No, I write for the web site, and we have not been sued that I am aware of.
The tabloid, spelled with an E, and prefaced with the word 'National', unless you mean the one from Philladelphia, has been sued a lot, and I think sucessfully a few times.
Well, as a writer for the Inq, I can say that as far as I have seen, the answer is zero. We get nasty letters all the time, but nothing ever went to court, at least that I can recall.
Then again, what does suits have to do with anything? Does getting sued make a company bad? That would mean car companies must be evil because they get sued all the time, same with IBM. Now, the flip side of that arguement is that people suing must be right and viruous, so that would make SCO a champion of the truth, eh?
As I said below, there is a better way. Don't bitch at MoG or Sys-Con, that will only inflame their semi-masochistic sense of persecution. Instead, write their advertisers.
If 100 people write polite letters to the sys-con advertisers politely, and I do mean politely, informing them that their support of Sys-Con, MoG and others is costing them your business, it will hit Sys-Con where it hurts.
I write for The Inq, I know how the game is played. If you want attention, polite and cogent letters that hit them in the wallet are the only things that work.
Flaming them only hurts your cause, clicking on them brings them more money. It is pretty obvious that they are out for hits at any cost, that is how their bills are paid. Cut that out and you end the games, play into it, and it gets worse.
If you notice, there is nothing on Groklaw about it, that would be playing the game MoG wants you to play. Don't feed the trolls, cut off their food instead.
I personally wrote several people I know about it, and lets see what becomes of it. Do the same. If someone wants to make a list of Sys-Con advertisers and post it below, great. If you want to hunt down that and contact info, better still. You can find the contact info on most vendor's web pages under contact us or press links. Be polite and firm, and tell them their wallets are at risk. Have fun also.
Syscon has lots of advertisers. Call them, write them, and politely tell them that you find their support of Sys-Con so repugnant that you will not longer buy their products. Be polite and be firm, don't rant, don't threaten.
Make the connection that advertising on any Sys-Con related publication will lose your business. A hundred of these, and they will think twice.
I write for The Inq, and on a given story, I get ~5 letters out of 20K reads. If any advertisers get 100, they will sure as hell sit up and take notice. Spend the time, write up why you find MoG and Sys-Con so repulsive, and go from there. The more articulate you are, the more effect you will have.
Happy hunting, I have already pulled out the rolodex, and I have sent a few off to some choice individuals. If you know anyone, write them, if not, you can always look things up on the web site's contact or press info pages.
I met her at the Operon launch. I don't remember it at all, but Magee assures me that I did. I wonder if she was really that unimpressive, or I had the good sense to supress the memory.
They use Linux also, so they are part of the plot. Trust MSN search, they are IP-Safe (TM) (R) and (C), or use the library.
-Charlie
P.S. The above was sarcasm, but on a serious note, the top two Google hits are to MoG sites or stories, so you might not want to give them the hits, try the cache at the very least.
Once again, the mainstream media catches up to my rants. Sigh. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=16999 For each of the people pissed off by DRM, they will warn off dozens of others, and the music industry will soon find themselves in a world of hurt. Oh wait, they are already there.
When you piss off your customers with draconian measures designed to suck money out of their wallets at your whim, they stop buying. Duh. The correct answer to this dillema is not to turn the knob up to 11, but to turn it down, or better yet off. The music industry can't seem to grasp this concept.
Maybe it is me, am I missing something? Has the whole strategy of 'make them hate us more than the Nazis' ever lead to greater profits?
Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't think it was worth it to spend $50K each on a half dozen law suits? I could, but why?
If you have half a brain, you can figure out who I was talking about in a few seconds of surfing. Also, if the people who gave me names and numbers were willing to back them up in print, and they are not, I asked, then that would also be another issue.
Basically, it came down to my willingness to fund new BMWs for lawyers.
OK people, this is a running joke and a scare tactic. If the population of England is about 52 million (according to a quick google search), and the latest round of suits targets 31 people according to the story, and if a mere 1% of Britons file share, the numbers look bleak.
52,000,000/100 = 520,000 520,000/31 ~= 16.7K
Hmm, what are the odds of getting hit by a bus? Now, if the revent Slashdot stories about Britonss being the largest group of downloaders out there means that there are more than 1% downloading, the numbers get worse for the industry.
Besides suing your customer base not being the brightest idea on the planet, just ask SCO, the odds of them doing anything appreciable are laughable. Look at eDonkey for example. The RIAA has sued thousands of users in the US, and it is putting such a dent in..... never mind.
This is a headline grap people, and with each headline they grab the tool gets less and less effective. In the US, rounds of new suits barely make a third tier story at HardOCP.
