Here's my take on it...people either have been warned, or have been too careless to find out exactly what they've installed on their system. Let them suffer for their mistakes. Sometimes a little hardship is the only thing that will teach them.
ROTFL...your post sums up the situation most accurately! Users are stealing music, videos, and software, and then they're complaining about the maker of KaZaa. Hey everyone, what goes around comes around! Enjoy it!
Saying you think a company is dishonest in a conversation usually is not actionable. But publishing something like that in a newpaper or on the internet is.
I would assume, though, that it's only actionable if the what has been said was done so with maliscios intent, and was not true. I believe the guy who started the whole thing explained WHY he thought he had been deceived, and his explanation sounds reasonable.
If this catches on, I see the disappearance of many valuable resources - like resellerratings.com. When ever I purchase something online, I look at comments about the vendor I'm considering. If nothing else, at least I'm able to make an informed decision. I see these resources as a good thing, since they help the market weed out the morons, and contribute to the surival of the companies that deserve it.
Amusing. If the people that use Kazaa use it primarily to do something sleazy, how can they expect any higher standard from the company that produces it?
I don't think the RIAA was clear about it meant with respect to its use of the word inferior. It's not that the product is inferior, it's that since the consumer can get it at a more reasonable price (and maybe sans any regional encoding or other crap), it provides them with an inferior revenue stream.
For the record, I'm not at all in favor of copying or pirating. I am, however, strongly in favor of simply opting out of the game...no buy, no steal. Neither the MPAA or the RIAA amount to squat without revenue (read, our money).
I remember seeing a news story about a guy to did exactly this for a living. He'd look at an industry, decide what the next logical step might be, and than patent it. Then, when the company (or companies) took that step (and they often did), he'd go after them (and win). He put no effort of his own into any of the R&D, or produced anything of substance, but he went after companies that did. I forget his name, but his behavior earned my assessment as a blood-sucking leech on the buttocks of a rotting corpse. Actually, I think he's dead now, but his attorney is still defending these patents for his estate.
Here's what I do - I know it won't work well for those who get a lot of e-mail from unknown sources (like a popular personality on the net might receive), but it works for me. Using Eudora, I set up a separate folder for each legitimate source that from which I EXPECT to receive e-mail. When my mail is download (about 600-700 pieces a day), Eudora sorts through it all, and after all is said and done, the only thing left in my in box is junk. I usually give it a quick review just to be sure I haven't overlooked anything, but the only "cost" to me is having to type Command-A, and then hit the delete key. Sit on THAT and rotate for a while, Rowena!!!
I'm not all that fond of unions, but the very idea behind their existence is to protect workers from this kind of abuse. Let a huge number of highly-skilled programmers walk out on strike for a few days, and see how badly employers really want to continue with this "we own you" mentality.
but I'm kinda bored now by all the whinging going on by people who have no concept of what flash is, how and when to use it, or how to build a usable and marketable website or internet application.
You could really make your case if you at least provided some examples of usable and marketable Flash-based, web sites.
If there is not commercialization there, a company can only exist based on ancillary manufacturing or services
In other words, it removes a very substantial reason for Microsoft's existence.
If commercialization was cut down, investors would not support research and development in the IT sector, less projects would be developed,
And let's see here... investors now support most open source projects how exactly? He seems to be suggesting that the only real development is that which occurs when investors are involved. This guy needs a clue. Seriously.
And in fact, someone here locally is suing (a music conductor) because the new copyright laws, though intended to protect US artists, create a HUGE problem, since they apply the same protection to foreign artists. The example they used was that it would have cost the symphony at least $5K to acquire the right to perform "Peter and the Wolf," a cost that the symphony is not about to forego. The offshoot of this is that people will either start shelling out a hell of a lot more to hear works from foreign artists, or they'll be listening to the same stuff over and over again.
It's nice to know that we have such enlightened legislators.
You are deriving benefit from your spoils, without compensation to its owner. Another thing...there's something (though unrelated to this) called theft of service. This can happen, for exmaple, when you pull up to a commercial dumpster and toss in the roll of used carpeting you just removed from your last job. Stealing and theft aren't concerned solely with material objects - they deal with instances where one party deprives another of something that is rightfully theirs, be it a car stereo, professional services, or even licensing revenue.
And to further clarify, copyright infringement is something else entirely.
Your bridge example I think, is very astute. I remember seeing a PBS show a couple of times (Nova, perhaps), where they explain how a very well-known suspension bridge completely tore itself apart in an unusually high wind. The oscillation of the bridge caused by the wind was an expected circumstance, but what they didn't understand at the time, is that at the end of each oscillation, the wind hit and "rolled" off the bridge in such a manner as to create a vacuum, thereby amplifying the wind's overall effect. It was the additional stress caused by this vacuum that led to the bridge's failure.
This is an apt demonstration that there's no way to understand every possible circumstance and the effect that it will have, until you actually encounter it. In other words, you can't cross a bridge until you get to it (pun intended).
