First car I ever bought - a 1977 Leyland Mini (a real bomb, as it turned out) had its engine die within 300km of buying it. When I took it to the mechanic, it turned out that the problem was that a family of rats had built its home behind the dashboard and chewed through the cable for the oil warning light, so I never received a warning that I was low on oil.
“None of that information was sound enough to pursue on its own, but putting everything we had together gave me enough evidence to send a subpoena to Blizzard Entertainment. I knew exactly what he was playing — World of Warcraft. I used to play it. It’s one of the largest online games in the world.”
Due to the guy being in a different country, there was not a need to respond to it, but I guess that there would have been nothing to have stopped one being sought in Canada....
... I cannot help but think of the Cock Sparrer song "Take 'Em All" about record labels:
We worked our way up from East End pubs To gigs and back stage passes Ex-boxing champs, West End clubs Americans in dark glasses Driving ten grand cars, they drink in hotel bars They're even making money in bed They wouldn't be no loss, they ain't worth a toss It's about time they all dropped dead.
[Chorus] Take 'em all, take 'em all Put 'em up against a wall and shoot 'em Short and tall, watch 'em fall Come on boys take 'em all
Well tough shit boys, it ain't our fault Your record didn't make it We made you dance, you had your chance But you didn't take it Well, I gotta go make another deal Sign another group for the company I don't suppose we'll ever meet again You'd better get back to the factory.
...that with ancient texts, the challenge is more in the decyphering of the language in which they were written, not the storage format (be that stone, papyrus, cuneiform or whatever else). The issue here is that if the content is locked up in a proprietary format, it stops the decyphering of the content. After all, the excitement in ancient texts is mostly in the message, not the vessel containing it.
Hell, we have enough issues understanding older forms of languages still in use (German shorthand schrift from the nineteenth century, for instance), let alone the heirohlyphs of the Maya. Even with the text readable, the significance still remains to be discovered. That is the challenge - not the digital format of a Word document (except for the IT brigade, perhaps).
- Lipstick-wearer - "he was even sent home from school once for wearing his sister's make up to school";
- Opium-taker; and
- Described as being the "unkempt poster child of doom and gloom".
...brought down the streaming Bigpond website that was meant to be able to show it to people who registered (office workers, presumably). However, there was such a demand for the two-minute race that the site was down for most of the day, and from memory, access was troubling the day before. We ended up watching it at work on a 12cm black and white portable television.
The World Cup is a lot larger then the Melbourne Cup (one bloody so-called 'legendary' horse aside - forget its name), so unless streaming sites are beefed up a lot, then they will be brought down.
...that's the problem. As others have attested, IDs are compulsory in other countries. There's nothing wrong with this per se.
However, the proposed Australian smart card also has the chip-related issues. Reports here (I'm in Australia, so I'm following this closely) are suggesting that the card will carry far more than just ID-related information, but medical records as well. There's nothing stopping access to these by non-authorised people. By 'non-authorised', I mean for instance your physiotherapist's receptionist may be able to view your medical records from your doctor (do you want your physiotherapist's receptionist knowing that you are anti-depressants or have been tested (with a positive result) for an STD?).
This is what a real concern is - the collation of various national databases into a single source, which is accessible to all who have access to the card information. So far there's been nothing said to my knowledge that this isn't the case.
Then there's, of course, the not-so-hidden references to how the security forces will be able to access all data, if needed. Fine, if that's necessary, go ahead, but the Australian Government should not pretend that the card isn't a full ID card with biometric information and with full record access.
As has been pointed out by others, one will need a smart card for accessing government services. This not only includes health and welfare services, but taxation services as well apparently. In other words, if one needs to file a tax return, one must have a card. If you don't need the government welfare and Medicare services, you will certainly need to file a tax return (unless your income is all illegal, which means you'll come to the authorities' attention by other means).
I'm not being paranoid, but I don't feel comfortable with such broad information being available on a single card. Either way, the Government should just come out and be honest (for once...) about what the card really is.
...at a cinema in St Kilda (Melbourne) at 4am with 400-500 other people. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic. People were standing up, cheering, waving flags (no firecrackers or flares, at least). I'd definitely do it again. In fact, I did. I organised about six games to be shown live in the University cinema where I was working. Even though it wasn't brilliantly advertised, the cinema was pretty much full each time and people really enjoyed the group atmosphere and got into the swing of it.
Trust me, a sports telecast in a cinema is very different from seeing a normal film, at which people are expected to be quiet (unless it's a 1950s b-grade, I suppose). It's a lot more like being at a stadium than watching a television.
