Yeah, watching them crack a.exe is pretty obvious.
As far as them possibly preferring a cracked version, you are probably correct.
I must admit, I go out, buy a game, then promptly torrent it to avoid SecuROM and such. Only reason I open the package is to get at the maps/manuals. If I ever get called on it by the RIAA, I have receipts and the original boxes to drag into court. It may not mean anything in court, but I sleep well at night.
"they also have a reasonably sophisticated notion when to pirate and when not to pirate"
Sounds like I'd fit right in.
Again, sorry for the name-calling. Made my own assumptions, now didn't I?
Ok, at first, this made no sense to me. The trouble I had was understanding how the flaws(uncontrolled manufacturing artifacts) would be of any use. I think I finally figured out what that poorly written article was trying to get across.
Say, for example,you have 200 million different passports. They should have 200 million different PROGRAMMED sets of information. At the time the passport is issued, the RFID is scanned to detect the FLAWS in it. This is recorded and filed away somewhere. The FLAWS are recorded as a specific signature that is in turn referenced to the PROGRAMMED data.
In order to detect a counterfeit passport all they have to do is make sure the flaw fingerprint matches the programmed data.
But seeing as how the article just told the entire world how they tell what the fingerprint is, I don't think it would be long before the cloners simply modify readers to start at a low frequency then ramp up until they get a signal and make sure the counterfeit responds the same way, at the same frequency. It could be as simple as smacking the RFID against a table until the RFID "flaws" react the way you want them to. In short, keep changing it until it reacts the same way as the original.
Ok, someone tell me I'm wrong because I'm not sure I'm right.
"Sure they paid, but the EULA probably stated they didn't OWN the software."
Apparently, the other students in the class are ACCUSTOMED to owning what they pay for. Odd, I know, but that was the attitude (for the record, I agree with them).
"(did they REALLY pay for the software? Just curious, my students somehow just have the software)"
Have you ever ASKED them? You know what they say about assumptions. I find it interesting that an instructor (you implied this) automatically assumes that all of their students are "pirates". It is no-small-fucking-wonder the RIAA gets what they want in this world when assholes like you fall for their propaganda. Find out for yourself by asking them before you make assumptions. I'm not even an instructor and I take the time to ASK students questions before filling in the fucking blanks.
The very first EULA I read and COMPLETELY refused to accept was a EULA that the makers of ICQ (an instant messenger) included with one of their upgrades.
While I do not have the EULA itself to quote, the EULA essentially gave the owners of ICQ the right to upload the entire contents of my hard drive. No, thank you.
The last version of ICQ I ever used was ICQ 2003b, so I imagine it was the following version, ICQPro, I think.
Essentially the makers of ICQ wanted to me to sign away my right to privacy in order to use their product (a FREE product, no less. Kind of implies what they were after in the first place. Not my money obviously.).
The thing that really ticked me off about that was that the EULA was such incomprehensible legalese that I had to read the damn thing several times before I actually understood what they were requiring of me (that obfuscation thing I mentioned).
On numerous occasions I have seen people get frustrated when installing an App/Game.
"What the fuck? The "agree" button is all grayed out. It won't let me click it!"
The problem? The developers made it so you had to actually scroll down the slider on the EULA before the "accept" button was functional. In short, they were frustrated because they DID NOT READ THE EULA, even after the the developers attempted to get them to do exactly that.
I once wrote a paper for a class on the very subject, "accept" buttons and EULAs. I followed up by doing a short poll of the class(hand up, or not) by asking a simple question.
"Do you read the EULAs provided with products?"
Not a single hand went up out of approx. 25 students. Take that as you will. I take it as just another reason why EULAs are totally ineffective in terms of what they are supposed to achieve, and as such, should be abandoned for such purposes.
Furthermore, I asked the students WHY they did not read the EULAs. Number one answer?
Regardless, if Apple and AT&T are guilty of anti-trust law violations, it only seems appropriate that their products are what expose them.
Did it ever occur to you that the EULA could have been DESIGNED to obscure such violations?
EULAs are bullshit. Corporations use them to deny customers LEGAL rights, intentionally complicate them with endless legalese, obfuscate their own questionable actions, and very often, use them as a place to bury shit that they simply do not want the customer to know yet are compelled by LAW to disclose.
And, yeah, people need to learn to read them before hitting the "accept" button. I am fully convinced that if everyone did, about 50% of the EULAs out there would NOT be accepted.
