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User: b0z

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  1. Licensing? on Reverse-Engineering The Creative Nomad Jukebox · · Score: 4
    We don't license music. When I purchase a CD, it's mine. There are no license agreements that I have to fill out, there is no disclaimer that I don't own it. I purchase a CD and have full rights to do whatever I want with it, in my opinion.

    On the other hand, if I licensed music this would work fine too. In that case I would have the ability to go buy a tape, or pull out some old eight track tapes, and exchange them for the CD's with whatever record label I had to deal with. Licensing could work well for that.

    What it boils down to is that the RIAA wants to have their cake, eat it, then take your cake and the cake from the bakers themselves. It's just a scam and should be dealt with by the government just like any other pyramid scheme since the consumers can't do much about it. And "not buying their products" doesn't help because we don't have the support of a large number of people. The RIAA companies would simply forget about our money.

  2. Public libraries on Napster's Execution Stayed; Not Fair Use · · Score: 2

    I take it you have forgotten about public libraries. You can go in there and check out books for free. The book is purchased once, and everyone gets to share it (provided noone keeps the book and then owes library fees.) Napster really is different in that mp3's are not tangible objects, but the public libraries are the closest thing I can think of for books.

  3. Re: Linux zealots spreading FUD about Windows on Are Unix GUIs All Wrong? · · Score: 3
    It's funny to see people lying about Windows just as much as Microsoft does about linux. Honestly, you are no better than Microsoft's team of liars.

    I have many computers. I have run one with Windows 95 for about 3 years with no major problems (and no regular blue screens except when messing with shady software), I had a P133 with 32MB of memory, and that was enough to run what I did, which included photo editing, Internet Explorer 4, Netscape 4.5, etc. Really, it wasn't that bad. I recently got another computer that is running Windows ME, which I have had no significant problems as well. I have gotten more blue screens than I did on Windows 95, but even then I'd say I've had a total of 4 in the past month. That also is from dealing with shady software (god damn you zsnes!)

    I have many other computers that have had nearly no problems as well. Maybe you are having so many problems because you fucked up your windows installation. Just because you don't know what you are doing with Windows doesn't mean that it is completely unreliable. It just means you need to learn how to use it. I really hate to see people that claim to support open source by lowering themselves to lying about the reliability of Windows. It doesn't help make linux any better if you pretend that Windows is completely useless. If you really wanted to help make linux a better desktop, figure out how to get it to be compatible with more hardware, write drivers. Write some plug and play detection that works. Do something so linux as a desktop will actually have the ease of use people expect from Windows. Bitching about a product you obviously know nothing about doesn't solve anything.

    Oh, and that bit about you taking the calls for a helpdesk shows nothing about the quality of Windows. It is not an indication of the quality, only of how widespread Windows is as an OS. Also, it's probably the only OS your ISP supports so the linux and MacOS people don't bother calling because they know they won't get support. Try to use your brain a little instead of bashing Windows all the time.

  4. Re:What is this story even about? on ST:TMP Fixer Upper · · Score: 1

    What does TMP stand for? I always thought it was a file extension for DOS. Since it's a movie I'd guess The Menacing Phantom since there was references to Star Wars in there... :oD

  5. Re:Road switching HAS actually happened on A Love Song For Napster · · Score: 1

    Do you realize how silly that sounds? I think you left out some details or something, but basically you said they are setting things up so cars and trucks will crash into each other. Please elaborate. :o)

  6. Re:Oh well... on Changing Earth's Orbit Proposed · · Score: 2
    I remember Thundarr. He walked around with something that looked like Kiss's version of a wookie and some bitch. It was basically a He-Man ripoff as far as I could tell.

    By the way, what was that other show from the same people that was with Space Ghost? The family that had the dragon thing, the rock monkey, and the big and little blobs? They were cooler I think.

  7. Re:Oh lord, here we go again... on RevolutionOS: The Linux Movie? · · Score: 2
    Speaking of comparing Trekkies and Linux Geeks, I wrote this poem earlier on kuro5hin. It describes the changes that came about when the Trekkies turned in their Spock ears for a Tux t-shirt.

    So long and farewell Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock,
    I look at the kernel source when I stroke my cock.
    We no longer want to ask Scotty to teleport,
    We prefer to use perl to make web reports.
    I have no concerns of a phaser blast,
    I always have TUX TP to wipe my ass.
    I lost my wall-sized poster of the Enterprise,
    It was replaced with full screen mode xeyes.
    Although open source is now the way to be,
    For some reason the girls still don't like me.

  8. Another way to look at this... on Telephone Wire Cable Alternative · · Score: 2
    If they can find ways to make the copper phone lines this efficient, imagine what they could do with the fiber optic lines they are putting all over the place.

