Read the title of the page. Slashdot: New for Nerds. That should tell you something right there. Slashdot will pick stories that the editors believe their readers are interested in, and which are relevant to the readers. Your sky is still blue stories would probably be better for a meteorology journal or something.
An excellent response to a post that shouldn't have been moderated up in the first place. It doesn't offer anything new, or even a balanced opinion. It just criticizes "Slashdotters," and thus gets the automatic +3 points.
IMHO, a tool should not be banned because it has illegal uses. Under that logic, CD Burners, DVD Burners, copy programs, lockpicks, and file transfer utilities should all be banned. Punish the people who use the tool to break the law. Don't punish those who are making tools that get misused.
That is, I believe, exactly what the creator of FreeNet is trying to prevent. And I don't think the FBi would hunt him down for this. Are they hunting down the people who designed the HTTP protocols because those protocols are being used to exchange terrorist information? I bet they'd love to, but they aren't.
Ok, I suggest you actually try reading the interview. The interviewee even says explicitly that they're working on a way to vote for information, which to me sounded similar to Slashdot's moderator system. And, IMHO, Slashdot's moderator system works quite well. Nothing's ever deleted, but you can set your threshold higher to filter out lower-rated stuff.
Actually, AFAIK, Mandrake 7.0 was basically built from scratch with very little used from RedHat. If anything, the transfer on that version was the other way round, with RedHat picking bits they liked out of Mandrake and using them.
And that is one of the reasons I like Linux and don't like Windows. Windows forces me to use one interface that, while it may be "easy to learn", is a pain for getting complex tasks done quickly. Whereas Linux has... what, at least two different desktop managers and ten times that many window managers? So new users can use something like KDE they feel at home with, and more advanced users can choose an interface that does things they like.
Personally, the GUI is the easiest part of a new OS to get used to.
They're like a rabid wolverine on crack with an uzi.
Now that is an image I have to remember! It just describes Microsoft so perfectly! Although one does wonder how Windows fits in... Perhaps its part of the rabies? Or could it be the crack?;)
Nah. I'm a Vi user myself (even use Vim on windows boxes). The command-line-like system (dunno what its called, probably command line, knowing my memory) is a lot easier to learn than Ctrl-X Alt-y Ctrl-Alt-Shift-V, etc. But I've used XEmacs, and I like some of the things it can do, and there are other editors that work well for various tasks...
Hmmm.... I know that saying the government can't take away the right to free speach is good, but it has problems. It still lets corporations take away your right to free speach, although I haven't read the amendment in question (not being an American). Also, I believe hearing some people talking about repealing the sections of the constitution about possession of weapons as the "right" method of gun control. Couldn't the government just repeal the sections saying they can't restrict your freedoms of speach?
I'm not meaning to be offensive, I'm just trying to clear up something I don't quite understand...
A good reply in a thread that seems to be inviting flames and trolls, over an issue that invites flames and trolls. There is no "ultimate" lisence, just like there's no "ultimate" OS or GUI or interface or text editor. There's just different types, each of which has its uses and is liked by different people. Personally, I like the GPL, but I can understand where the BSD people are coming from.
I remember that episode. It was right at the end of season four, when the far future human was collecting data on how the New Alliance affected the history that came after it. One of my favorites, too.
Actually, from what I've heard, the DoJ was kinda mad that M$ had settled the previous case and then immediately run off and kept doing whatever they bloody well pleased. And if the presidential donation thing is true, its definitely a reverse of the norm. Usually, a big corporation donating to a presidential campaign gets the average person in trouble. This time, its the opposite.
I think the MPAA is willing to go to any extent to increase their profits. If the Federal Government had filed suit against them instead of M$, I'd have been perfectly happy. Unfortunately, from what I've read of it, the DMCA gives the MPAA the power to do exactly what its doing. Scary, no?
"I'm afraid this copy program is illegal. It can be used to copy copywritten data. Same for cat, less, more, and your entire "free" operating system."
I'll admit that I don't know much about KDE. I don't like the way the versions I've tried felt so close to Windows. I especially don't see the need for browser integration with the desktop manager or filesystem. GNOME, on the other hand I liked, but I've talked to many people who've liked KDE just as much. IMHO, its a matter of personal preference which one you're going to use, and I don't think that'll ever change. Or at least, I hope it doesn't.
Yes, the company wants to do whatever it can to sell its product and make a large profit. However, that doesn't mean that it has the right to do whatever it can to sell its product. In Microsoft's case, they used their market share to force other companies to do things their way or face a large encumbrance (higher prices on M$ products, takeovers, promotion by M$ of competing companies, etc). They were operating in a way that didn't allow other companies a fair chance to compete. I'm not saying they should have rolled over for competing companies, but the tactics they used weren't right.
