"Sounds like this thing is going to be DOA. Lots of other PC-based TV recording products that aren't restrictive when it comes to copying stuff goes..."
If Microsoft follows their typical business plan, they'll likely buy out one or two of the larger competitors, price out the rest, and then consumers will only have MS and maybe a lesser known "open-source" product from which to choose.
...and not going back, ever again. I've spent the last year recovering from the last company I worked for. 12 to 15 hour days, every weekend, midnight phone calls from sales people, unreleastic project timelines, salary cuts... and then after a year, the board realised no one had a made a single sale. And as George Thorogood put it: "out the door I went."
I'll never put in a 12 hour day again. Somehow IT and coders got the reputation for working long hours and weekends... and liking it. Not me.
My priorities are much different now. And after a year, I found an employer who feels the same way. No weekends. 8 hour days. All holidays off. 4 weeks vacation. No stock options. No egos.
My advice: network your talents and find a new job. Then take a week off, fly to a tropical climate. Leave your cell phone, PDA, and laptops at home and consume vast quantities of umbrella-laden drinks.
Since, Libertarianism is the primary subject of this thread, I must invoke Gordon's Restatement of Newman's Corollary to Godwin's Law and return the discussion to its previous debate of freedom.
I appreciate your point (and no I don't take it as an insult). Check out a book called Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John De Graaf, Thomas H. Naylor, & David Wann and you'll understand my comments about fast food and TV and how the majority of this country is lulled into a false sense of "security."
I hope you're correct about "ebb and flow." If so, I truly hope that we are re-living the late 50s right now and come 7 years, we'll have another revolution of art, music, philosophy, religion, etc... in this country.
Re:The word is treason
on
Want Freedom?
·
· Score: 1
Did CNN's Peter Arnett(sp) commit treason by staying in Baghdad and reporting?
Did the reporter who first broke the story of the Mi Lie (sp) massacre in Vietnam commit treason?
Did the reporter who broke the story about arms for hostages during our nations "dirty little secret" war in Nicaragua commit treason?
Some classified information must be reported, else you might be worshipping, not voting for, our President.
People are too busy wondering who's going to win American Idol or how Ross and Rachel will finally get together or who will win the next wrestling pay-per-view to "understand" that their rights are being slowly eroded away in the name of "security." The irony is the only "security" we have EVER needed in this nation IS the document Franklin and a few other visionaries toiled over: The Constitution.
Oh well... don't worry, be happy. Eat more fast food, drink more soda & beer, and watch more TV. All is well.
I think Verizon and the major Telecomm and ISP companies should pull the plug and give control over to the FCC: that does seem to be the apparent end-result the RIAA, MPAA, major studios and Congress are after.
Maybe in the near future we'll only have FCC controlled ISPs, strictly monitored by the RIAA and MPAA and sponsored by major corporations.
Slashdot: The Next Generation. Approved by the RIAA/MPAA and brought to you by Paramount.
You're partially correct. This case directly affects US Internet users; but does indirectly affect the rest of the world.
As seen in the past, the American government is very good at creating a "moral agenda" and subjecting not only its own citizens, but also the world. Using economic & military aid and trade laws, the US sometimes attempts to apply its own sense of right and wrong onto outside sovereign nations. Just ask the EU and Russia. When they banned American beef imports, America raised taxes on Russian steel.
Just remember the American ego has no boundaries or borders.
Why is it expected that a training course or documentation must always answer your every question or explain every aspect of a product or subject? Training courses and documentation are like software: they get better with time, usage, and testing. No one expects a Beta software release to meet all requirements, why then is the first training course or help system expected to meet all requirements?
I have long battled with clients over their perception that designing and creating training courses and help systems takes less time, effort, and testing than their software project. That is a fatal project flaw and leads to poorly conceived training and help.
You're right, the average person subscribes to AOL and will line up behind Bush Jr when he preaches national security and the need for tighter controls on the internet and computers. And I'm sure Bill G will back him and praise the efforts of Micro$oft's new, more secure OS with Palladium.
It's up to us, the educated users, to make as many people aware as possible of the inherent dangers of TCAP and more so, Palladium.
