Slashback: OpenDocument, Intelligent Design, More DRM

Slashback tonight brings a few corrections, clarifications and updates to previous Slashdot stories, including several updates to the Sony DRM rootkit fiasco, another school system's take on intelligent design, some of the first pictures of the much talked about avian flu virus, a sentencing that gives us the first torrent user to get jail time, Bernard Golden weighs in on the continuing Massachussetts OpenDocument debate, and one users commentary on recent announcements to start pay-per-download services for TV shows. Read on for the details.

Sony still not "getting it". c writes "Mark Russinovich continues his investigation of Sony's DRM as he tries out the official uninstaller. His verdict? 'I've analyzed virulent forms of spyware/adware that provide more straightforward means of uninstall.'" Relatedly Cronos1388 writes "According to the Inquirer an Italian group is also suing Sony over the rootkit." Also, an unexpected side effect of this technology is that script kiddies have been able to leverage Sony's tool to hide unauthorized cheat programs from the watchful eye of MMO creators.

Intelligent design supporters ousted. PMuse writes "The Register and others are reporting that all eight of the members of the Dover, PA school board that had required Intelligent Design to be taught alongside Evolution have been canned by voters in yesterday's election."

What does avian flu look like? DevL writes "Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson has managed to capture images of a H5N1 (bird flu) virus entering and taking control of a cell. While the text is in Swedish, the images speak for themselves."

Torrent user goes up the river. stinerman writes to tell us that the Hong Kong man who was recently arrested for making several movies available via BitTorrent has had his sentence handed down. Chan aka "Big Crook" uploaded Daredevil, Red Planet, and Miss Congeniality which landed him 3 months in jail.

Golden weighs in on OpenDocument debate. OSS_ilation writes "With so much FUD and anti-FUD flying in the face of Massachusetts' decision to go with OpenDocument, it's no surprise that open source advocate Bernard Golden weighs in with his take on current events."

User says new downloadable television just plain "sucks." Thomas Hawk writes "In the past few weeks the three major studios have all announced deals to begin offering downloadable television for consumers -- Apple/ABC, DirecTV/NBC, and Comcast/CBS. The problem with each of these respective offerings is that they largely suck. Apple sells expensive low res limited television from ABC. NBC's new service will only work on DirecTV DVRs (uh hello McFly, why pay money for this service when I can just record it for free). And CBS' downloadable programming could contain commercials."

Comments

Kansas new state motto

[Anonymous Coward]

"We're to stoopid to undarstand evolution so their must be an intelligent designor"

Order you're bumper stickers now!

Re:Win some, lose some.

[Greyfox]

There isn't as much inbreeding in Pennsylvania. I would worry about getting modded down as a troll for this but fortunately they haven't figured out how to use "those newfangled computer things" in Kansas. Frankly I'm not too worried about ID being taught in Kansas schools either, for much the same reason. It's not like anyone from Kansas ever escapes the state, so we don't even have to worry about them entering our workforce. At some point we'll probably just build a wall around the state (And fill it with water.)

On a side note, the results of the Dilbert Weasel Poll rank "Advocating the teaching of intelligent design in our schools" as the weaseliest behavior by a good margin.

Re:Kansas welcoms new professor of Cryptozoology

[rho]

Wow. Learn ID alongside Darwinian evolution, and suddenly you're in danger of being unable to think rationally.

Whether you agree or disagree with ID being taught, your wild-eyed devotion to Darwinian evolution as a key lodestone for critical thinking is positively magikcal.

What hyper-sensitive twaddle.

Re:Can you say "backfire"

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

And you actually believed enough of that load of crap to post it on slashdot? Sony is incredily stupid, but not that stupid...

I'm gay and all for ID

[Anonymous Coward]

The idea that God designed me that way, and designed me with an anus that can give (and take) so much pleasure IS electrifying.

Alas, ID supporters rarelly agree with me.