Oh, BTW, thanks for expressing an opposing point of view on a M$ issue without flaming. Every reply I've gotten to a post on that issue so far has been a flame telling me to "grow up and get back to class because I can't understand the issues." (Yes, I am a high school student)
Yes, but under the DMCA, computers are also illegal. Or, at the very least, any program that can be used to copy data. There's a clause I seem to remember that makes any technology or part used in that technology illegal if it could be used to copy a copy-protected work.
Also, it offers new power to companies like Microsoft. All they have to do is apply 1-bit encryption to all Word Documents created by Word 3000, (possibly might have to copyright the file format too...) and suddenly, programs compatible with Word 3000 are illegal. They're tools that circumvent a protection measure of a copywritten work
Note that I'm writing this in a hurry, from memory, without previewing, so feel free to correct me.
I think the point is to see how long it takes and how much power has to be applied to effectively brute-force the key. Mathematical models can predict this, but its nice to have a real-world validation. Then they can say "Look how secure our system is! It too X computers of Y power Z months to crack A message encrypted with B key! Now give us much money!";)
A good way to fight against this. Ignore or make fun of the jocks/bullies. Works well for me. Or refuse to help them with ANYTHING if they harass you. You've got a mind, they (generally) don't. Use it.
I think Miguel made it clear in the interview that GNOME isn't one gargantuan program. Instead, its a bunch of little modules that function together to create something bigger, as opposed to KDE which is (AFAIK) one gargantuan program. Of course, for most of these roles, there's currently only one module available...
No. Microsoft gained a large business share early on. This is perfectly fine, as another company would be able to overturn them by making a better product, in a sound capitalist system. However, Microsoft then used their position to force their mediocre products on consumers. They used it to force other companies to go along with them ("do what we want, or you'll be paying ten times what your competitors are for our products!"), and used embrace-extend-exterminate strategies to destroy any company that offered an alternative.
Slashdot Mirror
Read the title of the page. Slashdot: New for Nerds. That should tell you something right there. Slashdot will pick stories that the editors believe their readers are interested in, and which are relevant to the readers. Your sky is still blue stories would probably be better for a meteorology journal or something.
-RickHunter
An excellent response to a post that shouldn't have been moderated up in the first place. It doesn't offer anything new, or even a balanced opinion. It just criticizes "Slashdotters," and thus gets the automatic +3 points.
IMHO, a tool should not be banned because it has illegal uses. Under that logic, CD Burners, DVD Burners, copy programs, lockpicks, and file transfer utilities should all be banned. Punish the people who use the tool to break the law. Don't punish those who are making tools that get misused.
-RickHunter
That is, I believe, exactly what the creator of FreeNet is trying to prevent. And I don't think the FBi would hunt him down for this. Are they hunting down the people who designed the HTTP protocols because those protocols are being used to exchange terrorist information? I bet they'd love to, but they aren't.
-RickHunter
Ok, I suggest you actually try reading the interview. The interviewee even says explicitly that they're working on a way to vote for information, which to me sounded similar to Slashdot's moderator system. And, IMHO, Slashdot's moderator system works quite well. Nothing's ever deleted, but you can set your threshold higher to filter out lower-rated stuff.
-RickHunter
Actually, AFAIK, Mandrake 7.0 was basically built from scratch with very little used from RedHat. If anything, the transfer on that version was the other way round, with RedHat picking bits they liked out of Mandrake and using them.
-RickHunter
And that is one of the reasons I like Linux and don't like Windows. Windows forces me to use one interface that, while it may be "easy to learn", is a pain for getting complex tasks done quickly. Whereas Linux has... what, at least two different desktop managers and ten times that many window managers? So new users can use something like KDE they feel at home with, and more advanced users can choose an interface that does things they like.
Personally, the GUI is the easiest part of a new OS to get used to.
-RickHunter
They're like a rabid wolverine on crack with an uzi.
Now that is an image I have to remember! It just describes Microsoft so perfectly! Although one does wonder how Windows fits in... Perhaps its part of the rabies? Or could it be the crack? ;)
-RickHunter
Nah. I'm a Vi user myself (even use Vim on windows boxes). The command-line-like system (dunno what its called, probably command line, knowing my memory) is a lot easier to learn than Ctrl-X Alt-y Ctrl-Alt-Shift-V, etc. But I've used XEmacs, and I like some of the things it can do, and there are other editors that work well for various tasks...
-RickHunter
Hmmm.... I know that saying the government can't take away the right to free speach is good, but it has problems. It still lets corporations take away your right to free speach, although I haven't read the amendment in question (not being an American). Also, I believe hearing some people talking about repealing the sections of the constitution about possession of weapons as the "right" method of gun control. Couldn't the government just repeal the sections saying they can't restrict your freedoms of speach?
