Slashdot Mirror


Senator Pushes Bill To Limit Anti-Copying Schemes

Brushfireb writes "Republican Sen. Sam Brownback is pushing a bill that will limit the ability of record labels, movie studios and others to use anticopying technology on their products. Most notably, this is important because it states that people will be able to resell their used DVDs, along with putting a concrete limit on this behavior of DRM/anticopying schemes by the RIAA and MPAA."

25 of 450 comments (clear)

  1. Nope, not dead yet by PD · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    1. Re:Nope, not dead yet by xA40D · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Oh come on Moderators, my parent is FUNNY!

      --
      Do you mind, your karma has just run over my dogma.
  2. Re:BSD is Alive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    yeah right. Let's see now. Microsoft did a 2-1 stock split earlier this year, and started issuing dividends (partly because they have so much cash they don't know what to do with it). Meanwhile, the various BSD and linux companies are burning up money left over from VCs/IPOs, and will most likely you'll see one of them declare bankrupcty within the next year.

  3. Re:masturbation tips? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    If you wrote the above, chances are you jack off. A Lot. Probably 2-3 times a day or more.

    So, does anybody have any good tips and tricks for getting trolls to fuck off?

  4. Re:BSD is Alive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The End of FreeBSD

    [ed. note: in the following text, former FreeBSD developer Mike Smith gives his reasons for abandoning FreeBSD]

    When I stood for election to the FreeBSD core team nearly two years ago, many of you will recall that it was after a long series of debates during which I maintained that too much organisation, too many rules and too much formality would be a bad thing for the project.

    Today, as I read the latest discussions on the future of the FreeBSD project, I see the same problem; a few new faces and many of the old going over the same tired arguments and suggesting variations on the same worthless schemes. Frankly I'm sick of it.

    FreeBSD used to be fun. It used to be about doing things the right way. It used to be something that you could sink your teeth into when the mundane chores of programming for a living got you down. It was something cool and exciting; a way to spend your spare time on an endeavour you loved that was at the same time wholesome and worthwhile.

    It's not anymore. It's about bylaws and committees and reports and milestones, telling others what to do and doing what you're told. It's about who can rant the longest or shout the loudest or mislead the most people into a bloc in order to legitimise doing what they think is best. Individuals notwithstanding, the project as a whole has lost track of where it's going, and has instead become obsessed with process and mechanics.

    So I'm leaving core. I don't want to feel like I should be "doing something" about a project that has lost interest in having something done for it. I don't have the energy to fight what has clearly become a losing battle; I have a life to live and a job to keep, and I won't achieve any of the goals I personally consider worthwhile if I remain obligated to care for the project.

    Discussion

    I'm sure that I've offended some people already; I'm sure that by the time I'm done here, I'll have offended more. If you feel a need to play to the crowd in your replies rather than make a sincere effort to address the problems I'm discussing here, please do us the courtesy of playing your politics openly.

    From a technical perspective, the project faces a set of challenges that significantly outstrips our ability to deliver. Some of the resources that we need to address these challenges are tied up in the fruitless metadiscussions that have raged since we made the mistake of electing officers. Others have left in disgust, or been driven out by the culture of abuse and distraction that has grown up since then. More may well remain available to recruitment, but while the project is busy infighting our chances for successful outreach are sorely diminished.

    There's no simple solution to this. For the project to move forward, one or the other of the warring philosophies must win out; either the project returns to its laid-back roots and gets on with the work, or it transforms into a super-organised engineering project and executes a brilliant plan to deliver what, ultimately, we all know we want.

    Whatever path is chosen, whatever balance is struck, the choosing and the striking are the important parts. The current indecision and endless conflict are incompatible with any sort of progress.

    Trying to dissect the above is far beyond the scope of any parting shot, no matter how distended. All I can really ask of you all is to let go of the minutiae for a moment and take a look at the big picture. What is the ultimate goal here? How can we get there with as little overhead as possible? How would you like to be treated by your fellow travellers?

    Shouts

    To the Slashdot "BSD is dying" crowd - big deal. Death is part of the cycle; take a look at your soft, pallid bodies and consider that right this very moment, parts of you are dying. See? It's not so bad.