The irony is that this country fought so long to keep the communist threat out and to promote democracy and now the gov't and big business are promoting programs similar to ones the Soviets used and the Chinese still use.
Not only can you not upgrade your OS, but you can't upgrade hardware if TCAP is instituted. And if you're waiting for a crack, after TCAP and Palladium are instituted (and mandated by the gov't) chances are that crack will be deleted by Microsoft's remote capabilities.
My point? Make sure you take REAL good care of your hardware.
"[TCPA / Palladium] provides a computing platform on which you can't tamper with the applications, and where these applications can communicate securely with the vendor."
Does it concern anyone that Microsoft, Oracle, AOL, Disney, etc... would have control over your computer if this standard is implemented (and you use a windows platform)? Does it concern anyone that corporations and governments could delete anything they found objectionable? Truth is: had the US government realised how big the Internet would become and how free information would flow, they never would have allowed it. With TCPA / Palladium, governments and corporations will kill the freedoms we now enjoy on the web, usenet, ftp, etc.
This is just the beginning.
Next High School classes win corporate sponsorship.
American History sponsored by Nike.
Paul Revere sprints from town to town in his air jordan cross trainers, gortex all-weather jacket, and teflon stretch pants to warn people of the British invasion.
English sponsored by Budweiser
Shakespear is replaced by the poetry of three frogs and a lizard. TS Eliot's "The Wasteland" is determined to be too long and replaced by the first WASSUP commercial.
Hate to burst yer bubble, but card-counting (using NO exterior devices, only your mind) is not illegal in the state of Neveda.
However, casinos do have the right to bar anyone for any reason what-so-ever. They tend to not like anyone who wins... and as such if you consistantly win, they will ask you to leave.
If you are counting cards and not using an external device, they CANNOT (by NV law) take your money; and they cannot force you to any "back room" or "basement."
If they do "force" you to a back room or basement, then the casino is wide-open for a "false-imprisonment" suit.
At first glance, that chair is pretty damn cool. Definitely something that would be fun to design and build. Though, after looking at it for a bit I've noticed it isn't exactly functional. No room to use mouse and you have to get up from the chair to use the CDROM. However, it would make the hours and hours it takes to do anything in EQ much more... ummm... comfortable.
Good start.
I think TV, Music, and Film are lost causes. The corporations have COMPLETE control of those media (as demonstrated by the demise of the now forgotten Napster). The recent FCC decision that ALL TV transmissions must be digital by (2007?) is evidence that mass media corporations and the FCC have realized that most people are turning off the TV to surf, chat, and play games and refusing to pay $9 to see MIB2 now they can get it for free on usenet.
In response, I think the large media corporations (i.e. AOL Time Warner, Paramount, Sony) will introduce new, advanced TV/Internet devices in the next year. The "new" devices will undoubtedly remove the ability for you to "skip" commercials like TiVO and Replay and will include "cookie" software to track your viewing habits. Of course, that will all be done in the name of marketing and "making entertainment better for the viewer/consumer." Watch for Microsoft and Sony to introduce a new hardware for the Xbox and PS2 to make them "TiVO like."
I think the Bush Administration will likely push for the FCC or the Homeland Security office to assert "control" over (or at least a large interest in) the Internet in the coming years. Of course, it will all be done in the guise of "protecting us from terrorism." And you can guarantee that more legislation like the DMCA and the current bill allowing copyright holders to "crack" suspected pirate sites with no chance of legal action is on the way.
I still believe we have some control over the Internet and with the right tools and mindset we can keep it. I think we should focus our energies on keeping the Internet free of government and corporation restriction. There have been some great advances in the last few years... the uncovering of the FBI's Carnivore program, DeCCS, etc.
Some easy things to do: 1. Vote. 2. Encourage your kids to learn a programming language. 3. Support sites like opensecrets.org and eff.org. 4. Read and support open discussion like this one.
Just another device to distract drivers here in LA. I can just see it now: driving your SUV down the 405, talking on your cellphone, drinking your Starbucks, watching a DVD, and writing an email.
Your second paragraph is the same model that the Kennedys and Jimmy Carter tried to implement in the US. It was Reagan that began the great "de-regulation" of American business, which brought us to the point at which we are now.