If I could go to a cinema on a Sunday night and see a live Formula One race (no waiting around for a delayed telecast), I'd be there every race.
Firstly, if nothing is released publicly, how the hell is anybody meant to know that you've made changes, and secondly, it's the distribution that is the ket issue. Don't distribute binaries created from modified sources, no need to distribute changes. Cannot say fairer than that.
I complained to my bank (one of the St George group of banks in Australia) that Firefox didn't work with their website and was told that this wasn't going to change. A couple of weeks later (and before I had organised myself to switch banks), the secure login section started mysteriously working perfectly using Firefox. I wrote to thank them, but never got a response.
Raising the topic with banks does make a difference - especially if it is suggested to them (in the nicely-worded suggestion) that one might be forced to change banks to one that supports browsers other than IE...
...that I use online lyric sites are for when I want the words for music that I have purchased, but the publisher saw fit not to include the lyrics in the packaging, or for looking up the name of a song that I have heard and want to know what it is.
In the first instance, there's no more money to be made from me as I have already spent money - and I would refuse to pay to use a site that provides lyrics. Indeed, it would also discourage me from buying more music in the future from companies that endorse this approach.
In the second instance, there's also no money to be made from me as I won't be able to find the song by using its lyrics. Lose-lose for the music industry, it seems. To top it off, with this type of attitude, I'm also far less likely to purchase anything from companies pursuing this type of strategy.
That's why I stick with Internet radio and music from individuals, groups and companies that respect their fans, rather than trying to milk them for all that they are worth.
I'm not a musician, so I don't download tabs. Shutting down tab sites also seems pointless as any half-decent musician can pick up a song by listening to it. Every musician I know does it this way. Does this mean that the music industry wants to also jail musicians who learn by listening, rather than by buying officially sanctioned tabs and scores?
Silly me, I forget that all the great musicians learnt from the officially sanctioned sources, rather than listening and imitating their heroes... and that anybody who disagrees with what the music industry wants must be a pirate and thief.
However, this motion/proposal is unlikely to gain legs as Howard (current Australian Prime Minister) would almost certainly leave it as a 'conscience vote' and I sincerely doubt that it will have the popularity to get through the lower house, let alone the upper house.
The Australian House of Representatives has 150 seats; 62 Coalition MPs (of support this so far. It therefore only would need another 14 supporters out of the remaining 88 MPs, of which 25 are part of the Coalition. Assuming the signatories stick with what they have petitioned for, it may well go through the House of Representatives.
The Upper House would be trickier, but in order to keep Family First (Assemblies of God party) happy, there is the chance that it may go through. If 'parents' support the push (as the Guy Barrett, the MP in question, suggests), then don't rule it out.
And, as I understand it, this sort of 'filtering' would be quite difficult to do and the current upper echelons of politicians *and* public servants switched on enough to listen to those who would advise them on the viability of 'filtering'... so false alarm and ignore the political posturing. The guy is (most likely) in a marginal seat and is trying to buy some credit with the local religious conservatives.
Guy Barnett is in the Senate, and was elected in 2004 - third (of six positions) in the state; this means that he easily made it in, and his seat won't come up for election again until the election after next (as late as 2010...).
I wouldn't want to rely on our Parliamentarians to do the right thing without lobbying hard to sway any vote against censorship. Don't forget - Australia already has Internet censorship laws. If it only would cost $33m/year (from the article), then the Government may pass legislation that makes the ISPs pick up the tab (to a certain degree, at least), which would mean that the end user would wear it in the end. Either that, or taxes would pay for it. Either way, the average Internet user would end up paying for the 'privilege' of being censored.
Given the way that there have been pushes to censor politically inappropriate websites in the past (but without success, so far), in light of the new anti-terror legislation, I wouldn't rule out the censorship being extended, if it were introduced. Sites that advocate terrorist activities, or provide bomb making instructions, for instance, could be targeted. After that, anything seditious in nature? Who knows.
Paranoid? Without a doubt. However, in light of the way legislation has passed of late in this country, I wouldn't rule it out completely. I'd much prefer to be slightly paranoid about this than be complacent and suddenly realise too late that the Great Firewall of Oz has been established.
...isn't the way that all big bands make their money. Some bands sell their tickets at a break-even point, so that if a show doesn't sell out completely, they actually lose money on said show (or with a bit of bad luck technically, on an entire tour).
They do this because they feel that they do well enough on sales alone, and don't want to price their shows out of reach of some of their fans. Also, merchandise isn't sold at rip-off prices.
