Can you use mkisofs to copy them into an iso9660 image then mount 'em loopback, and share the mountpoints via samba?
I did this with a primary school client of ours, but I have no idea how copy protection is these days - I don't really play games or use/recommend commercial software!:)
Some of our larger clients, the ones with hundreds of desktops, who on the surface would benefit most from moving to linux, are hamstrung by the applications they use.
Typically in a larger organisation, the "desktop drone" is running a piece of client software which interfaces with a piece of server software.
Inevitably two things are true... 1. It's windows - client and server. 2. The developer has no interest in porting to linux.
This, in addition to the old "no replacement for exchange server/outlook" chestnut, is the major reason large organisations don't move away from windows.
A friend of mine was recently asked to consult on some project. He's a therapist, and works in a very PC environment - therefore often likes to take the piss in subtle ways to relieve the stress of it all.
Anyway, all these management types were running around like mad spouting their TLAs. My friend sat them down and said (tongue in cheek) "OK, this is confusing. What we really need is a WDW document".
"Wow" they all said, "what's a WDW".
Stephen explained that it was a Who Does What.
They actually started taking notes!
So anyway, from his taking of the piss, there is now a real procedure for a WDW at a certain university in Hamilton, New Zealand.
I hear you, and agree with the sentiment of your comments. But for me, it's like this:
There HAS to be a better way than advertising. Advertising pervades and destroys everything. I'm utterly sick of it, but I'm even more sick of it being taken as a "given" in any case where a site needs support.
Advertisers are like a form of parasite... They attach themselves to a previously "free" site, often with promises of revenue, and slowly their needs grow, until it reaches the point you see on some sites where it's 80% ads, 20% content.
Often, this is because the ads have driven away many of the readers, and so their figures drop off, leading them to believe the ads are "too small", or "not numerous enough"...so they make them bigger/more frequent/more irritating. This of course drives more people away...and so it goes on until all that remains of the original site is a dead, drained husk.
Just consider the following: If/. had never been bought out by OSDN, would we even be at this point? I can't help wondering if the awesome creative people that run/. wouldn't have kept going somehow. What about:
1. Voluntary subs - people pay simply because they appreciate the work that's being put in. This would work here in NZ, but not sure about the "free for all" culture in the states. Actually, on second thought...we are getting just as bad these days...
2. Distributed/.ing!:) Some sort of DC effort - all interested parties install a slashcode client which mirrors a part of/. and provides access. The main/. site merely redirects requests.
3. Scale back... All the features are awesome, but I for one don't need them all. If things were turned off by default, and a reader had to enable them,/. would instantly see the bandwidth savings of serving less content to millions of readers daily.
These are just a few (possibly not properly thought out) ideas. Anyone got any others?
I know that's supposed to be funny, but he has!:)
It was dubbed "the floorshaker" and was one of his first forays into valve technology about 8ish years ago. Our band used it.
Now he builds very nice, audiophile quality valve amps for home theatre.
He's going back to university to study hardcore, so I doubt this will turn commercial!:)
Apparently, the 007 folks weren't too keen on the double entendre of Goldmember
Hmmm...I realise this may be a poor choice of words on behalf of the writer of the article, but if not, the people who gave us "Pussy Galore" and "Ivana Onatopp" better not be whining about use of double entendre!
Articles like these all go into a file I keep for our clients when they say things like:
"What's wrong with Microsoft?".
I'm pleased to report that it is taking less and less explaining these days.
There is a groundswell out there of clients starting to look past the whole MS-brainwashing thing and ask what else is available to meet their IS requirements. It's really quite heartening.
Just thought the average/.er might like to know the light at the end of the tunnel might be MS' shares burning!:)
I'd like to think that the recent adoption of CG in films has more to do with the requirements of epic storytelling, rather than just using the "next big thing" for it's own sake.
Without CG, FotR would not have been possible.
Without CG, Shrek WOULD have been possible - it would have been a "traditional" animated feature, and would not have garnered the acclaim it did.
Don't get me wrong - I loved the characters, plot, and "atmosphere" of Shrek - I just think too much was made of the technology aspect of the production.
But I digress - what concerns me is that I predict we will now see a string of movies with token CG, just because they can!
On the flip side - with so many existing studios moving to Linux tools, there almost has to be a positive spin-off for the Open Source community in terms of better and more polished CG tools.
We had FS lighting installed in our offices at the beginning of erm...last year.
I could not go back. I used to get headaches on a fairly regular basis that I just put down to tiredness/stress/whatever. They went away after about two weeks with the new lights.