My prediction: News headlines, people fearing big brother, thousands of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Next round: Page 4 news headlines, people mildly nervous, hundreds of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Round 3: Covered in niche publications, no one gives a rats ass, tens of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Round 4: Niche publications have better things to cover, cattle mutilations and CIA microwave mind control lasers trump the latest file sharing atrocities. 7 files purged and a grandmother in Cardiff wets herself. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
May I humbly suggest that you refain from purchasing Apple products until they stop behaving in unsociable ways. Apple is currently suing journalists for publishing what they consider to be trade secrets.
You are a journalist (for the record, so am I).
You just published an Apple trade secret.
Do the math.
Boycott Apple until they learn to behave in a human fashion. Jobs may be a megalomaniac, but that is still no excuse.
MS has this self imposed myopia when it comes to security, they won't and can't understand because if they do, it is game over for them.
That said what they won't allow themselves to admit is who is responsible for the kernel. The simple answer is everyone and anyone, that is the beauty of open source. If there is one entity that chooses not to do something, you can shoulder the responsibility.
In open source, there is no one throat to strangle, just 10, 100 or a million different paths, and you choose the right one or forge your own. If there is a flaw, someone will fix it, and they will be the new king. MS can't come to terms with this.
You don't need a single entity to decide for you, you can do right on your own. All the tools are there.
"Doubtful. With the cost of fabs, it would probably be less expensive just to raid and shut down the illegal "producers" than to try and work out elaborate protection schemes."
Cost of fabs? What? The cost of a new mask maybe, but fabs have nothing to do with this.
"Remember - implementing half-assed software hacks to "protect" content on a CD is relatively cheap compared to the cost of imlpementing something similar to prevent overclocking in a complex computer chip."
Once again, what? Software hacks? What planet are you from again? That said, AMD has implemented clock locking features on the the nes 90nm parts, I think the D4 step has them, and the E0 will pretty much be assured of having it. If you want OCable chips, buy an FX.
As for workarounds, yeah, that has been SO effective with Intel's new strategy. Just get out ye olde soldering iron and bridge those nm-wide fuses they blow to kill the functionality. You go grrl.
One thing that I can't believe no one posted yet is that Intel just killed Tukwila, the great white hope for Itanium. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=2027 0 http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20286 This is not nearly as cheery as it sounds.
You are sort of right on this, I know what both companies are up to. Merom/Conroe/Whitefield will be fine chips, as will K10. I think AMD will beat Intel out of the gate with the next gen cores though.
As forthe processes, read the Inq for more, AMD/IBM have come a long long way recently.
This is much less of a problem than you might thin, not because it isn't a real problem, but because it is so obvious. Everyone already has a workaround, most of which involve FB-DIMMs.
Niagara (see my post above) is bandwidth rich, the AMD solutions are also. The only ones with a looming problem are Intel until CSI comes on in a few years, but that is manageable.
Intel just canned their 8-way chip and replaced it with a variant of Montecito, or more likely a Montvale derivative. Here is a bit on it: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20270 ht tp://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20286 Needless to say, their long term strategies are a tad up in the air right now.
As for their desktop (IE P4 based) dual core plans, there are 2 generations planned. The first is a simple pairing of 2 current cores with a minimum of tweaks, basically a scared response to AMD. The second one is really the first one they planned, and it is a lot more sophisticated.
AMD was there from long before Day One, and have the most coherent philosophy on dual cores for the desktop/server.
Rather than re-write all my own articles here, here is a link where I break down all of Intel's dual core plans as well as some of AMDs. http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=17906 Sorry for all the self links, but I don't really want to keep re-writing that stuff, links are the reason behind the web, right?:)
Read The Inquirer over the next few days, there might be something there that changes your mind about the whole topic. Don't count SGI out yet, there are some BIG surprises coming really really soon. If you like this kind of thing, it will make you smile, a lot.
-Charlie
(No, I won't scoop my own story on a slashdot post, so don't even ask)
Slashdot Mirror
No, I write for the web site, and we have not been sued that I am aware of.
The tabloid, spelled with an E, and prefaced with the word 'National', unless you mean the one from Philladelphia, has been sued a lot, and I think sucessfully a few times.
As for humor, what is this concept you speak of?
-Charlie
Well, as a writer for the Inq, I can say that as far as I have seen, the answer is zero. We get nasty letters all the time, but nothing ever went to court, at least that I can recall.
Then again, what does suits have to do with anything? Does getting sued make a company bad? That would mean car companies must be evil because they get sued all the time, same with IBM. Now, the flip side of that arguement is that people suing must be right and viruous, so that would make SCO a champion of the truth, eh?