Mind you, said example is an exception to the rule of concert pricing, so I guess it isn't really presentative of bands generally.
Then you've missed the point. We all know that bad people are capable of good - likewise regimes. However, I was referring to the GP that had been moderated as 'funny', when the situation in Tibet isn't. And, no, I was not appealing to the emotional by mentioning Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union, post-1949 China and Nazi Germany have a lot in common - or am I being emotional again? - and glossing over their crimes (in this instance, China's invasion of Tibet) by pointing to the good of proposed eco-cities covers up what else happens in that country.
The West's increasing warming to China - be it economic or otherwise - only serves to push the country's human rights record into the background. Let's not forget that. We don't forget about the crimes of Nazi Germany for good reason, and neither should we forget about China's record.
There again, I'm probably making the usual mistake of expecting too much from Slashdot...
No argument about this, but that doesn't make the Chinese any better or worse - it just puts it into an historical context of genocides (physical and cultural). Mind you, none of the countries you mention have had a Mao or a Stalin...
Why is this moderated as funny...
on
Chinese Eco-Cities
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
...rather than insightful?
Whilst the parent may have been written a little tongue in cheek, it isn't exactly a humourous notion to have Chinese-free government in Tibet. No number of green cities can replace a culture that is being destroyed - or for that matter, China's treatment of its own people.
It's like Naxi Germany building the autobahn and ensuring that there was more employment - let's not forget the other side of Communist China, just in the same way that we don't forget about the other side to Nazi Germany.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) threatened non-sponsors in 2004 (ie - Athens Olympics, not Sydney Olympics). I know of one case in which a student union (I worked there at the time) produced posters to advertise that it was showing telecasts in one of its catering outlets.
The posters were only on campus, but the AOC threatened legal action over them.
Stupid thing is that the official advertisers would have only benefitted as by having more people watching the telecasts, more people would have been exposed to the advertising...
the latest sexually-transmitted diseases. Well, not Auditor perhaps, but the others...Whoppix, Knoppix-STD, and PHLAK. hate to think what happens when one catches Phlak... probably results in something that causes people to start sniffing your packets.;)
... on the band. Some big bands like the German group 'Die Toten Hosen' aim to break even on live tours - at best - so that their fans can afford to buy tickets at decent prices. Hell, if a concert doesn't sell out, they actually lose money.
Their albums sell over a million copies - that's enough for them (and shows that they aren't a small band...)
...but that seems to be the favourite push of the new owners of Amiga. The 'real' Amiga (OS4) is still in beta, out with users, but it hasn't gone officially to a release version yet. I still live in hope (yes, I'm one of those sad individuals who still watches what AmigaOS is doing (or isn't, as the case may be), hoping for a resurrection;) )
Oh well, in any case, it's still more alive (officially, at least), than OS/2;)
Okay, in reality, it's more like the Monty Python parrot, but, hey, the Amiga's just really pining for the fjords and is shagged out after a long squawk....
Slashdot Mirror
First car I ever bought - a 1977 Leyland Mini (a real bomb, as it turned out) had its engine die within 300km of buying it. When I took it to the mechanic, it turned out that the problem was that a family of rats had built its home behind the dashboard and chewed through the cable for the oil warning light, so I never received a warning that I was low on oil.
Nice to see that nothing has changed...
I find it interesting that anybody found out where he lives, given that Michael Atkinson refuses to reveal where he lives.
With no proof one way or the other, I suspect that the note story is made up. Just like the barbecued cat story.
Blizzard was subpoenaed:
“None of that information was sound enough to pursue on its own, but putting everything we had together gave me enough evidence to send a subpoena to Blizzard Entertainment. I knew exactly what he was playing — World of Warcraft. I used to play it. It’s one of the largest online games in the world.”
Due to the guy being in a different country, there was not a need to respond to it, but I guess that there would have been nothing to have stopped one being sought in Canada....
This is my maths party from last night. As you can see, it got pretty rowdy.
... I cannot help but think of the Cock Sparrer song "Take 'Em All" about record labels:
We worked our way up from East End pubs
To gigs and back stage passes
Ex-boxing champs, West End clubs
Americans in dark glasses
Driving ten grand cars, they drink in hotel bars
They're even making money in bed
They wouldn't be no loss, they ain't worth a toss
It's about time they all dropped dead.
[Chorus]
Take 'em all, take 'em all
Put 'em up against a wall and shoot 'em
Short and tall, watch 'em fall
Come on boys take 'em all
Well tough shit boys, it ain't our fault
Your record didn't make it
We made you dance, you had your chance
But you didn't take it
Well, I gotta go make another deal
Sign another group for the company
I don't suppose we'll ever meet again
You'd better get back to the factory.