    To the bulk of the FreeBSD committerbase and the developer community at large - keep your eyes on the real goals. It'

  5. Re:6 Days of Testing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The End of FreeBSD

    [Ed. note: in the following text, former FreeBSD developer Mike Smith gives his reasons for abandoning FreeBSD]

    When I stood for election to the FreeBSD core team nearly two years ago, many of you will recall that it was after a long series of debates during which I maintained that too much organisation, too many rules and too much formality would be a bad thing for the project.

    Today, as I read the latest discussions on the future of the FreeBSD project, I see the same problem; a few new faces and many of the old going over the same tired arguments and suggesting variations on the same worthless schemes. Frankly I'm sick of it.

    FreeBSD used to be fun. It used to be about doing things the right way. It used to be something that you could sink your teeth into when the mundane chores of programming for a living got you down. It was something cool and exciting; a way to spend your spare time on an endeavour you loved that was at the same time wholesome and worthwhile.

    It's not anymore. It's about bylaws and committees and reports and milestones, telling others what to do and doing what you're told. It's about who can rant the longest or shout the loudest or mislead the most people into a bloc in order to legitimise doing what they think is best. Individuals notwithstanding, the project as a whole has lost track of where it's going, and has instead become obsessed with process and mechanics.

    So I'm leaving core. I don't want to feel like I should be "doing something" about a project that has lost interest in having something done for it. I don't have the energy to fight what has clearly become a losing battle; I have a life to live and a job to keep, and I won't achieve any of the goals I personally consider worthwhile if I remain obligated to care for the project.

    Discussion

    I'm sure that I've offended some people already; I'm sure that by the time I'm done here, I'll have offended more. If you feel a need to play to the crowd in your replies rather than make a sincere effort to address the problems I'm discussing here, please do us the courtesy of playing your politics openly.

    From a technical perspective, the project faces a set of challenges that significantly outstrips our ability to deliver. Some of the resources that we need to address these challenges are tied up in the fruitless metadiscussions that have raged since we made the mistake of electing officers. Others have left in disgust, or been driven out by the culture of abuse and distraction that has grown up since then. More may well remain available to recruitment, but while the project is busy infighting our chances for successful outreach are sorely diminished.

    There's no simple solution to this. For the project to move forward, one or the other of the warring philosophies must win out; either the project returns to its laid-back roots and gets on with the work, or it transforms into a super-organised engineering project and executes a brilliant plan to deliver what, ultimately, we all know we want.

    Whatever path is chosen, whatever balance is struck, the choosing and the striking are the important parts. The current indecision and endless conflict are incompatible with any sort of progress.

    Trying to dissect the above is far beyond the scope of any parting shot, no matter how distended. All I can really ask of you all is to let go of the minutiae for a moment and take a look at the big picture. What is the ultimate goal here? How can we get there with as little overhead as possible? How would you like to be treated by your fellow travellers?

    Shouts

    To the Slashdot "BSD is dying" crowd - big deal. Death is part of the cycle; take a look at your soft, pallid bodies and consider that right this very moment, parts of you are dying. See? It's not so bad.

    To the bulk of the FreeBSD committerbase and the developer community at large - keep your eyes on the real g

  6. Re:6 Days of Testing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The End of FreeBSD

    [ed. note: in the following text, former FreeBSD developer Mike Smith gives his reasons for abandoning FreeBSD]

    When I stood for election to the FreeBSD core team nearly two years ago, many of you will recall that it was after a long series of debates during which I maintained that too much organisation, too many rules and too much formality would be a bad thing for the project.

    Today, as I read the latest discussions on the future of the FreeBSD project, I see the same problem; a few new faces and many of the old going over the same tired arguments and suggesting variations on the same worthless schemes. Frankly I'm sick of it.

    FreeBSD used to be fun. It used to be about doing things the right way. It used to be something that you could sink your teeth into when the mundane chores of programming for a living got you down. It was something cool and exciting; a way to spend your spare time on an endeavour you loved that was at the same time wholesome and worthwhile.

    It's not anymore. It's about bylaws and committees and reports and milestones, telling others what to do and doing what you're told. It's about who can rant the longest or shout the loudest or mislead the most people into a bloc in order to legitimise doing what they think is best. Individuals notwithstanding, the project as a whole has lost track of where it's going, and has instead become obsessed with process and mechanics.

    So I'm leaving core. I don't want to feel like I should be "doing something" about a project that has lost interest in having something done for it. I don't have the energy to fight what has clearly become a losing battle; I have a life to live and a job to keep, and I won't achieve any of the goals I personally consider worthwhile if I remain obligated to care for the project.

