If you've ever been tricked by one of those ads telling you that your "connection is not optimized" or that you have "1 new message waiting," you could be part of the class.
To be part of that class and to read Slashdot would be quite an interesting accomplishment. Who in this forum would be willing to admit that?!
Of course, you could take the word "class" a step further and suggest that (1) such people need to take a class or two on how the Internet works or (2) such people should not take such classes because they are a waste of time and don't teach you how the Internet really works.
You can't shut down a service just because it makes crime possible. Or, wait, I have an idea: the American government is based on John Locke's principles of classical liberalism. That is, the American government is a huge network of services that make every crime we have a law for possible, and then those who commit the crime are punished accordingly.
Offering the services that make the crime possible is not the problem. Eliminating the innovator whose innovative technique/service is abused is not going to solve the problem, but is only going to add new ones. What the government is allowing right now is the stifling of our innovative capacity.
What the government should be doing is going after the proven infringers (those directly violating the law) and doing nothing to help nor hurt the service providers.
Now why do you have to go and fly a red flag over Usenet?! That was my safe-downloading haven!
Besides, because NNTP services are very centralized, the users would not be at fault there, but those offering the NNTP services would be ordered to stop carrying binaries groups. Of course, uploaders might have there own problems.
What right does DirecTV have to access private consumer information on the purchase of such products, and what right does DirecTV have to use such information to conduct their business decisions?
These are not rhetorical questions. I think an understanding of DirecTV's legal rights with this information might be important. Comparing what happens, what is legal, and what is ethical certainly could have an impact on how the tech community views issues such as this.
First, slashdot does not load perfectly on every system out there. Second, slashdot is not an application, it is a presentation delivered via the Internet to a user application, which may or may not render the presentation properly. Refer to the OSI model for more details.
And to tackle another point, I didn't say buy a new machine for 2.5 minutes. I said use another machine for 2.5 minutes. Walking over to use a neighbor's computer or a public library's computer won't kill you or cost you an arm or leg.
A DVD release 22 days before the next sequel comes out is beneficial in two key ways.
First, the Matrix fanatics who love the story and saw Reloaded in theatres several times will watch it on DVD several times during that three-week span before rushing out to cram theatres for the Tuesday-night previews on November 4 (Election Day?).
Second, those who were skeptical or otherwise missed Reloaded (and/or even the first film as well) will have three weeks to rent or buy the DVD/VHS tape in order to catch up on what they missed.
A potential third could be that, because even Reloaded is so fresh, and because the entire trilogy is available for the first time, fanatics might be more likely to watch all three films several times in order to catch every tiny detail.
In any case, the finale to an incredible story spells Box Office success. But I'm not going to see it for the money it can make. I could name a few good reasons to go see the film that might make me seem like I'm an egotistical know-it-all. While those reasons apply, let's just say that wire-fu, guns, explosions, and more philosophical problems than a movie should be able to handle are what's drawing me back.
p.s.- Drop by the newsgroup ALT.MOVIES.THE-MATRIX to discuss the movies and their "universe".
If Microsoft is unwilling to update Explorer 6 because of the trouble it would cause the company, perhaps a good solution would be to copyleft it, and let the free software community take a crack it updating it and adding to its capabilities.
What makes this an even better decision is that Explorer 6 (and updates) is available for free to anyone using Windows 95 or later. (Okay, Windows ME and Windows XP include Explorer 6 on install...). The point is that Microsoft would not lose any money by freeing up (free as in free speech, not free beer) software that is available at no cost anyway.
The biggest problem I currently have with suing individuals for copyright infringement is that the infringers are being charged a lot more than their individual infringements had been worth.
No offense to anyone who thinks one infringer's damage may equate roughly to $150,000, but I don't think so. I think it would be difficult to prove that millions of dollars worth of infringements, spread out over tens of millions of infringers, would equate to even $100 from even the worst infringers.
