It was a $40 million payback for what happened to Nixon over 20 years earlier. This was just the first time that the Republicans could actually do anything - they had just come to power a few years before.
Although, if you actually start adding up the dollars spent tying up congress from actually doing the business of the nation, I'm sure that amount would quickly spin into the multi-billions.
The/. summary fails to mention the fact that the whole reason this person was being "snooped" upon is because HP was trying to figure out who was leaking information to the press. This is true, but what affect does that really have on the fact that the privacy of this person was violated because of some maniacal CEO felt slighted.
If the people that did this (including the private investigators) don't rot in jail, we need to worry about our own privacy... not only would it be OK for the government to violate our privacy, but that would open the doors to corporations doing the same thing.
IMHO this is just as disconcerting, if not more so than what AT&T and the NSA are doing...
I had no idea that the EFF had lost their minds and resorted to antics like this. DRM is a non-issue. As a consumer, you have a viable alternative to buying DRM encoded media. The consumer is not strangled by DRM unless they opt for it.
The reality is, what some at the EFF find objectionable is not considered objectionable by the average person.
This war on DRM from the EFF is a losing battle that most people don't even care about. The EFF needs to focus it's efforts and money on areas that are actually effecting people in an adverse way, such as the NSA Wiretaps. (Yes, I know that they are already involved, but focusing their efforts here rather than pedestrian publicity stunts)
Most people that don't like DRM don't like it because it prevents them from stealing, not because it prohibits them from using it for it's intended purpose.
Non-Compete contracts sure are valid in California, they just can not prevent you from securing employment.
Here's an example of how they are valid:
During the "boom", I worked for a company in Sunnyvale. This was a well known technology company that did software and services. I left them, with about $500k in options that I had yet to exercise (waiting for the next tax year). My option grant stated that once granted and approved, these options (once they were accrued) were mine, even after termination of employment. My non-compete stated that if I left, to work for 'competition' within 50 miles, I would forfeit all options and non-earned benefits.
I had someone blowing smoke up my ass about how non-competes were unenforcable, and thought it sounded reasonable... Unfortunatly, a single clause that is invalid does not invalidate the entire contract.
The upside is, the new company did quite well, and the job would certainly have been filled if I had waited the nearly three months for the new year.
The core issue here is that the current paradigm directly ties accounts, identities, and privileges.
What we need is a system that every person has one identity, with multiple persona. Each persona would have privileges and accounts tied with it. Your identity should be available only to those to which you trust it, and persona as well.
People with money will be better equipped than people with no money...those with no money will quit in disgust, and those with money will lose interest after they run up against enough other players with enough money to equip themselves well.
I'd agree, except for the fact that he said 'improving'. He did not mention a requirement to remove compatibility with most applications, nor request that it become sluggish.
I drive a car that gets 14mpg. It blows LEV on the smog machine, but since the government subsidizes the cost of gas, I get mine back... partly due to the taxes paid by the guy driving the Prius.
There is a market for it, but instead the cost of wireless access will be buried in everyone's tax bill, where the consumer cannot decide which level of service he wants, what is a fair price, or when to terminate it.
I can't drink milk. My taxes go to subsudize dairy farms.
Slashdot Mirror
Your signature vexes me:
Aych tea tea pea colon slash slash dot dot org slash
h t t p : / / dot . org /
Unless your signature is advertising some link farming site, I think you have a missing slash.
Agreed.
This whole thing just cost HP a little under 100 minutes of revenue, based upon their prior years revenue of nearly 92 billion dollars.
They got off easy. This will set a precedent for any criminal process in this issue.
It was a $40 million payback for what happened to Nixon over 20 years earlier. This was just the first time that the Republicans could actually do anything - they had just come to power a few years before.
Although, if you actually start adding up the dollars spent tying up congress from actually doing the business of the nation, I'm sure that amount would quickly spin into the multi-billions.
The /. summary fails to mention the fact that the whole reason this person was being "snooped" upon is because HP was trying to figure out who was leaking information to the press.
This is true, but what affect does that really have on the fact that the privacy of this person was violated because of some maniacal CEO felt slighted.
If the people that did this (including the private investigators) don't rot in jail, we need to worry about our own privacy... not only would it be OK for the government to violate our privacy, but that would open the doors to corporations doing the same thing.