    Discussion

    I'm sure that I've offended some people already; I'm sure that by the time I'm done here, I'll have offended more. If you feel a need to play to the crowd in your replies rather than make a sincere effort to address the problems I'm discussing here, please do us the courtesy of playing your politics openly.

    From a technical perspective, the project faces a set of challenges that significantly outstrips our ability to deliver. Some of the resources that we need to address these challenges are tied up in the fruitless metadiscussions that have raged since we made the mistake of electing officers. Others have left in disgust, or been driven out by the culture of abuse and distraction that has grown up since then. More may well remain available to recruitment, but while the project is busy infighting our chances for successful outreach are sorely diminished.

    There's no simple solution to this. For the project to move forward, one or the other of the warring philosophies must win out; either the project returns to its laid-back roots and gets on with the work, or it transforms into a super-organised engineering project and executes a brilliant plan to deliver what, ultimately, we all know we want.

    Whatever path is chosen, whatever balance is struck, the choosing and the striking are the important parts. The current indecision and endless conflict are incompatible with any sort of progress.

    Trying to dissect the above is far beyond the scope of any parting shot, no matter how distended. All I can really ask of you all is to let go of the minutiae for a moment and take a look at the big picture. What is the ultimate goal here? How can we get there with as little overhead as possible? How would you like to be treated by your fellow travellers?

    Shouts

    To the Slashdot "BSD is dying" crowd - big deal. Death is part of the cycle; take a look at your soft, pallid bodies and consider that right this very moment, parts of you are dying. See? It's not so bad.

    To the bulk of the FreeBSD committerbase and the developer community at large - keep your eyes on the real go

  7. Re:I hope this will work better. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The End of FreeBSD

    [note: in the following text, former FreeBSD developer Mike Smith gives his reasons for abandoning FreeBSD]

    When I stood for election to the FreeBSD core team nearly two years ago, many of you will recall that it was after a long series of debates during which I maintained that too much organisation, too many rules and too much formality would be a bad thing for the project.

    Today, as I read the latest discussions on the future of the FreeBSD project, I see the same problem; a few new faces and many of the old going over the same tired arguments and suggesting variations on the same worthless schemes. Frankly I'm sick of it.

    FreeBSD used to be fun. It used to be about doing things the right way. It used to be something that you could sink your teeth into when the mundane chores of programming for a living got you down. It was something cool and exciting; a way to spend your spare time on an endeavour you loved that was at the same time wholesome and worthwhile.

    It's not anymore. It's about bylaws and committees and reports and milestones, telling others what to do and doing what you're told. It's about who can rant the longest or shout the loudest or mislead the most people into a bloc in order to legitimise doing what they think is best. Individuals notwithstanding, the project as a whole has lost track of where it's going, and has instead become obsessed with process and mechanics.

    So I'm leaving core. I don't want to feel like I should be "doing something" about a project that has lost interest in having something done for it. I don't have the energy to fight what has clearly become a losing battle; I have a life to live and a job to keep, and I won't achieve any of the goals I personally consider worthwhile if I remain obligated to care for the project.

    Discussion

    I'm sure that I've offended some people already; I'm sure that by the time I'm done here, I'll have offended more. If you feel a need to play to the crowd in your replies rather than make a sincere effort to address the problems I'm discussing here, please do us the courtesy of playing your politics openly.

    From a technical perspective, the project faces a set of challenges that significantly outstrips our ability to deliver. Some of the resources that we need to address these challenges are tied up in the fruitless metadiscussions that have raged since we made the mistake of electing officers. Others have left in disgust, or been driven out by the culture of abuse and distraction that has grown up since then. More may well remain available to recruitment, but while the project is busy infighting our chances for successful outreach are sorely diminished.

    There's no simple solution to this. For the project to move forward, one or the other of the warring philosophies must win out; either the project returns to its laid-back roots and gets on with the work, or it transforms into a super-organised engineering project and executes a brilliant plan to deliver what, ultimately, we all know we want.

    Whatever path is chosen, whatever balance is struck, the choosing and the striking are the important parts. The current indecision and endless conflict are incompatible with any sort of progress.

    Trying to dissect the above is far beyond the scope of any parting shot, no matter how distended. All I can really ask of you all is to let go of the minutiae for a moment and take a look at the big picture. What is the ultimate goal here? How can we get there with as little overhead as possible? How would you like to be treated by your fellow travellers?

