All fine and good except for the fact that the Constitution states in Article 1, Section 9 that taxes are not to be levied against goods "exported" from the States. Essentially any goods sold from an entity in one State to an entity in another State is tax-exempt.
States can't make an end-run around this just because they lose money.
For them to try and force this taxation would be tantamount to several States getting together and saying "We know the Bill of Rights protects the right to Free Speech, but we don't like that and want Congress to enforce our newly-passed restrictions on speech." Just because a State wants it and passes a law to that effect, doesn't make it right, legal, or binding.
But they are still taxing commerce across States, and the Constitution clearly says that Taxes cannot be levied againsts goods exported from a State.
Note that it does not say that States have the right to levy taxes, it explicitely states in Article 1, Section 9, that taxes may not be levied against goods exported from a State. So if I buy something from Amazon.com and it's shipped from California to my house in Pennsylvania, I'm exempt from taxes. Period, end of debate, no questions asked.
States have tried for years to get this overturned, but the Supreme Court has ruled time and again that taxation of that form is not legal.
Well, Federally, one reason would be the Constitution says in Article 1, Section 9: "No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State." which essentially means that all goods that are sold and intended for consumers in another State are not to be taxed.
FindLaw has much more on this here if you're interested.
No, people have locked themselves into those formats. There are other tools that provide other formats and people have the CHOICE to use them.
Lotus and Corel wouldn't have it any other way and wouldn't open up their file formats if they didn't see some value in it. Microsoft hasn't seen any value in starting to open the format until now.
Oh I get it! We're beating on Microsoft for not opening up it's file formats earlier because WordPerfect and Lotus products are so much more open...oh wait....
It had nothing to do with cost factors but with profitability. If a company does not consider it profititable to create a version that works for disabled people they won't, irregardless of how much it costs.
I personally think that any company that doesn't think the time invested is profitable is short-sighted, and I have always worked to create sites that are text-navigable and use alt tags, etc.
But you're still trolling because you made an assumption about how I view the internet. The argument doesn't fail because I'm saying we don't need laws that tell us how we need to design a site, we need people to employ the mechanics of capitalism which would show companies it is more profitable to them to create sites that everyone can use than it would be to create a site that doesn't.
Furthermore I used an example that not every show on TV has close-captioning, which does not considerably add to the cost of creating a show, but some producers/networks don't consider it a neccesary thing and therefore don't do it. If that's upsetting let the networks and producers know and they have the choice to listen or not.
Sorry it's the choice we have living in a free society. Just because the internet has more capabilities, it doesn't suddenly mean we should give up some control to make sure that everyone has the same equal share. In fact, because the internet can indeed be "boundless" we should remove all restrictions and laws because if someone's not happy with how one website is run, they can go make their own that gives them and others what they want. That's the true promise of the web.
The Internet is a super-set of books and TV, and can be used for both of those purposes as well as many more that are more interesting and exciting, but the context of the discussion was using the internet as a public-service information source.
Just because I didn't touch on your favorite vision of the internet doesn't mean you have to troll.
No, we live in a society that adopted the ADA because we've been told that the mechanics of capitalism don't work and that we need the government to protect us from ourselves.
And I believe that if I were 80 and needed to get into a store and they wouldn't make accomodations for me I'd take my business elsewhere.
You made my point exactly. We live in a capitalist environment, and we should allow the mechanics of capitalism work. Those websites that want to do the most business, and get the most traffic, will make their sites the most welcome and friendly.
Those that don't care, won't.
But we shouldn't force people through a law to create web pages to a certain standard because some people aren't happy.
A web site is not a personal service. Book publishers are not required to release every book they publish in a braille format. Newspaper publishers are not required to release every edition they publish in braille. Not every TV show has close captioning.
If I create a website and I don't think to put in the effort to make it easier for disabled people to read then someone should tell me. If I'm told and I still do nothing and it's still a big issue for you than leave and don't come back.
I have the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and if I'm such a schmuck that it makes me happy to ignore the needs of the disabled on a website I create then I have the liberty to do so, and no one has the authority to take that liberty from me.