IMHO this is just as disconcerting, if not more so than what AT&T and the NSA are doing...
I had no idea that the EFF had lost their minds and resorted to antics like this. DRM is a non-issue. As a consumer, you have a viable alternative to buying DRM encoded media. The consumer is not strangled by DRM unless they opt for it.
The reality is, what some at the EFF find objectionable is not considered objectionable by the average person.
This war on DRM from the EFF is a losing battle that most people don't even care about. The EFF needs to focus it's efforts and money on areas that are actually effecting people in an adverse way, such as the NSA Wiretaps. (Yes, I know that they are already involved, but focusing their efforts here rather than pedestrian publicity stunts)
Most people that don't like DRM don't like it because it prevents them from stealing, not because it prohibits them from using it for it's intended purpose.
etherchanneled gig links
I'm sorry, but Brainiac is one of the coolest shows on TV.
It's like Mythbusters, except they don't try to delude you into thinking that they are actually being scientifically correct.
Brainiac is science + fun.
I mean COME ON - Fizz or Bang?
Does fruit make my poo float or sink?
What foods make your pee smell funky?
I first saw the show when I was on holiday in England - and I've been a fan of Brainiac (and Arsenal) since.
China is rapidly using up copper, aluminium, steel, and oil as they try to become a second or first world country.
China is already a Second World country.
Not til they port emacs, THEN it will be an POS
I fixed that for you.
You can thank me later.
I've seen a system...
That is STILL running Fedora Core 1...
He's had it up and running since 2000
That's amazing, considering FC1 was made available 5 November 2003.
Non-Compete contracts sure are valid in California, they just can not prevent you from securing employment.
Here's an example of how they are valid:
During the "boom", I worked for a company in Sunnyvale. This was a well known technology company that did software and services. I left them, with about $500k in options that I had yet to exercise (waiting for the next tax year). My option grant stated that once granted and approved, these options (once they were accrued) were mine, even after termination of employment. My non-compete stated that if I left, to work for 'competition' within 50 miles, I would forfeit all options and non-earned benefits.
I had someone blowing smoke up my ass about how non-competes were unenforcable, and thought it sounded reasonable... Unfortunatly, a single clause that is invalid does not invalidate the entire contract.
The upside is, the new company did quite well, and the job would certainly have been filled if I had waited the nearly three months for the new year.
I'd personally contribute some hard-earned $$$ to fund a bounty for this...
Agreed.
Wal-Mart can keep their 'prices are falling' advertising, and their 'quality of living is falling' corporate reality to themselves.
The core issue here is that the current paradigm directly ties accounts, identities, and privileges.
What we need is a system that every person has one identity, with multiple persona. Each persona would have privileges and accounts tied with it. Your identity should be available only to those to which you trust it, and persona as well.
Just wait...
word is, this champion of the poor artist wants to be your next Justice on the Supreme Court.
They are not, but Orrin Hatch is.
He is also the lapdog of the entertainment industry.
People with money will be better equipped than people with no money...those with no money will quit in disgust, and those with money will lose interest after they run up against enough other players with enough money to equip themselves well.
Sounds like Life to me.
that's cute.
I'd agree, except for the fact that he said 'improving'. He did not mention a requirement to remove compatibility with most applications, nor request that it become sluggish.
I also remember it with that atrocious trackball, a 9" screen, and terrible battery life.
The thinkpad had at 10.something inch COLOR screen, and the 'eraser tip' mouse control.
The PowerBook series set the standard for laptop computer design.
Sorry, you must have the PowerBook confused for the IBM Thinkpad.
s_benders@hoMONETtmail.com minus painter
where is the painter in HomoNettMail?
In the big picture it is fair.
I drive a car that gets 14mpg. It blows LEV on the smog machine, but since the government subsidizes the cost of gas, I get mine back... partly due to the taxes paid by the guy driving the Prius.
It all works out in the end.
I can't drink milk.
My taxes go to subsudize dairy farms.
Is that unfair? No.
the issue is that to do what you suggest, it would take coordination of multiple individuals, with rather limited results.
In the electronic voting situation, a single individual could account for tens of thousands of votes all across the US.
on a paper ballot system, i can not easily submit 15,000 votes for Fred Flinstone. In an electronic system, I can.