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Bam Sookie!

I was gonna post a new reply and say:

Please, if the GPL were the problem, the BSDs would be ruling the roost. (Or does he think that even the BSD licenses are too restrictive/free? What?)

I decided to read and see if someone had already made the point, and Bam Sookie! You nailed it.

all the best,

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

No, but sometimes I wonder if reverse-back psychology does. (It's a Bahamian thing.)

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/41879
Nassau Bahamas Sans Souci Hill View
CC BY-SA License

Actually, I did not know that. I chose it as an alternate spelling for Sucker.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/44645
De Big Bamboo
CC BY-SA License

"As I understand it he would never make any money to begin with. The record label would front the money necessary to record, produce and market the album but the artist would be indebted for that amount. ...

and while the artist retains the copyright on the sheet music the record contract most likely stipulates that the recording is a work for hire, which means the record company retains the copyright to the recorded work."

-----

RIAAHMC: So, Joe Suka, just sign here and you can have the money and get started building your new home today.

Joe: Uh.

RIAAHMC: Is there a problem?

Joe: Um, I am not sure, I am a little confused.

RIAAHMC: What is to be confused about, this is our standard contract. Everyone signs it. It is really very simple.

Joe: Well, what I don't get is that you lend me the money to build my house.

RIAAHMC: Right.

Joe: And then I have to pay you back the money you loaned me.

RIAAHMC: Right, that is standard.

Joe: And then after I have paid you back, you own the house and not me?

RIAAHMC: Sure, that's how we do it! It's standard.

Joe: I think I am gonna try one of them intarweb home mortgage companies. I heard that when banks compete, I win. Almost anything has to be better than this.

-----

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984
da bubble man
CC BY-SA Licensed Video

"Do other people really spend time downloading random songs they've never heard before?"

Yes, I am one of them. I actively seek out music with a copyleft license and download it. I often run irate radio to see what I can find. I will then pass the best of this on to friends. (Where the license is right.) I also decided not to waste my recommendations on music with non-Free licenses. If you want me to promote your non-Free music, you can pay me for my promotional efforts. That is your attitude after all. Time is money right?

all the best,

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

Ah, no. I for one decided up front when I saw the article that if I liked the music I would buy the album.

Note: This is after I have pretty much decided not to give money towards non-free (libre) works. I am willing to make an exception just to reward someone taking a chance.

Any bands out there listening? Release your albums with a copyleft license (CC BY-SA will do for now, even though I am not fully satisified with it yet.) I have just decided to allocate $50 per month to the purchase of Free Music (in physical form for now - perhaps lossless downloads, we shall see.) Get your share. Slashdotters - get in on the ground floor. How much a month will you commit?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
Some of my stuff at OurMedia
all CC BY-SA

"This is an expensive penalty for phishers who are litigated against, but do the lack of criminal accountability and the burden of action on the victim hinder the effectiveness of this bill?"

You know, this may be worse for those who have a suit brought against them as the burden of proof for the other side is smaller. At least this is what I have been made to understand for years. (I may be using the incorrect language however.) Also, can someone who knows tell us if you can have a jury in civil suits?

Now, as much as I dislike the activity, I also dislike laws that have such large statutory damages. (And the whichever is greater provisions.) You may have only suffered a ten dollar loss as a result of someone's foolishness, but you can collect $500,000.00 from them? We really need to go back to the thought of the punishment fitting the crime instead of trying to scare people into compliance. (I am talking in general here and not about phiching.)

all the best,

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

"The first thing I do in any new city is take a photo of the metro-system with my phone, I'm not sure how they're going to police against that."

Well, they may try the approach of fining a few "pirates" a hundred thousand dollars and sending them to jail for five years to scare the rest into not violating their precious copyrights. That seems to be one of the favoured tactics.

My stuff, on the other hand, comes with

http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=(creator%3 A%22drew%20Roberts%22)%20OR%20(collection%3A(ourme dia)%20AND%20%2Fmetadata%2Fauthor%3A(drew%20Robert s))

a Creative Commons BY-SA licnese or

http://zbcw.sourceforge.net/

a GPL (I would put license, but that would be redundant now wouldn't it.)

I hope to keep all of my work going forward under some sort of copyleft type license. (Or at least move them through a system where they end up copylefted.)

all the best,

drew

"Producing defective software is a cost of business, except the purchaser bears all the cost."