    Shouts

    To the Slashdot "BSD is dying" crowd - big deal. Death is part of the cycle; take a look at your soft, pallid bodies and consider that right this very moment, parts of you are dying. See? It's not so bad.

    To the bulk of the FreeBSD committerbase and the developer community at large - keep your eyes on the real goals. It's wh

  8. Re:Not released yet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The End of FreeBSD.

    [Ed. Note: in the following text, former FreeBSD developer Mike Smith gives his reasons for abandoning FreeBSD]

    When I stood for election to the FreeBSD core team nearly two years ago, many of you will recall that it was after a long series of debates during which I maintained that too much organisation, too many rules and too much formality would be a bad thing for the project.

    Today, as I read the latest discussions on the future of the FreeBSD project, I see the same problem; a few new faces and many of the old going over the same tired arguments and suggesting variations on the same worthless schemes. Frankly I'm sick of it.

    FreeBSD used to be fun. It used to be about doing things the right way. It used to be something that you could sink your teeth into when the mundane chores of programming for a living got you down. It was something cool and exciting; a way to spend your spare time on an endeavour you loved that was at the same time wholesome and worthwhile.

    It's not anymore. It's about bylaws and committees and reports and milestones, telling others what to do and doing what you're told. It's about who can rant the longest or shout the loudest or mislead the most people into a bloc in order to legitimise doing what they think is best. Individuals notwithstanding, the project as a whole has lost track of where it's going, and has instead become obsessed with process and mechanics.

    So I'm leaving core. I don't want to feel like I should be "doing something" about a project that has lost interest in having something done for it. I don't have the energy to fight what has clearly become a losing battle; I have a life to live and a job to keep, and I won't achieve any of the goals I personally consider worthwhile if I remain obligated to care for the project.

    Discussion

    I'm sure that I've offended some people already; I'm sure that by the time I'm done here, I'll have offended more. If you feel a need to play to the crowd in your replies rather than make a sincere effort to address the problems I'm discussing here, please do us the courtesy of playing your politics openly.

    From a technical perspective, the project faces a set of challenges that significantly outstrips our ability to deliver. Some of the resources that we need to address these challenges are tied up in the fruitless metadiscussions that have raged since we made the mistake of electing officers. Others have left in disgust, or been driven out by the culture of abuse and distraction that has grown up since then. More may well remain available to recruitment, but while the project is busy infighting our chances for successful outreach are sorely diminished.

    There's no simple solution to this. For the project to move forward, one or the other of the warring philosophies must win out; either the project returns to its laid-back roots and gets on with the work, or it transforms into a super-organised engineering project and executes a brilliant plan to deliver what, ultimately, we all know we want.

    Whatever path is chosen, whatever balance is struck, the choosing and the striking are the important parts. The current indecision and endless conflict are incompatible with any sort of progress.

    Trying to dissect the above is far beyond the scope of any parting shot, no matter how distended. All I can really ask of you all is to let go of the minutiae for a moment and take a look at the big picture. What is the ultimate goal here? How can we get there with as little overhead as possible? How would you like to be treated by your fellow travellers?

    Shouts

    To the Slashdot "BSD is dying" crowd - big deal. Death is part of the cycle; take a look at your soft, pallid bodies and consider that right this very moment, parts of you are dying. See? It's not so bad.

    To the bulk of the FreeBSD committerbase and the developer community at large - keep your eyes on the real goals. It

  9. asdf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    asdf

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

      My friends and I were sitting around on Saturday watching college football when a girl, let's call her WhoreBingo, came over. She brought her roommate, a nurse, who we'll call Nurse Cratched. She works with doctors who do various types of penis surgeries. Her job became the immediate focus of conversation, and her stories blew me away. For example:

      1. It is possible to break your dick. Really. Your penis can suffer such a trauma that the patchwork of blood vessels that hold it erect can break, filling your penis with blood, sort of like a big bruise. She told us about this one guy who came in, and had to have a full liter of blood drained from his cock. When she asked him how it happened, he told her "I was taggin' my bitch from the back, and I aimed too high, and the fucker broke." Jesus Christ. He must have been fucking the absolute shit out of this girl to generate enough force to break his dick against her coccyx.

