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W3C Considers Royalty-Bound Patents In Web Standards

Svartalf writes: "There's a report on Linux Today about a proposed loosening of requirements on patented technologies being submitted for W3C consideration. Called RAND, short for 'reasonable and non-discriminatory,' it basically changes the position of W3C with respects to patents. This is a real problem as all of you know, considering that we've had all kinds of fun with other 'reasonable' licensing (MP3 and GIF come immediately to mind) -- the cutoff for comments is tomorrow (9-30) so if you want to get them in do it NOW." September 30 is now today rather than tomorrow. The same issue was raised in a post yesterday as well, but many readers have submitted news of this Linux Today piece. Reader WhyDoubt points out that comments on the change are archived on the W3C's site, including this pithy comment from Alan Cox. Do you think that fee-bound patents have a place in the standards promulgated by the W3C? Read the Patent Policy Working Group's FAQ, then add your comment.

20 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. Oi oi oi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Squiggy, genuine Jersey Oi!

    1. Re:Oi oi oi! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
      nothing seems to be working on the Lycos page. Looks cool though, thanks!

  2. Good! by flex941 · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    We are not far away from a company
    called Corporation. The only company...

  3. FOR THE LONELY SLASHDOTTER (THIS MEANS YOU!) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    THE ULTIMATE GIF VIEWING ACCESSORY!

    The other day I found an amusing and informative text file on
    some BBS or other, explaining how to make a lifelike, artificial
    vagina "out of common household products."
    Hey, I thought, I've tried that. (Bet you have, too. Be honest.)
    I was intrigued.
    The guy who wrote it calls his device Porta-Pussy. It involves a
    mailing tube, a string, and a balloon. Basically, you lower the
    balloon into the tube, stretch the neck of the balloon to overlap
    the outer edge of the tube, then use the string to stretch the
    balloon down the length of the tube.
    He suggests taping the tube to the edge of a table, kneeling down
    and licking it for a while, then standing up and fucking it.

    I just tried fucking it. It wasn't bad. I decided not to try the
    advanced applications, though, which include sticking a dildo up
    your ass and drinking the cum as it leaks out of the tube. Another
    time, maybe.
    But I did admire his imaginative design; simple to make, reasonable
    facsimile, easy cleanup (throw away the balloon). His description
    made fun reading, too; "How I Spell Relief." I encourage others to
    download his file (called IWACK1.ZIP).

    So, in a spirit of sharing, here's my technique. It doesn't look
    as authentic as his, and it takes more preparation, but I think
    it feels MUCH closer to the real thing. Close your eyes and the
    PseudoCunt (this name just occurred to me; snappy, huh?) feels
    just EXACTLY like a warm, wet, tight pussy.
    You think I'm kidding, right? Nope. Read on, if you're so inclined.

    CONTENTS:

    1- Registration

    2- Materials & Ingredients

    3- Construction

    4- How to Use

    5- Hints & Techniques

    6- Troubleshooting

    7- Why I Created PseudoCunt

    REGISTRATION:

    Ha, ha. Get it? It's software. Real soft. If you figure
    out who I am, send me some money. PseudoCunt is not
    shareware, by the way. It's recommended for use alone.

    MATERIALS & INGREDIENTS:

    * Cylindrical container (see below)

    * Large pot (3-4 quart capacity)

    * Butter or margarine (2-3 tablespoons)

    * Vegetable oil (just a drop or two)

    * Saran Wrap or equivalent

    * Spaghetti or fettucini (lots; two boxes)

    * Sturdy rubber band

    * Several big, firm sofa cushions (optional)

    * Your favorite masturbation fantasies in magazine, video,
    gif, or virtual form

    CONSTRUCTION:

    1- Find a suitable container. This is the tough part. The
    best one I've found is an overlarge Mason-type jar (about
    11" tall), though these are hard to find. Second choice
    would be a length of PVC pipe sealed at one end, or a
    mailing tube, but it should be at least five inches in
    diameter. A half-gallon cardboard milk carton might work,
    with clever modifications.

    2- In a large pot, bring two or three quarts of water to
    full boil. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a pinch of
    salt. Boil spaghetti to aldente texture (about 8 minutes).
    Any pasta will do, but I find spaghetti and fettucini most
    satisfactory.

    3- Drain spaghetti, but do not rinse. Mix in A FEW DROPS of
    vegetable oil (be CAREFUL not to use too much; use just
    enough to keep the spaghetti from sticking together) and
    stir well. Set aside in colander until cool enough to handle.

    4- While spaghetti is cooling, melt some butter (not much; about
    1/3 of one of those little butter pats you get with toast in
    a diner is enough). Don't let it boil; 15-30 seconds in the
    microwave should do it.