So, instead of purchasing software, they can write all they want from scratch for themselves? And what happens when they don't purchase it but use it anyway?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984
da bubble man Video
Creative Commons BY-SA License

I have another thought relating to all of this.

Perhaps having laws on the books that are not vigourously enforced leads to a lack of respect for law in general.

In my country, we have laws against speeding, various laws relating to where you can park, gambling, public profanity, the list goes on and on. Now, I am not saying they are all bad laws, but it sure seems they are not seriously persued. People are quite happy to discuss their illegal gambling in public, even in the presence of police officers.

When you get a citizenry who, instead of obeying all the laws as a general rule, get accustomed to looking at the laws and deciding which the government are serious about and need to be obeyed and which they are not serious about and can be disreguarded, this is not a good situation in my humble estimation.

To comment on your quote:

"if you're willing to commit one type of crime, you're probably more likely to commit others."

Perhaps, if you get used to breaking a law by commiting action which you think would not be wrong except that it is against the law, and which you see your government is not serious about enforcing anyway, then it is easier to proceed to the next lawless act.

all the best,

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

You may be right, but chances are, many of those same people are comparing it to their experiences with their windows boxes which they load comparably.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984
da bubble man video
CC BY_SA

"It costs money to hire qualified admins, Windows or Linux."

"Yes, but windows admins come a lot cheaper... at least up here where everyone and their dog has an MCSE"

Perhaps he should have said good admins or competent admins instead of "qualified" admins then.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/64732
Paper Plane Video
CC BY-SA

This mistake is exactly why I dropped piano classes as a kid. I wanted to learn something that I could enjoy playing to myself and friends early in the game. No one seemed interested in teaching me anything of the sort.

all the best,

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

"I understand the Free as in beer analogy vs free as in speech."

OK, so you were basically saying:

While there is such a thing as Free Software, there is no such thing as free software.

Something like that?

The problem with the no free lunch idea is that it fails to consider point of view. Who pays and who gets. It also fails to consider the "free" that we get from the division of labour.

http://www.victorianweb.org/economics/division.htm l
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=economics +division+of+labour&btnG=Search

all the best,

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

Would copyleft music throw a monkey wrench into the schemes of these broadcasters?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/63600

"Instead a per view price which is reasonable can be inacted and people will gladly pay if it means good content."

I don't know where you get the idea that this will fly with the general public. I for one will not be paying for even one view if this model is adopted.

I am interested in hearing from anyone making copyleft music though. If you make any, let me know where I can preview it and purchase it if you sell it.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/64732

Well, if those college kids can give the corps who are your customers all they want for no money, you are not really doing your job. That, or the people running the corps who are your customers are not doing theirs.

So, talking to this and the post above talking about the dev house being in a worse position than the Johnny Come Latelys, let the college kids do the initial design and development for you for free and you make your money supporting their free apps for your customer.

(Now, in the above, I gave in for a short while to the libre versus gratis ignorance.)

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/64732

"I'm going to get modded down to -16 for this, but I'm sticking to it. There is no free software. Someone must pay the developers who write it(not necesarily TOO write it)."

And well you should. Think about this to see why:

There are no Free People. Someone has to pay for the mother's food while she is pregnant and then they have to pay for food in order to keep the child alive.

Get the gist?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/64732

"Money + Power = Tyranny

Money + No_Power = Nothing"

While I don't necessarily agree with all of the attacks on you, this is wishful thinking.

money = power (sort of)
time = money (sort of)

So, let's say you limit the power of the politicos. (Not that I am against that a priori) So the rich will do what? Resort to buying judges rather than politicians? And if not, private armies?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/58805
The Beat Meet
CC BY-SA for you

I am only talking about the cost of the software (unix "distros") that would run on x86 boxes.

IIRC, there were a bunch of them. I think the mag I used to buy was "unix world" and the prices of the software were beyond my budget for toys and at the time, my needs were not commercial but rather for exploration and play. (What a poorply constructed sentence... ouch.)

Plus, tools cost extra - a lot extra.

This I think is one of the strengths of Free Software. You can get stuff at little or no cost when you are just exploring and playing around. Then, when you need it, you can get professional level (paid if necessary) support.

From word on the street, people on the windows side solve this problem via "borrowing" or what that side likes to call "piracy."

all the best,

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

You have this comment saved up somewhere waiting for a chance to use it? I recognise it.

