It is important to remember what Microsoft is actually being charged with here. The brunt of the case is about Microsoft illegally tying the browser into the operating system, and the exclusive contracts with OEMs. Any remedies will have to address this issue. The DoJ can't implement remedies that don't directly relate to the case.
It seems to me that RMS is only looking for ways to help the free software and open source movements. Although I agree that these methods would go a long way to opening the door for some compeditors (ie Linux), I don't think they really relate to the DoJ's case.
How do patents relate to tying a browser into an operating system?
How would Hardware specs restrict Microsoft from making exclusive contracts with OEMs
How do documented interfaces, communications protocols, and formats help either of these problems?
Although I think these remedies would be great for the free software/open source movements, I do not think that they directly apply to the case at hand...
If I'm missing something crucial here, please enlighten me
You're right that it makes it easier for the reader... but as a reader, you are only given one place to purchase the book, ie Amazon.com.
So effectively the reviever is now suggesting the place where you should buy the book.
It would be more appropriate for there to be a list of places where the book is available (ie a list of bookstores that carry it, and a list of places where you can purchase it online). As long as there is more than one option listed...
As for a parallel to this, it can somewhat be related to this. I buy a cable descrambler. All I want to do is see how it works. I take it apart and fiddle with it. Meanwhile, the company that sold it to me gets busted and hands the records on over to the FBI/cable company/whoever. They raid my house. They find descrambler. BUT... I never hooked it up to my cable system.
This is an interesting analogy. As far as I know, it is no longer illegal to own a cable descrambler in Canada. It is however illegal to hook it up.
This is along the same lines as owning a book on how to build a bomb. It is not illegal unless you actually build it.
We are however venturing into definate grey areas here.
Why the UF hoax concerned me
on
Slashdot:Mark 2
·
· Score: 2
I'll admit, I was taken in as well. When I realized this morning that is was a hoax, I was relieved. But I had a smile on my face.
The whole point of April fools is to 'fool' someone into believing something is real. When you find out that you were had, and look back, you realize that all the evidence was there in front of your face all the time. That is when you have to laugh at yourself for not reading between the lines.
Here are some of the things that I remember reading in the last while that should have told me (and anyone else) that this was a hoax: - Why won't they tell us who it is - These sort of things are public information, so the documents should be on record - Parody is not illegal - The negative publicity from this would be hell on MS or whoever else may have been behind it. - UF is in Canada and Segfault is in UK (I think?) - the fact that these sites deal with HUMOUR:)
There were probably many other tidbits of info that would have pointed to this being a hoax.
Anyway, I don't believe that Iliad or Rob (and everyone else involved) intended any malice in this prank. It's just that you have to be very devious to 'fool' a bunch of intelligent geeks that question everything they read (not that I consider myself an intelligent geek.) This is the only prank that had me fooled. The other ones that appeared on SlashDot were obvious (yet still funny) pranks.
News sites should celebrate April fools day
on
Slashdot:Mark 2
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· Score: 3
Come on people, I can't believe there are this many tight-asses around... There were enough hints today (and in the last week) that this UF thing was a hoax. A joke is a joke, and this was a rather well-organized one. I think you guys are just mad because you couldn't see though this one.
And comparing a silly little cartoon disappearing with dropping nuclear bombs on a country is a little harsh don't you think. UF disappearing wouldn't be the end of the world you know (pun intended)
And anyway, it is up to Rob (and the other 'post'ers) to decide what appears on SlashDot. If I get sufficiently annoyed with what I see here, I will probably start up my own site (and anyone else here can do the same thing)
It would be ideal if a thread could have it's own rating. This could just be an average of all of the ratings in the thread.
Let's say you get a comment that is rated at 1 with a couple of great replies that are rated at 4 each, you would get a thread rating of 1+4+4/3 == 3. I'd be more likely to read that thread, and it should be near the top of the sort...
On another note, these new features are great and all, but at what point in time is/. going to run out of CPU cycles and the site starts slowing down. I like all of the features so far, but I don't like having to wait for them... I think it's important to keep this in perspective...
