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Copyright [CBDTPA] Bill Universally Rejected

smcavoy writes " Globe Technology is carrying a article about the CBDTPA. "We haven't received one e-mail in support of the Hollings bill," said Judiciary Committee spokeswoman Mimi Devlin. "It seems like there's a groundswell of support from regular users." I wonder if the technology industry was pro CBDTPA, would we be hearing as many bad things about it, in the press?"

13 of 504 comments (clear)

  1. Woohoo! by 11thangel · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess all those people from my CS classes that were mailbombing congress with "SCREW THE CBDTPA" weren't JUST trolls...

    --

    I am !amused.
  2. Awe..come on... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    [Flame and dark sarcasm warning]

    You mean there actually isn't anyone that _enjoys_ being embitched and screwed up #2 repeatedly by megacorps? No blind, gullable, brownnosed corporate salad tossers that have nothing better to do than throw away theirs and everyone elses rights? The horror!

    Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, afterall.

  3. Never surrender! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    oh...er...sorry. Thought I was supposed to finish the quote...

  4. Thank goodness. by hardaker · · Score: 2, Funny

    I really didn't think the Coyboyneal Big Diaper/Toilet Paper Act was something that should be passed by congress.

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  5. This is amusing. by MongooseCN · · Score: 5, Funny

    "They seem satisfied to try to attack it in the press rather than trying to make it work," said Sen. Hollings spokesman Andy Davis.

    What did they expect?

    Hollings: I'd like to pass a bill that will take away all your rights to using digital media.
    Consumers: Hmm how about just some of our rights?
    Hollings: Will taking a way 2/3 of your civil rights be good?
    Consumers: Ok that works for us.

  6. Quote of the Day: by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    "[Tech firms] seem satisfied to try to attack it in the press rather than trying to make it [CBDTPA] work," said Sen. Hollings spokesman Andy Davis.

    <FLASHBACK>

    Imaginary interview with Hollings and Davis:

    Hollings: It's like the time we tried to legislate that pi=3, and these stupid tech forms didn't want to make it work! They kept doggedly insisting that it was this long number, like 3.14159something, and that it couldn't be expressed as a rational number!

    Davis: Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't even compromise on the issue - during Congressional testimony, we had Andy Grove of Intel on the stand, and we offered him "3.14?" He said, "no, it's pi" "22/7?" "No, pi is a transcendental number." Utterly ridiculous. As if good Christians should have to put up with this sort of new age Transcendentalist movement. Maybe in California, but not in South Carolina, by gum!

    Hollings: And the engineers were worse than the mathematicians. We got letters from all these so-called rational thinkers tryin' to convince us that simple things like the wheel and the suspension bridge weren't based on rational numbers! Can't they see that they're the ones being irrational about this?

    Davis: There's just no negotiating with technology people. They don't want to make it work, they don't even want to try to make it work. Why won't they even try to see things from our point of view? Hollings: So we're moving ahead with the legislation. They kept trying to get us to move from 3 to 3.14whatever? We subtracted double than their beloved 0.14159265whatever, and came up with 2.718281828. They can have pi=2.718 or nothing at all!

    Davis: They're bluffing when they say math won't work with our proposal. Maybe it'll just make a few things harder for them in the short term, but when the law makes pi=2.718, they'll have to innovate in order to build anything!

    Hollings: Yeah! Now we'll see who really knows how to promote engineering and mathematical innovation our children's schools!

    </FLASHBACK>

    1. Re:Quote of the Day: by alcmena · · Score: 3, Funny

      Looks like Alabama and Indiana beat you to it. :)

    2. Re:Quote of the Day: by connorbd · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't remember a few of the particulars, but the short form of the story goes something like this: Late 19th or early 20th century, a mathematical crank gets a bill introduced into the Indiana state legislature setting pi to 3 with the idea that it's being offered "for the good of the Indiana educational system". Not too many people are really paying attention to the bill, which gets routed in some fairly random directions (IIRC a subcommittee on canal construction was involved for no particularly good reason) and the bill was ultimately either tabled or simply abandoned because nobody really cared.

      Like I said, I'm a little hazy on the details (especially the exact date) but the bill never actually became law.

      /Brian

  7. If the CBDTPA passes... by prototype27 · · Score: 1, Funny
    Then 75% of computers won't have "Intel Inside" on the cases anymore. They'll have to be labelled "Jack in the Box".

  8. Support the CBDTPA!!! by dex22 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dear Representative,

    Support the CBDTPA!!!

    Sorry about writing in crayon - they don't let sharp objects in the secure wards. :o)

  9. Re:In other news... by RadioheadKid · · Score: 3, Funny

    "We haven't received one e-mail in support of the Hollings bill,...
    ...well except for this one from this guy named Three-one-three-three-t-three h-four-x-zero-r saying that we have been r-zero-zero-three-d, not sure what he meant by that" said Judiciary Committee spokeswoman Mimi Devlin.

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  10. Not one in support? Bullshit! by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 3, Funny
    "We haven't received one e-mail in support of the Hollings bill," said Judiciary Committee spokeswoman Mimi Devlin.
    Bullshit!
    Here is what I sent them:

    Gentlemen,

    I am a computer professionnal, being active in the field of software development and IT administration since 1979. Although I am not an American citizen, I would like to comment on the CBDPTA being studied by your committee.

    This innovative bill, by crippling the ability of the U.S. computer industry to freely introduce innovative technology, will tremenduously favourize the (rest of the) world computer industry. Imposing limits on computer systems that would be illegal in many countries is a sure way to insure that the rest of the world computer industry will finally catch-up and leave in the dust the U.S. computer industry.

    The other 95% of the world will be eternally grateful to the (comparatively) minuscule Hollywood movie industry for having the much bigger U.S. computer industry ground to a halt by having to spend a significant portion of their ressources just to comply with the CBDPTA.

    Most other industries (those who use computers) will also benefit, as their U.S. counterparts will be hindered by less performing computers that are hobbled both in cost and performance by their expensive content monitoring "features", thus making them less efficient than their unencumbered foreign counterparts.

    Another foreign industry that shall benefit will undoubtely the illegal drug industry, as it will be easier to ship illegal drugs to the United States as the U.S. Customs service will undoubtely be very busy searching for illegal computer contraband.

    Please do consider the passage of this Act, as the world's computer industry needs a reprieve from the very innovative U.S. computer industry.

    Thank-you.

    1. Re:Not one in support? Bullshit! by borgheron · · Score: 2, Funny

      This is extremely funny! However, given the relative dullness/stupidity of most members of congress, they might actually think you support it! ;)

      GJC

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