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User: smd4985

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  1. when will the insanity end? on NCR Patents the Internet · · Score: 1

    patents are an important mechanism that help spur innovation, but the patent system is too undiscerning - common methodologies, such as one-click, hyperlinks, business plans, and putting candy bars out by the checkout counter, should not be patentable.

    patents should reward true innovation, not extensions of common sense or general techniques....

  2. encrypted networks on File-sharing and AOL · · Score: 3, Insightful

    if the subpoena of IP addresses based on pure suspicion as supported by the DMCA holds, then media and/or ISPs will be powerless when p2p networks provide authenticated, encrypted services. freenet is already making strides in this area but i think it can be even better.

    as much as they fight it, AOL/RIAA/whatever are only shooting themselves in the foot. embrace digital content as a viable content delivery mechanism or die....

  3. Re:Hypocrisy? on Even Sun Can't Use Java · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The note is certain to be used by Microsoft in their appeal against the Java injunction."

    Um, no.
    First off, who knows if the note is even authentic.
    Secondly, what will be MS's argument?:
    "Judge, Sun feels they should improve their Java product. As you know, the law states that no company should be able to improve their products, unless they are us, and we can improve other people's products, but only for Windows. Thank you."

  4. furthering the MS cause.... on Xbox Media Player Contest · · Score: 1

    "Tt turns the Xbox from Bill Gates' insidious plot to get into the living room into a set top box that can play practically everything even while sporting a sleek black look that won't stick out in your home theater system, and a user interface that your grandmother could use."

    How does this turn Gates' plot into anything else? Seems to be furthering his cause - more Xboxes in the living room for him to make software profits off of. ;)

  5. software installation sucks on linux.... on Rise of the 'Consumer' Linux Distribution · · Score: 1

    perhaps i'm not familiar enough with the RPM system, but i have to give it to MS - their 'Add/Remove Programs' feature is indispensable. surely it may crap sometimes (but not too often), but in general the ease and convenience of the 'Add/Remove Programs' feature (e.g. the registry) needs to be implemented on Linux. software installation on linux is just too annoying and 'hacky' for the average joe....

  6. the details are scant, but this sounds like.... on A Simple Grid Computing Synchronization Solution · · Score: 3, Interesting

    a greedy algorithm. at every iteration, do the best that you can and hope for the best. even if the solution/end-state is suboptimal, the huge resources needed for central coordination aren't needed.

    "Greedy algorithms work in phases. In each phase, a decision is made that appears to be good, without regard for future consequences. Generally, this means that some local optimum is chosen. This 'take what you can get now' strategy is the source of the name for this class of algorithms. When the algorithm terminates, we hope that the local optimum is equal to the global optimum. If this is the case, then the algorithm is correct; otherwise, the algorithm has produced a suboptimal solution. If the best answer is not required, then simple greedy algorithms are sometimes used to generate approximate answers, rather than using the more complicated algorithms generally required to generate an exact answer."
    http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~graham/cs2022/g reedy/

  7. perhaps not p2p, but obviously related.... on Distributed Internet Backup System · · Score: 1

    "Note that DIBS is a backup system not a file sharing system like Napster, Gnutella, Kazaa, etc. In fact, DIBS encrypts all data transmissions so that the peers you trade files with can not access your data."

    as much as the page says it isn't a file sharing system, it essentially is - a special-purpose, secure file-sharing system. as a p2p developer, i know that this system could be built off gnutella and benefit from some of the innovations occurring in gnutella land.

  8. what is the spaceshuttle's IP address? on Linux In Space: Red Hat Rides The Rocket · · Score: 2, Funny

    i'd love to see the traceroute output on that one ;).

  9. we'd be good to go.... on Apple and Linux Beneficial to Each Other? · · Score: 1, Interesting

    if someone plugged the OS X interface on top of Linux. man oh man that interface is snappy.

    1) the stability of linux
    2) the price-point of linux
    3) the beauty of the Aqua interface

    there'd be no reason to ever own a windows machine again.

  10. free registration required? on Why We Refactored JUnit · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i'd like to check out artima suiterunner, but i don't think one should have to register to get access to source. at the very least, we should be able to browse the source online.

    don't get me wrong - i'm happy the code is open. we use junit for our open-source product and anything that could help us better utilize junit is much appreciated.

  11. the significance of being a first mover.... on Nintendo Confirms New Console In 2005 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    i've been following the video game industry for some time now, and it is interesting to evaluate the advantage of being a 'first mover'.

    during the genesis/snes wars, the first mover advantage most defn. helped sega when the technologically super snes arrived. the installed base invalidated the technical differences to a degree, and sega did pretty well for themselves.

    during the saturn/ps1 wars, sega again had first mover advantage. but they negated that advantage by 1) coming out at too high a price point (i think $300) and 2) missing the boat w.r.t 3D gaming - the saturn just couldn't handle it.

    during the latest dreamcast/ps2 wars, sega again had first mover advantage, and the DC did do well initially. i think what screwed it was that ps2 was LIGHT YEARS ahead of DC tech-wise - the first-mover advantage was simply negated this time (as opposed to the smaller difference of degree between the genesis and snes).

    nintendo, which has traditionally always had late console releases, now realizes that first mover is vitally important. hence the latest announcement. the GC just came too late - the PS2 is a powerful box with TOO MUCH of a installed base. lets hope that their latest technology is on par with ps3 and xbox2 so they can remain competitive for the long haul.

