isn't."

Hear! Hear!

And it isn't like people haven't been pointing this out for a while.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
"Tings" - A "copyleft" type novel. First draft. Includes the words to at least three new songs. (OK. At least 2.5 new songs.)

Someone doesn't seem to know how to moderate or else has an agenda.

The parent to my post is plus 5. My post is on topic to the parent and yet get's an offtopic deduction. Something is not hanging together.

Now, I may be indeed offtopic wrt the article, but, if so, the parent would be too, or am I completely loony today?

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
"Tings" a "copyleft" novel in daily doses.

Although you haven't been able to see the effects for a long time since they hid karma behind a vague description, you do realize that getting a submission posted is worth 3 karma points, right?

I don't see why links for the submitter's name shouldn't always be nofollow links. The submitter's home web site is not the subject of the article, so there's no reason Google should be able to associate it with the article. Hey, if he's got a worthwhile page on george-harrison.info that's worth linking to as the point of the article, I've got no problem with that. It's just the automatic link to the same site attached to his name that is the problem here.

Also, web site links in the headers of posted replies should be nofollow links as well. The whole point of this BeatlesBeatles controversy is a link to his web site which is not part of the topic. The same should apply not just to "george-harrison.info", but also to "(http://www.ourmedia.org/user/38299)" (<--hey, check it out, a nofollow link, CmdrTaco is censoring me! Help help, I'm bein' opressed!) and other such links in the comment headers and signatures. Okay, so he's got his link on the front page, but the idea is the same. Links to a submitter's / comment poster's websites are off-topic, and should be rel=nofollow. If nofollow is good enough for comment text, it should be good enough for home page links, too.

The same should probably apply to links in signature lines as well.

So for some strange reason, we can't post links in comments without getting a nofollow slapped on it, but we can set our homepage and it won't get a nofollow, and every time we post a message, we're doing the same thing as BeatlesBeatles! Oh man, I feel so dirty. Oh wait, I don't have a home page set up. But look at the HTML source to any message you've posted and you'll see what I mean.

Ah, but this is foolishness.

One of the big boys could buy a media company, copyleft all the media. (Buy all the rights needed from whomever to get this done.)

They could also run their own versions of star search, american idol, etc. and fund the creation of new, hit, copyleft music and more.

Revenue stream without DRM.

Aren't people always saying the electronics and computer industries are way bigger than the entertainment industry?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - a CC BY-SA (copyleft?) novel for your fun and profit.

" Well, there are certain circumstances where it makes sense..."

There may be certain circumstances where it makes sense, but the example you give is not one.

Releasing your free program as Free Software does not preclude you from making money on it now or in the future.

For one example of where keeping the source closed while giving away the binaries "made sense" think of what MS did to netscape with the release of a free IE.

To come closer to your example, if you think you may want to go the non-Free, non-free per-copy sales and licensing route in the future, then releasing a Free Software version now, for sale or for free, may be creating a competitor for you then you pull the Free from the equation.

There are probably more who would argue that this is wrong, but I may be mistaken.

[I hope that is clear, it is still early for me.]

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - an Attribution-ShareAlike novel (sort of GPL for text)

1. Find someone's CC BY-SA novel.
2. Publish.
3. ???
4. Profit.

One simple change to the copyright law would throw in a big monkey wrench...

Make all works not carrying specific copyright notices behave as copyleft works instead of all rights reserved works.

So, fail to put on a copyright notice and you still get an automatic copyright on your work, but it will carry something like a Creative Commons BY-SA license.

This would give the big boys some pause and what grounds could they object on?

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - A BY-SA Novel for your fun and profit.

1. Publish BY-SA Novel
2. ???
3. Profit!

[They've had a free ride so far, but if half their lawsuits target innocents, they're going to have their offices burned down by an angry mob.]

Will they be targeting innocents, or the wrong guilty party?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123

So, why is a person's house raided for a civil case?

Is it that it is potentially criminal, so they raid on the criminal angle, then it is easier to punish by the civil route so they sue on the civil angle?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - A CC BY-SA NaNoWriMo 2005 winning novel.

I am no expert in these areas, but it seems you are talking of "free markets" and not of "capitalism" - see:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=define%3A +capitalism&btnG=Search

and:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=define%3A +free+market&btnG=Search

although I think the definition that includes the protection of "intellectual property" is funny in connection with a free market as they are basically government granted monopolies.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123
Tings - A CC BY-SA NaNoWriMo 2005 winning novel.

Fun.
???
Profit.

Can we get a better slashdot business plan for this please?

