Not exactly the same, but my auto insurance company charges me $3.50 every time I make a payment. So if I just pay the monthly bill, I end up paying an extra $21 during a six month insurance period. Talk about sleezy.
Everything beyond facts is speculative opinion. Good middle ground will be different for everyone that reads it, based on how the journalists opinion lines up with what the reader likes.
"or those of you who use less reliable OSes like Windows, do you remember how much of a pain it was to restore back to the EXACT state you were in before a hard drive crash?... Now apply that to a city. A state. An entire country."
I'm sure you'll agree that Windows never works perfectly even at its most stable after a fresh install, just like society. It's not perfect, but it works well enough to get stuff done and continue on. Now apply that to a city, state, or country. Sure, after a big crash we're not going to get back to exactly the way we were before. That doesn't mean we're doomed. We just have to do some things a bit different.
I agree wholeheartedly. And might I offer the possibility that this is an extension of the current climate of video games. Namely that it's becoming more and more about making it look cool and less about making a great story.
We may even be able to expand that to a societal issue, as it seems movies are having the same problems.
For those that don't want to read the article, let me say that the Demographic Characteristics Table lists all U.S. terrorist groups as 60% white and 40% non-white.
And to celebrate, every inch is getting a facelift! Now, everyone please merge over into the right lane and slow to half speed. Be careful of the bright orange barrels; they have to last until the work starts in 6-8 months.
If I didn't have a credit card, I would have no option but to pirate.
Or, simply not derive pleasure from someone's work without due compensation. Unless you think it's your 'right' to listen to good music. Something tells me those with the money, but not the card, to purchase the music aren't sending checks to the artist after they pirate their music.
Your analogy only works if, say, you need a lawn mower and the only way to get one is to borrow from one of your neighbors. And all of your neighbors absolutely require a copy of your house key in exchange for the lawn mower. Then, when you give the mower back, they keep the key (which is hanging on a hook next to their window-paned back door).
In fact, the only reason that I don't use AllofMP3 now is because I'm made a bit nervous by giving my financial information to a russian website, and moreover one that's considered a bit sketchy at best and in some legal lukewarm water at the moment. Paying $5-6 for a quasi-legal lossless download bothers me much less than a protected $9.99 lossy copy where most of the money goes to the last people I want having it anyways
And yet again, pirating is the best balance between price, quality, and time wasted.
Yes, wouldn't it be a nice world where the Record lables would actually deal with someone selling DRM-free music at $.99. They kick and scream about dealing at that price with the biggest fish in the pond, and ITMS certainly isn't DRM-free.
The NSA doesn't give a shit that you ordered a che guearra T-shirt and hang out at ANSWER rallies 'speaking truth to power.' They don't care that whenever some new leak comes out of the CIA you're furiously typing away on your blog about how much this adminstration sucks and is the most evil thing since hitler killed a puppy for fun. They have more important things to do.
Unfortunately for you, I believe that in our society you are guilty of any crimes committed while on drugs, unless you did not willingly take the drugs. If the drugs are going to alter your mind enough to make you do things that you would never do sober, it is best not to "Just say yes."
Apparently there was sufficient evidence for the court to believe you did what the prosecutors say you did. If I were you, I wouldn't be blaming the laws, I would be analyzing the quality of your representation.
The really bad thing is, if you can call belonging to the same groups as a link, everyone on slashdot is probably connected to everyone else in the world by 3 links or less.
Why does everyone that states your comment say "Google is obviously paying for their bandwith. They're getting it from.... someone,"? Nobody seems to actually know where Google et al.'s bandwith is comming from.
Because in an advanced society everyone should have adequate medical care. Above all else, giving people every opportunity to live should be priority. Where are we headed when we start thinking "Look out for number 1 only"? Not on the right side of the good/evil war, I think.
Slashdot Mirror
I hope you'll excuse me if I plagiarize your 5th paragraph in the letter to my congressman.
Not exactly the same, but my auto insurance company charges me $3.50 every time I make a payment. So if I just pay the monthly bill, I end up paying an extra $21 during a six month insurance period. Talk about sleezy.
Everything beyond facts is speculative opinion. Good middle ground will be different for everyone that reads it, based on how the journalists opinion lines up with what the reader likes.
Please... any place that uses that date format doesn't have the attention span to celebrate three related dates each a month apart.