You can't put everyone's bill on the one guy you catch. That's like throwing in a couple of unsolved murders into a serial killer's list just to say the killer has been caught. That isn't justice.
...then move to a voting-capable machine with Windows for about ten minutes and cast your ballot. The end.
It's simple, really. The OS market is so competitive, and not perfectly so (economically speaking), that it is virtually impossible to develop software that can work on all systems.
Why is it that Slashdot cheers any time a UNIX/Linux system is specifically chosen for something, but it pitches the equivalent of a toddler's tantrum when Windows gets the nod? That, my friend, is called discrimination.
You, like everyone else here, have no idea what I know and don't know, what I've read and haven't read, and what I think and don't think. So don't assume that you do.
Behind every absolute statement is an absolute flaw, based on this fact: There is only one absolute truth; this is absolutely true. There are exceptions to every thing.
And, finally, to correct you: behind every call for references, links, or source material is a person who wants his bases covered before he repeats what, for all he knows, could be blatant lies.
You can count on the socialist/liberal alternet to report anything racist.
You can't count on the socialist/liberal alternet to report anything accurately.
I would like to see the author's source material for this. I want proof of the claim. He offers no source, no citation, no link at all to check those facts. Further, ABC is consistently supportive of minorities and (reasonable) liberal politics; I see no reason why a network that would love to stick it to Bush would turn the other cheek so easily.
Further, who is this racist writing that article? Half of the voters being black doesn't make it a "black county".
Further, electioneers in each Florida county run elections any way they want -- INDEPENDENTLY of each other. Okay, so the lack of a statewide standard for electioneering may be part of the problem, but the point in response to the alternet piece is that it is not an abuse: every county in Florida has the option of rejecting or voiding the erroneus ballot as submitted. In any case, once you submit your ballot, it isn't up to you any more. You submitted it. The end, unless they grant otherwise.
Diebold voting systems are in fairly wide use, and apparently provide zero security to keep election officials from writing in whatever election totals they want.
Election officials have always had that power anyway. They're the officials! They have the authority to count votes. Diebold or not, it would seem to me that election officials could manipulate the results of any election no matter how it was done. I see no point in vilifying a machine simply because its results can be manipulated when the results can be manipulated no matter how they are achieved...
This may be off-topic. But I think it's interesting to know what games the gamers prefer. My list is limited to console titles to keep it fair...
1. Grand Theft Auto 3 + Vice City (PS2/PC) 2. Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES) 3. Perfect Dark (N64) 4. Goldeneye (N64) 5. Gran Turismo 3 (2, 1) (PS2/PS1)
Okay, you may disagree with me. I like Halo, but I don't like it more than these games. These are just my all-time favorites that I still pick up fairly regularly.
I play video games as often as I can, as do most of my friends, and I wouldn't call (all of) them nerds. We're college kids who like to challenge ourselves in ways that don't involve homework and responsibility. Do you have a better idea?
Sidenote: Clarissa says it has nothing to do with any desire to challenge ourselves. They're games and they're fun, damnit.
When I think of people getting confused by tech jargon, I always think back to Doc Brown's pronunciation of "gigawatt" in Back to the Future. I was a senior in high school before someone finally taught me that he had pronounced it incorrectly, and I had been using the "giga-" prefix in physics and computer courses for two or three years by that time.
The jargon problem isn't limited to the tech industry. It's a fundamental characteristic of language among populations. Insofar as the world is not one gigantic community, we speak differently and use some of the same words to mean different things. Insofar as you follow this, jargon may be argued to be essentially no more than slang... with purpose.
Like so many others, I don't want any medicine for my addiction. I don't think there's anything wrong with me! Nothing wrong with craving information...
At least we finally know why Slashdot is so popular...
Whether you like him or not, he did what he did in a country that made it possible. He had an idea, the idea sold, and he profited. That is the American way. His goal wasn't to make billions when he started, so now that he is, why do so many want to crucify him for it? Don't you realize that anyone in Bill's position would be receiving the same treatment, if not from you then from someone else who wouldn't exactly like how things have turned out? Accept reality and work with it, and maybe you'll be as comfortable as Bill one day.