I like the idea of returning to the "beginning", but you'll never convince the American people to back that. Not that it's a bad idea, but the media will not allow people the oppurtunity to really discuss and think about an idea that threatens the its very existence. And don't forget the hundres of lobby groups in Washington...
Your third paragraph sounds a LOT like socialism, which isn't such a bad system, but not one that will flourish in America.
Can we apply socialism to the Internet? Probably not completely, but it might even the playing field for smaller interests vs large interests.
Or maybe we should just shut off the computer and head outside to enjoy the day.:)
Chris,
Great point about Microsoft and their un-ending drive to completely control any marketplace they enter.
How do we reign in a juggernaut like Microsoft (and their.NET) or Oracle (and their vaporware and strong-arm sales techniques) or AOL (and its march to control mass media), etc..., but at the same time ensure peoples' rights?
I certainly don't think anyone in the US Congress is capable of writing a single law relating to technology that will benefit both citizens and corporations. So, is there a solution?
As far as the "trouble with some of [the] libertarians is that [we] reduce things to overly simple terms that don't work;" I won't speak for other libertarians, but I don't believe any freedom is "absolute." I, like everyone, make compromises everyday in order to live.
Do I have an absolute freedom to live in Hollywood? Sure. If I can afford it. Do I have absolute freedom to surf the Internet? Sure. If I can afford the ISP fees.
"Unless we can take back the Net from the libertarians, constitutional lawyers..."
I thought we, the libertarians and constitutionalists, were hard at work trying to keep the Internet open and free.
Bill Thompson goes on to promote the idea of a "closed, regulated" Internet, based on individual countries laws, morals and ethics. If that is the future, then there is no future for the Internet. It will simply become a collection of LANs that may or may not be accessible across borders. In addition, disseminating information will become impossible.
The Internet should not be owned by any one country, culture, or belief (especially, the US government, which changes its mind on morality and law with the wind).
Slashdot Mirror
"Sounds like this thing is going to be DOA. Lots of other PC-based TV recording products that aren't restrictive when it comes to copying stuff goes..."
If Microsoft follows their typical business plan, they'll likely buy out one or two of the larger competitors, price out the rest, and then consumers will only have MS and maybe a lesser known "open-source" product from which to choose.
...and not going back, ever again. I've spent the last year recovering from the last company I worked for. 12 to 15 hour days, every weekend, midnight phone calls from sales people, unreleastic project timelines, salary cuts... and then after a year, the board realised no one had a made a single sale. And as George Thorogood put it: "out the door I went."
I'll never put in a 12 hour day again. Somehow IT and coders got the reputation for working long hours and weekends... and liking it. Not me.
My priorities are much different now. And after a year, I found an employer who feels the same way. No weekends. 8 hour days. All holidays off. 4 weeks vacation. No stock options. No egos.
My advice: network your talents and find a new job. Then take a week off, fly to a tropical climate. Leave your cell phone, PDA, and laptops at home and consume vast quantities of umbrella-laden drinks.
Since, Libertarianism is the primary subject of this thread, I must invoke Gordon's Restatement of Newman's Corollary to Godwin's Law and return the discussion to its previous debate of freedom.
I appreciate your point (and no I don't take it as an insult). Check out a book called Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic by John De Graaf, Thomas H. Naylor, & David Wann and you'll understand my comments about fast food and TV and how the majority of this country is lulled into a false sense of "security."
I hope you're correct about "ebb and flow." If so, I truly hope that we are re-living the late 50s right now and come 7 years, we'll have another revolution of art, music, philosophy, religion, etc... in this country.
Did CNN's Peter Arnett(sp) commit treason by staying in Baghdad and reporting?
Did the reporter who first broke the story of the Mi Lie (sp) massacre in Vietnam commit treason?
Did the reporter who broke the story about arms for hostages during our nations "dirty little secret" war in Nicaragua commit treason?
Some classified information must be reported, else you might be worshipping, not voting for, our President.
People are too busy wondering who's going to win American Idol or how Ross and Rachel will finally get together or who will win the next wrestling pay-per-view to "understand" that their rights are being slowly eroded away in the name of "security."
The irony is the only "security" we have EVER needed in this nation IS the document Franklin and a few other visionaries toiled over: The Constitution.