I'm not meaning to be offensive, I'm just trying to clear up something I don't quite understand...
-RickHunter
A good reply in a thread that seems to be inviting flames and trolls, over an issue that invites flames and trolls. There is no "ultimate" lisence, just like there's no "ultimate" OS or GUI or interface or text editor. There's just different types, each of which has its uses and is liked by different people. Personally, I like the GPL, but I can understand where the BSD people are coming from.
Of course, I necessarily like their viewpoint.
-RickHunter
MAJOR SPOILERS!
I remember that episode. It was right at the end of season four, when the far future human was collecting data on how the New Alliance affected the history that came after it. One of my favorites, too.
-RickHunter
Actually, from what I've heard, the DoJ was kinda mad that M$ had settled the previous case and then immediately run off and kept doing whatever they bloody well pleased. And if the presidential donation thing is true, its definitely a reverse of the norm. Usually, a big corporation donating to a presidential campaign gets the average person in trouble. This time, its the opposite.
-RickHunter
You get around a lot. Didn't you get turned down by that company that was doing the GNOME file manager, too? (No offense, I do like your posts)
Hmmm... CIO and CEO positions open... Linux services company... Bets that a couple of high-profile Linux types are going to move in and take over?
-RickHunter
Moderators, even! I knew I should've previewed! :-(
-RickHunter
Looks like a couple of mentors think that your contract really is binding. ;)
-RickHunter
NSA agent to /. poster Arcade: "Umm..." *waves hand* "These aren't the droids you're looking for!" ;-)
-RickHunter
I think the MPAA is willing to go to any extent to increase their profits. If the Federal Government had filed suit against them instead of M$, I'd have been perfectly happy. Unfortunately, from what I've read of it, the DMCA gives the MPAA the power to do exactly what its doing. Scary, no?
"I'm afraid this copy program is illegal. It can be used to copy copywritten data. Same for cat, less, more, and your entire "free" operating system."
-RickHunter
Ahhh. Excuse my ignorance, then.
-RickHunter
I'll admit that I don't know much about KDE. I don't like the way the versions I've tried felt so close to Windows. I especially don't see the need for browser integration with the desktop manager or filesystem. GNOME, on the other hand I liked, but I've talked to many people who've liked KDE just as much. IMHO, its a matter of personal preference which one you're going to use, and I don't think that'll ever change. Or at least, I hope it doesn't.
-RickHunter
Yes, the company wants to do whatever it can to sell its product and make a large profit. However, that doesn't mean that it has the right to do whatever it can to sell its product. In Microsoft's case, they used their market share to force other companies to do things their way or face a large encumbrance (higher prices on M$ products, takeovers, promotion by M$ of competing companies, etc). They were operating in a way that didn't allow other companies a fair chance to compete. I'm not saying they should have rolled over for competing companies, but the tactics they used weren't right.
Oh, BTW, thanks for expressing an opposing point of view on a M$ issue without flaming. Every reply I've gotten to a post on that issue so far has been a flame telling me to "grow up and get back to class because I can't understand the issues." (Yes, I am a high school student)
-RickHunter
Yes, but under the DMCA, computers are also illegal. Or, at the very least, any program that can be used to copy data. There's a clause I seem to remember that makes any technology or part used in that technology illegal if it could be used to copy a copy-protected work.
Also, it offers new power to companies like Microsoft. All they have to do is apply 1-bit encryption to all Word Documents created by Word 3000, (possibly might have to copyright the file format too...) and suddenly, programs compatible with Word 3000 are illegal. They're tools that circumvent a protection measure of a copywritten work
Note that I'm writing this in a hurry, from memory, without previewing, so feel free to correct me.
-RickHunter
I think the point is to see how long it takes and how much power has to be applied to effectively brute-force the key. Mathematical models can predict this, but its nice to have a real-world validation. Then they can say "Look how secure our system is! It too X computers of Y power Z months to crack A message encrypted with B key! Now give us much money!" ;)
-RickHunter
A good way to fight against this. Ignore or make fun of the jocks/bullies. Works well for me. Or refuse to help them with ANYTHING if they harass you. You've got a mind, they (generally) don't. Use it.
-RickHunter
I think Miguel made it clear in the interview that GNOME isn't one gargantuan program. Instead, its a bunch of little modules that function together to create something bigger, as opposed to KDE which is (AFAIK) one gargantuan program. Of course, for most of these roles, there's currently only one module available...
-RickHunter
No. Microsoft gained a large business share early on. This is perfectly fine, as another company would be able to overturn them by making a better product, in a sound capitalist system. However, Microsoft then used their position to force their mediocre products on consumers. They used it to force other companies to go along with them ("do what we want, or you'll be paying ten times what your competitors are for our products!"), and used embrace-extend-exterminate strategies to destroy any company that offered an alternative.
-RickHunter