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Slashback: Railing, Blocking, Scoffing

Slashback tonight brings you more information on homemade railguns, the future history of SCO (seen from the past), one website's response to alleged RIAA mendacity, a legal victory for famous web jerk Tucker Max, and more -- read on for the details.

Please don't point that thing at me. BoomZilla writes "If you thought that the recent Gauss Gun article on Slashdot was spiffy, check out Jengel & Fatro's Rail Gun Page. Everything you need to know about the physics behind building your very own rail gun. Ever used the Quake rail gun and lusted after the real thing? Here's your opportunity."

Telepathic telegrams work as well as ever, though. markgo2k writes "After the web site experienced 'an unusually high number of visitors,' the White House modified the contact page and added a prominent link to president@whitehouse.gov. Here's the latest NYT story (once again, reprinted here in the non-subscription Seattle PI). Of course, the White House is still confused on the difference between the New York Times effect and the Slashdot effect. It's not mentioned in the story, but there is also now a feedback link to submit comments to the 'White House Web Development Team,' if you want to drop them a line..."

It's half-Greek to me. In response to the recent story on perpendicular data storage in next-generation hard drives, Anonymous Coward writes "Here is a better overview of Perpendicular HDD technology. Here is a real detailed scientific article that seems to be written in Greek."

They're off my Christmas card list, too. Techfocus ran an interview with Fred von Lohmann earlier this year. Now, an anonymous reader points to an update on their site: "Effective immediately, the RIAA and MPAA will need to find another way to get to Techfocus. In response to their legal targeting of individual file-swappers, access from their known networks to this site has now been blocked. While it may still be possible for them to access Techfocus via address ranges which we're not aware of, they'll otherwise have to use non-RIAA and non-MPAA networks to view the site."

Techfocus cites three reasons for the denial, the top one being that the RIAA took advantage of the interview with von Lohmann, "quoting him out of context in a manner which could lead readers of their materials to believe that we supported their efforts. This could not be further from the truth."

The secret is to predict enough things. An anonymous reader points out this article from early 2000 citing Gartner analyst Al Hilwa's prediction that Linux is "probably going to kill SCO UnixWare," writing "As you can read, SCO's end was predicted near perfectly." I think "hinted at" is more accurate, since SCO is still alive and at least making a good show of kicking, but it's interesting to revisit a story about SCO which mentions that "industry observers thought that the company would be Linux's first victim," back when Project Monterey was a going concern.

A victory for discourteous boors everywhere. aeaas writes "The beauty queen Katy Johnson dropped her suit against Tucker Max over the posting of stories from their relationship on his website. This story was first brought up in the context that he was forced to take down stories relating to her without holding a hearing or notifying Max prior to it. This is unusual in American law."

A quarter mil is a lot of suffering, even in Canadian money. Skippy321 writes "Justified or not, Ghyslain Raza--better known as the Star Wars Kid--is suing the four students who posted his homemade video of himself doing acrobatic "sword-fighting stunts" on the Internet for $250,000. He claims that he has suffered harassment and persecution. It's also interesting how the article states that he quit high school due to this video, at only 15 years of age. Although things aren't so bad for him -- here's a petition for him to get a role in Episode III."

23 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. The Star Wars Kids Videos by pgrote · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here is the original and remix videos
    of the kid. Pretty funny stuff.

    I guess this will teach him to leave his tapes laying around. Good lesson to learn in case he actually gets out of puberty and starts taping his girlfriends.

    1. Re:The Star Wars Kids Videos by clambake · · Score: 4, Funny

      RTFA: Having them stolen from a locked school locker is not 'leaving them around'.

      Depends on your definition of "leaving around"... Now help me jimmy this car door, I can see somone "left around" a CD player in thier front seat.

    2. Re:The Star Wars Kids Videos by genka · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can see somone "left around" a CD player in thier front seat
      Yeah! And let sucker be served with a suit for sharing that CD from the player!