Another law is not the answer. We do not need to be legislated on every little decision. We live in a capitalist society for a reason. People who are not happy with the fact that sites are not usable by folks with disabilities need to make their voices heard, and vote with their feet (clicks in this case) and cash.
This is very different than the TV Stations showing edited versions for one important reason: When you see something in an edited form on TV, it has been edited with the direct consent of the Director of the movie, and they often had a hand in the editing themselves.
Clean Flicks takes a movie that is not theirs, edits it, often poorly, without anyone's consent, and resells it to customers. And that's the other important point.
Fair-use is fine, as long as I am not trying to make a profit from the movie. If I want make a copy of tape to give to a friend offended by more pureile parts, and I leave them out, that's fine. But if I'm trying to sell the copy, and pass it off to people then I am infringing on a copyright.
It would be no different than if someone were to take an O'Reilly book, replace a few words here and there, remove a chapter, and try and sell the thing as the original. It's not legal, and it should be stopped. Clean Flicks should get consent from the directors before doing what they do.
I was just getting so sick of playing my Jedi games and Halo and Max Payne. Thank god they ported a web server to the XBox so I can have some REAL fun on it.
Maybe my boss will even let me develop on it. woo hoo!.
Go do anything besides sitting in a cube and you'll be lucky if you get to do any of this..
I've worked 23 jobs from 10th grade to finishing my degree and starting a job in IT. I have worked construction, groundskeeping, unloading tractor trailers, slinging hash in 6 different restaurants to name a few.
In all the jobs I've had it has never ever ever been non-stop work all the time, no downtime, go go go 100% until your pittance 15 minutes at 10am. I know there are jobs out there like that, but you know, things have improved since the 1800's Industrial Revolution.
I may not get to fileshare some cool new MP3's when I'm out digging a ditch, but I also don't have to worry about stupid shit like 'Hawaiian-Shirt Fridays', Middle Management, "expert" consultants that are hired to manage people smarter and more experienced than them, bone-headed bureaucrats setting mindless Acceptable Use Policies. No one's going to get upset if my language isn't PC. I don't have to constantly deal with all of the office politics, and the backstabbing, and the other bullshit that happens in the thousand of cubicled offices nation-wide.
Not that any of the above things excuses not following company policy, but there's always trade-offs in whatever job you have.
Shudder to think, I learned COBOL in college as a requirement, and while I *HATED* it at the time, I was required to plan my program, flowchart it, write up the output specifications, and write the program ALL on paper before I was even allowed anywhere near the computer. These assignments had to be done, and handed in, and if there was an error, even one tiny error, like missing the head of the arrow on the flowchart, 50% off of the documentation part of the project. No questions asked and no appeals allowed.
It seemed totally unfair, but it was the best thing I had to go through. I got to be really thorough before I started working.
I know it seems like such an impediment now, but people have done it since before punch cards, and it's just a skill you learn.
A side note is that in the last week I've sold 5 books on Amazon that I no longer wanted. I got decent money, too, not like the $1 or so at a garage sale. I *HATE* throwing books out -- they need to go to a good home.
Considering the amount of knowledge I've gained and fun I've had because of my locallibrary, I hope that instead of throwing out books, you'd actually donate them.
Libraries are good, as everyone has access to the material, librarians (in general) fight censorship, and help promote learning for the whole citizenship. What better home than that?
I figure it's better to give back to the community institutions that nurtured me and hopefully foster knowledge in another instead of making a few bucks on an auction.
if all of the US citizens spending all of their time bitching here on Slashdot took their intelligent comments, empassioned remarks, and valid concerns and started flooding the offices of the people here and here who actually can do something.
Democracy only works when the people speak up.
By saying technology isn't important I mean that I don't care if it's Perl, Python, LISP, ASP, PHP, JSP, whatever. Technology is technology, and can be supported by someone (probably me).
I'm more concerned with the model, features, and concepts behind the community.
Thanks for the suggestions, they're good ones to follow up one.