    I think financial limitations, and limits on the resources available help creativity. DSL and this are a good sign of that in my opinion. I think it's a great idea and if they can do all this with simple telephone lines I look forward to what they can do with tv cable and fiber optic connections.

  9. Trying to get an idea of the size of a biscuit on Tiny Linux Computer Overview · · Score: 1
    It's a nice introduction to commercially available computers the size of a disk drive (biscuit)

    Is that the size of a big ol' fluffy biscuit from Pillsbury, or a rock-hard "roll" from a school cafeteria? Or if it's really small it could be the size of a White Castle(TM) burger?

  10. Why stop there? on Government Takes Control Of The Net; 2000 In Review · · Score: 2
    The NRA is always saying "guns don't kill people, people do." What if the government takes this to computers? "Computers don't use napster, people do."

    So, what some lawmaker would propose to make sure that we don't pirate anything is to implant a chip in everyone's brain that will block off all of our senses unless we register them with the RIAA for hearing, so babies can listen to Britney Spears' " Oh Mommy, Mommy"(TM), the MPAA so the baby will have rights to "The Rattle"(TM) starring Dennis Leary and Mickey Mouse. Then, they will have to register their interactive non-artificial artificial intelligence OS called "Windows Me (literally)"as Microsoft will own the human genome by then.

    By this time, the aliens will stop abducting people in the night, as the plan to steal all of our brains via anal probes will have been completed successfully.

  11. Re:Going postal? on She Was Fired, But Never Told · · Score: 2
    I didn't get fired but quit because my boss refused to give anyone a raise unless they went to get an MBA, and he was always on my case for other people's problems and a complete idiot.

    While I was working there I did a few things to piss him off. One was hiding his cellphone in a place he couldn't find it in his office and some coworkers and myself would call it and watch in the window while he popped up and looked for it. That was hilarious. We did a number of other things. He had installed some remote control software on his computer so I opened it to a bad webpage. Nothing pornographic because he was always worrying about things that were not politically correct and would probably have fired me if porn automatically popped up on his PC. There were a number of other pranks me and my coworkers did, even on each other. But to answer your question:

    What I did when I quit that was the biggest form of revenge, was simply to leave and not give anyone documentation on what I did. I wanted my boss to know how difficult it would be to replace me, which I believe may be one of the reasons I never got a promotion. So, I don't know what else happened but I heard that the company has even more problems than when I worked there. I'm so glad I got out with a portion of my sanity and was not completely burnt out yet.

  12. Microsoft isn't racist... on Racism At Microsoft? · · Score: 1

    They steal from everyone equally. They will take money from a white person just as easily as a black person.

  13. Re:Don't Bother With Canada! on Is The U.S. No Longer The Choice For Freedom? · · Score: 2
    Almost everything you said could be attributed to the U.S. as well. I know you didn't specifically compare them, but here are a few that could be either.

    I'd like to be free to keep more than 50% of my income, without having it all go to taxes to support dubious socialist programs that I'll never make use of, because I *work* for a living.

    Me too. My mom said that it frustrated her to see that her kids could not afford to wear as nice as clothes as people on welfare. Poor people should not be able to afford to put gold chains and Tommy Hillfiger on a toddler. My mom was on welfare for a short time herself, but did not waste the money and didn't try to get more by having other kids like some welfare recipients do.

    I'd like to be free not to have my government try to reduce my standard of living to that of the lowest common denominator.

    It is the same in the U.S. -- with the exception of the ultra rich. The middle class are heavily taxed to pay for government waste. Basically, I give have of my paycheck so the U.S. government can use it against me. The government of the United States of American make the Mafia look like Jesus Christ.

    I'd like to be free to say what I want - even though I probably wouldn't exercise that freedom - without the Canadian government telling me that what I say is obscene, unfair or unjust, and therefore proving that I have freedom of speech to a point, similar to the way that China has freedom of speech to a point.

    From what I hear, Canada has protected more free speech than the U.S. has. I don't know Canadian laws so this may or may not be true, but the 1st amendment of the U.S. constitution is under constant attack by the religious right, politically correct leftists, and various jerks with their agendas that conflict with freedom.

    I'd like to be free to drive on roads without jackasses talking on cellphones reversing on freeways because they've missed their exits.

    You have obviously never driven in the U.S. The majority of accidents in Atlanta are probably caused by jackasses on cellphones in SUV's.

    I'd like to be free to know that upon returning to Canada, the Canadian Customs agents will treat me as well as the friendly, chipper, informative, helpful and welcoming American Customs staff always do.

    Apparantly you have not flown in to Atlanta, or come in anywhere from Mexico. The customs agents will physically harm you for no reason. My girlfriend, a Mexican citizen, nearly had her hand broken by a customs agent because she was putting her bag on the machine for him to xray it, and he was in a hurry and caught her hand in the machine. Instead of offering to help, he simply tried to rush her along and get her out of the way. She had to stop and tell him she needed bandages or something because he hurt her hand. He reluctantly helped but was still not very friendly. Let's just say that if I was there at the time, I'd probably be in jail for breaking this asshole's neck. And what about the border patrol that think it's ok to play target practice with anyone that looks like they might not be a U.S. Citizen? These people are not "friendly" they are evil murderers.

