These services have existed for a while. AT&T offered this as part of AT&T Mail - you could actually send an email to a physical address (something like location_city_state_zip@attmail.com), and they'd print it out and mail it. I think it cost about $1.50.
Now I don't personally know anyone who used this, and I also don't know if it's still available. But I have to wonder if people will buy it now, if it wasn't a hit previously...
Unless someone hacked the database, your security would not be compromised.
I don't think so.
Unless the USPS very carefully strips off message headers, anyone who sent spam to (for example) all of the addresses in the USA Addresses cd-rom, and just looked at the "unsubscribe" / "fuck you" / undeliverables coming back from the real recipient could very simply replicate the database.
I for one say no, thanks to this particular security breach. I guess those who really want to get credit card solicitations in email might consider it...
As I recall the "Internet Zone" has scripting enabled, I suppose because MS thinks everyone wants a "rich internet experience."
I use the "Restricted Sites Zone" in Outlook 98, which has more "safe" things enabled by default, but I still had to turn off Javascript, VBscript, and other crap by hand.
Yes, embedded code in the data is stupid. If people begin to expect this, you can expect a very wide range of exploits. It's really a surprise actually, if you think about it, that nobody's put up some BRITNEY_SPEARS.mp3.vbs crapola to cause Melissa / Life Stages style emails to everyone.
I would recommend, if you're running an electronic licensing system, a self-executing, self-playing file that isn't itself MP3, but contains an MP3 (and playback code). Run it; like it; pay up; it spits out the MP3 and deletes itself (or keeps the self-extracting archive separately, like the Register tools provided with some shareware.) This gives up the ability to charge for multiple distributions but substantially reduces the chance of abuse.
But if you click through, you'll see a nice letter to Janet Reno complaining about Carnivore. Even if the domain name is suspect (and I think it is), at least Armey is on the right side of this issue, from the YRO point of view.
I think my point still stands. It's the pen-based tablet concept that doesn't work very well. One of the main reasons Go (and Wi ndows for Pen Computing - remember that?) failed was that writing stuff on a tablet is generally slower and less reliable than a keyboard, no matter how impressive it is in a press demo.
I for one vastly prefer a keyboard, having used Windows for Pens (Compaq Concerto) back in the day. The only reason I now use a pen for ANYTHING is that the Palm is too small to have a keyboard, and size was more important when I made that purchase.
Um, the whole pen-based PC concept has been tried repeatedly and with very little success. Read Jerry Kaplan's book Startup for the sordid tale of Go Corp., which came up with a whole new OS (PenPoint) and fell flat on its face, way back in 1993-95.
I can't imagine why Apple would think it would succeed now.
Faxing the MP3s would be a very nice solution. Does someone have the tools used to create Phil Zimmerman's printed-out PGP? This would have nice scannable checksums and so on... do this with your whole MP3 jukebox and they'll have some fun with it.
Is this an "authorized" copy, and if so, how is this different from the Linux versions out there?
(Personally I think that the OpenNapster concept is one that should be promoted, rather like the thousands of DeCSS mirrors. But Hummer Winblad != 2600.)
People really do believe anything they see, and the media are always looking for "those nutty geeks" stories...
I would argue that this experience is exactly why/. should stay the same. The fact that more people than ever are interested in/. topics, and the weirdness that comes with same, means that/. is doing something right. After all, if the only discussions were about Debian v. RedHat and KDE v. GNOME, it would be much less interesting, for hardcore nerds and wannabes alike!
You're right, ACR is garbage. It's really designed to reject individuals who have Caller ID blocking - I think the telcos market it so that those with blocking will get annoyed, unlock, and then conveniently (for the telcos) expose themselves to marketers and so on.
I tend to think that the right approach would be a federal law requiring a working Caller ID number for all telemarketers, with a penalty for violation of $2000 per call. Then Caller ID box makers could add it to their list, or some enterprising soul could create a MAPS RBL equivalent...
Of course the biggest offenders here in SF, CA are the political campaigns, both Democrat and Republican. I remember getting LOTS of Bill Clinton, Dianne Feinstein, Willie Brown, et al. recorded messages last fall when the SF mayor's race was on. I'm sure the Repubs do the same thing in Orange County (say). If CA had this law, or similar federal law were in effect, the campaigns would face some very severe liability!
1. As you say, you have to create a standard system for this that can't be reverse-engineered - and a working cover story.
2. The other challenge, as noted elsewhere in this thread, is to avoid getting the attention of the authorities that you're doing this. One if by land, two if by sea works with ordinary lanterns that one would expect to see - but if the Continentals had shot off fireworks, for example, the Redcoats might have noticed. So don't send architectural drawings if you're not already an architecture fan.