I've been using XP for two monthes now, and Office XP Professional, and I've been pleased.
I haven't turned off the new interface, and I enjoy it. A lot of people complain, but it was the same when Microsoft upgraded the interface from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. It just takes some getting used to.
I've turned off remote assistance and I have both their included firewall and Zone Alarm running.
I'm indifferent to the integration of the Passport materials, and I'm certainly not loading my financial information into Passport, but Microsoft has obviously put a lot of thought into trying to integrate the network and PC into a single cohesive unit. Sun said originally "The Network is the Computer" but Microsoft has really started to make that vision a reality, like it or not.
And as far as running software, I haven't had any problems, not even running old Windows 95 games that wouldn't run on 2000.
I'm very happy with Windows XP and glad I made the switch.
till I realized it was written by Jon Katz and remembered he's Ed Anger to Slashdot's Open Source "Weekly World News".
"The First Unaccountable Company" my left butt cheek. Bill Gates/Microsoft is a modern day equivalent of the old "fill in the blank from the list provided" (Railroad Tycoon, Oil Magnate, Telecommunications Monopoly AT&T, IBM, blah blah). They lost their 'terrible power', so will Microsoft. Get over it, get over yourself.
Slashdot Mirror
All fine and good except for the fact that the Constitution states in Article 1, Section 9 that taxes are not to be levied against goods "exported" from the States. Essentially any goods sold from an entity in one State to an entity in another State is tax-exempt.
States can't make an end-run around this just because they lose money.
For them to try and force this taxation would be tantamount to several States getting together and saying "We know the Bill of Rights protects the right to Free Speech, but we don't like that and want Congress to enforce our newly-passed restrictions on speech." Just because a State wants it and passes a law to that effect, doesn't make it right, legal, or binding.
But they are still taxing commerce across States, and the Constitution clearly says that Taxes cannot be levied againsts goods exported from a State.
Note that it does not say that States have the right to levy taxes, it explicitely states in Article 1, Section 9, that taxes may not be levied against goods exported from a State. So if I buy something from Amazon.com and it's shipped from California to my house in Pennsylvania, I'm exempt from taxes. Period, end of debate, no questions asked.
States have tried for years to get this overturned, but the Supreme Court has ruled time and again that taxation of that form is not legal.
Well, Federally, one reason would be the Constitution says in Article 1, Section 9: "No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State." which essentially means that all goods that are sold and intended for consumers in another State are not to be taxed.
FindLaw has much more on this here if you're interested.
No, people have locked themselves into those formats. There are other tools that provide other formats and people have the CHOICE to use them.
Lotus and Corel wouldn't have it any other way and wouldn't open up their file formats if they didn't see some value in it. Microsoft hasn't seen any value in starting to open the format until now.
What a novel idea, a company that can adapt....
Oh I get it! We're beating on Microsoft for not opening up it's file formats earlier because WordPerfect and Lotus products are so much more open...oh wait....
It had nothing to do with cost factors but with profitability. If a company does not consider it profititable to create a version that works for disabled people they won't, irregardless of how much it costs.
I personally think that any company that doesn't think the time invested is profitable is short-sighted, and I have always worked to create sites that are text-navigable and use alt tags, etc.
But you're still trolling because you made an assumption about how I view the internet. The argument doesn't fail because I'm saying we don't need laws that tell us how we need to design a site, we need people to employ the mechanics of capitalism which would show companies it is more profitable to them to create sites that everyone can use than it would be to create a site that doesn't.
Furthermore I used an example that not every show on TV has close-captioning, which does not considerably add to the cost of creating a show, but some producers/networks don't consider it a neccesary thing and therefore don't do it. If that's upsetting let the networks and producers know and they have the choice to listen or not.
Sorry it's the choice we have living in a free society. Just because the internet has more capabilities, it doesn't suddenly mean we should give up some control to make sure that everyone has the same equal share. In fact, because the internet can indeed be "boundless" we should remove all restrictions and laws because if someone's not happy with how one website is run, they can go make their own that gives them and others what they want. That's the true promise of the web.
