As far as the aliens are concerned, we're probably considered to be an entire planet full of spammers, blasting our radio and tv signals out into space 24x7.
Yeah, they wouldn't really use it willingly I think. It's more like they would know how to use it if they needed to, something that you couldn't say about most Windows users.
Not really, when that exploit gives completely unrestricted access to a machine that causes that machine's normal copy protection scheme to no longer function. I don't think they'll see it any differently at all.
Big difference between 140 degree coffee and 180-190 degree coffee. You won't get 3rd degree burns from 140 degree coffee. The stuff was way too hot, and McDonald's knew it because there had been a bunch of complaints in the past. This lady just happened to be really clumsy or unlucky, but either way, the coffee should not have been hot enough to do that kind of damage in the first place. It's not even drinkable at that temperature.
Often, yes. It can easily be considered heresy or otherwise discouraged to disagree with God. While you and I may be able to see that an interpretation is just that, an interpretation, many people can't see that, either because of some kind of fundamentalist upbringing or because of a lack of education. There's really no reason to bring the supernatural into it. It's a farce. People did all the writing of the religious documents. People do all the interpreting as well. What's the point of insisting that some superbeing endorses it all?
Being a key ingredient, wouldn't it suffer much the same fate as the DeCSS code then? It would still be considered a violation I believe. Well, it would except that they're in Australia and I don't know what the laws over there would say about this sort of thing.
As I understand it, it's because their exploit would allow the X-Box to play bootleg copies of games. It would simply not check them for authenticity because they don't have the means to do that without Microsoft's help. So their exploit would be a technological means for circumventing a copy protection mechanism. That's why they're giving MS a chance to release their own Linux bootloader instead. MS can make one that will enforce the copy protection.
That's the way it is now with religion anyway. At least without religion, people would know that it was designed by man and is fallable, rather than simply following it blindly because they believe it comes from God.
What good does it do to say that a moral code was handed down to us from someone who we can't see, question, or otherwise consult about the code? It simply exists to be manipulated by humans backed by the perceived force of God. Somehow I think that is worse than creating our own moral code that can be held up to scrutiny by mere mortals like ourselves.
Yeah, they do that stuff now because it seems to appeal to a different segment of the population. All I'm saying is that getting rid of religion will make a good dent in the problem, not that it will make all problems magically go away.
True enough, but that's another battle. Get rid of religion and you leave these evil bastards with one less (very powerful) tool for manipulating people. It won't solve all the problems, but it would be a good start.
Of course, but that can be settled with a friendly deathmatch:) Even here on/. we don't actually kill MS trolls. If we can show that kind of restraint, then others should be able to as well. It gives me hope:)
Well, if there were no Christians, there wouldn't be any reason for them to fight. I think atheists are rather wacko too, but that's just me. These fights are almost always over something besides religion. Religion is just a tool used to manipulate the people. I figure taking that tool away would be a good thing. There may be other tools as well, but the fewer the better, and religion is one of the most powerful anyway.
Yeah, but they'll at least have to work harder to dress it up if people aren't willing to believe that the invisible guy in the sky wants them to kill their neighbors.
Because it makes it easier for people to get along and not kill each other so much if they aren't always bickering over "my god can kick your god's ass!" type stuff.
The motivation is that you can actually make a difference! Lets face it. your probably not going to do something in your lifetime that will effect every single person. But in ATITD, your simple research can benefit the whole community.
Exactly. That's what I was getting at with my post. The game is a sort of simplified real-world that people can actually get their heads around. That's why they like it. It's not as difficult or complex as the real world.
Because in a game the issues are simpler and the consequences are negligable. Hell, you don't even have to vote the way you really would, you can vote the way your imaginary character would vote. Look at this "green party" in the game. Does it really matter if the gameworld becomes "polluted"? Of course not, it's just role-play. Maybe that's why some people like the game. They wish that understanding all the complexity behind real-life issues was as easy as understanding those in the game. The game serves as kind of a substitute since they can't ever be sure of what's true or real in real-world politics. Kind of like those people who would prefer to return to a simpler time.
On June 4, that panel said the county's use of "anecdote and supposition" did not establish enough connection between violent games and violent behavior to warrant a limit on the game makers' free speech rights.
The county's petition for review says the 8th Circuit panel set too high a standard.
Yep. I can definitely see where they're coming from on this. I mean how much more scientific do you have to be in order to take away people's rights? What does the court want, an actual scientific study or something?! I think the court just doesn't place enough value on a good anecdote or a seemingly plausible supposition. If the court insists on more evidence than that, then they might have to actually make an effort, and its even possible that the study might not support their position! (although, granted, that's not likely, depending on who they hire and how much they pay)
That would be nice and all, but I'm hardly a politician. I work full-time and go to school at night. I wouldn't know where to begin to get the time and money to run a campaign against an entrenched opponent, or anyone else for that matter. Besides, people don't generally go for single-issue candidates. They tend to think that they're kooks.
Well, seeing as how it's the libraries that are fighting this, you'd think they'd want to provide their patrons with a solution that allows them to have filterless access if they wish. So I would think that they'd get rid of any system that doesn't provide such access. In fact I don't know why they would have such a system in the first place since they wanted control over whether a machine was filtered or not to begin with.
When asked, the attorney for the government said that any adult could ask to have the filters turned off and that they do not have to provide any reason.
Slashdot Mirror
As far as the aliens are concerned, we're probably considered to be an entire planet full of spammers, blasting our radio and tv signals out into space 24x7.
