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Slashback: Banco, Warez, Fiction

For tonight's Slashback, eaders have submitted updates and corrections tonight on several recent stories, from the global raid on illegally copied software to ever-more software for your TI-89 to the confusing names (and ownership status) of Mexican banks. Read on for the details.

What about a Dvorak-layout program for the number keys? hex4def6 writes "Ticalc.org is back up for business after the unfortunate incident in which "inapropriate Content" was pressed onto the CD's that Texas Instruments included in their "Fun Kit" graphlink kit from the Ticalc archives. New things in the archives include a neat winamp plugin that allows you to control winamp from your Ti-89 webpage. Check it out here. All the archives are back up, but there is a backlisting of new files submited."

Many happy returns! Eileen Gunn writes "Last August, Slashdot ran a story about The Infinite Matrix, an online SF zine aimed at technogeeks, that posted its first and last issue in one fell swoop, after losing its funding (what's new?). The site was slashdotted, of course, and among those visiting it was a Slashdot reader who threw the zine a 6-month financial lifeline. The Infinite Matrix is now posting new material every day from both Bruce Sterling and Terry Bisson. Plus, there's a new story by SF giant Avram Davidson, more fiction by Richard Kadrey and Kathleen Goonan, columns by John Clute and David Langford. Thanks, Slashdot! You've made my life infinitely more complicated."

This is like reading Jules Verne when he was writing newspaper serials -- and no eBook reader is required.

The perils of translation and the world of international banking. Al Giordano of Narco News wrote from Cochabamba, Bolivia, with a correction of my (incorrect) correction on Yesterday's post about First Amendment protections granted online journalism. He provides a better explanation about nomenclature and the Mexican banking system:

"Banamex, or Banco Nacional de Mexico (the way the plaintiff's name appears on the now-dismissed complaint against us), is translated as National Bank of Mexico.

The 'Mexican Fed' that you refer to is titled Banco de Mexico, or Bank of Mexico.

So you got it right the first time!

The confusion stems from this: All Mexican banks were nationalized before becoming privatized. It's a long and bloody story and in fact my own story about it is one of the exhibits used by Banamex in its now-fracased SLAPP suit.

When Banamex filed suit against Mario Menendez, Narco News and me, it was still a Mexican bank. The Citibank merger wasn't announced until May 2001 and wasn't finalized until July 20, 2001, ironically, the same day we had our court hearing in New York."

Unfortunately, there's no monopoly on sketchiness. S^(2) writes "Here is a better rundown of the warez crackdowns across the globe. I guess people are running scared a bit and this page is hopping from mirrored site to site, but for now at least check out; http://www.cyberworld.ru/scenebusted/ It breaks down what groups were suspected to have been FEDs, which groups/members will be needing legal defense funds, which groups have shutdown, and a bit on the howto of the crackdown, such as agents raiding a house and watching what connections happened without pulling the plug. That can't be legal, can it? Should I hide my pc behind a wall of something benign, like say VHS bootlegs?"

Or, on the other hand, not distributing warez is an option.

5 of 397 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I've spoken on this very topic many times: by A_Non_Moose · · Score: 0, Troll

    Woah, dude, you got issues, don't you?

    Lemme ask you, if I modded you down *reguardless* of content for 2 weeks on all of your posts...wouldnt you take it a little personally?

    And don't you read? It was a suggestion.

    Granted, it can be taken or not.

    As long as you keep "speaking out on this topic" (aka, whining), you will probably continue to be modded down.


    Hummm, you have a good point...good thing the framers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independance weren't as lacking in cajones as you are. After all, I'm sure The Kind of England thought the exact same thought as you.

    All I can tell you is...I'm doing it again...speaking out/to people spouting bullshit.

    If you had read you would have gotten the same impression, perhaps, but I also proved a point: creating another accout, posting as I noramlly do I hit the cap relatively fast this, my friend, lends creedance to what I was saying in my posts. Doancha think? Oh, wait, sorry forgot who I was talking to, never mind.

    At any rate, we'll never need therapy as long as /. is around.

    And you and turbine had it right to some degree.

    Well, I'm buzzed, I'm tired and I'm gone.

    Gentlemen...Cheers,

    Moose

    .

    --
    Have you read the moderator guidelines? Well, have you, PUNK? (and I want a Karma: Gnarly option)
  2. Re:I've spoken on this very topic many times: by michael · · Score: 0, Troll

    You need to readjust your tinfoil hat.

  3. Just a lame excuse by woodstok · · Score: 0, Troll

    To avoid creating world-wide panik the feds are claiming they are busting software pirates. In reality they are only after the al-Qaida network. All those busted are just nasty talibans trying to destroy our great free society and bring back rock-carving as the most influental information source.

  4. Re:about the software piracy busts by disc-chord · · Score: 1, Troll

    Way to go hot shot. It's bas enough the first poster names names.... it's doubly so with your link that even gives up Check Point. CP is closed for good now thanks to TTOL and people like you posting this crap to the public.

    You know TTOL was the ham that ZDTV busted live on TV 2 years ago for putting C&C 2: Tiberian sun up on an HTTP? Yea good company you keep buddy.

    Don't post private information to public web sites. What possible use does this info have to joe leecher? CP will be sorely missed, as a seconday casualty to this national tragedy.

  5. Re:Defense? by kesuki · · Score: 2, Troll

    Are you serious? Are you brain dead? A good lawyer could mean freedom, or a reduced sentance. A court appointed attorny could mean getting stuck in a cell with murders rapists and terrorists. Remember 'hacking' is now a crime of terror. Equivalent to blowing up a building with 10,000 people in it.
    A good legal defense could get that law removed by the supreme court. How can you compare writing software to keygen an application to taking thousands of lives????

    If you think this is just about warez it isn't. This is about people who rob convenience stores being thrown back out after three months while some kid who wrote a keygen gets a life sentance WITHOUT the possibility of parole. Even if you think warez is wrong do you really believe that it is a crime on the level of murder?