They asked the question "How can we make the most profit in the shortest possible time?"
You're either trolling me or you went to the Homer Simpson School of Business. "The most profit in the shortest possible time" is unrealistic and short-sighted. Stewardship is taken out of the equation and so long-term stability. The company's duties to investors and employees is continued long-term success, not short-term gain at the expense of all future gains, as GM's actions clearly were (and AIG's)
"Hey, Americans will always want gigantic gas-guzzlers as long as we can market the product based on their emotional needs!"
GM's investment in certain types of cars was the same as investing in real estate: They thought what they were pushing would never ever go out of style. Instead, just like the banks, they got left holding an inventory of overvalued assets. But you're right, they were obviously a successful business.
So to recap: The friend to whom I lend the book isn't "the public," so the points aren't all met. Good to know!
I can see how "transfer of ownership" and "public networks" will take some wrangling. The "public dispersement" is definitely a fine line. GNUtella might be considered a private network, but the means of distribution through that network is like having songs on a store shelf where customers simply pick what they want when they find it.
I guess the "transfer of ownership" could be the real test, since, as you point out Pranadevil2k, they generally maintain that we don't own anything!
There is no category called "likely to cause economic harm to a corporation with lobbyists".
They have their ways... Like this GM business. Instead of letting the poorly run business die naturally, the rhetoric was "it will cause massive job losses." (Never mind that they could have taken the money and bailed out all those employees, instead.)
By the way, the "to the public" element is just one of the many missing elements. The RIAA has also failed to prove... (b) a sale, other transfer of ownership, rental, lease, or lending.
NYCL, you bring up what's always bugged me about this whole mess -- if you aren't distributing a copy for money, how is it any different from lending your friend a book? If you say the RIAA must prove lending, does this mean it's technically illegal for me to share my copy of Harry Potter?
Or does it only count if I allow my friend to scan copies of every page?
Although I've followed this stuff closely for the last decade or so, I'm still not clear on the fine points of the legal arguments. All I know is what I learn here on/. -- On the plus side, I can spout off plenty of bad analogies!
House Resolution 676 has more than 200 sponsors and calls for free, universal health care for Americans. It gets no press and will languish while these "reform" measures will pass with lots of media hubbub. Meanwhile, I (and 46,999,999 other Americans) won't be any closer to being treated like human beings instead of walking bags of money when we enter a medical facility.
To the libertarian f*cktard who will inevitably say "keep the government out of my medical decisions": Are you happy with bean-counters in a New York office deciding whether you qualify for coverage?
I lie awake at night, wide-eyed with fear over a slight stomachache, not from hypochondria but from the potential of financial ruin before I'm 30.
If we could copy handbags and their contents, their value -- and money, credit and ladies' personal items -- would quickly grind to nothing. This is what technology has done to the value of a recording. In economics, a recession can be caused by a buildup of supply with dwindling demand. With recorded music, we have an unlimited amount of supply, rendering its monetary value near nil.
I've been saying this for years: For artists it's all about performing. Recorded songs are just advertisements for your next show and a way of keeping your audience tuned in.
For those who made money off of recordings, well, you now own a massive amount of (nearly) worthless assets
If Virgin provides Internet and mobile access, as well as content and distribution channels, isn't this the same as owning a steel mill, the railroad tracks and the trains that drive on them (delivering the steel)?
IANAL, and maybe I've got this model wrong, but I'm open to corrections...
Though I don't believe they are for nothing, it's possible that they are. IANABiologist, but I recall The Selfish Gene: Successful genes are those that work well with others (if a pigeon was born with extra legs but no wings, his coloration would give him away to predators on the ground, for example.) If an evolutionary-stable trait (one which is connected to the (for our purposes here, useless) expression of fingerprints, then over a long period of time fingerprints would have become universally common simply because it plays well with others (doesn't get in the way, possibly helps continue replication in the future)./sure to be corrected
80% for the top tier of earners... Today, that same bunch of people doesn't even pay 35% because it's all in tax shelters and write-offs. And corporations get subsidies and tax breaks left and right.
"We inevitably get drawn into everyone's little spats." Yes, American military involvement is always so reluctant and altruistic. Just ask the displaced natives of Diego Garcia (they were even British citizens), forcibly moved to build a military base. Or you could ask those Afghans about all their dead countrymen who WEREN'T flying a plane on 9/11, but they'd probably tell you about the oil pipeline agreement that came within weeks of the US invasion. Or, closer to home, I'm sure American Indians have lots of stories of US altruism -- the government even gave them land where nothing can be cultivated. And, of course, colonialism "ended" in 1900, but American generosity and good will (and covert ops, of course) helped to ensure that those simple folks wouldn't have to suffer with the people they actually elected.
