Actually your best source for any more information on why this open cable access is such a big deal check out http://www.opennetcoalition.com. AOL, MindSpring (now Earthlink) and several other ISPs started this a long time ago and have really made a lot of progress. AOL opening those lines is a great step for the internet community as a whole.
Hrunting wrote: 'The articles keep referring to "consumer choice" when it comes to selecting an ISP. I thought consumers already had a choice. Are they referring to Time Warner cable customers or are they referring to AOL access? They never really make any of this clear. '
They are referring to cable access, presently (and of course this will all change soon) if you want cable access you usually have to go with your local cable provider. Now some ISPs big and small have paired up with cable companies to offer special deals but for the most part you couldn't get cable access everywhere (like dial-up) in the US with any of the national ISPs. Now with the AOL/TW system opened up ISPs can lease cable lines as easy as T1's, therefore cable access should come to be as common and almost as inexpensive (hopefully) as dial-up.
That wouldn't really do any good, what insanely stupid thing did they do? Amazon is the bad guy here so don't you think it would be better to write an e-mail (and encourage others) to linux.com's staff and encourage them to join the boycott and change vendors? In fact if you do feel that strongly about it, write all your favorite sites who are Amazon affiliates and ask them to join the boycott by switching their affiliate programs too. =) The somewhat wise and ever humble,
If you are really pulling for the boycott to be succesful, the best thing you can do is take a few minutes and change some code, man. They probably couldn't be bothered if tens of thousands of people boycotted their site, there's ooodles more than that who get online everday (I got no statistics handy, rats). However, the thing that will make them take notice is when affiliate after affiliate start switching over to B&N or other vendors for affiliation deals.
So if you do secretly want it to succeed, then maybe it's time to do something to make it happen. In fact (and I'm not trying to start a riot here) but I would encourage/. to do the same if they are upset about this whole thing too. I understand however, views, etc. may be different and you do have to make your livelyhood, but then again B&N does have a decent affiliate program...
Amazon or the US Patent office? The way I see it Amazon just pulled a fast one and the idiots at the USPTO were asleep at the wheel. But to let something like this "slip through the cracks" is just inexcusable.
If I were an Amazon employee (from service rep to CEO) I would be utterly embarrased to be reading this article about my company!
I strongly encourage all to visit http://www.noamazon.com (I just did because of someone's previous post on this topic) and write your congressman/senator/granny and raise hell. Let's just hope the "slashdot effect" has some impact on this one.....(and not take down noamazon.com's servers =) )
One last bit to chew on... If website owners who are enrolled in affiliate programs with vendors other than Amazon end up going out of business because of this how big could the class action suit against Amazon get?
Saw some great technology related posts but let's not forget what this could do for the medical world. Some say the magnetic therapy doesn't hold much water but I think it makes sense (after all we do have minerals like iron floating around our insides).
These moldable magnets maybe could be used in sugical applications to help increase steady blood flow. For example, to coat that pin you just got in your [leg/hip/elbow], increase circulation and speed up the healing process. I'm sure heart patients could benefit greatly from this as well.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually your best source for any more information on why this open cable access is such a big deal check out http://www.opennetcoalition.com. AOL, MindSpring (now Earthlink) and several other ISPs started this a long time ago and have really made a lot of progress. AOL opening those lines is a great step for the internet community as a whole.
Hrunting wrote:
'The articles keep referring to "consumer choice" when it comes to selecting an ISP. I thought consumers already had a choice. Are they referring to Time Warner cable customers or are they referring to AOL access? They never really make any of this clear. '
They are referring to cable access, presently (and of course this will all change soon) if you want cable access you usually have to go with your local cable provider. Now some ISPs big and small have paired up with cable companies to offer special deals but for the most part you couldn't get cable access everywhere (like dial-up) in the US with any of the national ISPs. Now with the AOL/TW system opened up ISPs can lease cable lines as easy as T1's, therefore cable access should come to be as common and almost as inexpensive (hopefully) as dial-up.
later -
That wouldn't really do any good, what insanely stupid thing did they do? Amazon is the bad guy here so don't you think it would be better to write an e-mail (and encourage others) to linux.com's staff and encourage them to join the boycott and change vendors? In fact if you do feel that strongly about it, write all your favorite sites who are Amazon affiliates and ask them to join the boycott by switching their affiliate programs too. =) The somewhat wise and ever humble,
Dude,
/. to do the same if they are upset about this whole thing too. I understand however, views, etc. may be different and you do have to make your livelyhood, but then again B&N does have a decent affiliate program...
If you are really pulling for the boycott to be succesful, the best thing you can do is take a few minutes and change some code, man. They probably couldn't be bothered if tens of thousands of people boycotted their site, there's ooodles more than that who get online everday (I got no statistics handy, rats). However, the thing that will make them take notice is when affiliate after affiliate start switching over to B&N or other vendors for affiliation deals.
So if you do secretly want it to succeed, then maybe it's time to do something to make it happen. In fact (and I'm not trying to start a riot here) but I would encourage
Food for thought,
Amazon or the US Patent office? The way I see it Amazon just pulled a fast one and the idiots at the USPTO were asleep at the wheel. But to let something like this "slip through the cracks" is just inexcusable.
If I were an Amazon employee (from service rep to CEO) I would be utterly embarrased to be reading this article about my company!
I strongly encourage all to visit http://www.noamazon.com (I just did because of someone's previous post on this topic) and write your congressman/senator/granny and raise hell. Let's just hope the "slashdot effect" has some impact on this one.....(and not take down noamazon.com's servers =) )
One last bit to chew on... If website owners who are enrolled in affiliate programs with vendors other than Amazon end up going out of business because of this how big could the class action suit against Amazon get?
Saw some great technology related posts but let's not forget what this could do for the medical world. Some say the magnetic therapy doesn't hold much water but I think it makes sense (after all we do have minerals like iron floating around our insides).
These moldable magnets maybe could be used in sugical applications to help increase steady blood flow. For example, to coat that pin you just got in your [leg/hip/elbow], increase circulation and speed up the healing process. I'm sure heart patients could benefit greatly from this as well.
Well, that's my 2 cents...