-Charlie
As I said below, there is a better way. Don't bitch at MoG or Sys-Con, that will only inflame their semi-masochistic sense of persecution. Instead, write their advertisers.
If 100 people write polite letters to the sys-con advertisers politely, and I do mean politely, informing them that their support of Sys-Con, MoG and others is costing them your business, it will hit Sys-Con where it hurts.
I write for The Inq, I know how the game is played. If you want attention, polite and cogent letters that hit them in the wallet are the only things that work.
Flaming them only hurts your cause, clicking on them brings them more money. It is pretty obvious that they are out for hits at any cost, that is how their bills are paid. Cut that out and you end the games, play into it, and it gets worse.
If you notice, there is nothing on Groklaw about it, that would be playing the game MoG wants you to play. Don't feed the trolls, cut off their food instead.
I personally wrote several people I know about it, and lets see what becomes of it. Do the same. If someone wants to make a list of Sys-Con advertisers and post it below, great. If you want to hunt down that and contact info, better still. You can find the contact info on most vendor's web pages under contact us or press links. Be polite and firm, and tell them their wallets are at risk. Have fun also.
-Charlie
There are two copies above actually, one is a full one, the other redacted. The redacted info is not relevant unless you plan to stalk PJ.
-Charlie
Syscon has lots of advertisers. Call them, write them, and politely tell them that you find their support of Sys-Con so repugnant that you will not longer buy their products. Be polite and be firm, don't rant, don't threaten.
Make the connection that advertising on any Sys-Con related publication will lose your business. A hundred of these, and they will think twice.
I write for The Inq, and on a given story, I get ~5 letters out of 20K reads. If any advertisers get 100, they will sure as hell sit up and take notice. Spend the time, write up why you find MoG and Sys-Con so repulsive, and go from there. The more articulate you are, the more effect you will have.
Happy hunting, I have already pulled out the rolodex, and I have sent a few off to some choice individuals. If you know anyone, write them, if not, you can always look things up on the web site's contact or press info pages.
-Charlie
Don't give them the hits. Above is a text copy of the info, read that instead.
-Charlie
I met her at the Operon launch. I don't remember it at all, but Magee assures me that I did. I wonder if she was really that unimpressive, or I had the good sense to supress the memory.
-Charlie
They use Linux also, so they are part of the plot. Trust MSN search, they are IP-Safe (TM) (R) and (C), or use the library.
-Charlie
P.S. The above was sarcasm, but on a serious note, the top two Google hits are to MoG sites or stories, so you might not want to give them the hits, try the cache at the very least.
Once again, the mainstream media catches up to my rants. Sigh.
For each of the people pissed off by DRM, they will warn off dozens of others, and the music industry will soon find themselves in a world of hurt. Oh wait, they are already there.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=16999
When you piss off your customers with draconian measures designed to suck money out of their wallets at your whim, they stop buying. Duh. The correct answer to this dillema is not to turn the knob up to 11, but to turn it down, or better yet off. The music industry can't seem to grasp this concept.
Maybe it is me, am I missing something? Has the whole strategy of 'make them hate us more than the Nazis' ever lead to greater profits?
-Charlie
Jim,
I'll be in Boston in a week or so. If I don't write or call you, write me, and I'll explain.
-Charlie
Interesting why Anand felt the need to rebut my article in such depth, I didn't mention him. I do find it rather funny though.
-Charlie
Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't think it was worth it to spend $50K each on a half dozen law suits? I could, but why?
If you have half a brain, you can figure out who I was talking about in a few seconds of surfing. Also, if the people who gave me names and numbers were willing to back them up in print, and they are not, I asked, then that would also be another issue.
Basically, it came down to my willingness to fund new BMWs for lawyers.
-Charlie
OK people, this is a running joke and a scare tactic. If the population of England is about 52 million (according to a quick google search), and the latest round of suits targets 31 people according to the story, and if a mere 1% of Britons file share, the numbers look bleak.
52,000,000/100 = 520,000
520,000/31 ~= 16.7K
Hmm, what are the odds of getting hit by a bus? Now, if the revent Slashdot stories about Britonss being the largest group of downloaders out there means that there are more than 1% downloading, the numbers get worse for the industry.
Besides suing your customer base not being the brightest idea on the planet, just ask SCO, the odds of them doing anything appreciable are laughable. Look at eDonkey for example. The RIAA has sued thousands of users in the US, and it is putting such a dent in..... never mind.
This is a headline grap people, and with each headline they grab the tool gets less and less effective. In the US, rounds of new suits barely make a third tier story at HardOCP.
