... it's obviously in someone's best financial interests to make sure it's not a problem, and they have the means to ensure it - if only it were the same with email...
Hasn't some fairly high-profile company (MS ?) recently dumped online forums as too risky to have on their books ? In an ever-more-litigious society you have to wonder how it'll pan out if it turns out 'drugrunners-R-us' have been using you as a common carrier. Are you really a common carrier ? Really ? Sure ?
The problem with "recommend a friend" is that it's too close to "recommend a fiend" for comfort. You really have no web of trust - it's all what X says about A says about C... K.
I'm just about the most anti-regulation-on-the-net person you'll meet (ask my MP:-) but cigarettes in the UK carry large signs saying things like "You will die early if you smoke these cigarettes". It might be useful to require at least a passing familiarity with the dangers to anyone (not just the kids:-) using these sites.
By the way, I realise that 99% of the forums our there are perfectly benign. I'm happy with that. It's the others I'm a little concerned over. That passing familiarity might in fact help those who stop their children from using a computer because "it's dangerous". It's not. But you don't walk down a street late at night dressed in not very much if you're a woman. The internet can be a very dark street, and not just for women.
Given how poor the **AA have been at identifying files, yet now they want to make it a jailable offence for simply having the files in a public FTP site (what if it's password-protected, so only you can get it ?) I wonder if we should start doing
dd if =/dev/random of=/path/to/ftp/TrueLies.mpg bs=4500M
At least their bandwidth costs will go up:-)
No, I don't condone theft, but I think the draconian laws are worse than the offence they try to prevent....
Anyone who is going to be interested enough to purchase this book is already outside the class of people who are likely to benefit from purchasing the book...
The vast majority of worms spread via unmaintained systems. There is the occasional (one comes to mind) worm that exploited a novel problem, but most worms exploit already-patched issues. The problem is "admins" not maintaining the security level of their systems.
Unless basic security levels are increased (home users on ADSL/Cable modems without firewalls spring to mind) then worms (nefarious or otherwise) are going to be a problem, and the good Doctor's book may well aid in tracking down the perpetrator, but sadly, there seem to be an inexhaustible supply of them:-(
it said there was no sheets of ice at the poles. There could still be grains. The previous survey showed a lot of hydrogen up there, and the best guess for how you get lots of hydrogen to stick around is as ice.
I'm not sure I believe that using electronic trickery (presumably phase differences and relative volume) can create a realistic surround-sound volume-of-space for people to sit in.
Even 5,6,7-speaker systems struggle to produce a large coherent area where the sound "sounds natural"...
... I mean how many distributions are perfect, the first time around. RHN is available up until April, which gives them a bit of time to sot things out, if they're expecting a big migration from RH to fedora...
Why don't I just give you my phone number and address while I'm at it?"
[snort]
There's no demographic information, it's purely a (rough) location. For example, if "located" to London, I'd be one of 8 million possible people... if this is Big Brother, he needs glasses.....
The truth has very little to do with it. The idea is to not fall into the traps being laid for you 3 questions in advance...
Tell the truth yes, but think about the consequences of what you say and don't say too much. A lawyer has several target points he wants from any witness - the goal is to manouvre the witness into saying what the lawyer wants, even if the witness starts out with a different opinion.
The lawyer will use hypotheses and opinion to confuse the witness, try to associate significance with events that fit the lawyers viewpoint, and normally has an examination-plan before (s)he starts. (S)he will have guessed what the witness will say, and will have plotted the examination to the desired completion result, normally with a few options.
Lawyers are smart people, they can think on their feet, but the advantage is with the prepared. Witnesses are rarely as prepared as the lawyers...
It's not just as simple as "tell the truth and you'll be ok". Being a good lawyer is a real skill, and to put any-old-witness up against them is like asking your average joe to compete against an athlete in a race. Except you can't be sent to jail or worse for losing a race. At least this will have no personal consequences for RMS, but the principle remains true.
The only "contest" where Ireland eventually fielded a really really crap song to make *sure* they wouldn't win it again (the winners have to host it next year). It costs a fortune to host. It's completely and utterly, without redemption, crap.
... but this is the guy who invented the GPL! I think he understands better than most people exactly why free software is on solid legal ground, so I think he'd be a fine person on the witness stand. No judge will have a hard time believing that the last thing in the world he would ever want to do would be to steal somebody else's source code and release it for free. He'd sooner rewrite it from scratch, as he's done hundreds of times before.