  12. The Future of Java? Even Brighter!! on The Future of Java? · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I like the article, and I think it is easy to see that Java is going to continue to be a force.

    On the server side it has always been a great solution (great for building complex applications, no performance degradation with 'backend' code, and very stable and safe).

    On the client side, the MS/Sun ruling will be a huge boon to the applications side - of course developers will start building client side apps! "If the JVM is there, they will come" :) Sure Swing is a little sluggish, but when everyone is running a p4 2GHz, it really doesn't matter....

  13. thank god! on Bitstream To Donate 10 Fonts To Free Software World · · Score: 1, Informative

    i very much would like to use a linux distro full time, but i just can't stand the state of linux fonts right now. redhat 8.0 does have some nice fonts but generally the fonts used in the mozilla browsing experience just suck! i hear you can get fully anti-aliased fonts working on linux but it seems to be a bit of a chore....

  14. i hate the new 646 area code! on 11 Digit Dialing Comes Home to New York · · Score: 1

    all my life i've associated the 212 area code with new york. couldn't they have done NAT with phone numbers so we could all still use 212 ;) .

  15. technology can beat this.... on IFPI Employee Describes P2P Sabotage Activities · · Score: 3, Interesting

    once again, the IFPI and RIAA don't understand technology. given the infrastructure, p2p users could 'moderate' content up and down, and 'metamoderate' the moderations of other users (wonder where i've heard of those terms ;) ). but seriously, this technological solution would destroy poisoning efforts - as content and users were moderating, crappy content would be marked as 'to be ignored', and valid content would sift to the top of the heap.

  16. is today 'dump on lessig' day at slashdot? on Carping Over Creative Commons · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    first you report his failure in the supreme court. then you question his big project, something he has been working on for a few years.

    cut the guy a break :) .

  17. essentially, 7 of the justices lack balls on Disney Wins, Eldred (and everyone else) Loses · · Score: 3, Funny

    after have read most of the opinions, it is clear that the majority of justices just aren't comfortable calling congress out on this terrible law. they essentially say "the term of copyrights is something for congress to best decide", without realizing that congress is increasingly guided by the purse-strings of big corporations.

    then again, lessis says it best in his blog - if the courts won't have the balls to overturn this law, WE have to make a ruckus and have congress repeal it. if that is ever possible, who know?

  18. if only the RIAA had some vision.... on 2002 MP3 Winners and Losers · · Score: 3, Interesting

    they could be the big winners. as the conglomerate that owns the content that are converted to mp3s, if they just offered a comparably convenient, legitimate solution to p2p filesharing, they would make money and save money (instead of paying all those lawyers).

  19. fighting piracy? a red herring, if you ask me.... on Nintendo To Sell Old Consoles To China? · · Score: 2

    i don't think nintendo wants to sell old consoles in china to 'fight piracy' - plain and simple old consoles are CHEAPER. The average chinese household couldn't afford a GC, so releasing the SNES or N64 is the smart move - the consoles are cheap to make and there are plenty of great games they can re-release (and make more money on).

  20. who gives a damn? on Why IE Is So Fast ... Sometimes · · Score: 2

    mozilla is a better browser anyways. ;)

  21. woah woah, hold your horses there! on Supreme Court to Take Up DeCSS Case · · Score: 5, Informative

    i don't think the court has agreed to take the case just yet. it has just maintained the injunction until the court can decide IF it is going to take the case. furthermore, i'm not sure if the decision would in any way make a ruling on the DMCA.

    "A response from Pavlovich's attorney, Allon Levy, is due by the end of the day on Thursday. Because O'Connor is the Supreme Court justice responsible for cases arising out of California, she has the ability to place some decisions on hold until the complete court can meet and vote to take the case or deny the petition for review."

  22. just block extranet access? on Professors vs. WiFi · · Score: 2

    would it be hard for the tech guys to only allow intranet access from the wifi access points in class? you know, at NYU you can only surf nyu.edu domain sites from class? oh, and you can't check your school webmail ;) .

    that said, i do think if a professor is interesting enough or if classroom time is important enough, this problem won't exist. back in my college days i'd get distracted from classes too - but i'd just stay at home and surf the net ;).

  23. tabs billy, tabs! (aka request for tabs) on Microsoft Next Generation Shell · · Score: 2

    good to see MS will be integrating a cmd-line tool into windows. i'll prolly still use cygwin. anyways, if any MSer is listening, do us all and favor and include tab support. being able to have many cmd-lines in one window is just sweet (thanks you RH 8.0).

  24. Re:fuck fuck fuck on Indian Government Moves to Let Linux In · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You guys need to take an economics course. Globalization and outsourcing of jobs to other countries is not bad in and of itself. In fact, in general it benefits everyone in the long run. In the short term the workers who were let go are hurt, but if the proper steps are taken (i.e. new skills training) then the short term loss is minimized.

    If it wasn't for cheap foreign labor, America would never have been able to become a service economy. Basically, Americans could not have been as rich without cheap foreign labor.

  25. Mono making it easier to pick Linux? on Indian Government Moves to Let Linux In · · Score: 2

    Not that I hope .NET gains much traction, but if it does I think the Mono project is a real godsend.

    Since .NET is mainly an API and MS seems to be supporting alternate but conforming .NET implementations, the Mono project is another reason to use Linux. If applications start using .NET in the future a government won't be at a disadvantage pushing/using Linux.