I was actually expecting a reply like this, but the reason is simple: I don't know where it's at. That was the point of my comment... I just know it's a part of the trench.
Considering the potential hazard that going public with your SSN could be, I am shocked that my school isn't taking seriously the recent state law that makes using the SSN as student ID numbers illegal. According to the law, the SSN may only be requested for tax purposes; otherwise an alternative method for ID must be used. I am attempting to lead the charge to get the school to change its policy regarding SSNs, if not for their sake legally, then for the students' sakes.
I know this is a tedious point, but there are four oceans, and not everyone knows where Challenger Deep is. Also, it wouldn't hurt to let everyone know that Challenger Deep is allowed to be confused with the Marianas Trench, since Challenger Deep is the distinct section of the trench that reaches the deepest below the surface, almost seven miles.
An interesting article about how to calculate the ocean's depth was put together by Nathan Becker, a student at the University of Hawaii when the report was written in 2001.
I will stop downloading music when you provide for a convenient presentation of the sound of an album so that I may sample it before I blindly (or deafly?) purchase a product which, for all I know, could otherwise be total crap.
Also, I think it's important to share that, while I have probably downloaded thousands of songs in my day, I delete the ones that I don't like, and I'll buy an album if there are enough decent songs on the album to buy it. Also, most of the MP3s I download lead me to (a) delete them because they suck or (b) buy the album -- thanks for letting me sample the sound! The few that do neither are either an isolated good song on a crappy album, or they are live performances, remixes, or otherwise rare tracks that can not be acquired on any album.
If I had to choose a side, I would choose the RIAA's side. I buy enough CDs and I have enough friends in the music business that I can see clearly why there is a problem with downloading as much music as some people do. At the same time, there is something clearly wrong with the way music is presented to society. It seems that only the artists that the industry chooses will sell records, and anyone they don't like get to suffer. Sorry, that isn't how it's supposed to work.
When you come up with a way to allow all music to be heard for what it is so the consumers get to decide what is good and what is not -- so good music is sold and bad music is not -- then I won't have to download music to figure out what's good or not.
p.s.-- Thank the powers that be that I was able to download a copy of Metallica's St. Anger before I rushed out to buy it. Ironic, isn't it, that their newest album is probably the best example of why we should be allowed to hear the music before purchasing it! I would have hated it if I had spent money buying that crap before knowing what it sounded like...
Let's see: proprietary features plus AOL ownership minus ad blocking and other neat features (even if tweaking that is a cinch) versus essentially the same thing minus the corporate bloat...
On second thought, let me rephrase my question. The question is not "Netscape or Mozilla?", but rather, "Should Netscape discontinue its web browser development?" Anyone?
Following the links from the posted article, I found the text of the law in PDF format. The THOMAS Congress web site does not yet have the bill online.
According to the handful of sources I just checked (Webopedia, Net Lingo, and this among them), an enterprise is simply a business organization. From Webopedia: "In the computer industry, the term is often used to describe any large organization that utilizes computers. An intranet, for example, is a good example of an enterprise computing system."
I find it hard to believe that Microsoft or Linux would not fall under the category of "enterprise" products here. Certainly, Microsoft and Linux develop enterprise products for enterprise computing systems on enterprise computing systems...
I'm sure the sources I checked are not the final authority on such things, but I only bring it up because I have never known any other definition of "enterprise" with regard to computing. Now, if you're just commenting that some enterprise products are far superior to others, I can agree with that.
Slashdot Mirror
Of course, you could take the word "class" a step further and suggest that (1) such people need to take a class or two on how the Internet works or (2) such people should not take such classes because they are a waste of time and don't teach you how the Internet really works.
Offering the services that make the crime possible is not the problem. Eliminating the innovator whose innovative technique/service is abused is not going to solve the problem, but is only going to add new ones. What the government is allowing right now is the stifling of our innovative capacity.