    3. Re:The Star Wars Kids Videos by IvyMike · · Score: 5, Funny

      but it's not like he did a Libby whatever... (you know... the girl whose "private" strip act for her boyfriend is all over the internet now).

      How did this get rated up without having a link?

  2. Pay him! by sebi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can feel for that Star Wars kid. Being an outsider in school is hard enough when you are only mocked by those that you see every day. But suddenly being laughed at by a global audience must be hell. I haven't seen the video, so I can't comment on how stupid he looks on it, but that is beside the point. He clearly did not intend it to be seen by anyone. High school bullying is good fun, until one of the victims decides to shoot some classmates. Then it is newsworthy. When they drop out, or even kill themselves then nobody cares. This case can send the right message if you ask me (which you really shouldn't)

  3. Now... what we really need to figure out how to do by miketang16 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is how to ban the RIAA from accessing the Internet.

    --
    -------
    "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
    -- George Orwell
  4. The real question by pcgamez · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...is if Slashdot has the balls to ban the RIAA.

  5. Wouldn't the DMCA apply? by RedLeg · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "In response to their legal targeting of individual file-swappers, access from their known networks to this site has now been blocked. While it may still be possible for them to access Techfocus via address ranges which we're not aware of, they'll otherwise have to use non-RIAA and non-MPAA networks to view the site."

    So, this site's admin has put in place a technical measure to prevent or limit certain persons from accessing his site. Wouldn't attempts by those persons to circumvent that access control technology constitute a violation of the DMCA?

    Where's the FBI and a Federal Prosecutor when you need one?
  6. Star Wars Kid by Keebler71 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here is the link to a "Star Wars Kid" Parody site. I didn't want to post it till I watched the videos for fear of slashdoting depriving me of nearly wetting myself it was so funny.

    --
    "It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
  7. He forgot to say thank you by DennisZeMenace · · Score: 4, Informative

    Ghyslain/Star-Wars-Kid forgot to say thank you for the $3250 he received from the Internet community. I wonder whether it's him or his parents pushing for the lawsuit...

    -DZM

    1. Re:He forgot to say thank you by Tyler+Eaves · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well considering he's currently in a mental hospital I think he got the short end of the stick personally.

      --
      TODO: Something witty here...
  8. For those wishing to block RIAA/MPAA: by bivaughn · · Score: 5, Informative

    12.150.191.0 - 12.150.191.255 | RECORDIN50-191 | RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOC OF AMERICA | RIAA | 1330 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW SUITE 300 - WASHINGTON US | 2001-08-11 | reassignment | ARIN

    12.29.112.0 - 12.29.112.15 | MPLC-112-0 | Motion Picture Licensing Corp | MPLC | 5455 Centinela Ave. - LA - CA - 90066 - US | US | 1999-07-29 | reassignment | ARIN

    208.49.164.0 - 208.49.164.255 | GBX-REQ000000015136 | MPAA/Motion Picture Association | C00282131 | 15503 Venture Blvd - Encino - CA - 91436 - US | US | 2002-03-07 | reassignment | ARIN

    198.70.114.0 - 198.70.114.255 | NET-MPA-1 | Motion Picture Association | C00012562 | 15503 Ventura Boulevard - Encino - CA - 91436 - US | US | 1998-03-04 | reassignment | ARIN

    63.199.57.120 - 63.199.57.127 | SBCIS68048 | Motion Picture Assoc. | C00048959 | 15503 Ventura Boulevard - Encino - CA - 91436 - US | US | 1999-12-08 | reassignment | ARIN

    208.50.66.224 - 208.50.66.255 | GBX-REQ000000012662 | MPAA | C00194717 | 15503 Venture Blvd - Encino - CA - 91436 - US | US | 2001-06-26 | reassignment | ARIN

  9. Re:$250,000 is a lot of $ for kids to pay by Hnidan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    At least it isn't $250,000,000 like it would be in one of your American courts.

    Here in Canada they're going to have a hard time triing to get any money for Psychological damages. Our judges like to see receipts.