Yep, agreed. His integrity is up there with the angels.
I have a horrible vision of the lawyer ripping him apart over the rights of closed-source programmers though. RMS thinks all programs should be free, not by choice but as a part of the natural order of things. Any competent lawyer should be able to do a character assassination on him, and by association the entire open source movement, with that material. I could, and I'm not a lawyer.
The other poster's comments about him being precise are valid too - he is. And he's a clever guy, but his principles and beliefs, while noble, verge on religious, which will just be ammunition in the hands of a lawyer:-(
There is no contest between Linux and MS for games. Absolutely. Agreed.
On the other hand, if you want a server or (at least in my case) desktop workstation, then Linux is hands-down better, imho.
The bugs get fixed a lot faster, the standards are adhered to, there's no company policy to 'embrace and screw them over^W^W^Wextend', no forced upgrade policy, no application churn, the list goes on and on - and these are mainly policy decisions at MS, not technical hurdles they can code around...
But basically it's far far more stable. Stability is the key. I have servers whose uptimes are measured in years. It's sort of a shame to reboot them when I want to upgrade the kernel for whatever reason... There's nothing to compare.
All IM(NS)HO of course, but then it's my cash, and my opinion counts, at least when it's my cash:-)
As for virii, well not to tempt fate, but where are these virii ? Worms, well yes, I guess there could be some of those, but virii ? Doubt it.
Reading the quotes actually made me laugh - Well done, MS, you're an object of humour, and it's all self-induced:-))
Slashdot Mirror
... it's obviously in someone's best financial interests to make sure it's not a problem, and they have the means to ensure it - if only it were the same with email...
Simon
Two nations, separated by a common language ...
Simon.
Excellent - it seems I'm reading more and more critical-of-SCO stuff these days. Just desserts, and all that
Simon
Hasn't some fairly high-profile company (MS ?) recently dumped online forums as too risky to have on their books ? In an ever-more-litigious society you have to wonder how it'll pan out if it turns out 'drugrunners-R-us' have been using you as a common carrier. Are you really a common carrier ? Really ? Sure ?
... K.
:-) but cigarettes in the UK carry large signs saying things like "You will die early if you smoke these cigarettes". It might be useful to require at least a passing familiarity with the dangers to anyone (not just the kids :-) using these sites.
The problem with "recommend a friend" is that it's too close to "recommend a fiend" for comfort. You really have no web of trust - it's all what X says about A says about C
I'm just about the most anti-regulation-on-the-net person you'll meet (ask my MP
By the way, I realise that 99% of the forums our there are perfectly benign. I'm happy with that. It's the others I'm a little concerned over. That passing familiarity might in fact help those who stop their children from using a computer because "it's dangerous". It's not. But you don't walk down a street late at night dressed in not very much if you're a woman. The internet can be a very dark street, and not just for women.
Simon.
[Huge grin]
:-))
That's just nasty
Simon.
At least their bandwidth costs will go up
No, I don't condone theft, but I think the draconian laws are worse than the offence they try to prevent....
Simon
Never.
I'm always logged in as me. Never as root. If I *need* root access, it's about 4 seconds away via 'su'. Why run the risk ?
Perhaps a difference between linux/win32 ?
Simon.
Anyone who is going to be interested enough to purchase this book is already outside the class of people who are likely to benefit from purchasing the book...
:-(
The vast majority of worms spread via unmaintained systems. There is the occasional (one comes to mind) worm that exploited a novel problem, but most worms exploit already-patched issues. The problem is "admins" not maintaining the security level of their systems.
Unless basic security levels are increased (home users on ADSL/Cable modems without firewalls spring to mind) then worms (nefarious or otherwise) are going to be a problem, and the good Doctor's book may well aid in tracking down the perpetrator, but sadly, there seem to be an inexhaustible supply of them
Depressed.
Simon.
it said there was no sheets of ice at the poles. There could still be grains. The previous survey showed a lot of hydrogen up there, and the best guess for how you get lots of hydrogen to stick around is as ice.
Not sure why you couldn't have methane mind...
Simon.
T-mobile are the only company in the history of humanity to have a more-annoying jingle to their adverts than intel.
God I hate that jingle.
Simon
I'm not sure I believe that using electronic trickery (presumably phase differences and relative volume) can create a realistic surround-sound volume-of-space for people to sit in.
Even 5,6,7-speaker systems struggle to produce a large coherent area where the sound "sounds natural"...
Simon.