If most 2nd Life players actually tried other games, I'm sure they would bail out.
My brother (A devout NON-gamer) had seen his neighbor playing 2nd life and was scared enough that he never bothered to try another game. He thought it was a sample of what all the other games were like.
Realizing that he was seriously deluded about the state of MMOs, I suggested he download "Lord of the Rings Online" (they have a free 10-day play trial) and give it a try.
He was stunned, to say the least. His first comment? "I have GOT to show this to Gladys!(his next door neighbor)". When I asked him what the biggest difference was, he stated that controlling an avatar that looked like a mannequin with the stand still stuck up their ass wasn't his idea of fun.
In short, the graphics were the biggest difference. 2nd life is probably one of the WORST examples of online games that are still actively played and I have no idea why the media focuses on it so much.
Hey! Someone actually read the comments from the TFA!
Yes, someone pointed out the very same thing you are stating. A complete reversal of rating for HP machines from one year to the next, and I agree with you. It sounds as if SquareTrade is simply fudging the numbers based on something undisclosed to us.
My guess? HP paid them more then the other guys did last year.
Why do I say that? From my previous experience with after-market warranty firms (I was the service dude that had to try and get them to pay up for repairs--kinda like trying to get money from a medical insurer). After-market warranty companies have a vested interest in screwing the customer over--it increases profits.
All that being said, I don't trust a SINGLE word they speak or write. I have to agree with Lenovo on this one simply because of who is responsible for the data released.
But one thing still puzzles me. SquareTrade has the opportunity to decrease their costs by making sure their data is correct--the end result being people buying more reliable computers and thus they pay out less for repairs.
But on the other hand, if everyone buys computers that don't break often, the need for after-market warranties decreases...Hrmm
I don't know about you, but I do not read or speak Cantonese or Mandarin (if that is what that was) and thus found it difficult to figure out what is what on that site.
Regardless, I didn't see Britney Spears or anyone even remotely non-asian on that website (the lil' pictures) so I have to assume it is all Chinese music.
So what is your point?
I assume you are implying that the MP3s on that site are all illegal downloads (given the context of the thread) yet I cannot seem to locate anything on that site that would indicate that.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the Chinese have very little respect for IP rights, but how does that link fit the thread? Is it a pay site, or just a clearinghouse for jacked music?
Just asking. And what is with the Top 500 coming before the Top 200 but after the top 100? Odd.
Someone please mod parent up "Funny".(Just don't click the link!)
This guy is fucking hilarious.
"Pass by but don't miss it."
American marketing firms could learn something from this dude. I am still trying to figure out if he used Google Translate or crafted this fine specimen of marketing himself.
Man, can't seem to get the image of tracksuit wearing "cooldude" runnin' laps at the track in his Ugg Boots out of my head. Is that SIZE 1-24 Air Jordans, or can I just buy one?
The submarine type mentioned, the one designed to carry folding aircraft and a catapult for launching, was actually used in the only aerial attack on the contiguous United States by the Japanese during WWII (both Alaska and Hawaii were attacked by aircraft) if one does not count the numerous attack balloons sent aloft by the Japanese.
One of these submarines surfaced off the coast of Oregon and launched one of it's folding aircraft. The plane then flew over forested tracts of land and dropped (by hand!) small incendiary bombs in an effort to start large-scale forest fires. One of these bombs landed on property NW of Langlois, Oregon, property that my Aunt and Uncle owned at the time. Fortunately, the Japanese had not taken into account just how damp the woods along that coast are during the summer months and they simply blew up a few trees. It is not unheard of for it to be raining there in June/July. The desired fires never happened.
It is unknown what became of the plane, but it is assumed it landed near the submarine (I believe they were float-equipped, but incapable of a water launch and thus needed the catapult), was folded up and stowed below deck again.
Though I do not recall the title, there is a book on the subject.
There was also an unverified report of a submarine off the coast of San Diego. An alarm was sounded but the sighting was later questioned.
"...but the media is unharmed by heat as high as 176 degrees Fahrenheit, ultraviolet rays or normal material deterioration..."
In short, it still cannot survive a simple house fire or the complete leveling of a major city by fire, historically the single greatest threat to information storage.
I am curious what it does in a microwave oven though.
Although the article seems to suggest we are all complete idiots, it does highlight something that the author was too stupid to pick up on (or simply chose to ignore).