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/19/ 1128201&threshold=-1&tid=156&tid=163&tid=8&tid=106

Come on, you can do better AC.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane 001 video at ourmedia

I always wanted to get my hands on some of that stuff to learn and play on. The cost was way too high iirc.

I got rid of my old unix magazines from back in those days or I could get some pricing for you all.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145

"How does said "REAL artist" eat? Or buy art supplies?"

Obviously they eat from the royalties on the books they cannot get anyone to publish. Did you not read the choice given?

Burn the book versus let it be read for free.

Your solution only stands a chance of working where other options are before the artist.

Here are some links to some of my work which can be had for free:

http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A %22drew%20Roberts%22
http://zbcw.sourceforge.net/

and a link where you can buy some of the same stuff:

http://www.lulu.com/zotz

Knock yourself out.

I am still able to eat. Actually, I should probably eat a little less and I most certainly should excercise a lot more.

Then again, perhaps I am not one of those REAL artists either.

all the best,

drew

"The research interests could exist on more than one level."

Notice I said that.

"Taking that line, one might argue that they're facilitating others' research, sure.

But that's not actually the same thing as using these texts for research."

Now perhaps they are doing research on efficient indexing and cross referencing techniques on large bodies of text written by independant authors over hundreds of years.

Perhaps they are doing research on patterns of referencing and perhaps plagerism in those same texts.

Perhaps they are doing "meta-research" on the research patterns and usage of researchers in said large bodies of text.

They may indeed be doing their own research. (I do not maintain that they are, just that I see no reason to claim that they are not.)

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane Video at ourmedia.org
This video is released under a Creative Commons BY-SA license

"Sorry, I meant reproducing+distributing."

Not to be argumentative, but isn't that redundant? If it already illegal to reproduce, why do we need it to be illegal to reproduce+distribute.

On top of that, I have seen discussions lately to the effect that it can be illegal to distribute even if you purchase legal copies. I would like to learn more about this.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/58805
The Beat Meet - a zotzBrothers CC BY-SA story at ourmedia.org

"In the UK the rear car is always liable in rear-ending incidents."

I am from the Bahamas and we have the same rule. (owever, if the party in the rear has the right connections, I think the party in front can be charged.)

It makes sense, but I have an issue with it when proper road rules are not enforced. In heavy two way traffic on a two lane road, if you observe a proper following distance, cars to your rear will be constantly overtaking you in dangerous spots where they should not do so putting you in danger. Cars on side streets will be pulling out in front of you where there really is not enough room causing you to hit the brakes. This too is dangerous. In fact, it can seem that the least dangerous of the three choices would be to follow too closely and try to remain hyper alert. This is certainly not a good choice. You could of course get off the road until traffic is not so heavy.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/58805
The Beat Meet

"Not if the current crowd keeps running things. As you can see from the overall discussion, even the hint of criticism causing most of these people to deny everything, hurl insults, and generally ignore the elephant in the living room."

What I think you may be missing is that the current crowd is going to keep running things. Those complaining have no leverage. Now if they want leverage, they need to start developing the code, or they need to fund the developement of the code.

So, the mix I was talking about includes allocating a percentage of software dollars and specifically funding promising copyleft software, or initiating the development of needed copyleft software.

Going back to your "open standards" thought, it would also help to STOP purchasing any software whose main file format is not an open, unencumbered fotmat.

"After all, when it comes to software development, nearly everybody makes a Windows version first and maybe they then get around to making a Mac version. Linux is a distant, distant third, with percentages so low they're not worth even mentioning."

What percentage of all of these developed programs actually have a primary format that is an open standard?

One of the problems I think exist with the commercial players in the Free software space is that few take a firm stance on Free software only. Why do people need to move from one company making a lock in play to another who may be trying to do the same?

None the less, if your freedom is important, it behooves you to persue a Free software path even if it costs more in the short term. Even if it means inventing a whole new software market.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/40272
Island Scenes - Clouds over Nassau

"Not sure that this is a viable model if we extended it to every business in existence."

It doesn't need to work for every business in existence, especially not all at once. It just needs to work where it can.

Free software is working for the developers of Free software and there is this hugh pool or wealth sitting out there, available under generous licensing terms and often at excellent bargains. If businesses cannot figure how to use that wealth profitably, that is their loss, the developers are already profiting from their development work.

"Again, the "free" aspect is no side issue, the way I see it. OSS essentially works as well as it does because lots of people are willing to help for no money in return - not necessarily all the people working on it, but a lot of them."