Yeah, they wouldn't really use it willingly I think. It's more like they would know how to use it if they needed to, something that you couldn't say about most Windows users.
Not really, when that exploit gives completely unrestricted access to a machine that causes that machine's normal copy protection scheme to no longer function. I don't think they'll see it any differently at all.
Big difference between 140 degree coffee and 180-190 degree coffee. You won't get 3rd degree burns from 140 degree coffee. The stuff was way too hot, and McDonald's knew it because there had been a bunch of complaints in the past. This lady just happened to be really clumsy or unlucky, but either way, the coffee should not have been hot enough to do that kind of damage in the first place. It's not even drinkable at that temperature.
No, DeCSS was not a circumvention device itself. It was just a piece of code and a key. It had to be used as part of another program to be of any use.
Often, yes. It can easily be considered heresy or otherwise discouraged to disagree with God. While you and I may be able to see that an interpretation is just that, an interpretation, many people can't see that, either because of some kind of fundamentalist upbringing or because of a lack of education. There's really no reason to bring the supernatural into it. It's a farce. People did all the writing of the religious documents. People do all the interpreting as well. What's the point of insisting that some superbeing endorses it all?
Being a key ingredient, wouldn't it suffer much the same fate as the DeCSS code then? It would still be considered a violation I believe. Well, it would except that they're in Australia and I don't know what the laws over there would say about this sort of thing.
If you think religion doesn't get "reinterpreted" by people to serve their own ends, then you're being very naive.
As I understand it, it's because their exploit would allow the X-Box to play bootleg copies of games. It would simply not check them for authenticity because they don't have the means to do that without Microsoft's help. So their exploit would be a technological means for circumventing a copy protection mechanism. That's why they're giving MS a chance to release their own Linux bootloader instead. MS can make one that will enforce the copy protection.
Yes, but they had to catch him on US turf. They didn't yank him out of Russia.
That's the way it is now with religion anyway. At least without religion, people would know that it was designed by man and is fallable, rather than simply following it blindly because they believe it comes from God.
What good does it do to say that a moral code was handed down to us from someone who we can't see, question, or otherwise consult about the code? It simply exists to be manipulated by humans backed by the perceived force of God. Somehow I think that is worse than creating our own moral code that can be held up to scrutiny by mere mortals like ourselves.
Yeah, they do that stuff now because it seems to appeal to a different segment of the population. All I'm saying is that getting rid of religion will make a good dent in the problem, not that it will make all problems magically go away.
True enough, but that's another battle. Get rid of religion and you leave these evil bastards with one less (very powerful) tool for manipulating people. It won't solve all the problems, but it would be a good start.
Of course, but that can be settled with a friendly deathmatch :) Even here on /. we don't actually kill MS trolls. If we can show that kind of restraint, then others should be able to as well. It gives me hope :)
Well, if there were no Christians, there wouldn't be any reason for them to fight. I think atheists are rather wacko too, but that's just me. These fights are almost always over something besides religion. Religion is just a tool used to manipulate the people. I figure taking that tool away would be a good thing. There may be other tools as well, but the fewer the better, and religion is one of the most powerful anyway.
Yeah, but they'll at least have to work harder to dress it up if people aren't willing to believe that the invisible guy in the sky wants them to kill their neighbors.
Because it makes it easier for people to get along and not kill each other so much if they aren't always bickering over "my god can kick your god's ass!" type stuff.
The motivation is that you can actually make a difference! Lets face it. your probably not going to do something in your lifetime that will effect every single person. But in ATITD, your simple research can benefit the whole community.
Exactly. That's what I was getting at with my post. The game is a sort of simplified real-world that people can actually get their heads around. That's why they like it. It's not as difficult or complex as the real world.
Well, I meant matter as in having non-game consequences, but that's interesting anyway :)
Because in a game the issues are simpler and the consequences are negligable. Hell, you don't even have to vote the way you really would, you can vote the way your imaginary character would vote. Look at this "green party" in the game. Does it really matter if the gameworld becomes "polluted"? Of course not, it's just role-play. Maybe that's why some people like the game. They wish that understanding all the complexity behind real-life issues was as easy as understanding those in the game. The game serves as kind of a substitute since they can't ever be sure of what's true or real in real-world politics. Kind of like those people who would prefer to return to a simpler time.
Yep. I can definitely see where they're coming from on this. I mean how much more scientific do you have to be in order to take away people's rights? What does the court want, an actual scientific study or something?! I think the court just doesn't place enough value on a good anecdote or a seemingly plausible supposition. If the court insists on more evidence than that, then they might have to actually make an effort, and its even possible that the study might not support their position! (although, granted, that's not likely, depending on who they hire and how much they pay)
That would be nice and all, but I'm hardly a politician. I work full-time and go to school at night. I wouldn't know where to begin to get the time and money to run a campaign against an entrenched opponent, or anyone else for that matter. Besides, people don't generally go for single-issue candidates. They tend to think that they're kooks.
Well, seeing as how it's the libraries that are fighting this, you'd think they'd want to provide their patrons with a solution that allows them to have filterless access if they wish. So I would think that they'd get rid of any system that doesn't provide such access. In fact I don't know why they would have such a system in the first place since they wanted control over whether a machine was filtered or not to begin with.
When asked, the attorney for the government said that any adult could ask to have the filters turned off and that they do not have to provide any reason.