"or those of you who use less reliable OSes like Windows, do you remember how much of a pain it was to restore back to the EXACT state you were in before a hard drive crash?... Now apply that to a city. A state. An entire country."
I'm sure you'll agree that Windows never works perfectly even at its most stable after a fresh install, just like society. It's not perfect, but it works well enough to get stuff done and continue on. Now apply that to a city, state, or country. Sure, after a big crash we're not going to get back to exactly the way we were before. That doesn't mean we're doomed. We just have to do some things a bit different.
Diebold is Oceana's voting solution. Diebold has always been Oceana's voting solution.
I agree wholeheartedly. And might I offer the possibility that this is an extension of the current climate of video games. Namely that it's becoming more and more about making it look cool and less about making a great story.
We may even be able to expand that to a societal issue, as it seems movies are having the same problems.
George W. Bush has neither committed, nor ordered to have committed a single Act of Terror.
1. Terrorism : the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.
2. Bush took the U.S. to a pre-emptive war without the approval of Congress.
3. Shock and Awe was used to corce Iraqis into civil war.
For those that don't want to read the article, let me say that the Demographic Characteristics Table lists all U.S. terrorist groups as 60% white and 40% non-white.
And to celebrate, every inch is getting a facelift! Now, everyone please merge over into the right lane and slow to half speed. Be careful of the bright orange barrels; they have to last until the work starts in 6-8 months.
If I didn't have a credit card, I would have no option but to pirate.
Or, simply not derive pleasure from someone's work without due compensation. Unless you think it's your 'right' to listen to good music. Something tells me those with the money, but not the card, to purchase the music aren't sending checks to the artist after they pirate their music.
Just to play devil's advocate here, how exactly do you take away thr rights of a successful suicide bomber after he commits his crime?
Your analogy only works if, say, you need a lawn mower and the only way to get one is to borrow from one of your neighbors. And all of your neighbors absolutely require a copy of your house key in exchange for the lawn mower. Then, when you give the mower back, they keep the key (which is hanging on a hook next to their window-paned back door).
Unfortunately it overheats after only two minutes, at which time you must wait 20-30 minutes to play again.
"same level of privacy as the government would maintain.
Yes, the U.S. government goes to great lengths to protect the information it collects.
Before you even get past the first component they mention that you can't get it at the price they got it anymore.
"we purchased a stock processor at the prevailing retail price. Since then, demand for this CPU has spiked, and prices have also gone up."
I always see these "Build a super system for no money!" articles, but when *I* try to price the components, it never seems to add up.
In fact, the only reason that I don't use AllofMP3 now is because I'm made a bit nervous by giving my financial information to a russian website, and moreover one that's considered a bit sketchy at best and in some legal lukewarm water at the moment. Paying $5-6 for a quasi-legal lossless download bothers me much less than a protected $9.99 lossy copy where most of the money goes to the last people I want having it anyways
And yet again, pirating is the best balance between price, quality, and time wasted.
They aren't, however, doing proactive searches through it to find child pornography.
Now, searches for party affiliation and voting registration numbers on the other hand....
Yes, wouldn't it be a nice world where the Record lables would actually deal with someone selling DRM-free music at $.99. They kick and scream about dealing at that price with the biggest fish in the pond, and ITMS certainly isn't DRM-free.
What about a letter? If I send a letter to a friend, does it become public property once it leaves my house?
Is there a difference in whether I send the letter by USPS (gov't entity) or UPS/FedEx?
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Unfortunately for you, I believe that in our society you are guilty of any crimes committed while on drugs, unless you did not willingly take the drugs. If the drugs are going to alter your mind enough to make you do things that you would never do sober, it is best not to "Just say yes."
Apparently there was sufficient evidence for the court to believe you did what the prosecutors say you did. If I were you, I wouldn't be blaming the laws, I would be analyzing the quality of your representation.
IANAL
The really bad thing is, if you can call belonging to the same groups as a link, everyone on slashdot is probably connected to everyone else in the world by 3 links or less.
Why does everyone that states your comment say "Google is obviously paying for their bandwith. They're getting it from.... someone,"? Nobody seems to actually know where Google et al.'s bandwith is comming from.
Perhaps that's part of it.
Because in an advanced society everyone should have adequate medical care. Above all else, giving people every opportunity to live should be priority. Where are we headed when we start thinking "Look out for number 1 only"? Not on the right side of the good/evil war, I think.