I find I can work longer hours with no problems - except an annoyed wife!
I also find I can concentrate a lot better.
My cow-orkers have all noticed similar benefits - we were discussing it at our christmas function.
I was just thinking about this in an unusual light.
There are many peple in New Zealand who wish to join with Australia under one Government. This would work far more in our favour than in Australia's - but that's a whole other issue.
The point I started to consider is, if world peace suddenly happened, and all the nations united under a single government, we'd need one set of laws.
Every dumb, short-sighted, freedom-restricting law made is one available for consideration by this (REALLY hypothetical) government.
If people in all countries voice unanimous disaproval of such issues, it makes it so much harder for "universal" rights-robbing to be done.
Hmmm...maybe I need more coffee.
Someone might get me.
I am an employee for a network support outfit in New Zealand. I have great bosses, and I frequently get to see "their side" of employment issues.
I'm not sure what the law is like in the States, but here it is getting silly. It's basically impossible to fire an employee for damn-near any reason. Discrimination cases frequently crop up, and everyone always takes the employees side in the ensuing debate. It's always the "big bad company ate my balls/stole my llama/killed my dog/whatever".
I realise that laws need to protect the employee against unfair dismissal, harrassment in the workplace, etc, but lets never forget one important point:
The business does not belong to the employee.
If I was an employer, and decided I felt like firing someone who had started to get on my nerves, I'd like to think I could say to the employee: "hey, I'm not happy - for x reason. I think you need to leave. How can I help make this a smooth process for us both?".
If neither side is unreasonable, there really need be no issue. These days (here in NZ anyway), it's always "hire lawyer first, discuss problem later".
Just a thought for anyone in the same situation as above, or perhaps a more extreme one. Before you get all het-up and feel "discriminated against", just take time out and ask: "If I was the boss, would I feel within my rights?"
A bit tangenital, but I hope someone takes something from this.
Non-"tech-savvy" laws being passed which can't possibly be enforced.
I'm just surprised this makes news anymore!:)
Seriously though - surely Governments have tech advisers? What do they do for their money? They never seem to stop the politicos from making idiots of themselves by passing "laws" like this.
I was just reviewing this thread...mulling over how everyone had misinterpreted my point* when I saw this. Thank you. I am, and remain an agnostic with atheistic tendencies, but I had never looked at it like that before.
Thanks for being different!:)
* I do not claim we "foreigners" should have any rights afforded by the US Government. I was commenting on the "by default" choice to use US software, and the power this gives the US. Remember Yoda? "With great power comes great responsibility"!:)
...And one of the problems with that system is down to poulation.
By being the largest producer of AV software, and having the biggest domestic market for its product, the US ensures the most-tested and best-supported products. Therefore if I wish to use a non-US product, I have to accept a lesser level of quality and/or support.
Not fair, but as you say, that's how the system works.
I feel that with the benefits of that system for the producers should come some protection for external consumers.
OK, so you're probably trolling, but in case anyone takes you seriously:
If I reported you as "suspicious" to the FBI, and they ML'ed you - would you be happy to be snooped on?
I really think this is a violation, and as I pointed out in an earlier reply, it affects the rest of the world over whom the US do not have jurisdiction - much as they seem to act like they do.
OK, I really need to get this off my chest here.
How will this affect copies of software sold countries outside the US? Will my AV software end up crippled and able to be exploited by those who have reverse engineered the "FBI Friendly" code?
Why is this acceptable? Because the good old US Government wishes to remove the much-lauded freedom of its citizens, the rest of the world also loses those freedoms. Will McAfee for example really bother to have a US-only version with the FBI-lover code in it, and remove that code from all other versions? Even if they say they have, how will we know???
Slashdot Mirror
Damn these domain name tussles...
:)
It's now at http://www.95bfm.co.bz.
Listening to tractors as mp3s probably isn't very enlightening!
Hard News, broadcast by bFM in Auckland, New Zealand. Russell Brown is very love/hate, but it's quite an intellectual take on current events.
This one blew me away.
:)
Germans never cease to amaze me!
So go try knoppix now!
It's autodetection is incredible, you can save state/prefs to floppy between boots, and it's very VERY up-to-date.
Can you use mkisofs to copy them into an iso9660 image then mount 'em loopback, and share the mountpoints via samba?
:)
I did this with a primary school client of ours, but I have no idea how copy protection is these days - I don't really play games or use/recommend commercial software!
Something I see a lot of at work:
Some of our larger clients, the ones with hundreds of desktops, who on the surface would benefit most from moving to linux, are hamstrung by the applications they use.