America is not world policeman, it's the world mafioso. Why else does it have 700+ military bases around the world but scoff at the suggestion that another country be allowed to install one here?
I've never downloaded a film or TV show in my life (takes too long, and I'd have to watch it by myself on a tiny screen) but I do check them out from the library. If I couldn't get them at the library, there are many shows and films I'd never have watched at all.
On a somewhat related note, I'm kind of curious as to why the *AA doesn't see lending out a DVD or CD isn't the same as obtaining a copy from someone online. Whether it's a library or a friend dropping it off at someone's house, it's basically the same process, right?
Maybe because it's not THAT important. It's US News' ranking, not a government policy. The best way to change it is to get this story publicized so people stop believing US News
You mentioned it, so I'll chime in: One of the most disappointing things I ever heard was from a friend who interned for a Texas congresswoman. Every letter and phone call and email gets put in a pile of "for" and "against", separated out by each issue. Nobody (important, at least) reads anything deeper than to learn the writer's/caller's position. It's easy to see why Congress is so spineless and indecisive, easily swayed by oversimplified rhetoric: because their constituents are too.
Side note: That's why I was so shocked a few weeks ago to hear Sen. Jim Webb on the radio talking about the complex issues surrounding prison reform, his experiences in other countries and the realistic case for legalizing certain drugs.
It will be fascinating to observe just how far outside of the established, conventional rules Obama is permitted to go.
Well, considering his health care plan isn't even universal/single-payer, but instead includes and relies on insurance companies, I'm gonna say he's not planning on going outside any rules.
Canadians are more creative than that about making money. The entrepreneurs in Sunnyvale Trailer Park sell lawn and patio furniture, barbecue grills, and refurbished shopping carts. Surely that would help take pressure off the syrup producers?
Maybe I'm stupid and just used to MS Office, but even as an OO.o user for six years I still don't get their formatting system with "Header 1, Header 2, etc." I've looked into tutorials and help and when I learn to use something I quickly forget it the next time I need it. I love Abiword but it's not really capable of doing everything I need and nobody else can read that damn.abw format.
Slashdot Mirror
Wish I had mod points for this one. +1!
They asked the question "How can we make the most profit in the shortest possible time?"
You're either trolling me or you went to the Homer Simpson School of Business. "The most profit in the shortest possible time" is unrealistic and short-sighted. Stewardship is taken out of the equation and so long-term stability. The company's duties to investors and employees is continued long-term success, not short-term gain at the expense of all future gains, as GM's actions clearly were (and AIG's)
"Hey, Americans will always want gigantic gas-guzzlers as long as we can market the product based on their emotional needs!"
GM's investment in certain types of cars was the same as investing in real estate: They thought what they were pushing would never ever go out of style. Instead, just like the banks, they got left holding an inventory of overvalued assets. But you're right, they were obviously a successful business.
So to recap: The friend to whom I lend the book isn't "the public," so the points aren't all met. Good to know!
I can see how "transfer of ownership" and "public networks" will take some wrangling. The "public dispersement" is definitely a fine line. GNUtella might be considered a private network, but the means of distribution through that network is like having songs on a store shelf where customers simply pick what they want when they find it.
I guess the "transfer of ownership" could be the real test, since, as you point out Pranadevil2k, they generally maintain that we don't own anything!
The guys over at Operation Sports will have roster updates for NFL 2k5 on the old XBox and PS2 consoles ready to go by September. http://www.operationsports.com/forums/espn-nfl-2k5-football/ Another year without having to buy Madden!
There is no category called "likely to cause economic harm to a corporation with lobbyists".
They have their ways ... Like this GM business. Instead of letting the poorly run business die naturally, the rhetoric was "it will cause massive job losses." (Never mind that they could have taken the money and bailed out all those employees, instead.)
By the way, the "to the public" element is just one of the many missing elements. The RIAA has also failed to prove ... (b) a sale, other transfer of ownership, rental, lease, or lending.
NYCL, you bring up what's always bugged me about this whole mess -- if you aren't distributing a copy for money, how is it any different from lending your friend a book? If you say the RIAA must prove lending, does this mean it's technically illegal for me to share my copy of Harry Potter?
Or does it only count if I allow my friend to scan copies of every page?
Although I've followed this stuff closely for the last decade or so, I'm still not clear on the fine points of the legal arguments. All I know is what I learn here on /. -- On the plus side, I can spout off plenty of bad analogies!
+1!
lego's name isn't in the domain name. It was Elbonian: Freel Egoporn
House Resolution 676 has more than 200 sponsors and calls for free, universal health care for Americans. It gets no press and will languish while these "reform" measures will pass with lots of media hubbub. Meanwhile, I (and 46,999,999 other Americans) won't be any closer to being treated like human beings instead of walking bags of money when we enter a medical facility.
