Something that the whimpering free-speech herd always seem to forget is this:
Even in the United States, free speech is *not* guaranteed. Period.
The first amendment to the US Constitution bars the *United States Government* from abridging a citizen's right to free speech. This does not guarantee anyone the right to say anything they like. It *just* means that the Federal Government can't be the one who stops them.
In a number of recent cases in the US, employees have been fired from companies for remarks they've made whilst at work. The free-speech wibblers (including the ACLU) keep coming out of the woodwork, claiming that the employee's first-amendment rights have been violated. Which is totally wrong. Because when you work for a company, things you say can be attributed to the company. The company is, in part, paying you to be their agent. If you say something that misrepresents their interests, they can (and should) discipline you appropriately. This could mean termination.
I feel that it's silly for a company to go after a translator site, especially one which is quite obviously lighthearted in intent and nature. But no one's rights have been violated.
With utmost respect to the owners of all such copyrights, I recant any and all statements I have ever made which contain material with might be deemed the intellectual property of any individual, whether alive or deceased.
Further, I wish to amend my previous post to read as follows: "For Cretins"
Ah, very good. Take a company like MS (which has a clueless user base and an even more clueless development team), and combine them with a company like AOL (who has a spectacularly drool-prone user base, but had enough sense to hire sharp technical people).
The user bases combine. The companies annihilate one another in a vast cluon-anticluon chain reaction. We're left with nothing but a bleating herd of people almost capable of operating a mouse without benefit of a "For Dummies" book.
None of the survivors can successfully program a VCR or a microwave oven.
Slashdot Mirror
Something that the whimpering free-speech herd always seem to forget is this:
Even in the United States, free speech is *not* guaranteed. Period.
The first amendment to the US Constitution bars the *United States Government* from abridging a citizen's right to free speech. This does not guarantee anyone the right to say anything they like. It *just* means that the Federal Government can't be the one who stops them.
In a number of recent cases in the US, employees have been fired from companies for remarks they've made whilst at work. The free-speech wibblers (including the ACLU) keep coming out of the woodwork, claiming that the employee's first-amendment rights have been violated. Which is totally wrong. Because when you work for a company, things you say can be attributed to the company. The company is, in part, paying you to be their agent. If you say something that misrepresents their interests, they can (and should) discipline you appropriately. This could mean termination.
I feel that it's silly for a company to go after a translator site, especially one which is quite obviously lighthearted in intent and nature. But no one's rights have been violated.
Now, hey, *that*'s an idea!
Not unlike the Doom-as-admin-tool port:
First-person-stock-trader games!
Pick up ammo to buy stocks. Shoot things to sell stocks. Annihilate your fellow day-traders.
"Oh, yeah? Try to hit me with the AOL-biocannon, will you? Well, have a taste of my Microsoft-breakup-scattergun! Oh, wait, fsck, it jammed..."
With utmost respect to the owners of all such copyrights, I recant any and all statements I have ever made which contain material with might be deemed the intellectual property of any individual, whether alive or deceased.
Further, I wish to amend my previous post to read as follows: "For Cretins"
Better, hmm?
Ah, very good. Take a company like MS (which has a clueless user base and an even more clueless development team), and combine them with a company like AOL (who has a spectacularly drool-prone user base, but had enough sense to hire sharp technical people).
The user bases combine. The companies annihilate one another in a vast cluon-anticluon chain reaction. We're left with nothing but a bleating herd of people almost capable of operating a mouse without benefit of a "For Dummies" book.
None of the survivors can successfully program a VCR or a microwave oven.
All die.
Oh, the embarrassment.