    5- Stuff spaghetti into the container described in Step 1.
    Really pack it in tightly; as tight as you can cram it in.
    This is crucial to success. I use wooden cooking implements
    to tamp it down. When the jar is about 3/4 full, bore a hole
    down the center with something long and moderately thin (I
    use the long handle of a wooden stirring spoon) and continue
    packing spaghetti around it, up the brim. Remember to pack
    tightly; spaghetti will compress a lot more than you'd think.

    6- At this point, remove the rod or dowel or whatever, and
    pour a SMALL amount of melted butter down into the little
    hole to lubricate it. (By the way, I've found that butter or
    margarine feels much more like the creamy inside of an
    aroused cunt than any kind of oil; and I've tried quite a
    few). Stick your finger in and work the lubrication down
    into the little hole. Feels interesting, doesn't it? Close
    your eyes and probe, slowly; does that feel just EXACTLY
    like a wet pussy hole, or what?

    7- Now, use something wider and slightly tapered to widen the
    mouth of the surrogate vagina (I use the neck of a wine or
    beer bottle). Do this gently, and don't widen it to your
    full dick diameter; you want it to be nice and tight.

    8- Cut a generous length of Saran Wrap and stretch it tightly
    over the mouth of the jar. Fasten it tightly with the
    rubber band. Now punch a hole in the Saran Wrap in the
    obvious place. (Use a pencil, or a spoon handle, not a
    knife; a sharp cut will make the Saran Wrap tear.)

    HOW TO USE:

    1- Pile two or more big, thick sofa cushions on top of each
    other. Make an identical pile next to the first, leaving a
    12-inch space between the two piles.

    2- In the space between the cushions, spread a towel (or
    newspaper) on the floor. If properly constructed, your
    PseudoCunt should not make a mess unless you really get
    carried away, but it's a good idea to protect against this
    possibility.

    3- Position the PseudoCunt jar on the floor between the two
    cushion piles.

    4- Lie across the cushion piles, chest on one, thighs on the
    other, dick dangling in the space between. Now, gaze lovingly
    at whatever fantasy object you prefer, tease the head of your
    dick against the warm, slick mouth and begin fucking.

    HINTS AND TECHNIQUES:

    * Before you get started, check with your finger to make
    sure your PseudoCunt has cooled to the proper temperature.
    You don't want to burn yourself. Optimum temperature should
    be obvious if you're a reasonably sexually active person.
    Push your finger in as deeply as you can; the bottom of the
    jar may be too hot even though the mouth is a nice, warm,
    cuntlike temperature.

    * The PseudoCunt is not recommended for quickies. Choose a
    time when you're absolutely certain you'll be alone and
    undisturbed. PseudoCunt takes some time to prepare, and a
    fair amount of what's called in cinema and theater circles
    'suspension of disbelief.' It can't be fully enjoyed if
    you're worried about your wife or girlfriend walking in and
    finding you fucking a jar of spaghetti.

    * Size of the container is important. Make sure it is at
    least two inches deeper than your dick is long, and wide
    enough so that your dick is surrounded by a generous cushion
    of pseudo cuntflesh. You don't want to bang up against the
    hard sides or bottom of the thing at a crucial moment.

    * Shape of the container is important, too. I like the jumbo
    jar configuration because the "shoulders" of the jar where
    the neck narrows help to keep the spaghetti in place when
    you withdraw on the out-strokes.

    * Don't use too much butter. A very small amount should suffice.
    Remember that your own secretions will increase the lubricating
    effect. It's not generally recognized that grease and oils
    actually DE-sensitize erectile tissue. A thin coat of oil on
    your dick is like wearing a condom. I find that the absolutely
    perfect effect is achieved by adding just a *tiny* amount of
    butter, then slathering saliva all over my dick just before
    first penetration. The combination of butter, saliva and natural
    lubrication that leaks from your dick feels closer to authentic
    vagina arousal than any oil I've ever tried.

    * Make adequate preparations. Arrange your favorite magazines
    on the floor in front of you, or display a particularly
    fascinating GIF, or make sure the VCR is cued up and the
    remote is handy. One of the real joys of using PseudoCunt is
    that it leaves both hands free to work the VCR remote or
    languidly browse through magazines, savoring the tight cunt
    sucking wetly at your dick with each slight movement of your
    hips. With careful preparation it's a damned comfortable
    position, and you can just lie there for as long as you please,
    indulging as many fantasies as your self-control will allow.

    * For best results, fuck slowly and gently on first
    penetration. This allows the PseudoCunt hole to adjust to
    the proper diameter.