[ I'm sure it's stored in the same sites that has John Cage's 4'33"]

For those not in the know, see:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/06/30/23 4250&threshold=4

all the best,

drew
-----
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
Tings. A Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Novel.
Written for NaNoWriMo 2005, and for your enjoyment, and for your profit if you can make one. (Mine too if I can make one.)

"Not only are they selling something that they know people have the intent to modify..."

This is not quite accurate.

On my recommendation, I would say ten to twenty of these have been bought so far, perhaps more.

I recommend them because they can be hacked to run Linux. To date, to my knowledge, none have been.

Even mine, which I keep buying, which are specifically to play with, I have never yet gotten around to actually putting something else on.

I always end up having to loan it out (as currently) or sell it to a client because the local stores are out of stock and they need one asap, etc.

So, it is the potential to do something special if needed that has been selling them in my case. I wonder how much this is so in other cases.

Now, will this L model purposely make it easy to put something else on? That would be a welcome move on Linksys' part. And note, my customers will still be buying the L models if they follow my recommendations in case they need the added features in the future. (Depending on price points.)

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
Tings - a CC BY-SA novel written for nanowrimo 2005
And for you gentle reader

Yes, well, I am talking about when I am calling and asking if someone I know personally by name is in. I am talking about a country where a company doing 5 million a year in sales is considered to be a medium size company.

Besides, even in your example, is it just to be accepted that they are brain dead companies and we must just take it with a smile and how dare we suggest things could be improved?

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937

If they cared, would their system go something like this?

To use our superfantastic automated system press one now. Otherwise, press two or stay one the line and someone will answer shortly.

And for those humans who get calls, listen to what is asked of you and respond to that, not what you want to respond to.

I hate it when I ask if X is in, only to be transferred to their extension which gets me to their voicemail which I then hang up on because I need to know if they are in.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

all the best,

drew
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
Tings - a nanowrimo 2005 CC BY-SA novel in progress

"The software in the detector picks up uncontrollable tremors in the voice that give away liars or those with something to hide, say its designers."

Everyone has something to hide. Some are just too ignorant to realize it.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
Tings - my CC BY-SA licenses nanowrimo 2005 entry.

Perhaps you all in the US should kick around the concept of no taxation without representation a bit further. It might have legs.

all the best,

drew
---
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937
Tings - my nanowrimo 2005 novel under a BY-SA license
---

If you like a good, broad mix of Science - new science, hard science, pop science, historical science and very silly science, listen to Discovery.

Discovery is produced by a different subset of the team every week. We have the latest and most unusual in science news, science features and interviews.

The Discovery archives are hosted on archive.org. We put the http://feeds.feedburner.com/Discoveryradio feed to iTunes when they opened for business last week. People seem to like our production values. If you do listen and have a comment then please email us.

Personally, I download MP3 shows to CDRW and listen to them on my multi-codec CD player.

"If an anonymous stranger asks to come into your house, and furthermore asks to bring several of his anonymous friends with him, and you *agree*, then it's your own damned fault if his lowlife friends plug up your toilet and run up your phone bill."

This is one of the problems with hundred page EULAs. No one that I can tell reads any of them. So, in all cases, when installing programs with EULAs, people are agreeing to things they are unaware of.

Does anyone know of individuals or firms with less than 20 employees where all EULAs are read and understood before software is installed? (Especially where the individual is not a lawyer of the firms does not have a lawyer on staff?)

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503

"*) Plaintiff never gets punitive damages above a certain (small) amount. Any punitive wins in this class get used by a state-run organization to help avoid future problems of this sort."

I have been proposing something very similar for a long time now. Perhaps another use is to compensate others hurt by similar actions or the same player. I don't know, but these damages should not go to the one bringing the suit.

"*) Indirect and direct profits to lawyers in class action suits get capped."

Any ideas on a formula that would work for this purpose?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/63600
Paper Plane Design 003 Video
CC BY-SA License

While I agree with you that copyright infringement is not theft, and by the way, not piracy either, I am fairly certain that there are cases and places where it is a criminal as well as a civil issue and can carry jail time.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/64732
Paper Place Design 002 Video
CC BY-SA License

The thing is, they know about the cat and the bag. I thought for a second that they may not know about the horse and the barn, but I see from another reply that they possibly do. Watch out though, I think they have a pig in a poke (nudge nudge, wink wink, etc.) and they are trying to sell it to us. I know this guy from Nigeria who is interested in buying all of their pigs if they will only send him their particulars.

Now if the cat was in a box, together with a radioactive atom, a geiger-counter, a hammer, and a flask of prussic acid (HCN), we would have a more interesting business model.

http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/ardlouis/dissipative/ Schrcat.html

1. Open box.
2. ???
3. Profit?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane Design 001 Video
Creative Commons BY-SA License