What the government should be doing is going after the proven infringers (those directly violating the law) and doing nothing to help nor hurt the service providers.
Besides, because NNTP services are very centralized, the users would not be at fault there, but those offering the NNTP services would be ordered to stop carrying binaries groups. Of course, uploaders might have there own problems.
These are not rhetorical questions. I think an understanding of DirecTV's legal rights with this information might be important. Comparing what happens, what is legal, and what is ethical certainly could have an impact on how the tech community views issues such as this.
And to tackle another point, I didn't say buy a new machine for 2.5 minutes. I said use another machine for 2.5 minutes. Walking over to use a neighbor's computer or a public library's computer won't kill you or cost you an arm or leg.
First, the Matrix fanatics who love the story and saw Reloaded in theatres several times will watch it on DVD several times during that three-week span before rushing out to cram theatres for the Tuesday-night previews on November 4 (Election Day?).
Second, those who were skeptical or otherwise missed Reloaded (and/or even the first film as well) will have three weeks to rent or buy the DVD/VHS tape in order to catch up on what they missed.
A potential third could be that, because even Reloaded is so fresh, and because the entire trilogy is available for the first time, fanatics might be more likely to watch all three films several times in order to catch every tiny detail.
In any case, the finale to an incredible story spells Box Office success. But I'm not going to see it for the money it can make. I could name a few good reasons to go see the film that might make me seem like I'm an egotistical know-it-all. While those reasons apply, let's just say that wire-fu, guns, explosions, and more philosophical problems than a movie should be able to handle are what's drawing me back.
p.s.- Drop by the newsgroup ALT.MOVIES.THE-MATRIX to discuss the movies and their "universe".
What makes this an even better decision is that Explorer 6 (and updates) is available for free to anyone using Windows 95 or later. (Okay, Windows ME and Windows XP include Explorer 6 on install...). The point is that Microsoft would not lose any money by freeing up (free as in free speech, not free beer) software that is available at no cost anyway.
Good idea? Bad idea?
Bill?
The biggest problem I currently have with suing individuals for copyright infringement is that the infringers are being charged a lot more than their individual infringements had been worth.
No offense to anyone who thinks one infringer's damage may equate roughly to $150,000, but I don't think so. I think it would be difficult to prove that millions of dollars worth of infringements, spread out over tens of millions of infringers, would equate to even $100 from even the worst infringers.
You can't put everyone's bill on the one guy you catch. That's like throwing in a couple of unsolved murders into a serial killer's list just to say the killer has been caught. That isn't justice.
It's simple, really. The OS market is so competitive, and not perfectly so (economically speaking), that it is virtually impossible to develop software that can work on all systems.
Why is it that Slashdot cheers any time a UNIX/Linux system is specifically chosen for something, but it pitches the equivalent of a toddler's tantrum when Windows gets the nod? That, my friend, is called discrimination.
So, in addition to melting to its own heatsink, my old AMD processor can boil water?
Behind every absolute statement is an absolute flaw, based on this fact: There is only one absolute truth; this is absolutely true. There are exceptions to every thing.
And, finally, to correct you: behind every call for references, links, or source material is a person who wants his bases covered before he repeats what, for all he knows, could be blatant lies.
You can't count on the socialist/liberal alternet to report anything accurately.
I would like to see the author's source material for this. I want proof of the claim. He offers no source, no citation, no link at all to check those facts. Further, ABC is consistently supportive of minorities and (reasonable) liberal politics; I see no reason why a network that would love to stick it to Bush would turn the other cheek so easily.
Further, who is this racist writing that article? Half of the voters being black doesn't make it a "black county".
Further, electioneers in each Florida county run elections any way they want -- INDEPENDENTLY of each other. Okay, so the lack of a statewide standard for electioneering may be part of the problem, but the point in response to the alternet piece is that it is not an abuse: every county in Florida has the option of rejecting or voiding the erroneus ballot as submitted. In any case, once you submit your ballot, it isn't up to you any more. You submitted it. The end, unless they grant otherwise.