These are all questions that might be embarrassing to ask another human. It is far easier to ask a non-judgmental computer such questions then run the risk of humiliation by one's peers.
As a tool designed to provide knowledge, it does precisely that, and does so without ignoring those "grey areas"...subjects that might be socially taboo or something to that effect.
In short, it answers questions that otherwise might not even be asked due to social pressures.
Sure, some of us are stupid, but the real problem is that the rest are judgmental jerks.
My biggest concern with Vista was what it took away, not what it gave me. In short, DRM.
What is locked out? Do P2P apps work properly? Are there unexplained phone-homes? Can I still play out-of-region CDs? Do I have to fight UAC like someone with Vista? Can I copy any standard file type on to any standard media?
Non-satisfactory answers to these kinds of questions are what kept me from ever even trying Vista. I can do all this on a properly configured XP machine. Can I on Windows 7? From my perspective, if I cannot do all these things, then Windows 7 is entirely moot. I'm not giving up capability for shiny things.
"Not really, not when it's due to a plugin they themselves installed and have their name all over. I mean, you don't consider Flash vulnerabilities to be the fault of IE or Firefox, do you?"
There is some grain of truth to this. You can't blame everything on Firefox OR Microsoft.
My father-in-law managed to install Firefox after I recommended it to him in a phone call. Only when I see him using his laptop on a camping trip months later, he had somehow managed to make the the shortcut to Firefox a BOOKMARK in Internet Explorer, thus requiring him to boot Internet Explorer in order to fire up Firefox. Weeee.
Sometimes you need look no further then then the end-user if your looking to hang blame on someone.
Slashdot Mirror
-1 Off-topic?
To be honest, I was expecting -1 Troll.
Meh. Karma is over-rated.
I've had "excellent" karma for a couple years now and I STILL get modded "Troll".
Nice catch. Most interesting.
You deserve a cookie.
Yeah, watching them crack a .exe is pretty obvious.
As far as them possibly preferring a cracked version, you are probably correct.
I must admit, I go out, buy a game, then promptly torrent it to avoid SecuROM and such. Only reason I open the package is to get at the maps/manuals. If I ever get called on it by the RIAA, I have receipts and the original boxes to drag into court. It may not mean anything in court, but I sleep well at night.
"they also have a reasonably sophisticated notion when to pirate and when not to pirate"
Sounds like I'd fit right in.
Again, sorry for the name-calling. Made my own assumptions, now didn't I?
Ok, at first, this made no sense to me. The trouble I had was understanding how the flaws(uncontrolled manufacturing artifacts) would be of any use. I think I finally figured out what that poorly written article was trying to get across.
Say, for example,you have 200 million different passports. They should have 200 million different PROGRAMMED sets of information. At the time the passport is issued, the RFID is scanned to detect the FLAWS in it. This is recorded and filed away somewhere. The FLAWS are recorded as a specific signature that is in turn referenced to the PROGRAMMED data.
In order to detect a counterfeit passport all they have to do is make sure the flaw fingerprint matches the programmed data.
But seeing as how the article just told the entire world how they tell what the fingerprint is, I don't think it would be long before the cloners simply modify readers to start at a low frequency then ramp up until they get a signal and make sure the counterfeit responds the same way, at the same frequency. It could be as simple as smacking the RFID against a table until the RFID "flaws" react the way you want them to. In short, keep changing it until it reacts the same way as the original.
Ok, someone tell me I'm wrong because I'm not sure I'm right.
In hindsight, the name calling was a little harsh.
But seriously, give your students a little credit. They do the same for you. Otherwise, you'd have an empty classroom.
"Sure they paid, but the EULA probably stated they didn't OWN the software."
Apparently, the other students in the class are ACCUSTOMED to owning what they pay for.
Odd, I know, but that was the attitude (for the record, I agree with them).
"(did they REALLY pay for the software? Just curious, my students somehow just have the software)"
Have you ever ASKED them? You know what they say about assumptions. I find it interesting that an instructor (you implied this) automatically assumes that all of their students are "pirates". It is no-small-fucking-wonder the RIAA gets what they want in this world when assholes like you fall for their propaganda. Find out for yourself by asking them before you make assumptions. I'm not even an instructor and I take the time to ASK students questions before filling in the fucking blanks.
"How Heavy Is the Internet?"
Slightly heavier then the total weight of the worlds useless journalists.