[Chorus]
Take 'em all, watch 'em fall [x4]
[Chorus Repeat...]
...that with ancient texts, the challenge is more in the decyphering of the language in which they were written, not the storage format (be that stone, papyrus, cuneiform or whatever else). The issue here is that if the content is locked up in a proprietary format, it stops the decyphering of the content. After all, the excitement in ancient texts is mostly in the message, not the vessel containing it.
Hell, we have enough issues understanding older forms of languages still in use (German shorthand schrift from the nineteenth century, for instance), let alone the heirohlyphs of the Maya. Even with the text readable, the significance still remains to be discovered. That is the challenge - not the digital format of a Word document (except for the IT brigade, perhaps).
- Lipstick-wearer - "he was even sent home from school once for wearing his sister's make up to school";
- Opium-taker; and
- Described as being the "unkempt poster child of doom and gloom".
Second link from a Google search on your friend. I'd say that he's blown his privacy...
...brought down the streaming Bigpond website that was meant to be able to show it to people who registered (office workers, presumably). However, there was such a demand for the two-minute race that the site was down for most of the day, and from memory, access was troubling the day before. We ended up watching it at work on a 12cm black and white portable television.
The World Cup is a lot larger then the Melbourne Cup (one bloody so-called 'legendary' horse aside - forget its name), so unless streaming sites are beefed up a lot, then they will be brought down.
...that's the problem. As others have attested, IDs are compulsory in other countries. There's nothing wrong with this per se.
However, the proposed Australian smart card also has the chip-related issues. Reports here (I'm in Australia, so I'm following this closely) are suggesting that the card will carry far more than just ID-related information, but medical records as well. There's nothing stopping access to these by non-authorised people. By 'non-authorised', I mean for instance your physiotherapist's receptionist may be able to view your medical records from your doctor (do you want your physiotherapist's receptionist knowing that you are anti-depressants or have been tested (with a positive result) for an STD?).
This is what a real concern is - the collation of various national databases into a single source, which is accessible to all who have access to the card information. So far there's been nothing said to my knowledge that this isn't the case.
Then there's, of course, the not-so-hidden references to how the security forces will be able to access all data, if needed. Fine, if that's necessary, go ahead, but the Australian Government should not pretend that the card isn't a full ID card with biometric information and with full record access.
As has been pointed out by others, one will need a smart card for accessing government services. This not only includes health and welfare services, but taxation services as well apparently. In other words, if one needs to file a tax return, one must have a card. If you don't need the government welfare and Medicare services, you will certainly need to file a tax return (unless your income is all illegal, which means you'll come to the authorities' attention by other means).
I'm not being paranoid, but I don't feel comfortable with such broad information being available on a single card. Either way, the Government should just come out and be honest (for once...) about what the card really is.
...at a cinema in St Kilda (Melbourne) at 4am with 400-500 other people. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic. People were standing up, cheering, waving flags (no firecrackers or flares, at least). I'd definitely do it again. In fact, I did. I organised about six games to be shown live in the University cinema where I was working. Even though it wasn't brilliantly advertised, the cinema was pretty much full each time and people really enjoyed the group atmosphere and got into the swing of it.
Trust me, a sports telecast in a cinema is very different from seeing a normal film, at which people are expected to be quiet (unless it's a 1950s b-grade, I suppose). It's a lot more like being at a stadium than watching a television.
If I could go to a cinema on a Sunday night and see a live Formula One race (no waiting around for a delayed telecast), I'd be there every race.
Firstly, if nothing is released publicly, how the hell is anybody meant to know that you've made changes, and secondly, it's the distribution that is the ket issue. Don't distribute binaries created from modified sources, no need to distribute changes. Cannot say fairer than that.
Anyway, as others have pointed out, the source code is available. There's no story here.
Raising the topic with banks does make a difference - especially if it is suggested to them (in the nicely-worded suggestion) that one might be forced to change banks to one that supports browsers other than IE...
In the first instance, there's no more money to be made from me as I have already spent money - and I would refuse to pay to use a site that provides lyrics. Indeed, it would also discourage me from buying more music in the future from companies that endorse this approach.
In the second instance, there's also no money to be made from me as I won't be able to find the song by using its lyrics. Lose-lose for the music industry, it seems. To top it off, with this type of attitude, I'm also far less likely to purchase anything from companies pursuing this type of strategy.
That's why I stick with Internet radio and music from individuals, groups and companies that respect their fans, rather than trying to milk them for all that they are worth.