This may be off-topic. But I think it's interesting to know what games the gamers prefer. My list is limited to console titles to keep it fair...
1. Grand Theft Auto 3 + Vice City (PS2/PC)
2. Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES)
3. Perfect Dark (N64)
4. Goldeneye (N64)
5. Gran Turismo 3 (2, 1) (PS2/PS1)
Okay, you may disagree with me. I like Halo, but I don't like it more than these games. These are just my all-time favorites that I still pick up fairly regularly.
Sidenote: Clarissa says it has nothing to do with any desire to challenge ourselves. They're games and they're fun, damnit.
The jargon problem isn't limited to the tech industry. It's a fundamental characteristic of language among populations. Insofar as the world is not one gigantic community, we speak differently and use some of the same words to mean different things. Insofar as you follow this, jargon may be argued to be essentially no more than slang... with purpose.
At least we finally know why Slashdot is so popular...
Whether you like him or not, he did what he did in a country that made it possible. He had an idea, the idea sold, and he profited. That is the American way. His goal wasn't to make billions when he started, so now that he is, why do so many want to crucify him for it? Don't you realize that anyone in Bill's position would be receiving the same treatment, if not from you then from someone else who wouldn't exactly like how things have turned out? Accept reality and work with it, and maybe you'll be as comfortable as Bill one day.
I was actually expecting a reply like this, but the reason is simple: I don't know where it's at. That was the point of my comment... I just know it's a part of the trench.
Considering the potential hazard that going public with your SSN could be, I am shocked that my school isn't taking seriously the recent state law that makes using the SSN as student ID numbers illegal. According to the law, the SSN may only be requested for tax purposes; otherwise an alternative method for ID must be used. I am attempting to lead the charge to get the school to change its policy regarding SSNs, if not for their sake legally, then for the students' sakes.
An interesting article about how to calculate the ocean's depth was put together by Nathan Becker, a student at the University of Hawaii when the report was written in 2001.
Also, I think it's important to share that, while I have probably downloaded thousands of songs in my day, I delete the ones that I don't like, and I'll buy an album if there are enough decent songs on the album to buy it. Also, most of the MP3s I download lead me to (a) delete them because they suck or (b) buy the album -- thanks for letting me sample the sound! The few that do neither are either an isolated good song on a crappy album, or they are live performances, remixes, or otherwise rare tracks that can not be acquired on any album.
If I had to choose a side, I would choose the RIAA's side. I buy enough CDs and I have enough friends in the music business that I can see clearly why there is a problem with downloading as much music as some people do. At the same time, there is something clearly wrong with the way music is presented to society. It seems that only the artists that the industry chooses will sell records, and anyone they don't like get to suffer. Sorry, that isn't how it's supposed to work.
When you come up with a way to allow all music to be heard for what it is so the consumers get to decide what is good and what is not -- so good music is sold and bad music is not -- then I won't have to download music to figure out what's good or not.
p.s.-- Thank the powers that be that I was able to download a copy of Metallica's St. Anger before I rushed out to buy it. Ironic, isn't it, that their newest album is probably the best example of why we should be allowed to hear the music before purchasing it! I would have hated it if I had spent money buying that crap before knowing what it sounded like...
On second thought, let me rephrase my question. The question is not "Netscape or Mozilla?", but rather, "Should Netscape discontinue its web browser development?" Anyone?
Following the links from the posted article, I found the text of the law in PDF format. The THOMAS Congress web site does not yet have the bill online.
I find it hard to believe that Microsoft or Linux would not fall under the category of "enterprise" products here. Certainly, Microsoft and Linux develop enterprise products for enterprise computing systems on enterprise computing systems...
I'm sure the sources I checked are not the final authority on such things, but I only bring it up because I have never known any other definition of "enterprise" with regard to computing. Now, if you're just commenting that some enterprise products are far superior to others, I can agree with that.