I had stopped reading most of the comments, because of all the useless banter in them. There are some very insightful comments on/. but wading through all the garbage was not worth the effort... Let's hope that this system helps organise the responses.
I suggest that you are very strict at applying the above rules, or you will see this system abused very quickly. Later
-- I'm all for freedom of speech.....unless it comes from some moron that doesn't have a point:)
Slashdot Mirror
It is important to remember what Microsoft is actually being charged with here. The brunt of the case is about Microsoft illegally tying the browser into the operating system, and the exclusive contracts with OEMs. Any remedies will have to address this issue. The DoJ can't implement remedies that don't directly relate to the case.
It seems to me that RMS is only looking for ways to help the free software and open source movements. Although I agree that these methods would go a long way to opening the door for some compeditors (ie Linux), I don't think they really relate to the DoJ's case.
How do patents relate to tying a browser into an operating system?
How would Hardware specs restrict Microsoft from making exclusive contracts with OEMs
How do documented interfaces, communications protocols, and formats help either of these problems?
Although I think these remedies would be great for the free software/open source movements, I do not think that they directly apply to the case at hand...
If I'm missing something crucial here, please enlighten me
You're right that it makes it easier for the reader... but as a reader, you are only given one place to purchase the book, ie Amazon.com.
So effectively the reviever is now suggesting the place where you should buy the book.
It would be more appropriate for there to be a list of places where the book is available (ie a list of bookstores that carry it, and a list of places where you can purchase it online). As long as there is more than one option listed...
This is along the same lines as owning a book on how to build a bomb. It is not illegal unless you actually build it.
We are however venturing into definate grey areas here.
I'll admit, I was taken in as well. When I realized this morning that is was a hoax, I was relieved. But I had a smile on my face.
:)
The whole point of April fools is to 'fool' someone into believing something is real. When you find out that you were had, and look back, you realize that all the evidence was there in front of your face all the time. That is when you have to laugh at yourself for not reading between the lines.
Here are some of the things that I remember reading in the last while that should have told me (and anyone else) that this was a hoax:
- Why won't they tell us who it is
- These sort of things are public information, so the documents should be on record
- Parody is not illegal
- The negative publicity from this would be hell on MS or whoever else may have been behind it.
- UF is in Canada and Segfault is in UK (I think?)
- the fact that these sites deal with HUMOUR
There were probably many other tidbits of info that would have pointed to this being a hoax.
Anyway, I don't believe that Iliad or Rob (and everyone else involved) intended any malice in this prank. It's just that you have to be very devious to 'fool' a bunch of intelligent geeks that question everything they read (not that I consider myself an intelligent geek.) This is the only prank that had me fooled. The other ones that appeared on SlashDot were obvious (yet still funny) pranks.
Come on people, I can't believe there are this many tight-asses around... There were enough hints today (and in the last week) that this UF thing was a hoax. A joke is a joke, and this was a rather well-organized one. I think you guys are just mad because you couldn't see though this one.
And comparing a silly little cartoon disappearing with dropping nuclear bombs on a country is a little harsh don't you think. UF disappearing wouldn't be the end of the world you know (pun intended)
And anyway, it is up to Rob (and the other 'post'ers) to decide what appears on SlashDot. If I get sufficiently annoyed with what I see here, I will probably start up my own site (and anyone else here can do the same thing)
It would be ideal if a thread could have it's own rating. This could just be an average of all of the ratings in the thread.
/. going to run out of CPU cycles and the site starts slowing down. I like all of the features so far, but I don't like having to wait for them... I think it's important to keep this in perspective...
Let's say you get a comment that is rated at 1 with a couple of great replies that are rated at 4 each, you would get a thread rating of 1+4+4/3 == 3. I'd be more likely to read that thread, and it should be near the top of the sort...
On another note, these new features are great and all, but at what point in time is
- Cees
I had stopped reading most of the comments, because of all the useless banter in them. There are some very insightful comments on /. but wading through all the garbage was not worth the effort... Let's hope that this system helps organise the responses.
:)
I suggest that you are very strict at applying the above rules, or you will see this system abused very quickly.
Later
-- I'm all for freedom of speech.....unless it comes from some moron that doesn't have a point