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MP3.com's Content to Be Destroyed
WCityMike writes "Vivendi Universal recently sold the MP3.com domain to CNet. However, they're not selling the approximately one million songs on the archive. (recorded by over 250,000 artists) Instead, they're simply destroying it as of December 3. MP3.com's founder and former CEO, Michael Robertson, is pleading with Vivendi to allow the Internet Archive to preserve the songs."
Damn Small Linux has a nearly complete desktop, including XMMS (MP3, and MPEG), FTP client, Dillo web browser, links-hacked web browser, spreadsheet, Sylpheed email, spellcheck (US English), a word-processor, three editors (Nedit, nVi, Zile [emacs clone]), graphics editing and viewing (Xpaint, and xzgv), Xpdf, emelFM (file manager), Naim (AIM, ICQ, IRC), VNCviwer, Rdesktop, SSH/SCP server and client, DHCP client, PPP, PPPoE (ADSL), a web server, calculator, generic printer support, NFS, Fluxbox window manager, games, system monitoring apps, a host of command line tools, USB support, and pcmcia support. For more information check out the applications pages.
:-) go here.
If you like DSL you can install it on your hard drive. Because all the applications are small and light it makes a very good choice for older hardware.
My goal in creating Damn Small Linux is to have enough tools and toys on a business card sized CD to get work done *and* have some fun.
How?
I started with model_k, which did an excellent distillation of Knoppix down to 33 megabytes. From there I went through and removed what I could, including Locals and documentation, I know, that's not a good thing, but I had to make room.
As many know Knoppix is based on Debian which really made my task a lot easier, but the applications on the CD are not pure Debian. I am using a few apps that are not available via apt-get.
The applications I am using are the best compromises I could find between function and size.
To make room I had to remove the entire dpkg database structure. But don't freak out, I saved it for folks who want to try to remaster from my iso.
X?
It is a combo of Debian packages and the Kdrive Xvesa and Xfbdev servers. It works beautifully on most computers but it runs slower than what most Linux users are use to. That's the cost of keeping it all small and lite.
ToDo?
Clean up and refine.
Where can I download it from?
My email address is:
john _at_ damnsmalllinux.org
(please go to the user forum for tech questions)
Sorry but MSI = Microsoft Install System.
TAA (Try another acronym)
Internet Trolls
Copyright (C) 2001 by Timothy Campbell (trollwatch@rogers.com)
Please do not cut-and-paste this article
April 19 2003 Edition
http://members.aol.com/intwg/trolls.htm
What is a troll?
An Internet "troll" is a person who delights in sowing discord on the Internet. He (and it is usually he) tries to start arguments and upset people.
Trolls see Internet communications services as convenient venues for their bizarre game. For some reason, they don't "get" that they are hurting real people. To them, other Internet users are not quite human but are a kind of digital abstraction. As a result, they feel no sorrow whatsoever for the pain they inflict. Indeed, the greater the suffering they cause, the greater their 'achievement' (as they see it). At the moment, the relative anonymity of the net allows trolls to flourish.
Trolls are utterly impervious to criticism (constructive or otherwise). You cannot negotiate with them; you cannot cause them to feel shame or compassion; you cannot reason with them. They cannot be made to feel remorse. For some reason, trolls do not feel they are bound by the rules of courtesy or social responsibility.
Perhaps this sounds inconceivable. You may think, "Surely there is something I can write that will change them." But a true troll can not be changed by mere words.
Why Does it Matter?
Some people -- particularly those who have been online for years -- are not upset by trolls and consider them an inevitable hazard of using the net. As the saying goes, "You can't have a picnic without ants."
It would be nice if everybody was so easy-going, but the sad fact is that trolls do discourage people. Established posters may leave a message board because of the arguments that trolls ignite, and lurkers (people who read but do not post) may decide that they do not want to expose themselves to abuse and thus never get involved.
Another problem is that the negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.
Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.
The Internet is a wonderful resource which is breaking down barriers and stripping away prejudice. Trolls threaten our continued enjoyment of this beautiful forum for ideas.
What Can be Done about Trolls?
When you suspect that somebody is a troll, you might try responding with a polite, mild message to see if it's just somebody in a bad mood. Internet users sometimes let their passions get away from them when seated safely behind their keyboard. If you ignore their bluster and respond in a pleasant manner, they usually calm down.
However, if the person persists in being beastly, and seems to enjoy being unpleasant, the only effective position is summed up as follows:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.
When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't handle is being ignored.
What Not to Do
As already stated, it is futile to try to "cure" a troll of his obsession. But perhaps you simply cannot bear the hostile environment that the troll is creating and want to go away for a while.
If you do that, then for the sake of the others on the system, please do not post a dramatic "Goodbye!" message. This convinces the troll that he is winning the battle. There is, perhaps, no message you can write on a message system that is as damaging as an announcement that you are leaving because of the hostility that the troll has kindled.
If you feel you must say something, a discreet message to the system
I'm too late for a FIRST POST! So, how about a FOURTH POST? That should do.
He was trying to be sarcastic. I think the best thing to say is...
HE FAILED IT!
(Shout out to GNAA and my brothers in Jihad!.)