Typically in a larger organisation, the "desktop drone" is running a piece of client software which interfaces with a piece of server software.
Inevitably two things are true...
1. It's windows - client and server.
2. The developer has no interest in porting to linux.
This, in addition to the old "no replacement for exchange server/outlook" chestnut, is the major reason large organisations don't move away from windows.
Drives me nuts.
A friend of mine was recently asked to consult on some project. He's a therapist, and works in a very PC environment - therefore often likes to take the piss in subtle ways to relieve the stress of it all.
Anyway, all these management types were running around like mad spouting their TLAs. My friend sat them down and said (tongue in cheek) "OK, this is confusing. What we really need is a WDW document".
"Wow" they all said, "what's a WDW".
Stephen explained that it was a Who Does What.
They actually started taking notes!
So anyway, from his taking of the piss, there is now a real procedure for a WDW at a certain university in Hamilton, New Zealand.
I hear you, and agree with the sentiment of your comments. But for me, it's like this:
/. had never been bought out by OSDN, would we even be at this point? I can't help wondering if the awesome creative people that run /. wouldn't have kept going somehow. What about:
/.ing! :) Some sort of DC effort - all interested parties install a slashcode client which mirrors a part of /. and provides access. The main /. site merely redirects requests.
/. would instantly see the bandwidth savings of serving less content to millions of readers daily.
There HAS to be a better way than advertising.
Advertising pervades and destroys everything. I'm utterly sick of it, but I'm even more sick of it being taken as a "given" in any case where a site needs support.
Advertisers are like a form of parasite...
They attach themselves to a previously "free" site, often with promises of revenue, and slowly their needs grow, until it reaches the point you see on some sites where it's 80% ads, 20% content.
Often, this is because the ads have driven away many of the readers, and so their figures drop off, leading them to believe the ads are "too small", or "not numerous enough"...so they make them bigger/more frequent/more irritating. This of course drives more people away...and so it goes on until all that remains of the original site is a dead, drained husk.
Just consider the following: If
1. Voluntary subs - people pay simply because they appreciate the work that's being put in. This would work here in NZ, but not sure about the "free for all" culture in the states. Actually, on second thought...we are getting just as bad these days...
2. Distributed
3. Scale back... All the features are awesome, but I for one don't need them all. If things were turned off by default, and a reader had to enable them,
These are just a few (possibly not properly thought out) ideas. Anyone got any others?
I believe it's a great idea.
here would be a great place to begin.
Could look great on your CV and benefit the OS community as a whole.
I know that's supposed to be funny, but he has! :)
:)
It was dubbed "the floorshaker" and was one of his first forays into valve technology about 8ish years ago. Our band used it.
Now he builds very nice, audiophile quality valve amps for home theatre.
He's going back to university to study hardcore, so I doubt this will turn commercial!
Isn't life odd?
:)
Of all the obscure things to hit me twice in one day!
A friend of mine has a page up detailing exactly this.
He's a valve lover, not a web designer, but he has lots of pictures, and would love feedback!
His main page is here.
Apparently, the 007 folks weren't too keen on the double entendre of Goldmember
Hmmm...I realise this may be a poor choice of words on behalf of the writer of the article, but if not, the people who gave us "Pussy Galore" and "Ivana Onatopp" better not be whining about use of double entendre!
Articles like these all go into a file I keep for our clients when they say things like:
/.er might like to know the light at the end of the tunnel might be MS' shares burning! :)
"What's wrong with Microsoft?".
I'm pleased to report that it is taking less and less explaining these days.
There is a groundswell out there of clients starting to look past the whole MS-brainwashing thing and ask what else is available to meet their IS requirements. It's really quite heartening.
Just thought the average
I'd like to think that the recent adoption of CG in films has more to do with the requirements of epic storytelling, rather than just using the "next big thing" for it's own sake.
Without CG, FotR would not have been possible.
Without CG, Shrek WOULD have been possible - it would have been a "traditional" animated feature, and would not have garnered the acclaim it did.
Don't get me wrong - I loved the characters, plot, and "atmosphere" of Shrek - I just think too much was made of the technology aspect of the production.
But I digress - what concerns me is that I predict we will now see a string of movies with token CG, just because they can!
On the flip side - with so many existing studios moving to Linux tools, there almost has to be a positive spin-off for the Open Source community in terms of better and more polished CG tools.
We had FS lighting installed in our offices at the beginning of erm...last year.
:)
I could not go back. I used to get headaches on a fairly regular basis that I just put down to tiredness/stress/whatever. They went away after about two weeks with the new lights.
I find I can work longer hours with no problems - except an annoyed wife!