How scarey would *that* have been to be seen wandering down the highway on Halloween....
Simon.
... I mean how many distributions are perfect, the first time around. RHN is available up until April, which gives them a bit of time to sot things out, if they're expecting a big migration from RH to fedora...
Simon.
Well, it won't be for time reasons. They've proven that already!
It won't be for budget reasons - they've already made it!
I can't believe it's for artistic/plot reasons, it is in the book...
So, it's because then we'll all buy the SE DVD, and they'll make more money.
Oh. That's a surprise.
Sheesh.
Simon.
"Why on Earth would anyone want to do that?
Why don't I just give you my phone number and address while I'm at it?"
[snort]
There's no demographic information, it's purely a (rough) location. For example, if "located" to London, I'd be one of 8 million possible people... if this is Big Brother, he needs glasses.....
Simon.
"Sorry sir, your phone's full-up now. The memory's all been used. You'll have to get a new one".
Simon
Never heard of a "Richard Scrushy". I meant Richard Stallman.
The truth has very little to do with it. The idea is to not fall into the traps being laid for you 3 questions in advance...
Tell the truth yes, but think about the consequences of what you say and don't say too much. A lawyer has several target points he wants from any witness - the goal is to manouvre the witness into saying what the lawyer wants, even if the witness starts out with a different opinion.
The lawyer will use hypotheses and opinion to confuse the witness, try to associate significance with events that fit the lawyers viewpoint, and normally has an examination-plan before (s)he starts. (S)he will have guessed what the witness will say, and will have plotted the examination to the desired completion result, normally with a few options.
Lawyers are smart people, they can think on their feet, but the advantage is with the prepared. Witnesses are rarely as prepared as the lawyers...
It's not just as simple as "tell the truth and you'll be ok". Being a good lawyer is a real skill, and to put any-old-witness up against them is like asking your average joe to compete against an athlete in a race. Except you can't be sent to jail or worse for losing a race. At least this will have no personal consequences for RMS, but the principle remains true.
Simon.
[Huge grin]
The only "contest" where Ireland eventually fielded a really really crap song to make *sure* they wouldn't win it again (the winners have to host it next year). It costs a fortune to host. It's completely and utterly, without redemption, crap.
Simon.
Yep, agreed. His integrity is up there with the angels.
I have a horrible vision of the lawyer ripping him apart over the rights of closed-source programmers though. RMS thinks all programs should be free, not by choice but as a part of the natural order of things. Any competent lawyer should be able to do a character assassination on him, and by association the entire open source movement, with that material. I could, and I'm not a lawyer.
The other poster's comments about him being precise are valid too - he is. And he's a clever guy, but his principles and beliefs, while noble, verge on religious, which will just be ammunition in the hands of a lawyer
Simon
Don't take this the wrong way, Gnuites, but I wish they hadn't gone for putting RS up on the stand...
RS is an idealist, and I honour him for his ideals, but idealism has no place in a courtroom, pragmatism is the rule of law.
Simon.
If those are your criteria, then Yay! Go MS!
:-)
:-))
There is no contest between Linux and MS for games. Absolutely. Agreed.
On the other hand, if you want a server or (at least in my case) desktop workstation, then Linux is hands-down better, imho.
The bugs get fixed a lot faster, the standards are adhered to, there's no company policy to 'embrace and screw them over^W^W^Wextend', no forced upgrade policy, no application churn, the list goes on and on - and these are mainly policy decisions at MS, not technical hurdles they can code around...
But basically it's far far more stable. Stability is the key. I have servers whose uptimes are measured in years. It's sort of a shame to reboot them when I want to upgrade the kernel for whatever reason... There's nothing to compare.
All IM(NS)HO of course, but then it's my cash, and my opinion counts, at least when it's my cash
As for virii, well not to tempt fate, but where are these virii ? Worms, well yes, I guess there could be some of those, but virii ? Doubt it.
Reading the quotes actually made me laugh - Well done, MS, you're an object of humour, and it's all self-induced
Simon.
... and you can get any answer you need. Pollsters have known this for a long long time, so have MS...
Simon
(I use OS because it's better, too)
I mean, I've probably forgotten more ways of doing disk backups on Linux than Windows has available :-)
Simon.
From the article:
"Bug research is a crime and bug researchers are criminals, didn't you know that?"
I know he's being sarcastic, but how long until he's correct ?
One more reason to despise the DMCA, I'm not even sure how it could apply - certainly the lawyer's reasons don't make any technical sense.
Simon