WRONG! The Code that act's as the autopilot for aircraft is bug-free.. it has to.. The Code that controlls the flight path of a nuclear weapon is bug-fre... it has to. The Software that launches the space shuttle is bug-free.... it has to.. ANY software that runs the life support equipment in any hospital is bug free... it has to...
You're leaving out one very important detail here- whether or not they are completely bug free might be debatable, but more importantly, they all operate in very highly controlled, very specific, and very rigid environments. If you start dorking around with the motherboard in a missile launch system, replacing memory, overclocking the processor, and then add a DVD player, install 'doze, add a video card with a buggy driver to the mix, that latest piece of shareware that logs into a server once a day to install the desktop pattern du jour, and last but not least, toss in an uneducated user, guess what happens...your reliability goes to hell in a handbasket.
I don't think the scenarios you've mentioned are anywhere close to being comparable to the incredibly variable circumstances that chracterize the world of PC software. I'm no fan of buggy software, and software companies SHOULD make every effort to produce bug-free code. In many cases, though, the scale of complexity is just too large to ensure that every possible bug has been eliminated. We, as consumers have to make a choice...buy it now, albeit in a somewhat imperfect state, or wait forever, until it's 100% grade-A certified bug-free. Of course, by then, it will be completely obsolete. And it will only be certified for a very specific hardware configuration.
Lest anyone think I have any sympathy for M$, I don't. But I do think there are software companies who make a reasonable effort to produce good code.
And then there's always the issue of practicality - NS 6 is a huge, slow, bloated dog. I have both NS 4 and NS 6, but I use NS 4 the vast majority of the time.
While I agree that opening a link in a new window can be beneficial (even for the user), I do not agree that "controlling" the user is a wise objective. Leaving your web site (never to return) is far easier than walking out your front door. On Macintosh, it's as simple is Command-W. -- Poof --. I'm gone.
What HE knows isn't the issue - it's what most users are likely to know. How many users do you honestly think have 10 windows open during a typical browsing session - or even know about the trick with the shift key, for that matter?
Slashdot Mirror
Here's my take on it...people either have been warned, or have been too careless to find out exactly what they've installed on their system. Let them suffer for their mistakes. Sometimes a little hardship is the only thing that will teach them.
ROTFL...your post sums up the situation most accurately! Users are stealing music, videos, and software, and then they're complaining about the maker of KaZaa. Hey everyone, what goes around comes around! Enjoy it!
Saying you think a company is dishonest in a conversation usually is not actionable. But publishing something like that in a newpaper or on the internet is.
I would assume, though, that it's only actionable if the what has been said was done so with maliscios intent, and was not true. I believe the guy who started the whole thing explained WHY he thought he had been deceived, and his explanation sounds reasonable.
Why not just slap a lein on the company?
I predict falling sales revenues for this guy. Wonder who he'll sue next to make up for that?
Capitalism?
If this catches on, I see the disappearance of many valuable resources - like resellerratings.com. When ever I purchase something online, I look at comments about the vendor I'm considering. If nothing else, at least I'm able to make an informed decision. I see these resources as a good thing, since they help the market weed out the morons, and contribute to the surival of the companies that deserve it.
The question is, better at what? Skirting the rules that everyone else follows?
Amusing. If the people that use Kazaa use it primarily to do something sleazy, how can they expect any higher standard from the company that produces it?
>> Yes it is illegal, yes it probably shouldn't happen. But if he can save a couple hundred dollars while going to school, I know he'll do it.
Since a recent survey indicated that 70% of students cheat in school, why should this surprise anyone?
I don't think the RIAA was clear about it meant with respect to its use of the word inferior. It's not that the product is inferior, it's that since the consumer can get it at a more reasonable price (and maybe sans any regional encoding or other crap), it provides them with an inferior revenue stream.
For the record, I'm not at all in favor of copying or pirating. I am, however, strongly in favor of simply opting out of the game...no buy, no steal. Neither the MPAA or the RIAA amount to squat without revenue (read, our money).
I remember seeing a news story about a guy to did exactly this for a living. He'd look at an industry, decide what the next logical step might be, and than patent it. Then, when the company (or companies) took that step (and they often did), he'd go after them (and win). He put no effort of his own into any of the R&D, or produced anything of substance, but he went after companies that did. I forget his name, but his behavior earned my assessment as a blood-sucking leech on the buttocks of a rotting corpse. Actually, I think he's dead now, but his attorney is still defending these patents for his estate.
Here's what I do - I know it won't work well for those who get a lot of e-mail from unknown sources (like a popular personality on the net might receive), but it works for me. Using Eudora, I set up a separate folder for each legitimate source that from which I EXPECT to receive e-mail. When my mail is download (about 600-700 pieces a day), Eudora sorts through it all, and after all is said and done, the only thing left in my in box is junk. I usually give it a quick review just to be sure I haven't overlooked anything, but the only "cost" to me is having to type Command-A, and then hit the delete key. Sit on THAT and rotate for a while, Rowena!!!