    I'd like to be free to live in a country where national unity is not a central issue to every political decision.

    Look at the president elect here now. This is going to be one of his main focuses. I'd rather he piss people off and do what's right than to do what makes everyone happy.

    I'd like to be free to live in a country where I can pay for health care that doesn't leave me sitting in an emergency room for three hours waiting for a Keflex prescription for strepped throat, while homeless heroin-addicts with needles broken off in their arms come in after me, sit beside me, play show-and-tell with their pus, and then get served before I do, despite the fact that I'm a tax payer and they're not.

    It's called Medicaid in the U.S. Free healthcare for the poor while those of us paying for our own pay for theirs too.

  14. Level ground on Yahoo Knuckles Under · · Score: 2
    This wasn't as much about France's ruling as it was about the bad press Yahoo! was getting. It wasn't just the French, but also a group called BiasHELP that was somehow dealing with Yahoo as well. I doubt any company would want to be given a bad reputation and they are just going to try to prevent this. Whether or not they actually do anything about these auctions remains to be seen. This decision by Yahoo! was also made by ebay and a few other auction sites long ago, so they are just following suit. Also, it was stated in the cnet article that Yahoo! is planning to use *people* and software. They know better than to just rely on some sort of censorware product.

    Also, Yahoo! auctions is going to start forcing people to pay for their listings. Not much, I think it was anywhere from $0.20 to $2.25, but still that is a long way from free for such shoddy auctions as they have on Yahoo. Their listings are a disaster and are not nearly as organized as ebay, and they have a lot less bids as well. There's really no good reason to use Yahoo! auctions anymore, and I would say that the refusal to carry items dealing with hatred and violence are one of the smaller reasons. They just suck all around.

  15. AIM on UNIX on Instant Messaging On Linux · · Score: 2
    Well, what I do on Solaris is to run:

    /bin/appletviewer http://toc.oscar.aol.com/tic.html &

    You could put it in a shell script or whatever. In anything else, including Windows, BSD, AIX, and Linux, you can just go to http://www.aol.com/aim/aimexpress.html with a java enabled browser and you are running AIM. It works well enough, doesn't require you to download anything, and you have your buddy list on any computer you go to. I use it instead of the windows client as well since it has all the features I use. I only wish there was something just as easy for ICQ on Solaris now.

  16. Re:Perhaps they don't want to be held to ransom. on Humorously Bad Web Hosting Policies · · Score: 5
    However, while I don't like this policy, I still defend their right to pursue it. If you don't like their policy, don't do business with them.

    I'm not sure I agree with that. Sure, I say to not do business with them (especially as it seems they have "ceased to operate) but I am also not sure how legal that is. One thing that the person that wrote this article mentions is fair use, which is protection of the consumers' rights when dealing with companies. Fiar use has been trampled on quite a bit recently by big businesses who like your point of view.

    To take your logic further, if I sell televisions I can put something in a contract for my customers to sign that if they complain about the TV once I get to kill them. This would be illegal, even if noone had bought a TV from me. I'm not a lawyer so I can't give all the correct terms, but you can see that it would be clearly wrong.

    The reason that it is not right, or legal for a company to say you can't review them if you are a customer is that it could infringe on your free speech. There are limits to what you can do against a company. You can't use their logo or give information that may be confidential or proprietary to their business if you agreed not to previously. However, simply saying, "This webhost company sucks ass and gave me bad service" should not be able to get you in trouble. Also, if the company wished, why would they stop at reviews? Wouldn't contacting the Better Business Bureau be considered a breach of the terms of service as well? There are limits set up both ways, to protect the consumer and the businesses. Unfortunately the consumer's rights are going down the toilet as big businesses lie to us and the politicians representing us so they can get more of an advantage to take more of our money.

  17. A link to another discussion about this very thing on Slashback: Ghana, Graphics, Tumors · · Score: 1
    I thought this might be interesting. I read an article recently in The Irish Times that debates what is the best solution to help these countries. Bill Gates takes the approach of sending food and teaching them agriculture, while Jeff Bezos wants to teach them computers so they can do what you mentioned about India. Here's a link to what I posted about it on kuro5hin.org

    http://www.kuro5hin.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2000/ 12/18/151138/41

    Feel free to add your insight to the discussion there as well because I never thought of India as a good example until reading what you posted.

  18. I really want to believe them on Iraq Stockpiling PS2 Consoles! · · Score: 4

    I really hope it is a credible news source. Take a look at this article. C'mon, don't you want to believe this is true?!?! If a glass of beer can help protect vision, it must be why I am the only person in my family that doesn't wear glasses.