I'm not a musician, so I don't download tabs. Shutting down tab sites also seems pointless as any half-decent musician can pick up a song by listening to it. Every musician I know does it this way. Does this mean that the music industry wants to also jail musicians who learn by listening, rather than by buying officially sanctioned tabs and scores?
Silly me, I forget that all the great musicians learnt from the officially sanctioned sources, rather than listening and imitating their heroes... and that anybody who disagrees with what the music industry wants must be a pirate and thief.
The Australian House of Representatives has 150 seats; 62 Coalition MPs (of support this so far. It therefore only would need another 14 supporters out of the remaining 88 MPs, of which 25 are part of the Coalition. Assuming the signatories stick with what they have petitioned for, it may well go through the House of Representatives.
The Upper House would be trickier, but in order to keep Family First (Assemblies of God party) happy, there is the chance that it may go through. If 'parents' support the push (as the Guy Barrett, the MP in question, suggests), then don't rule it out.
And, as I understand it, this sort of 'filtering' would be quite difficult to do and the current upper echelons of politicians *and* public servants switched on enough to listen to those who would advise them on the viability of 'filtering'... so false alarm and ignore the political posturing. The guy is (most likely) in a marginal seat and is trying to buy some credit with the local religious conservatives.
Guy Barnett is in the Senate, and was elected in 2004 - third (of six positions) in the state; this means that he easily made it in, and his seat won't come up for election again until the election after next (as late as 2010...).
I wouldn't want to rely on our Parliamentarians to do the right thing without lobbying hard to sway any vote against censorship. Don't forget - Australia already has Internet censorship laws. If it only would cost $33m/year (from the article), then the Government may pass legislation that makes the ISPs pick up the tab (to a certain degree, at least), which would mean that the end user would wear it in the end. Either that, or taxes would pay for it. Either way, the average Internet user would end up paying for the 'privilege' of being censored.
Given the way that there have been pushes to censor politically inappropriate websites in the past (but without success, so far), in light of the new anti-terror legislation, I wouldn't rule out the censorship being extended, if it were introduced. Sites that advocate terrorist activities, or provide bomb making instructions, for instance, could be targeted. After that, anything seditious in nature? Who knows.
Paranoid? Without a doubt. However, in light of the way legislation has passed of late in this country, I wouldn't rule it out completely. I'd much prefer to be slightly paranoid about this than be complacent and suddenly realise too late that the Great Firewall of Oz has been established.
They do this because they feel that they do well enough on sales alone, and don't want to price their shows out of reach of some of their fans. Also, merchandise isn't sold at rip-off prices.
Mind you, said example is an exception to the rule of concert pricing, so I guess it isn't really presentative of bands generally.
The West's increasing warming to China - be it economic or otherwise - only serves to push the country's human rights record into the background. Let's not forget that. We don't forget about the crimes of Nazi Germany for good reason, and neither should we forget about China's record.
There again, I'm probably making the usual mistake of expecting too much from Slashdot...
Whilst the parent may have been written a little tongue in cheek, it isn't exactly a humourous notion to have Chinese-free government in Tibet. No number of green cities can replace a culture that is being destroyed - or for that matter, China's treatment of its own people.
It's like Naxi Germany building the autobahn and ensuring that there was more employment - let's not forget the other side of Communist China, just in the same way that we don't forget about the other side to Nazi Germany.
On Slashdot? Yeah right... well, yeah, as if anybody would believe you.
but I wouldn't bet any money on it
No, really?
The posters were only on campus, but the AOC threatened legal action over them.
Stupid thing is that the official advertisers would have only benefitted as by having more people watching the telecasts, more people would have been exposed to the advertising...
Somewhat over the top, IMO.
the latest sexually-transmitted diseases. Well, not Auditor perhaps, but the others...Whoppix, Knoppix-STD, and PHLAK. hate to think what happens when one catches Phlak... probably results in something that causes people to start sniffing your packets. ;)
Their albums sell over a million copies - that's enough for them (and shows that they aren't a small band...)
...but that seems to be the favourite push of the new owners of Amiga. The 'real' Amiga (OS4) is still in beta, out with users, but it hasn't gone officially to a release version yet. I still live in hope (yes, I'm one of those sad individuals who still watches what AmigaOS is doing (or isn't, as the case may be), hoping for a resurrection ;) )
;)
Oh well, in any case, it's still more alive (officially, at least), than OS/2
Okay, in reality, it's more like the Monty Python parrot, but, hey, the Amiga's just really pining for the fjords and is shagged out after a long squawk....