My prediction: News headlines, people fearing big brother, thousands of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Next round: Page 4 news headlines, people mildly nervous, hundreds of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Round 3: Covered in niche publications, no one gives a rats ass, tens of files purged. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
Round 4: Niche publications have better things to cover, cattle mutilations and CIA microwave mind control lasers trump the latest file sharing atrocities. 7 files purged and a grandmother in Cardiff wets herself. Millions shrug and go on with their lives.
-Charlie
May I humbly suggest that you refain from purchasing Apple products until they stop behaving in unsociable ways. Apple is currently suing journalists for publishing what they consider to be trade secrets.
You are a journalist (for the record, so am I).
You just published an Apple trade secret.
Do the math.
Boycott Apple until they learn to behave in a human fashion. Jobs may be a megalomaniac, but that is still no excuse.
-Charlie
MS has this self imposed myopia when it comes to security, they won't and can't understand because if they do, it is game over for them.
That said what they won't allow themselves to admit is who is responsible for the kernel. The simple answer is everyone and anyone, that is the beauty of open source. If there is one entity that chooses not to do something, you can shoulder the responsibility.
In open source, there is no one throat to strangle, just 10, 100 or a million different paths, and you choose the right one or forge your own. If there is a flaw, someone will fix it, and they will be the new king. MS can't come to terms with this.
You don't need a single entity to decide for you, you can do right on your own. All the tools are there.
-Charlie
The new 90nm chips are clock locked.
-Charlie
"Doubtful. With the cost of fabs, it would probably be less expensive just to raid and shut down the illegal "producers" than to try and work out elaborate protection schemes."
Cost of fabs? What? The cost of a new mask maybe, but fabs have nothing to do with this.
"Remember - implementing half-assed software hacks to "protect" content on a CD is relatively cheap compared to the cost of imlpementing something similar to prevent overclocking in a complex computer chip."
Once again, what? Software hacks? What planet are you from again? That said, AMD has implemented clock locking features on the the nes 90nm parts, I think the D4 step has them, and the E0 will pretty much be assured of having it. If you want OCable chips, buy an FX.
As for workarounds, yeah, that has been SO effective with Intel's new strategy. Just get out ye olde soldering iron and bridge those nm-wide fuses they blow to kill the functionality. You go grrl.
-Charlie
"Is editorializing necessary on every darn news story?"
:)
Yes it is, but then again, I write for The Inquirer.
-Charlie
One thing that I can't believe no one posted yet is that Intel just killed Tukwila, the great white hope for Itanium.7 0s is not nearly as cheery as it sounds.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=202
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20286
Thi
-Charlie
You are sort of right on this, I know what both companies are up to. Merom/Conroe/Whitefield will be fine chips, as will K10. I think AMD will beat Intel out of the gate with the next gen cores though.
As forthe processes, read the Inq for more, AMD/IBM have come a long long way recently.
-Charlie
This is much less of a problem than you might thin, not because it isn't a real problem, but because it is so obvious. Everyone already has a workaround, most of which involve FB-DIMMs.
Niagara (see my post above) is bandwidth rich, the AMD solutions are also. The only ones with a looming problem are Intel until CSI comes on in a few years, but that is manageable.
Moral, Sun OK, AMD OK, Intel solid plan.
-Charlie
Intel just canned their 8-way chip and replaced it with a variant of Montecito, or more likely a Montvale derivative. Here is a bit on it:t tp://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20286
:)
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20270
h
Needless to say, their long term strategies are a tad up in the air right now.
As for their desktop (IE P4 based) dual core plans, there are 2 generations planned. The first is a simple pairing of 2 current cores with a minimum of tweaks, basically a scared response to AMD. The second one is really the first one they planned, and it is a lot more sophisticated.
AMD was there from long before Day One, and have the most coherent philosophy on dual cores for the desktop/server.
Rather than re-write all my own articles here, here is a link where I break down all of Intel's dual core plans as well as some of AMDs.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=17906
Sorry for all the self links, but I don't really want to keep re-writing that stuff, links are the reason behind the web, right?
-Charlie
Yeah, it is called Niagara, and it is working silicon now, but far from done. expect an unveiling in February.
If you want to know a bit more about it, I wrote it up a few weeks ago here:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19423
-Charlie
Read The Inquirer over the next few days, there might be something there that changes your mind about the whole topic. Don't count SGI out yet, there are some BIG surprises coming really really soon. If you like this kind of thing, it will make you smile, a lot.
-Charlie
(No, I won't scoop my own story on a slashdot post, so don't even ask)
One Wright makes The Sims.
-Charlie