Slashdot Mirror


Is the BSA "Grace Period" a Scam?

An anonymous reader asks: "I work at a small non-profit that has 18 employees plus a 13 seat computer lab. We received a form letter from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) telling us to do a self audit and if we find any unlicensed software to report it during our 'Grace Period' because 'if you organization's software is not licensed, it could become to focus of a BSA investigation'. Now this is obviously a method to scare up some business for the BSA members. If we ignore this, how likely is it that we will be 'investigated'. I know that I cannot produce the original CD's and/or documentation for some of the software that we HAVE paid for."

11 of 794 comments (clear)

  1. no shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    fuck you. i win.

  2. The many shortcomings of Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The many Linux shortcomings.

    Before everyone gets upset, please follow me as I outline some of the critical shortcomings in Linux. First is the lack of re-entrant kernel threads. The net affect of this is a poor execution of both multi-tasking on uniprocessor systems and multi-processor systems. In a uniprocessor system the lack of reentrant kernel threads allows applications to control processor time. This cooperative multitasking is ineffecient, and systems intensive. In a multiprocessor box you wind up with an asynchronous multitaksing environment, where processor load is not balanced across the two or more processors. The net result in both situations is that processes take longer to execute. Needless to say, Windows excels at all of these.

    The next is poor execution of asynchronous I/O, which is necessary for efficient communications. In fact, the execution of asynchronous I/O in Linux is quite poor, especially when compared to Windows. When subjected to the Transaction Processing Council's C and D tests, which measure transactions per minute, Linux fares poorly compared to commercial variants of Unix, BSD, and NT. The net result of this is an increased cost of ownership, as the cost of each transaction is much higher than the cost associated with Windows NT.

    Another serious setback for Linux is the lack of a journalling file system. This makes data storage unreliable, and backup and recovery a dicey proposition. SGI said they would port the IRIX file system to Linux, but I haven't heard anything about this yet. However, when you look at the major commercial NOS's, they all have journalling file systems, including Sun, SCO, Windows NT, Banyan Vines, HP/UX, AIX, and Novell. Windows has cleary beaten Linux to the punch here.

    I look forward to watching Linux as it grows up. I do believe it may have a bright future. It just isn't there yet! Too bad I will have to wait many years for Linux to become a viable option in the operating system arena. If I were to believe everything I read about Linux, I would have to assume that it will save the world! Please, let us also be honest and present Linux and all its many shortcomings when you are downtalking Windows.

    Troll 40 of 208 from the annals of the Troll Library .

  3. YUO==TEH FUCKIN GAY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    robble robble!

    thanks for your mod point.

  4. Periods by OwlofCreamCheese · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Periods are never graceful... just look at my girlfriend....

    --
    -You're wasting your time. Alfador only likes me.
  5. meanwhile, back at the geek compound... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Malda: Timothy, I've got some bad news. VA Linux is bleeding red ink like a river of blood. We've got to rightsize someone, i think it has to be you.

    Timothy: But Rob, I need this job! You know they won't hire me back at burger king since that peeing incident! And my parents are having the basement fumigated right now! You know Pudge doesn't need a job. Isn't there something I can do?

    Malda: Hmmm. Well, if you give me a blowjob, or let me fuck you up the ass, I won't fire you. Whips out his penis

    Timothy: starts sucking Hey, your dick tastes like shit!

    Malda: What do you expect? Michael didn't want to be fired either!

    Malda: Yeah, well,

  6. Re:Ignore it, it's more like SPAM that a real lett by barzok · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Maybe she should have stopped in for a drink. Obviously the bartender is in it with the BSA and is upset your wife didn't want to come in and get druuk.

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

    Ladies and gentlemen, put our hands together for the astonishing...
    H to the izz-O...V to the izz-A...

    Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 8th wonder of the world
    The flow o' the century...oh it's timeless...HOVE!
    Thanks for comin' out tonight
    You coulda been anywhere in the world, but you're here with me
    I appreciate that...uuunnnh...

    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    Fo' shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA
    Was herbin' em in the home of the Terrapins
    Got it dirt cheap for them
    Plus if they was short wit' cheese I would work wit' them
    Boy and we...got rid of that dirt for them
    Wasn't born hustlers I was burpin' em
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    Fo' sheezy my neezy keep my arms so freezy
    Can't leave rap alone the game needs me
    Haters want me clapped and chromed it ain't easy
    Cops wanna knock me, D.A. wanna box me in
    But somehow, I beat them charges like Rocky
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    Not guilty, he who does not feel me is not real to me
    Therefore he doesn't exist
    So poof...vamoose son of a bitch

    [CHORUS]
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    Fo' shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    That's the anthem get'cha damn hands up
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    Not guilty ya'll got-ta feel me
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    That's the anthem get'cha damn hands UP!

    Holla at me...
    I do this for my culture
    To let 'em know what a nigga look like...when a nigga in a roaster
    Show 'em how to move in a room full 'o vultures
    Industry shady it need to be taken over
    Label owners hate me I'm raisin' the status quo up
    I'm overchargin' niggaz for what they did to the Cold Crush
    Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hold us
    We can talk, but money talks so talk mo' bucks

    [CHORUS]

    Yeah...
    Hove is back, life stories told through rap
    Niggaz actin' like I sold you crack
    Like I told you sell drugs...no...
    Hove did that so hopefully you won't have to go through that
    I was raised in the pro-jects, roaches and rats
    Smokers out back, sellin' they mama's sofa
    Lookouts on the corner, focused on the ave
    Ladies in the window, focused on the kinfolk
    Me under a lamp post, why I got my hand closed?
    Cracks in my palm, watchin' the long arm o' the law
    So you know I seen it all before
    I seen hoop dreams deflate like a true fiend's weight
    To try and to fail, the two things I hate
    Succeed in this rap game, the two things is great
    H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
    What else can I say about dude, I gets bizzay

  8. Re:Ben Dover has a word for you by anon*127.0.0.1 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Too bad the guy doesn't know jack about computers. He thinks you need to update your virus defs every single time you go to send or recieve mail.

    --
    I am NOT a man!
    I am a free number!
  9. Excuse me, sir? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You appear to have spelt shit "sh*t". You may wish to note that shit is spelt shit. Should you require further assistence, the following words may also be used as a reference:

    fuck
    bullshit
    asshole
    fucktard
    cunt

  10. Re:In Soviet BuShiA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You have yourselves to blame for voting ole good Billy Bush for president. You reap what you sow, yadda, yadda.

  11. Re:In Soviet BuShiA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Actually, Bill was the last guy. This guy is George.