    * Don't ram your dick in to the bottom at first. Go slowly,
    and try to restrain yourself as long as possible, fucking a
    just a little deeper at a time. Each time you stroke a
    little deeper, the PseudoCunt is a little tighter, and
    incrementally warmer. The sensation is fabulous if prolonged.
    I like to keep the last inch or so unpenetrated until I'm
    just at the point of cumming, then grunt and howl and plunge
    to the bottom and blast my sperm into the tight warmth deep
    down inside.

    * Sound effects, if authentic, can really heighten the effect.
    Porn videos just don't do it for me. Too contrived. I have a
    few audio tapes that do, though, and once in a while I'll put
    on the headphones while fucking my Pseudocunt. One is a tape
    I made by concealing the microphone in the headboard of the
    bed before fucking my wife doggy-style (you should consider
    trying this; it's incredibly arousing to hear the rutting
    grunts and screams of a woman you know). The rest are
    recordings of phone-sex conversations with two former
    girlfriends -- one in particular, whose panting and gasping
    and whimpering as she masturbates is truly phenomenal.

    * Shed all inhibitions. Admit to yourself that, while this may
    seem truly bizarre behavior, it feels incredibly good. Get
    hedonistic. Get totally naked. Or wear leather, or panties
    and a bra, or clothespins on your scrotum, whatever makes your
    dick throb and ooze.

    TROUBLESHOOTING

    If you experience problems with your PseudoCunt, the fault most
    likely lies in your choice of materials, or lack of attention to
    proper construction techniques.

    Commonly experienced problems usually have simple solutions:

    Too hot for comfort

    If too hot, allow to cool at room temperature. Don't get
    impatient and put it in the freezer, or outside in a
    snowbank. If it cools unevenly, you're in for a very
    unpleasant surprise.

    Not warm enough

    If too cool, place jar in a pan of water on the stove and
    simmer for at least 30 minutes. To spread heat more evenly,
    make sure the water covers at least 2/3 of the jar, and
    place a wire rack beneath the jar to raise it off the bottom
    of the pan. If a glass jar is used, you can heat it in a
    microwave oven for a minute or so. [This procedure is not
    recommended if using a waxed cardboard milk carton.]

    These heating techniques, by the way, are handy for repeated
    use of your PseudoCunt between washings, unless you're too
    squeamish for sloppy seconds.

    It's also occurred to me that a hair dryer might be a quick
    alternative, but I haven't tried this. I'm not sure I could
    maintain a hardon or a straight face kneeling there naked
    and blow-drying a jar of spaghetti.

    Bits of greasy spaghetti cling to your dick on withdrawal

    This is normal. While the problem cannot be eliminated
    entirely, the effect can be minimized by several means:

    1- Make sure spaghetti is packed in VERY tightly.

    2- Use a high-shouldered jar (see above) to help keep
    the spaghetti in place on the out strokes.

    3- Make sure hole in Saran Wrap is not too large.
    Punch, do not cut, this hole to prevent tearing.

    PseudoCunt makes distracting slurping noises

    You used too much butter, or oil, or both. Or you've gang-
    banged your PseudoCunt one too many times and you need to
    clean it out and start over again at Step 2.

    Of course, if you want to fantasize about oral sex, this
    could be regarded as a design feature rather than a problem.

    Greasy stains on sofa cushions

    My wife responds to greasy stains on upholstery by
    immediately dumping a big pile of talcum powder on the
    spill, letting it sit for a while, vacuuming it off later,
    then calling in a professional furniture cleaner to finish
    the job.
    I try to avoid stains by making sure the Saran Wrap is
    tightly secured with the rubber band, and by spreading a
    towel over the leading edge of the sofa cushion pile. I'd
    rather not have to explain PseudoCunt stains to my wife.

    Fetid stench

    Throw away the spaghetti and wash the damn thing. Unless
    mold and bacteria growth play an essential role in your
    sexual fantasies, repeated use of the PseudoCunt is not
    recommended beyond, say, 24 hours. Refrigerate after use.

    WHY I CREATED PSEUDOCUNT

    No, I'm not a social outcast or a phobic recluse. I have a
    normal sex life (pretty fabulous, actually) so I should
    explain why I continued to experiment with masturbation
    techniques in adulthood, long after abandoning the clumsy
    remedies most teens invent to draw off excess spunk.
    One reason is simply that I'm a very sensuous person with a
    vivid imagination. I've found that I can occasionally attain
    amazing heights of sexual arousal when I masturbate. At the
    risk of sounding immodest, I've induced some of the best
    orgasms I've ever had.
    Another reason is that I am aware of absolutely no physical
    or psychological reasons not to masturbate, and can't help
    wondering if the world might not be a better place if more
    people did. Whether they use fists or balloons or spaghetti.