The Internet is a super-set of books and TV, and can be used for both of those purposes as well as many more that are more interesting and exciting, but the context of the discussion was using the internet as a public-service information source.
Just because I didn't touch on your favorite vision of the internet doesn't mean you have to troll.
No, we live in a society that adopted the ADA because we've been told that the mechanics of capitalism don't work and that we need the government to protect us from ourselves.
And I believe that if I were 80 and needed to get into a store and they wouldn't make accomodations for me I'd take my business elsewhere.
You made my point exactly. We live in a capitalist environment, and we should allow the mechanics of capitalism work. Those websites that want to do the most business, and get the most traffic, will make their sites the most welcome and friendly.
Those that don't care, won't.
But we shouldn't force people through a law to create web pages to a certain standard because some people aren't happy.
A web site is not a personal service. Book publishers are not required to release every book they publish in a braille format. Newspaper publishers are not required to release every edition they publish in braille. Not every TV show has close captioning.
If I create a website and I don't think to put in the effort to make it easier for disabled people to read then someone should tell me. If I'm told and I still do nothing and it's still a big issue for you than leave and don't come back.
I have the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and if I'm such a schmuck that it makes me happy to ignore the needs of the disabled on a website I create then I have the liberty to do so, and no one has the authority to take that liberty from me.
Another law is not the answer. We do not need to be legislated on every little decision. We live in a capitalist society for a reason. People who are not happy with the fact that sites are not usable by folks with disabilities need to make their voices heard, and vote with their feet (clicks in this case) and cash.
Another law like the DMCA would be a disaster.
This is very different than the TV Stations showing edited versions for one important reason:
When you see something in an edited form on TV, it has been edited with the direct consent of the Director of the movie, and they often had a hand in the editing themselves.
Clean Flicks takes a movie that is not theirs, edits it, often poorly, without anyone's consent, and resells it to customers. And that's the other important point.
Fair-use is fine, as long as I am not trying to make a profit from the movie. If I want make a copy of tape to give to a friend offended by more pureile parts, and I leave them out, that's fine. But if I'm trying to sell the copy, and pass it off to people then I am infringing on a copyright.
It would be no different than if someone were to take an O'Reilly book, replace a few words here and there, remove a chapter, and try and sell the thing as the original. It's not legal, and it should be stopped. Clean Flicks should get consent from the directors before doing what they do.
I don't know about the rest of you, but there are commercials like. I know I'm not alone, as millions of people surfed AdCritic.com till it bombed.
The ads don't bother me. If I don't have to pay a license fee to watch TV, and I can see all the shows I enjoy, I don't care if there are ads.
I make the choice to pay attention. I have control of my TV. I can change the channel if a commercial really annoys me.
Then again, I'm an electrical engineer, so there's probably something wrong with me to start with.
;)
Hmm. Troll. Then again, I like video games so there must be something wrong with me.
I don't disparage the effort, I admire the work that was done, and I give kudos to the people who did it.
But I still think it's a funny statement to say that "Now that we have Linux ported to it this $300 game console is really going to be fun!"
Let's see, I go to a Java User's Group that was started by a for-profit company and still hosts the meeting.
IBM, BEA, et al come in and give away free goodies.
Sun supports and advertises the Java User Groups, and provides ways to find them.
But I guess you think it's okay because it's NOT Microsoft.
Finally Xbox is ready for some real fun!
I was just getting so sick of playing my Jedi games and Halo and Max Payne. Thank god they ported a web server to the XBox so I can have some REAL fun on it.
Maybe my boss will even let me develop on it. woo hoo!.
Go do anything besides sitting in a cube and you'll be lucky if you get to do any of this..
I've worked 23 jobs from 10th grade to finishing my degree and starting a job in IT. I have worked construction, groundskeeping, unloading tractor trailers, slinging hash in 6 different restaurants to name a few.