  10. Re:Note to self by beacher · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Second note to self: This is the forge that will make Linux either extremeley hard and brittle or strong and flexible with the ability to stay sharp. As much as I hate hearing SCO stories, I am glad that the threat is a light-weight that spews out so many lies that their story is hardly credible. Hopefully everyone will analyze what they are doing and some preventive measures can be put in place for tougher future challengers when IBM isn't taking up the defense.

    I really hate MCBride and SCO, but I think this is a good thing for us in the long run. Please remember that we all have to concentrate on making Linux just right for us. If other people/corporations appreciate Linux, then it will be on merit alone. Corporate backing is great and it makes other corporations look towards supporting hardware for Linux, but we're not selling to corporations, we're selling Linux to ourselves - and I think I'm my own worst customer.

    -B

  11. Re:Ghyslain in Episode III by pixel_bc · · Score: 4, Funny

    > Wouldn't that just compound his humiliation?

    Only if Yoda whips his French ass.

    Otherwise, he be da man.

  12. What I'm interested in... by shr3k · · Score: 5, Funny
    Slashback tonight brings you more information on homemade railguns, the future history of SCO (seen from the past),

    Hey, speaking of which, I know a great place you can test out those railguns:
    355 South 520 West
    Suite 100
    Lindon, Utah 84042 USA
  13. Do they know something I don't? by bopo · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The connection was refused when attempting to contact techfocus.org"

    Either this is the result of a good slashdotting, or I've been brainwashed into an *IAA agent. Stand back, I don't know what I'll do next!!

    --
    "Understand you're having a little Jimmy Page trouble."
  14. She dropped her suit by N8w8 · · Score: 5, Funny
    The beauty queen Katy Johnson dropped her suit
    She dropped her suit! Did anyone take any pictures? Where are the pictures?
  15. Bruce Perens's second cousin's roomate on SCO! by gatesh8r · · Score: 4, Funny
    "Yeah I think SCO is in it for the money and they'll go bankrupt." -- ONLY ON SLASHDOT!


    (Yes yes I know, it should of been "father's second cousin's roommate", just like in Spaceballs. The subject box isn't that big...)

    --
    Karma whorin' since 1999
  16. Re:Petition by n9hmg · · Score: 4, Insightful

    people will hate him too
    That brings me to the point I wanted to make. Until he sued, I didn't think badly of him. He got access to a camera and wanted to see if his moves were as smooth as he imagined. Frankly, they weren't completely clumsy.
    The whole point of the story was that we've all done things that aren't "cool", and it's funny to see someone else acting silly. Now, the point is that he's a pussy who can't laugh at himself. Let the taunting begin.

  17. here is mine, but 66.252.129 is still missing by nyet · · Score: 4, Interesting

    is it a typo? their htaccess lists 66.252.128

    # Generated by iptables-save v1.2.8 on Thu Jul 24 18:52:32 2003
    *filter :INPUT ACCEPT [251238:18127669] :FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0] :OUTPUT ACCEPT [147443:28849496]
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 12.29.112.0/255.255.255.240 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 63.199.57.120/255.255.255.248 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 198.70.114.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.49.164.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.50.66.224/255.255.255.224 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 64.166.187.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 64.241.31.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 65.244.101.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 66.252.128.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 67.112.252.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 67.125.49.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 81.4.78.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 146.82.174.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.192.0.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.209.2.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.225.90.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.229.253.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 208.49.164.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 212.241.48.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    [0:0] -A INPUT -s 217.228.123.0/255.255.255.0 -j DROP
    COMMIT
    # Completed on Thu Jul 24 18:52:32 2003

  18. Re:Petition by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It's currently at 17,085 signatures. Can Slashdot get it to at least 20,000?"

    I think Slashdot rolled it back a bit. It says 404 now.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  19. SWK kid took the wrong angle -- by toganet · · Score: 4, Funny

    He should have acted like he _intended_ to look like an idiot -- instead of being laughed AT, he could have been the next Chris Farley!