      2. You can get a surgically implanted penis pump. Apparently, all those ads in the back of Hustler are true. If you are impotent, doctors can insert a small inflatable tube into your penis, and a pump into your scrotum. Then you literally inflate the tube in your penis by repeatedly squeezing the pump in your scrotum sack. There is even a release valve on the back side of the sack to deflate the penis. Remember those inflatable Reebok basketball shoes? Like those, but in your penis.

      Of course, I had numerous questions about the actual effect of this surgery. Does a pumped up penis feel like a real erect penis to the woman? Can the guy still come? Does sex feel the same to the guy? Does it look funny when a guy repeatedly squeezes his sack before sex? Do you tell the girl or do you try and play it off? Disappointingly, she had no good answers for these questions. Her reason: "I don't know what it's like; I don't sleep with these men. It's not a porn movie in there. I'm just their nurse."

      3. Women can get a surgically created penis. I shit you not. By creatively arranging the skin around the vagina, a doctor can create an organ that looks just like a normal penis. Then they insert the same penile implant as above, put the pump in the surgically created scrotum sack, and, well, she has a working penis. Without close examination, it is difficult to tell the difference between that and a real penis. Nurse Cratched told one story about a woman who came in and had this surgery done, and then got a tattoo of an anchor on the underside of her new penis. She said she got it so she could "drop anchor."

      Once the mechanics were understood, I had dozens of philosophical questions for her. What if a woman with a surgically created penis has sex with a man? Is that homosexual or heterosexual? What if she has sex with a woman? Does the woman consider this a heterosexual or homosexual experience? She had no idea. Suggestions, anyone? I did find out that once the surgery is complete, the woman can pee standing up.

      4. Your penis can get gangrene. She told us about a guy who came in with such advanced gangrene on his penis, he had to have it lanced. Can you imagine that pain? When asked how his penis got this way, he said his girlfriend bit his cock, the cut became infected, and he just ignored it, hoping it would go away. How do you not get that looked at sooner? Maybe I'm strange, but if I have an infected cut on my penis, I'm getting that fucker looked at. Immediately. Like "call-the-fucking-ambulance-and-get-me-to-the-ER-R IGHT-FUCKING-NOW" immediately. But that's just me.

      The best part about this conversation was Nurse Cratched herself. She is very good looking. Hot even. And all she does all day is deal with middle-aged men's penis's and assholes. Imagine being an impotent man going in to get a penile insert, and a 5'10" hot blonde is your nurse? Might cure that impotence. She said she gets propositioned several times a day, which to me is incredible. I guess if you're going to get a penis pump put in, you might as well give it a shot. What do you

  10. Help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I am fat.

  11. Main ThrUST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The main thrust of the Brownback bill..
    I love brown backs.

  12. Senator pushes Bill down the stairs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    illarity ensues!

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

    thanks

  14. Late news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I submitted this *days* ago, and my story had many more details. However, when I submit a story days late, it is accepted. Why do all my timely stories get rejected, and my late "i-can't-believe-they-still-haven't-posted-this" stories are accepted? I also submitted today's SCO news two days ago. I mean, can't you post things in a timely fashion?

  15. frist psot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    copy this!!

  16. Laughter!!! by NFW · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    You actually paid for a subscription so you could get first post?

    There's one born every minute...

    --
    Build stuff. Stuff that walks, stuff that rolls, whatever.
  17. greetings all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    perhaps i could point you to this stupendous work of senseless trolling.

  18. Just bitch a lot on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    That helps the most

  19. The question remains... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The question remains who is Bill and why does it matter if we push him?

  20. Re:protecting the right of consumers by SkewlD00d · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Rupurt Murdoch (the owner of Fox, DirecTV, SkyNews and too many newspapers) is laudering soft-money, to the tune of $12M, to Demos through Saban Entnmnt. Talk about bribery. Maybe he has the Repbs in his pocket already, now he's gunnin' for the Demos?

    --
    The biggest trick the devil pulled was letting lawyers become politicians so they can write the laws.
  21. Re:Protecting the right of Private Citizens by isorox · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    He didnt know how to spell his own name, why the hell should I

    Besides, I'm waiting for a patch that I can right-click in mozilla and as well as google-search, search wikipedia and dictionary.com. And open it in a new tab, not new window.

  22. Re:Copyright and libraries.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    It's lose, not loose!!!!!!!!!!!!!