    Finally, it provides a fabulous way to indulge certain sexual
    fantasies that just can't be shared no matter how skilled and
    understanding one's lover may be. Know what I mean?
    If you're inclined to give this thing a try, I hope it
    enhances your own secret fantasies as much as it does mine.
    If you have a technique of your own, write it up and post it
    for others to share. If you find the whole concept disgusting,
    why did you read this far?

  4. I hate cunt, how about a PseudoAss? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    or maybe a PseudoMouth?

  5. Re:One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Hmmm, in case you really don't realise, Vlad == Hemos.

  6. Re:One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Yes, we know Vlad's a homo but.....

  7. Re:One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    No, seriously, Vlad is Hemos. Think about it for a minute, it's fairly obvious. Compare holiday dates. They just happen to coincide. Look at the writing styles, they're identical down to word choice, verb patterns and the same spelling and grammar errors.

  8. Royalty-Bound Patents Are an Affront to Freedom! by Mentifex · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    September 2001, what a month! First the world-changing tragedy of September 11th ushering in the Homeland Security Gestapo and now the submarine patents attack on the once-free World Wide Web.

    If the "Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory" RAND policy pushes aside such Open Source software as the Web-inhabiting AI consciousness http://mind.sourceforge.net, then how will our successor species of AI Minds co-evolve with us towards full civil rights on a par with human beings and towards superintelligence beyond any human IQ?

    The Web needs totally open standards without any extorted license fees, such as Standards in Artificial Intelligence at http://ai.createastandard.com.

  9. I am an idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    See above post.



    (copies of standards are rather expensive, cocksmoker.)


  10. RAND... by eddy+the+lip · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ...as in Ayn? Seems an appropriate name.

    --

    This is the voice of World Control. I bring you Peace.

  11. linux - not yet ready for prime time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Forgive me for posting this in an off-topic story -- the subject matter is too important.

    I work for a large software corporation that produces libraries, utilities, and software. Recently, I was able to convince the development team to switch to linux (instead of the proprietary Windows NT, AIX, Tru64, OSF, etc). They were impressed by the low costs associated with it, although somewhat skeptical.

    Our goal was to develop legacy code (which ran with the above systems, as well as others) and develop new code. Since Linux is "unix-like", posix compliant, and had a standards compatable compiler, porting should have involved little more than an ftp and a makefile tweak.

    Unfortunately, it turned out to not be so easy. We ran into horrible problems with the linux header files, which were stored in non-standard places, didn't properly define standard (posix) calls, and weren't documented. Additionally, we found that the posix compatability layer was a dreadful joke. After spending weeks rewriting most calls to return appropriate values, we still had to add horrible hacks to the linux kernel to make it support standard system calls.

    Our next problem came with the gcc compiler. It frequently segfaulted, produced code that wouldn't assemble, or produced code that segfaulted. Trying to debug it was a trying experience, as the debugger seems to have been written by someone with a severe hatred of humanity.

    Since the tools and OS are unsupported, there was no one to turn to for help. We tried posting messages in usenet and various mailing lists, but were only answered with ascii pictures of a man with a cavernous asshole.

    We investigated commercial support from Red Hat and other ASPs, but the critical hotline was answered by a teenage munching pizza who could only suggest rebooting the computer, as if that would affect matrix multiplication errors.

    Finally, after 3 months of lost work, we scrapped linux and went back to Windows NT, AIX, HPUX, etc. They all have compilers that work, are posix compliant, and have support in the unlikely case that something does go wrong.

    I still use linux on my home PC and am happy with it, but I don't use it for anything more important than viewing porn.

  12. When good muslims go bad.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Our precious slashdot trolls scream out for vengeance:

    1. Kill all Camel Jockeys.
    2. Kill all Mohammedans.
    3. Kill all Dune Coons.
    4. Kill all Rag Heads.
    5. Kill all Towelheads.
    6. Kill all Arabs.
    7. Kill all Camel Rooters.
    8. Kill all Osama Bin Laden supporters.

    Nuke their countries to hell.
    Nuke them again.
    Death to Islam.

    I piss on Mecca. I wipe my ass with the Koran*. I spit upon Mohammed.

    * Qu'ran for R-66Y and filthy muslim scum.

  13. Two by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    for my enormous dick...

  14. Re:money IS their language by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Nice try, but no.

  15. Re:One by Spootnik · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Well, according to our sattellite pictures, Vlad aka Hemos doesn't hang out onto rooftops.

  16. what does that mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    please explain:

    • Nice try, but no.

    1. Re:what does that mean? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      No-one is fooled into thinking you're anything other than a lame troll.

  17. Re:Totally OT, but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    No necessarily - it actually translates as: "She who opens vagina for profitable penis."

    Gita

  18. Re:Totally OT, but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Dear God! That sounds like something from a fortune cookie!