Oh well... don't worry, be happy. Eat more fast food, drink more soda & beer, and watch more TV. All is well.
Great interview...
I think Verizon and the major Telecomm and ISP companies should pull the plug and give control over to the FCC: that does seem to be the apparent end-result the RIAA, MPAA, major studios and Congress are after.
Maybe in the near future we'll only have FCC controlled ISPs, strictly monitored by the RIAA and MPAA and sponsored by major corporations.
Slashdot: The Next Generation. Approved by the RIAA/MPAA and brought to you by Paramount.
Maybe it's about time George goes on SNL and tells the Aussie Jedi to get a life.
Thanks for the correction... my bad.
You're partially correct. This case directly affects US Internet users; but does indirectly affect the rest of the world.
As seen in the past, the American government is very good at creating a "moral agenda" and subjecting not only its own citizens, but also the world. Using economic & military aid and trade laws, the US sometimes attempts to apply its own sense of right and wrong onto outside sovereign nations. Just ask the EU and Russia. When they banned American beef imports, America raised taxes on Russian steel.
Just remember the American ego has no boundaries or borders.
Why is it expected that a training course or documentation must always answer your every question or explain every aspect of a product or subject? Training courses and documentation are like software: they get better with time, usage, and testing. No one expects a Beta software release to meet all requirements, why then is the first training course or help system expected to meet all requirements?
I have long battled with clients over their perception that designing and creating training courses and help systems takes less time, effort, and testing than their software project. That is a fatal project flaw and leads to poorly conceived training and help.
Neil Peart paid homage to S & G with his lyric in "Spirit of the Radio".
You're right, the average person subscribes to AOL and will line up behind Bush Jr when he preaches national security and the need for tighter controls on the internet and computers. And I'm sure Bill G will back him and praise the efforts of Micro$oft's new, more secure OS with Palladium.
It's up to us, the educated users, to make as many people aware as possible of the inherent dangers of TCAP and more so, Palladium.
The irony is that this country fought so long to keep the communist threat out and to promote democracy and now the gov't and big business are promoting programs similar to ones the Soviets used and the Chinese still use.
Not only can you not upgrade your OS, but you can't upgrade hardware if TCAP is instituted. And if you're waiting for a crack, after TCAP and Palladium are instituted (and mandated by the gov't) chances are that crack will be deleted by Microsoft's remote capabilities.
My point? Make sure you take REAL good care of your hardware.
"[TCPA / Palladium] provides a computing platform on which you can't tamper with the applications, and where these applications can communicate securely with the vendor."
Does it concern anyone that Microsoft, Oracle, AOL, Disney, etc... would have control over your computer if this standard is implemented (and you use a windows platform)? Does it concern anyone that corporations and governments could delete anything they found objectionable?
Truth is: had the US government realised how big the Internet would become and how free information would flow, they never would have allowed it. With TCPA / Palladium, governments and corporations will kill the freedoms we now enjoy on the web, usenet, ftp, etc.
This is just the beginning.
Next High School classes win corporate sponsorship.
American History sponsored by Nike.
Paul Revere sprints from town to town in his air jordan cross trainers, gortex all-weather jacket, and teflon stretch pants to warn people of the British invasion.
English sponsored by Budweiser
Shakespear is replaced by the poetry of three frogs and a lizard. TS Eliot's "The Wasteland" is determined to be too long and replaced by the first WASSUP commercial.
Etc... etc... etc...
Now that Microsoft, ummm... owns a University does that mean I can get a BA or phD when I update my NT and XP licenses?
Hate to burst yer bubble, but card-counting (using NO exterior devices, only your mind) is not illegal in the state of Neveda.
However, casinos do have the right to bar anyone for any reason what-so-ever. They tend to not like anyone who wins... and as such if you consistantly win, they will ask you to leave.
If you are counting cards and not using an external device, they CANNOT (by NV law) take your money; and they cannot force you to any "back room" or "basement."
If they do "force" you to a back room or basement, then the casino is wide-open for a "false-imprisonment" suit.
At first glance, that chair is pretty damn cool. Definitely something that would be fun to design and build.
