To extend the taxes argument--it's clear that if you can "win" or "lose" the game and get money for it, it's gambling. That's not legal everywhere, and where it is, the government takes their cut.
It's a germane question. What needs to happen instead of "direct" contributions, where the output is unclear, is a solid estimate of DVD sales for a new season of the series. Direct-to-DVD is the way to go, not some nebulous "fan fund" administered by who-knows-what-kind of negotiator.
This is not the "first time in the history of TV" this has happened. I pledged $40 to keep Farscape on the air.
I don't know that that was the first time either. I really wish people would stop equating "the first time I've heard of it" with "the first time in history."
You laugh, but I was kinda scared when you were in those catacomb things where you couldn't see the whole maze and the bat would come along... you didn't know where to run...
Your memory must be pretty bad, since I can't evidence that a plaintiff has ever won such a case. Accessibility for even "official government websites" is strictly voluntary, and while the DOJ exhorts those agencies to make their web sites accessible, you will note there is no legal compulsion.
Now, maybe all web sites should be required by law (US law applying to the web, hm?) to be designed with accessibility in mind, and it's certainly a good idea to do so, in my opinion, for a host of reasons.
I'm quite sure I'd consider MUSHcode to be one of my first programming languages (along with BASIC, Pascal, and the WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 macro languages).
I found references from 1989 from Usenet, where people were talking about the origins of MUDs being ten years earlier at Essex University; or possibly a game run in 1979. I don't know what their scripting or softcoding features were like. I also don't know how similar they'd be to the MUSHcoding system I'm familiar with, which I guess started with TinyMUSH in '90 or so?
Erlang was developed, starting in the late '80s. It was influenced by Prolog (in which the first interpreter was written), Parlog and LISP. This page shows a concise history.
With so many text editors to choose from, I'd like to know which offers the combination of high-powered text editing features, syntax highlighting and extensibility required of today's demanding editor, while keeping the suits happy. Please include extensive discussions of how much vi beeps and how long it takes Emacs to load.
With so many software licenses available, I'd like to know which offers the high-powered legal mumbo-jumbo and strong ambiguities that are the hallmark of the professionally produced amateur computing project. Please phrase your BSD advocacy in the form of an insult to RMS, and include "Response to a question aksed by demi" in any replies and advertising materials.
Yes, the person that stole my credit card number also has not had any problems using it with Skype. They tried elsewhere (and failed) but apparently Skype doesn't do sufficient verification.
We record dance moves to play over and over all the time. It's called video--you should check it out. Also, a tip: cameras will not steal your soul.
By the way, I don't see how programming this robot to repeat the motion-capture of a dancer does any better a job at preserving the dance than filming him/her would; but it's not relevant to the strangely hyperbolic point you're making.
Fine, but the thing is you don't know that until you open the damn box. This is the root of the problem.
I'm not sure that it is. I don't know that I'd feel or think any different if the EULA was printed on the outside of the box. Just like those signs that read "Enter at your own risk" I don't think the EULA constitutes a contract, however much the publisher wants you to think it does; I think they are offering something for sale that you have the right to use, whatever the EULA says.
If you hadn't noticed, HL2 isn't for the Gameboy. It's for PCs. Maybe some folks game on PCs instead of Gameboys because they don't like the restrictions of playing on that platform, including cartridge-juggling.
So, Valve telling affected customers to contact them directly rather than in a forum they don't explicitly monitor is childish?
Not in itself, but people expect (with some justification perhaps) that once they've "contacted Valve directly" Valve will tell them to go screw themselves. PR problems force companies to actually do something; it's much easier to ignore a problem when you can hide behind a faceless bureaucracy and tell people to shove it.
The thieves (or "infringers" - the technicalities of the language are not important)
I think they are, actually. It's helpful to distinguish between "illegal" and "wrong," for example, so it's probably helpful to distinguish between "violating the license" and "stealing." Language can be important because we absorb its connotations--your statement that the violators deserve "punishment" comes from what is implied by the term "stealing," I think. You don't "punish" someone for violating a license, though you may certainly be justified in revoking it.
Of course not. Copying a game from someone isn't stealing. Stealing is when you take something away from someone else. If I steal your car, what makes it stealing is the fact that you don't have a car, not that I now have one.
Infringing copyright by copying games may be wrong and illegal, but it's sloppy to call it stealing or piracy because it's not.
Taking a box off a store shelf is stealing, because you are depriving someone else of it.
Note that, after activation, you can play offline,
This is ambiguous (I don't have the game, and never will, so I can't really check). I've heard that this isn't actually true and if your computer has a network interface Steam will always try to contact the authentication servers (even after activation). If it's unplugged or whatever to prevent this, it takes a long time for Steam to timeout and allow you to proceed in offline mode.
Sorry, Michael, it looks like you visited a destination this morning that isn't allowed by your Driver License Agreement. We're deactivating your car for a year.
I believe your interpretation is correct--the so-called "cheat" here is to circumvent the requirement that the HL2 game be in the drive. Now, in my opinion everyone who bought the game would pretty much want that. What if the physical CDs get damaged? What if in a couple of years you want to play on a laptop, which has a CD drive sometimes and an extra battery sometimes? Etc.
Slashdot Mirror
To extend the taxes argument--it's clear that if you can "win" or "lose" the game and get money for it, it's gambling. That's not legal everywhere, and where it is, the government takes their cut.