The very first EULA I read and COMPLETELY refused to accept was a EULA that the makers of ICQ (an instant messenger) included with one of their upgrades.
While I do not have the EULA itself to quote, the EULA essentially gave the owners of ICQ the right to upload the entire contents of my hard drive. No, thank you.
The last version of ICQ I ever used was ICQ 2003b, so I imagine it was the following version, ICQPro, I think.
Essentially the makers of ICQ wanted to me to sign away my right to privacy in order to use their product (a FREE product, no less. Kind of implies what they were after in the first place. Not my money obviously.).
The thing that really ticked me off about that was that the EULA was such incomprehensible legalese that I had to read the damn thing several times before I actually understood what they were requiring of me (that obfuscation thing I mentioned).
On numerous occasions I have seen people get frustrated when installing an App/Game.
"What the fuck? The "agree" button is all grayed out. It won't let me click it!"
The problem? The developers made it so you had to actually scroll down the slider on the EULA before the "accept" button was functional. In short, they were frustrated because they DID NOT READ THE EULA, even after the the developers attempted to get them to do exactly that.
I once wrote a paper for a class on the very subject, "accept" buttons and EULAs. I followed up by doing a short poll of the class(hand up, or not) by asking a simple question.
"Do you read the EULAs provided with products?"
Not a single hand went up out of approx. 25 students. Take that as you will. I take it as just another reason why EULAs are totally ineffective in terms of what they are supposed to achieve, and as such, should be abandoned for such purposes.
Furthermore, I asked the students WHY they did not read the EULAs. Number one answer?
"I paid for it, what does it matter?"
Regardless, if Apple and AT&T are guilty of anti-trust law violations, it only seems appropriate that their products are what expose them.
Did it ever occur to you that the EULA could have been DESIGNED to obscure such violations?
EULAs are bullshit. Corporations use them to deny customers LEGAL rights, intentionally complicate them with endless legalese, obfuscate their own questionable actions, and very often, use them as a place to bury shit that they simply do not want the customer to know yet are compelled by LAW to disclose.
And, yeah, people need to learn to read them before hitting the "accept" button. I am fully convinced that if everyone did, about 50% of the EULAs out there would NOT be accepted.
At least someone got it...
/applauds
Damn, here I am thinking someone actually reads the comments in TFAs and here you go scuttling my boat.
Optimism is over-rated.
If most 2nd Life players actually tried other games, I'm sure they would bail out.
My brother (A devout NON-gamer) had seen his neighbor playing 2nd life and was scared enough that he never bothered to try another game. He thought it was a sample of what all the other games were like.
Realizing that he was seriously deluded about the state of MMOs, I suggested he download "Lord of the Rings Online" (they have a free 10-day play trial) and give it a try.
He was stunned, to say the least. His first comment? "I have GOT to show this to Gladys!(his next door neighbor)". When I asked him what the biggest difference was, he stated that controlling an avatar that looked like a mannequin with the stand still stuck up their ass wasn't his idea of fun.
In short, the graphics were the biggest difference. 2nd life is probably one of the WORST examples of online games that are still actively played and I have no idea why the media focuses on it so much.
"And all the people cleaning out the garage, like me, went to craigslist."
Of which eBay promptly bought a 25% share.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craigslist
Hey! Someone actually read the comments from the TFA!
Yes, someone pointed out the very same thing you are stating. A complete reversal of rating for HP machines from one year to the next, and I agree with you. It sounds as if SquareTrade is simply fudging the numbers based on something undisclosed to us.
My guess? HP paid them more then the other guys did last year.
Why do I say that? From my previous experience with after-market warranty firms (I was the service dude that had to try and get them to pay up for repairs--kinda like trying to get money from a medical insurer). After-market warranty companies have a vested interest in screwing the customer over--it increases profits.
All that being said, I don't trust a SINGLE word they speak or write. I have to agree with Lenovo on this one simply because of who is responsible for the data released.
But one thing still puzzles me. SquareTrade has the opportunity to decrease their costs by making sure their data is correct--the end result being people buying more reliable computers and thus they pay out less for repairs.
But on the other hand, if everyone buys computers that don't break often, the need for after-market warranties decreases...Hrmm
I don't know about you, but I do not read or speak Cantonese or Mandarin (if that is what that was) and thus found it difficult to figure out what is what on that site.