Think upside the box... Imagine we live on a street. One neighbour grows carrots, one grows tomatoes, one grows onions, one grows beans. The thing about these veggies is that they are special veggies. Whenever you give some away, there is just as much there to give away the next time. Now, when the people on the street pass the vegetables around, there is no money involved.

One of the dynamics of Free software is very similar. We are making things and giving them to each other. So no money changes hands. This does not mean tat we are only giving and not receiving. It does not mean that we are not getting a great deal.

"As for the non-free software not maintained properly, of course you're right. That's why I talked about open standards."

You are correct in a way. The problem is, as we can see from how things are right now and how they have been for a long time, in the non-Free world, it is often in the vendors best interest (as they see it) to have non-open standards. As we also see, purchasers often lack the vision or the discipline to only purchase products that rigorously and willfully and preferentially support open standards. (Patent free and otherwise unencumbered standards at that.)

If buyers can aquire this discipline and vision, it will be a short step for them to also insist on only Free code. That is not to say, only free code.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/44645
Island Scenes

"I've got a news flash for you: 99% of the computing public are not developers and have no idea how to develop nor an inclination to do so. Therefore the old "if you don't like it, write your own app!" argument is also short-sighted."

Free Software is not all about free software. If you don't want to write your own, you can pay for some to be written.

You can certainly use some of the world class Free software that exists and take the savings and fund some promising Free Software. Freedom is expensive. But it is less expensive than non-Freedom.

"And FOSS proponents wonder why Microsoft is so successful and profitable making mediocre software."

I seriously doubt that the reason you give is why they are so profitable.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/40737
Island Scenes

"If they want to be paid, they must first come forward with a marketable product."

No, it is not so that they must. They certainly are free to do so, but there is no imperitive. They write the code. It works for them, they are in a better positioin after having written it than before. That is good enough. Perhaps not good enough for you, but then, you admitedly are not paying them to do anything for you.

That said, I think you and a lot of other businessmen and government officials and NGO big boys are not exploring all the options open to you in the market and are going with the easy status quo.

What is to stop, say, the American Locksmiths Association, from taking 10% of its yearly membership fee and funding the development of GPLed software for their industry?

What if each city Government took 10% of its yearly budget for Office Suite software and funded the developemnt of a GPLed office suite to meet their needs? Granted, it would cost more at first as they would be paying 110% for a while, but how long would it take before they could drop the 100% and just spend the 10% ongoing?

What about your industry? Why does it not see how doing things like this could benefit the bottom line long term. So, you guys are the business men and the coders aren't. (?) Be businessmen and fund the development of GPLed software that fits your needs in a businesslike manner that pleases you. Your bottom line will thank you in a few years as will a large part of the world. (Perhaps.)

all the best,

drew
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/41879
Island Scenes

Yes, but what would a semi-reasonable company do in this situation:

Employee starts with GPLed code originally written and released by someone else. Employee improves and or adds to this code on is own time.

So, the company owns the copyrights to that employee's code but they can do a limited number of things with it. They can let it be distributed under the GPL or they can forbid its distribution. What they cannot do is distribute it under another license. Does anyone see any other options?

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984
da bubble man video

"What bothers me about writing open source code is simple: Where is my money."

Simple, get paid before you write the Free Software.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane Video

"And that's the very nature of OSS: you can't blame the developers for not maintaining their projects as much as they should, because, well, they have a life to lead and money to make to sustain it!"

Well gee, perhaps it is up to the users who need such software to be maintained in a "professional" manner to find some way to fund the developers in a professional manner. The fact that the software is Free is a side issue.

Lots of non-Free software is not maintained properly either, especially those programs from companies that have gone bust or been aquired and their software put on a shelf.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
Paper Plane Video

When They give me all of the benefits I get from a paper book now PLUS all te benefits that can come with digital, searchable, shareable text.

Not too tall an order if the players have a mind to give us what we want and not try to force us to accept what they want.

all the best,

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

Let's not confuse people with the catalogue power of synaptic, ok?

We cannot allow the masses to discover the hugh trove of wealth that is the debian repositories.

Insert the bard's quote on ignorance.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984

"Yes, because typing in "apt-get" or "emerge" makes so much more sense to new users than double-clicking an icon that says "setup"."