It's a germane question. What needs to happen instead of "direct" contributions, where the output is unclear, is a solid estimate of DVD sales for a new season of the series. Direct-to-DVD is the way to go, not some nebulous "fan fund" administered by who-knows-what-kind of negotiator.
I don't know that that was the first time either. I really wish people would stop equating "the first time I've heard of it" with "the first time in history."
You laugh, but I was kinda scared when you were in those catacomb things where you couldn't see the whole maze and the bat would come along... you didn't know where to run...
That must be why I was so bad at it. I don't suck--it was the game! Oh wait, maybe that means I suck more...
Your memory must be pretty bad, since I can't evidence that a plaintiff has ever won such a case. Accessibility for even "official government websites" is strictly voluntary, and while the DOJ exhorts those agencies to make their web sites accessible, you will note there is no legal compulsion.
Now, maybe all web sites should be required by law (US law applying to the web, hm?) to be designed with accessibility in mind, and it's certainly a good idea to do so, in my opinion, for a host of reasons.
Great example of missing the point.
I'm quite sure I'd consider MUSHcode to be one of my first programming languages (along with BASIC, Pascal, and the WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 macro languages).
I found references from 1989 from Usenet, where people were talking about the origins of MUDs being ten years earlier at Essex University; or possibly a game run in 1979. I don't know what their scripting or softcoding features were like. I also don't know how similar they'd be to the MUSHcoding system I'm familiar with, which I guess started with TinyMUSH in '90 or so?
The biases of the preparer are shown by sh being featured but not JCL, DCL, etc.
I was thinking the same thing about the various macro languages included with Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, etc.
Oh man, I hadn't thought of that. I really need to go write an INTERCAL program now so I can put it on my resume.
Erlang was developed, starting in the late '80s. It was influenced by Prolog (in which the first interpreter was written), Parlog and LISP. This page shows a concise history.
With so many text editors to choose from, I'd like to know which offers the combination of high-powered text editing features, syntax highlighting and extensibility required of today's demanding editor, while keeping the suits happy. Please include extensive discussions of how much vi beeps and how long it takes Emacs to load.
With so many software licenses available, I'd like to know which offers the high-powered legal mumbo-jumbo and strong ambiguities that are the hallmark of the professionally produced amateur computing project. Please phrase your BSD advocacy in the form of an insult to RMS, and include "Response to a question aksed by demi" in any replies and advertising materials.
Nintendo DS vs PSP, anyone? Anyone?
Yes, the person that stole my credit card number also has not had any problems using it with Skype. They tried elsewhere (and failed) but apparently Skype doesn't do sufficient verification.
This is also no way to garner consumer trust.
We record dance moves to play over and over all the time. It's called video--you should check it out. Also, a tip: cameras will not steal your soul.
By the way, I don't see how programming this robot to repeat the motion-capture of a dancer does any better a job at preserving the dance than filming him/her would; but it's not relevant to the strangely hyperbolic point you're making.
I'm not sure that it is. I don't know that I'd feel or think any different if the EULA was printed on the outside of the box. Just like those signs that read "Enter at your own risk" I don't think the EULA constitutes a contract, however much the publisher wants you to think it does; I think they are offering something for sale that you have the right to use, whatever the EULA says.
That's great. Is that a quote or original? If original, can I quote you?
If you hadn't noticed, HL2 isn't for the Gameboy. It's for PCs. Maybe some folks game on PCs instead of Gameboys because they don't like the restrictions of playing on that platform, including cartridge-juggling.
I'd love to have some laws like that, too.
How do you use a legitimate CD-Key to circumvent the "CD in drive" check?
Not in itself, but people expect (with some justification perhaps) that once they've "contacted Valve directly" Valve will tell them to go screw themselves. PR problems force companies to actually do something; it's much easier to ignore a problem when you can hide behind a faceless bureaucracy and tell people to shove it.
I think they are, actually. It's helpful to distinguish between "illegal" and "wrong," for example, so it's probably helpful to distinguish between "violating the license" and "stealing." Language can be important because we absorb its connotations--your statement that the violators deserve "punishment" comes from what is implied by the term "stealing," I think. You don't "punish" someone for violating a license, though you may certainly be justified in revoking it.
Of course not. Copying a game from someone isn't stealing. Stealing is when you take something away from someone else. If I steal your car, what makes it stealing is the fact that you don't have a car, not that I now have one.
Infringing copyright by copying games may be wrong and illegal, but it's sloppy to call it stealing or piracy because it's not.
Taking a box off a store shelf is stealing, because you are depriving someone else of it.
This is ambiguous (I don't have the game, and never will, so I can't really check). I've heard that this isn't actually true and if your computer has a network interface Steam will always try to contact the authentication servers (even after activation). If it's unplugged or whatever to prevent this, it takes a long time for Steam to timeout and allow you to proceed in offline mode.
Sorry, Michael, it looks like you visited a destination this morning that isn't allowed by your Driver License Agreement. We're deactivating your car for a year.
I believe your interpretation is correct--the so-called "cheat" here is to circumvent the requirement that the HL2 game be in the drive. Now, in my opinion everyone who bought the game would pretty much want that. What if the physical CDs get damaged? What if in a couple of years you want to play on a laptop, which has a CD drive sometimes and an extra battery sometimes? Etc.