To the libertarian f*cktard who will inevitably say "keep the government out of my medical decisions": Are you happy with bean-counters in a New York office deciding whether you qualify for coverage?
I lie awake at night, wide-eyed with fear over a slight stomachache, not from hypochondria but from the potential of financial ruin before I'm 30.
If we could copy handbags and their contents, their value -- and money, credit and ladies' personal items -- would quickly grind to nothing. This is what technology has done to the value of a recording. In economics, a recession can be caused by a buildup of supply with dwindling demand. With recorded music, we have an unlimited amount of supply, rendering its monetary value near nil.
I've been saying this for years: For artists it's all about performing. Recorded songs are just advertisements for your next show and a way of keeping your audience tuned in.
For those who made money off of recordings, well, you now own a massive amount of (nearly) worthless assets
If Virgin provides Internet and mobile access, as well as content and distribution channels, isn't this the same as owning a steel mill, the railroad tracks and the trains that drive on them (delivering the steel)? IANAL, and maybe I've got this model wrong, but I'm open to corrections ...
Though I don't believe they are for nothing, it's possible that they are. IANABiologist, but I recall The Selfish Gene: Successful genes are those that work well with others (if a pigeon was born with extra legs but no wings, his coloration would give him away to predators on the ground, for example.) If an evolutionary-stable trait (one which is connected to the (for our purposes here, useless) expression of fingerprints, then over a long period of time fingerprints would have become universally common simply because it plays well with others (doesn't get in the way, possibly helps continue replication in the future). /sure to be corrected
80% for the top tier of earners ... Today, that same bunch of people doesn't even pay 35% because it's all in tax shelters and write-offs. And corporations get subsidies and tax breaks left and right.
"We inevitably get drawn into everyone's little spats." Yes, American military involvement is always so reluctant and altruistic. Just ask the displaced natives of Diego Garcia (they were even British citizens), forcibly moved to build a military base. Or you could ask those Afghans about all their dead countrymen who WEREN'T flying a plane on 9/11, but they'd probably tell you about the oil pipeline agreement that came within weeks of the US invasion. Or, closer to home, I'm sure American Indians have lots of stories of US altruism -- the government even gave them land where nothing can be cultivated. And, of course, colonialism "ended" in 1900, but American generosity and good will (and covert ops, of course) helped to ensure that those simple folks wouldn't have to suffer with the people they actually elected.
America is not world policeman, it's the world mafioso. Why else does it have 700+ military bases around the world but scoff at the suggestion that another country be allowed to install one here?
It's a deserved change from the candy they're always eating. They just love its sweet taste
/Obligatory bad Simpsons reference
I've never downloaded a film or TV show in my life (takes too long, and I'd have to watch it by myself on a tiny screen) but I do check them out from the library. If I couldn't get them at the library, there are many shows and films I'd never have watched at all.
On a somewhat related note, I'm kind of curious as to why the *AA doesn't see lending out a DVD or CD isn't the same as obtaining a copy from someone online. Whether it's a library or a friend dropping it off at someone's house, it's basically the same process, right?
Maybe because it's not THAT important. It's US News' ranking, not a government policy. The best way to change it is to get this story publicized so people stop believing US News
You mentioned it, so I'll chime in: One of the most disappointing things I ever heard was from a friend who interned for a Texas congresswoman. Every letter and phone call and email gets put in a pile of "for" and "against", separated out by each issue. Nobody (important, at least) reads anything deeper than to learn the writer's/caller's position. It's easy to see why Congress is so spineless and indecisive, easily swayed by oversimplified rhetoric: because their constituents are too.
Side note: That's why I was so shocked a few weeks ago to hear Sen. Jim Webb on the radio talking about the complex issues surrounding prison reform, his experiences in other countries and the realistic case for legalizing certain drugs.
It will be fascinating to observe just how far outside of the established, conventional rules Obama is permitted to go.
Well, considering his health care plan isn't even universal/single-payer, but instead includes and relies on insurance companies, I'm gonna say he's not planning on going outside any rules.
I'll call Ubuntu the standard-setting distro when every app that's not in the repositories includes a .deb package for easy installation
No, he's busy trampling the other drivers' 4th Amendment rights
Canadians are more creative than that about making money. The entrepreneurs in Sunnyvale Trailer Park sell lawn and patio furniture, barbecue grills, and refurbished shopping carts. Surely that would help take pressure off the syrup producers?
The best part is that neither was particularly insightful ...
Adblock FTW?
Maybe I'm stupid and just used to MS Office, but even as an OO.o user for six years I still don't get their formatting system with "Header 1, Header 2, etc." I've looked into tutorials and help and when I learn to use something I quickly forget it the next time I need it. I love Abiword but it's not really capable of doing everything I need and nobody else can read that damn .abw format.