In all the jobs I've had it has never ever ever been non-stop work all the time, no downtime, go go go 100% until your pittance 15 minutes at 10am. I know there are jobs out there like that, but you know, things have improved since the 1800's Industrial Revolution.
I may not get to fileshare some cool new MP3's when I'm out digging a ditch, but I also don't have to worry about stupid shit like 'Hawaiian-Shirt Fridays', Middle Management, "expert" consultants that are hired to manage people smarter and more experienced than them, bone-headed bureaucrats setting mindless Acceptable Use Policies. No one's going to get upset if my language isn't PC. I don't have to constantly deal with all of the office politics, and the backstabbing, and the other bullshit that happens in the thousand of cubicled offices nation-wide.
Not that any of the above things excuses not following company policy, but there's always trade-offs in whatever job you have.
Shudder to think, I learned COBOL in college as a requirement, and while I *HATED* it at the time, I was required to plan my program, flowchart it, write up the output specifications, and write the program ALL on paper before I was even allowed anywhere near the computer. These assignments had to be done, and handed in, and if there was an error, even one tiny error, like missing the head of the arrow on the flowchart, 50% off of the documentation part of the project. No questions asked and no appeals allowed.
It seemed totally unfair, but it was the best thing I had to go through. I got to be really thorough before I started working.
I know it seems like such an impediment now, but people have done it since before punch cards, and it's just a skill you learn.
A side note is that in the last week I've sold 5 books on Amazon that I no longer wanted. I got decent money, too, not like the $1 or so at a garage sale. I *HATE* throwing books out -- they need to go to a good home.
Considering the amount of knowledge I've gained and fun I've had because of my locallibrary, I hope that instead of throwing out books, you'd actually donate them.
Libraries are good, as everyone has access to the material, librarians (in general) fight censorship, and help promote learning for the whole citizenship. What better home than that?
I figure it's better to give back to the community institutions that nurtured me and hopefully foster knowledge in another instead of making a few bucks on an auction.
if all of the US citizens spending all of their time bitching here on Slashdot took their intelligent comments, empassioned remarks, and valid concerns and started flooding the offices of the people here and here who actually can do something.
Democracy only works when the people speak up.
By saying technology isn't important I mean that I don't care if it's Perl, Python, LISP, ASP, PHP, JSP, whatever. Technology is technology, and can be supported by someone (probably me).
I'm more concerned with the model, features, and concepts behind the community.
Thanks for the suggestions, they're good ones to follow up one.
I've been using XP for two monthes now, and Office XP Professional, and I've been pleased.
I haven't turned off the new interface, and I enjoy it. A lot of people complain, but it was the same when Microsoft upgraded the interface from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. It just takes some getting used to.
I've turned off remote assistance and I have both their included firewall and Zone Alarm running.
I'm indifferent to the integration of the Passport materials, and I'm certainly not loading my financial information into Passport, but Microsoft has obviously put a lot of thought into trying to integrate the network and PC into a single cohesive unit. Sun said originally "The Network is the Computer" but Microsoft has really started to make that vision a reality, like it or not.
And as far as running software, I haven't had any problems, not even running old Windows 95 games that wouldn't run on 2000.
I'm very happy with Windows XP and glad I made the switch.
To say Kylix is an Access replacement is truly misleading. Kylix is a version of Delphi for Linux.
Your comment is saying that Visual Basic is a replacement for Access on Windows because it does everything Access does and more.
duh, it's a programming language.
for perhaps my Hotmail account, which I use to keep spam out of my work account anyway.
Even better, I'd like the fact that I could send fresh new original spam back to spammers.
Yes I did mean to opt out 27 times in one day.
till I realized it was written by Jon Katz and remembered he's Ed Anger to Slashdot's Open Source "Weekly World News".
"The First Unaccountable Company" my left butt cheek. Bill Gates/Microsoft is a modern day equivalent of the old "fill in the blank from the list provided" (Railroad Tycoon, Oil Magnate, Telecommunications Monopoly AT&T, IBM, blah blah). They lost their 'terrible power', so will Microsoft. Get over it, get over yourself.