Simple way to supply that icon for debian systems:

---

#!/bin/bash

sudo aptitude install ardour-gtk

---

supply that file in a tar format pre chmod'ed. How's that for a first cut.

Besides, how long will it take for new users to get accustomed to typing aptitude install foo or apt-get install foo?

[tag]Besides, windows is so confusing, sometimes the icon is called setup and sometimes it is called install. Sometimes the software is supplied in self extracting exes and sometimes in zips. Sometimes vendors make it difficult to find the full version of the software and only want you to download an installer. Sometimes there are some sort of text files that you are supposed to actually READ after the files come out of the zip, or whatever. Then sometimes, you are HIGHLY recommedned to uninstall any older versions before clicking on those variable icons. Also, sometimes when setting up new hardware they want you to be sure and run the installation software BEFORE connecting or installing the hardware for the first time. (I could go on.)[/tag]

I will leave it to the reader to determine for themselves what [tag] should be.

all the best,

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

What I need to know is if they are controlled by Dartmouth Basic.

all the best,

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

The Spanish Astronomers featuring Don Quixote de la Mancha, Don Juan, and Don Diego.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57503
paper plane video creative commons by-sa

Scrolling, slides, fade ins and outs. Things like that. I have not done any video work since back in the late 80s or early 90s on a friends amiga.

I remember doing things like this.

Here is a video I just put up at ourmedia:

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

all the best,

drew

Anyone know of anything for doing decent titles? Or is Cinelerra's ability in this area improved.

Anyone used to use the amiga 2x00 with, what was it, the video toaster?

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984

"Also the act only covers incitement to racial hatred. It doesn't penalise you gor being a racist (thats your view) but it does peanalise you if you try to indice others to hatred."

For they are all honourable men.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/53984

When I see Non-Commercial, I tend to move on. I make my stuff available for commercial use and I try not to waste my time working with anything less.

Where would we be if the Free Software licenses had a non-commercial clause?

http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
http://zbcw.sourceforge.net/

all the best,

drew

Oops, got logged out from ourmedia witout realizing it.

Here it is:

http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
by-sa pics from the islands.

all the best,

drew

Hey, what can I say?

Ya born dere, ya born dere!

all the best,

drew

--
http://www.ourmedia.org/user
Some by-sa pics from the islands.

"Someone else gets a piece of the pie when the band replaces the brake pads on their van, too."

A piece of the pie and a percentage of the pie can be two very different things.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145

I live in the Bahamas and want paypal but we can't get it here. Global markets indeed.

all the best,

drew
--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/44851

Thanks for the links.

It would seem you would need to be in one of these for less time in the case of a tornado. I only have experience with hurricanes though.

You would have to take into account flooding from tidal surge and hugh waves. The good explanations for this seem to get drowned out by the terrible explanations.

Pardon the pun. If you get a 20 foot tidal surge, from what I gather, that means the water level is 20 feet above normal. Now, if you have 20 foot waves on t op of that, you have the possibility of the wave crests being 40 feet over normal calm sea level.

Can one semi-affordable protect from all of the big dangers and not become a death trap in some of those conditions?

Ideas anyone?

all the best,

drew

--
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/44809
(down here with a double sig for the poster above you who was so bent out of shape. These links are not a part of my actual sig. Just links to some by-sa pictures, etc. available for free.)

"Photos of entire subdivisions with each house sporting what appears to be a bank vault that serves as a safe room"

Can you give links to photos like this?

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/40737

"Simple answer is this. Don't build in these bad areas. Only fools or risk takers build in those places."

The problem is, these are often the better and more profitable places to live.

"Of course then we're dumb enough to help them recover again and again and again. So I guess we're all just as foolish."

Given what I have said above, this can make us more foolish. They live in dangerous areas and get ahead while things are good. Then those who live in the less good, but safer areas, bail them out when things head south.

There are problems with what I am saying though.

Dangerous areas:

Low coastlines.
Flood plains.
Quake zones.
Tornado zones.
Volcanic zones.
Hurricane zones.
Areas subject to flooding.
Areas subject to droughts.
Areas subject to blizzards.
???

Safe areas:

???

3. Profit. (Sorry, just couldn't resist.)

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/44645

So...

Build a reinforced bunker going from a basement to two stories. Built a bamboo and paper house around it.

Trouble on the way, get in the bunker. Cheap to rebuild what gets blown or washed, etc. away.

Problems with this thought?

all the best,

drew

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/41879