Though, after looking at it for a bit I've noticed it isn't exactly functional. No room to use mouse and you have to get up from the chair to use the CDROM.
However, it would make the hours and hours it takes to do anything in EQ much more... ummm... comfortable.
Good start.
I think TV, Music, and Film are lost causes. The corporations have COMPLETE control of those media (as demonstrated by the demise of the now forgotten Napster). The recent FCC decision that ALL TV transmissions must be digital by (2007?) is evidence that mass media corporations and the FCC have realized that most people are turning off the TV to surf, chat, and play games and refusing to pay $9 to see MIB2 now they can get it for free on usenet.
In response, I think the large media corporations (i.e. AOL Time Warner, Paramount, Sony) will introduce new, advanced TV/Internet devices in the next year. The "new" devices will undoubtedly remove the ability for you to "skip" commercials like TiVO and Replay and will include "cookie" software to track your viewing habits. Of course, that will all be done in the name of marketing and "making entertainment better for the viewer/consumer." Watch for Microsoft and Sony to introduce a new hardware for the Xbox and PS2 to make them "TiVO like."
I think the Bush Administration will likely push for the FCC or the Homeland Security office to assert "control" over (or at least a large interest in) the Internet in the coming years. Of course, it will all be done in the guise of "protecting us from terrorism." And you can guarantee that more legislation like the DMCA and the current bill allowing copyright holders to "crack" suspected pirate sites with no chance of legal action is on the way.
I still believe we have some control over the Internet and with the right tools and mindset we can keep it. I think we should focus our energies on keeping the Internet free of government and corporation restriction. There have been some great advances in the last few years... the uncovering of the FBI's Carnivore program, DeCCS, etc.
Some easy things to do:
1. Vote.
2. Encourage your kids to learn a programming language.
3. Support sites like opensecrets.org and eff.org.
4. Read and support open discussion like this one.
I think someone should tell Willie Wonka and Charlie that their elevator isn't that great anymore.
Just another device to distract drivers here in LA. I can just see it now: driving your SUV down the 405, talking on your cellphone, drinking your Starbucks, watching a DVD, and writing an email.
Chris,
:)
Your second paragraph is the same model that the Kennedys and Jimmy Carter tried to implement in the US. It was Reagan that began the great "de-regulation" of American business, which brought us to the point at which we are now.
I like the idea of returning to the "beginning", but you'll never convince the American people to back that. Not that it's a bad idea, but the media will not allow people the oppurtunity to really discuss and think about an idea that threatens the its very existence. And don't forget the hundres of lobby groups in Washington...
Your third paragraph sounds a LOT like socialism, which isn't such a bad system, but not one that will flourish in America.
Can we apply socialism to the Internet? Probably not completely, but it might even the playing field for smaller interests vs large interests.
Or maybe we should just shut off the computer and head outside to enjoy the day.
Chris,
.NET) or Oracle (and their vaporware and strong-arm sales techniques) or AOL (and its march to control mass media), etc..., but at the same time ensure peoples' rights?
Great point about Microsoft and their un-ending drive to completely control any marketplace they enter.
How do we reign in a juggernaut like Microsoft (and their
I certainly don't think anyone in the US Congress is capable of writing a single law relating to technology that will benefit both citizens and corporations. So, is there a solution?
As far as the "trouble with some of [the] libertarians is that [we] reduce things to overly simple terms that don't work;" I won't speak for other libertarians, but I don't believe any freedom is "absolute." I, like everyone, make compromises everyday in order to live.
Do I have an absolute freedom to live in Hollywood? Sure. If I can afford it. Do I have absolute freedom to surf the Internet? Sure. If I can afford the ISP fees.
"Unless we can take back the Net from the libertarians, constitutional lawyers..."
I thought we, the libertarians and constitutionalists, were hard at work trying to keep the Internet open and free.
Bill Thompson goes on to promote the idea of a "closed, regulated" Internet, based on individual countries laws, morals and ethics. If that is the future, then there is no future for the Internet. It will simply become a collection of LANs that may or may not be accessible across borders. In addition, disseminating information will become impossible.
The Internet should not be owned by any one country, culture, or belief (especially, the US government, which changes its mind on morality and law with the wind).