Not "injunctified." One enjoins someone from taking particular actions, and this is called an injunction. Both come from the same Latin root, injungere, to forbid or order.
Disclaimer: I hate all forms of IP and think the world would be a better place with no IP or significantly less. Given the mass of capital invested in IP these days I think it's unlikely I'll see its abolishment in my time, but I feel it's important to fight when IP rights are being extended & entrenched.
Me too. It was such a drag when NetWare/IPX lost the protocol wars.
If the Brazilians have a legitimate complaint (and I think it's garbage), then so much more do the residents of, um, Corinth, some of whom might be engaged in some form of commercial activity.
Did anyone ask them? If not, the WIPO is smoking crack.
The facility hop between musicians is enough that musicians won't be able to respond to each other (e.g. jam together) in any meaningful way. 2.5sec is 1-2 measures, depending on the tempo. So it will be very, very "cold" and rehearsed - you might as well just mix 'em together in a studio off DATs Fedexed in.
Slashdot Mirror
Now I don't personally know anyone who used this, and I also don't know if it's still available. But I have to wonder if people will buy it now, if it wasn't a hit previously...
sulli
I don't think so.
Unless the USPS very carefully strips off message headers, anyone who sent spam to (for example) all of the addresses in the USA Addresses cd-rom, and just looked at the "unsubscribe" / "fuck you" / undeliverables coming back from the real recipient could very simply replicate the database.
I for one say no, thanks to this particular security breach. I guess those who really want to get credit card solicitations in email might consider it...
sulli
I use the "Restricted Sites Zone" in Outlook 98, which has more "safe" things enabled by default, but I still had to turn off Javascript, VBscript, and other crap by hand.
sulli
I would recommend, if you're running an electronic licensing system, a self-executing, self-playing file that isn't itself MP3, but contains an MP3 (and playback code). Run it; like it; pay up; it spits out the MP3 and deletes itself (or keeps the self-extracting archive separately, like the Register tools provided with some shareware.) This gives up the ability to charge for multiple distributions but substantially reduces the chance of abuse.
sulli
But if you click through, you'll see a nice letter to Janet Reno complaining about Carnivore. Even if the domain name is suspect (and I think it is), at least Armey is on the right side of this issue, from the YRO point of view.
sulli
And me thinking of smashing a few CDs this weekend!
sulli
I for one vastly prefer a keyboard, having used Windows for Pens (Compaq Concerto) back in the day. The only reason I now use a pen for ANYTHING is that the Palm is too small to have a keyboard, and size was more important when I made that purchase.
sulli
I can't imagine why Apple would think it would succeed now.
sulli
sulli
(Personally I think that the OpenNapster concept is one that should be promoted, rather like the thousands of DeCSS mirrors. But Hummer Winblad != 2600.)
sulli
I would argue that this experience is exactly why /. should stay the same. The fact that more people than ever are interested in /. topics, and the weirdness that comes with same, means that /. is doing something right. After all, if the only discussions were about Debian v. RedHat and KDE v. GNOME, it would be much less interesting, for hardcore nerds and wannabes alike!
sulli
sulli
YAWN = Yet Another Worthless Name
sulli
http://www.rcmp.ca/html/graphics/charge.jpg
sulli
sulli
I tend to think that the right approach would be a federal law requiring a working Caller ID number for all telemarketers, with a penalty for violation of $2000 per call. Then Caller ID box makers could add it to their list, or some enterprising soul could create a MAPS RBL equivalent...
sulli
Of course the biggest offenders here in SF, CA are the political campaigns, both Democrat and Republican. I remember getting LOTS of Bill Clinton, Dianne Feinstein, Willie Brown, et al. recorded messages last fall when the SF mayor's race was on. I'm sure the Repubs do the same thing in Orange County (say). If CA had this law, or similar federal law were in effect, the campaigns would face some very severe liability!
sulli
sulli
1. As you say, you have to create a standard system for this that can't be reverse-engineered - and a working cover story.
2. The other challenge, as noted elsewhere in this thread, is to avoid getting the attention of the authorities that you're doing this. One if by land, two if by sea works with ordinary lanterns that one would expect to see - but if the Continentals had shot off fireworks, for example, the Redcoats might have noticed. So don't send architectural drawings if you're not already an architecture fan.
sulli
sulli
Me too. It was such a drag when NetWare/IPX lost the protocol wars.
sulli
Did anyone ask them? If not, the WIPO is smoking crack.
sulli
sulli