I'm not all that fond of unions, but the very idea behind their existence is to protect workers from this kind of abuse. Let a huge number of highly-skilled programmers walk out on strike for a few days, and see how badly employers really want to continue with this "we own you" mentality.
I've just finished doing almost the same thing with PHP/Javascript/HTML. Why does Flash provide a more viable solution in this regard?
but I'm kinda bored now by all the whinging going on by people who have no concept of what flash is, how and when to use it, or how to build a usable and marketable website or internet application.
You could really make your case if you at least provided some examples of usable and marketable Flash-based, web sites.
If there is not commercialization there, a company can only exist based on ancillary manufacturing or services
In other words, it removes a very substantial reason for Microsoft's existence.
If commercialization was cut down, investors would not support research and development in the IT sector, less projects would be developed,
And let's see here... investors now support most open source projects how exactly? He seems to be suggesting that the only real development is that which occurs when investors are involved. This guy needs a clue. Seriously.
And in fact, someone here locally is suing (a music conductor) because the new copyright laws, though intended to protect US artists, create a HUGE problem, since they apply the same protection to foreign artists. The example they used was that it would have cost the symphony at least $5K to acquire the right to perform "Peter and the Wolf," a cost that the symphony is not about to forego. The offshoot of this is that people will either start shelling out a hell of a lot more to hear works from foreign artists, or they'll be listening to the same stuff over and over again.
It's nice to know that we have such enlightened legislators.
Looking at it another way...
You are deriving benefit from your spoils, without compensation to its owner. Another thing...there's something (though unrelated to this) called theft of service. This can happen, for exmaple, when you pull up to a commercial dumpster and toss in the roll of used carpeting you just removed from your last job. Stealing and theft aren't concerned solely with material objects - they deal with instances where one party deprives another of something that is rightfully theirs, be it a car stereo, professional services, or even licensing revenue.
And to further clarify, copyright infringement is something else entirely.
Hey dude...ever heard of taking pride in your work, whatever it may be? Yeah...didn't think so.
Your bridge example I think, is very astute. I remember seeing a PBS show a couple of times (Nova, perhaps), where they explain how a very well-known suspension bridge completely tore itself apart in an unusually high wind. The oscillation of the bridge caused by the wind was an expected circumstance, but what they didn't understand at the time, is that at the end of each oscillation, the wind hit and "rolled" off the bridge in such a manner as to create a vacuum, thereby amplifying the wind's overall effect. It was the additional stress caused by this vacuum that led to the bridge's failure.
This is an apt demonstration that there's no way to understand every possible circumstance and the effect that it will have, until you actually encounter it. In other words, you can't cross a bridge until you get to it (pun intended).
WRONG! The Code that act's as the autopilot for aircraft is bug-free.. it has to.. The Code that controlls the flight path of a nuclear weapon is bug-fre... it has to. The Software that launches the space shuttle is bug-free.... it has to.. ANY software that runs the life support equipment in any hospital is bug free... it has to...
You're leaving out one very important detail here- whether or not they are completely bug free might be debatable, but more importantly, they all operate in very highly controlled, very specific, and very rigid environments. If you start dorking around with the motherboard in a missile launch system, replacing memory, overclocking the processor, and then add a DVD player, install 'doze, add a video card with a buggy driver to the mix, that latest piece of shareware that logs into a server once a day to install the desktop pattern du jour, and last but not least, toss in an uneducated user, guess what happens...your reliability goes to hell in a handbasket.
I don't think the scenarios you've mentioned are anywhere close to being comparable to the incredibly variable circumstances that chracterize the world of PC software. I'm no fan of buggy software, and software companies SHOULD make every effort to produce bug-free code. In many cases, though, the scale of complexity is just too large to ensure that every possible bug has been eliminated. We, as consumers have to make a choice...buy it now, albeit in a somewhat imperfect state, or wait forever, until it's 100% grade-A certified bug-free. Of course, by then, it will be completely obsolete. And it will only be certified for a very specific hardware configuration.
Lest anyone think I have any sympathy for M$, I don't. But I do think there are software companies who make a reasonable effort to produce good code.
>> NS 6.x
And then there's always the issue of practicality - NS 6 is a huge, slow, bloated dog. I have both NS 4 and NS 6, but I use NS 4 the vast majority of the time.
>> You will only piss off the non-typical cases.
This begs the question...what exactly is the typical case? We're not talking typical geeks here, we're talking typical users.
While I agree that opening a link in a new window can be beneficial (even for the user), I do not agree that "controlling" the user is a wise objective. Leaving your web site (never to return) is far easier than walking out your front door. On Macintosh, it's as simple is Command-W. -- Poof --. I'm gone.
What HE knows isn't the issue - it's what most users are likely to know. How many users do you honestly think have 10 windows open during a typical browsing session - or even know about the trick with the shift key, for that matter?