I also find I can concentrate a lot better.
My cow-orkers have all noticed similar benefits - we were discussing it at our christmas function.
So, yeah, on the whole...get those bad boys!
Yep. But it's still true! :)
:)
:)
Have you managed to avoid all the debate on the subject?
Speaking as a New Zealand
BTW, how does it feel to be a country?
Never mind - you could be a city - I'm in Hamilton - and no, I don't need your steeeeenkin' sympathy!
I was just thinking about this in an unusual light.
There are many peple in New Zealand who wish to join with Australia under one Government. This would work far more in our favour than in Australia's - but that's a whole other issue.
The point I started to consider is, if world peace suddenly happened, and all the nations united under a single government, we'd need one set of laws.
Every dumb, short-sighted, freedom-restricting law made is one available for consideration by this (REALLY hypothetical) government.
If people in all countries voice unanimous disaproval of such issues, it makes it so much harder for "universal" rights-robbing to be done.
Hmmm...maybe I need more coffee.
Someone might get me.
Don't forget to a) mod this up to ensure this guy is kept honest ;), and b) keep checking for a progress report!
:)
I really wanna know what happens with this one!
I am an employee for a network support outfit in New Zealand. I have great bosses, and I frequently get to see "their side" of employment issues.
I'm not sure what the law is like in the States, but here it is getting silly. It's basically impossible to fire an employee for damn-near any reason. Discrimination cases frequently crop up, and everyone always takes the employees side in the ensuing debate. It's always the "big bad company ate my balls/stole my llama/killed my dog/whatever".
I realise that laws need to protect the employee against unfair dismissal, harrassment in the workplace, etc, but lets never forget one important point:
The business does not belong to the employee.
If I was an employer, and decided I felt like firing someone who had started to get on my nerves, I'd like to think I could say to the employee: "hey, I'm not happy - for x reason. I think you need to leave. How can I help make this a smooth process for us both?".
If neither side is unreasonable, there really need be no issue. These days (here in NZ anyway), it's always "hire lawyer first, discuss problem later".
Just a thought for anyone in the same situation as above, or perhaps a more extreme one. Before you get all het-up and feel "discriminated against", just take time out and ask: "If I was the boss, would I feel within my rights?"
A bit tangenital, but I hope someone takes something from this.
Non-"tech-savvy" laws being passed which can't possibly be enforced.
I'm just surprised this makes news anymore!
Seriously though - surely Governments have tech advisers? What do they do for their money? They never seem to stop the politicos from making idiots of themselves by passing "laws" like this.
>
:)
:)
I was just reviewing this thread...mulling over how everyone had misinterpreted my point* when I saw this. Thank you. I am, and remain an agnostic with atheistic tendencies, but I had never looked at it like that before.
Thanks for being different!
* I do not claim we "foreigners" should have any rights afforded by the US Government. I was commenting on the "by default" choice to use US software, and the power this gives the US. Remember Yoda? "With great power comes great responsibility"!
...And one of the problems with that system is down to poulation.
By being the largest producer of AV software, and having the biggest domestic market for its product, the US ensures the most-tested and best-supported products. Therefore if I wish to use a non-US product, I have to accept a lesser level of quality and/or support.
Not fair, but as you say, that's how the system works.
I feel that with the benefits of that system for the producers should come some protection for external consumers.
Come to New Zealand instead. :)
Our dollar is worth dick, so you'll be rich here.
Also, we have a geek shortage!
OK, so you're probably trolling, but in case anyone takes you seriously:
If I reported you as "suspicious" to the FBI, and they ML'ed you - would you be happy to be snooped on?
I really think this is a violation, and as I pointed out in an earlier reply, it affects the rest of the world over whom the US do not have jurisdiction - much as they seem to act like they do.
Arrggghh!
OK, I really need to get this off my chest here.
How will this affect copies of software sold countries outside the US? Will my AV software end up crippled and able to be exploited by those who have reverse engineered the "FBI Friendly" code?
Why is this acceptable? Because the good old US Government wishes to remove the much-lauded freedom of its citizens, the rest of the world also loses those freedoms. Will McAfee for example really bother to have a US-only version with the FBI-lover code in it, and remove that code from all other versions? Even if they say they have, how will we know???
Grrrrrrrrr....
A shame, yes. But not all the world is Free/Open Source friendly.
This is a proprietary game. The authors do get to say what happens to it, and who can and cannot contribute.
I find the $500 lawyers bill to be insane though - I mean, seriously, the guy was just trying to help, no?
Too many lawyers in the world, and too little common sense I think.