Regardless, I didn't see Britney Spears or anyone even remotely non-asian on that website (the lil' pictures) so I have to assume it is all Chinese music.
So what is your point?
I assume you are implying that the MP3s on that site are all illegal downloads (given the context of the thread) yet I cannot seem to locate anything on that site that would indicate that.
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the Chinese have very little respect for IP rights, but how does that link fit the thread? Is it a pay site, or just a clearinghouse for jacked music?
Just asking. And what is with the Top 500 coming before the Top 200 but after the top 100? Odd.
Someone please mod parent up "Funny".(Just don't click the link!)
This guy is fucking hilarious.
"Pass by but don't miss it."
American marketing firms could learn something from this dude. I am still trying to figure out if he used Google Translate or crafted this fine specimen of marketing himself.
Man, can't seem to get the image of tracksuit wearing "cooldude" runnin' laps at the track in his Ugg Boots out of my head. Is that SIZE 1-24 Air Jordans, or can I just buy one?
The submarine type mentioned, the one designed to carry folding aircraft and a catapult for launching, was actually used in the only aerial attack on the contiguous United States by the Japanese during WWII (both Alaska and Hawaii were attacked by aircraft) if one does not count the numerous attack balloons sent aloft by the Japanese.
One of these submarines surfaced off the coast of Oregon and launched one of it's folding aircraft. The plane then flew over forested tracts of land and dropped (by hand!) small incendiary bombs in an effort to start large-scale forest fires. One of these bombs landed on property NW of Langlois, Oregon, property that my Aunt and Uncle owned at the time. Fortunately, the Japanese had not taken into account just how damp the woods along that coast are during the summer months and they simply blew up a few trees. It is not unheard of for it to be raining there in June/July. The desired fires never happened.
It is unknown what became of the plane, but it is assumed it landed near the submarine (I believe they were float-equipped, but incapable of a water launch and thus needed the catapult), was folded up and stowed below deck again.
Though I do not recall the title, there is a book on the subject.
There was also an unverified report of a submarine off the coast of San Diego. An alarm was sounded but the sighting was later questioned.
"...but the media is unharmed by heat as high as 176 degrees Fahrenheit, ultraviolet rays or normal material deterioration..."
In short, it still cannot survive a simple house fire or the complete leveling of a major city by fire, historically the single greatest threat to information storage.
I am curious what it does in a microwave oven though.
Although the article seems to suggest we are all complete idiots, it does highlight something that the author was too stupid to pick up on (or simply chose to ignore).
These are all questions that might be embarrassing to ask another human. It is far easier to ask a non-judgmental computer such questions then run the risk of humiliation by one's peers.
As a tool designed to provide knowledge, it does precisely that, and does so without ignoring those "grey areas"...subjects that might be socially taboo or something to that effect.
In short, it answers questions that otherwise might not even be asked due to social pressures.
Sure, some of us are stupid, but the real problem is that the rest are judgmental jerks.
wHAT THE fuck IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?
dON'T YOU KNOW ITS "iNTERNATIONAL cAPS lOCK dAY"?
"The only thing that broke was Daemontools."
Something that really concerns me...
My biggest concern with Vista was what it took away, not what it gave me. In short, DRM.
What is locked out? Do P2P apps work properly? Are there unexplained phone-homes? Can I still play out-of-region CDs? Do I have to fight UAC like someone with Vista? Can I copy any standard file type on to any standard media?
Non-satisfactory answers to these kinds of questions are what kept me from ever even trying Vista. I can do all this on a properly configured XP machine. Can I on Windows 7? From my perspective, if I cannot do all these things, then Windows 7 is entirely moot. I'm not giving up capability for shiny things.
Anyone?
"We have entered an era where music is no longer an art for all to enjoy"
It is if you make it yourself.
Use an acoustic instrument and its "Green" too.
"Not really, not when it's due to a plugin they themselves installed and have their name all over. I mean, you don't consider Flash vulnerabilities to be the fault of IE or Firefox, do you?"
There is some grain of truth to this. You can't blame everything on Firefox OR Microsoft.
My father-in-law managed to install Firefox after I recommended it to him in a phone call. Only when I see him using his laptop on a camping trip months later, he had somehow managed to make the the shortcut to Firefox a BOOKMARK in Internet Explorer, thus requiring him to boot Internet Explorer in order to fire up Firefox. Weeee.
Sometimes you need look no further then then the end-user if your looking to hang blame on someone.