  19. Smells fishy... on Standard For MP3 CD Players Planned For March · · Score: 3
    a standards body whose members include HP, Sony, Ricoh and others

    So it sounds good, but what's the security scheme? If it's anything like the DVD region encoding, macrovision, or any other crap I would say that this standard won't be adopted and the RIAA will go crying saying how they tried to use this mp3 technology but the pirates prevented them or some other crybaby excuse. This could be good, but I won't hold my breath as long as companies like Sony are involved.

  20. What we all really want... on How Should Government Web Sites Be Designed? · · Score: 1

    Is the Oval Office InternCam. Hot chicks, fat chicks, kinky chicks. All live and willing to please the "commander in chief." Available through AdultPass for only $19.99 a month. (But please, no whack-a-mole ad windows.)

  21. Remembering it on A Little Bit Of BBS Nostalgia · · Score: 2
    I remember those days...it was a lot more fun than the internet in my opinion. My favorite was one in North Carolina called Infinity Cyberplex. They had some games as well as multiple lines, good message boards, and if you met someone on there, unless they were telnetting in, you could go hang out with them. Also, there were a limited amount of users, so you had to learn to interact with those people rather than completely piss them off and try to change identities or else someone would realize that you switched accounts.

    I would say that the main difference is that it was more personal. I met people on there that had common interests with me, ended up working with one guy, made a few other friends, and even one enemy who turned out to be a wimp.

    BBSing was my first introduction to an "online community" and it was much more of a community than slashdot or most of the internet based ones that you find now. I know there were certain disadvantages to BBSing, and that most of them were mediocre ones that people set up in their houses to run at night just to be "31337" but there were a few really good ones out there.

    You say to leave it in the past, but without knowing the past we can't build a more interesting future. There is a lot to be learned from those days. Imagine connecting to the internet with a 2400 baud modem. Well, with most BBS's right up until the time of the internet, that was perfectly fine as long as you didn't intend to do file transfers. Also, you had to be more creative with setting up your site, as you mostly only had ASCII graphics. Later on, more complex things came along like RIP graphics, or even some had a windows GUI you could use, but for the most part the people running a BBS had to do more work, and had more quality BBS's than all these losers with their geocities websites. So, I guess what I am saying is that yes, we can not bring back the days of the BBS, and it would be a step backwards from a global network. However, there are things about those days that were superior to what the internet has today, and we should try to learn how to improve the internet based on where we were in the past and where we are today.

  22. Off Topic: Drug testing on Major Linux Deployments · · Score: 1
    Drug testing is pretty standard procedure in those types of jobs. Don't forget that they have people carrying around saws and driving forklifts and such. If you prefer to have someone that smokes crack driving a forklift with a load of bricks over your head, be my guest. Also, noone forces people to work for Home Depot so it is, as a private company, their right to test for illegal substances.

    Anyways, let's just go back to the linux conversation that this article is about. I think it is a good move, but to the end users they probably won't see a whole lot of difference as it's just a shell as much as anything else they use. I do remember being able to get the handheld scanning devices to go to a DOS prompt at Sam's and Walmart. That was pretty cool. :o)

  23. Just when everyone starts using linux... on Major Linux Deployments · · Score: 2
    I switch to FreeBSD. Damn I'm such a moron.

  24. Re:Interesting... on Mozilla .6 Released · · Score: 1
    Any substantial piece of software written in the last 3 years will run like a dog on that sort of configuration. I'm afraid the answer is to upgrade or stick with the stuff you're running now.

    I do intend to upgrade next year sometime when I get some money that doesn't need to be spent on other things...however, I view a web browser as a device that should only show text. It really should not be that complex unless you include plugins, java, etc. I don't see why a web browser has to be so complex. Sure, it is good to have features like css, javascript, etc built in, but even then it shouldn't be as slow as the browsers are these days. I don't see what a browser does that should reall need all the resources that a browser uses. It's not like I am trying to run Unreal on a P133, just a web browser.

    Anyways, the reason I haven't upgraded is because I have spread my computer money out to multiple devices. Rather than having one kickass computer, I have two older machines, an older laptop, a palm pilot, dsl, small home ethernet network, etc.

  25. Interesting... on Mozilla .6 Released · · Score: 2
    I'll download it and give it a try. I'm just concerned that it will still run slow on my machine, as it is a P133 with 32MB of RAM. I have been using Netscape 4.x for years now on AIX, Solaris, Linux, Windows95, NT4.0, and have gotten extremely used to it. I've tried IE and Opera and a few others that are not worth mentioning, and have yet to find a browser that has the features I want.

    As far as performance, does anyone here have experience with previous versions of mozilla on old equipment like I have? I want to see what others say before I install it.