need to make this public? Why couldn't he privately contact the KDE/QT teams and say "Look, there may be a couple of minor problems with regards to GPL licensing. Here are some possible solutions." Then the KDE/QT teams could have publicly stated "We are replacing code to make the product 100% GPL compliant." and no one would know RMS was even involved. This would have been the professional thing to do if his main concern was indeed GPL compliance.
what would happen if the DeCSS source-code was distributed worldwide via an "I Love You" virus type vehicle? No malicious code attached, just the source-code and an explanation about the true implications of the case explained in layman's terms("fair use", "freedom of speech", etc.). Basically, with the cascading effect of every OE user's address book used to forward it to others, propagation should be high. Use the VBS drawback for good instead of evil.
The only drawback I can see is that it might be construed to support the MPAA's assertion that this is not about our rights, but about a bunch of "dirty pirates" infringing on their copyright.
I wonder if there is anyone out there that can acclompish this and not get caught?
DISCLAIMER: I do not condone doing this. This is all purely conjecture, and in no way should be contrued as a request for action.
it's but about law firms making money. These large-scale class-action suits net the plaintiffs little money on an individual basis, but the 30% the law firm gets is in the millions. There are firms whose sole practice is to file class-action lawsuits in the name of people who didn't even ask for it.
Basically you get a letter in the mail from the lawyers stating that you are now a plaintiff (one of thousands) in a class-action lawsuit, and if you don't want to participate you have to submit a written letter stating so. This is supposed to protect your right to sue the defendant on your own if you choose to do so, but also exempts you from any proceeds from a successful verdict for the class-action. The problem I have is that you have to write a letter to bow out from a lawsuit you didn't even ask for. The lawyers also have the right to settle out of court with no approval from the plaintiffs, which they usually do for a fraction of the lawsuit amount so that they can make an easy buck.
My wife and I went through this with Sears and Roebuck a couple of years ago. A law firm was suing them for a tens of thousands of plaintiffs in regards to there accounting practices for interest on their credit cards. I took the letter and threw it in the trash. Six months later a letter arrived stating that the suit was settled out of court and we were entitled to $15.00 before lawyer fees, processing etc. The check was for $3.50. I'm sure the law firm took home more than that.
ignore it. If the US Patent office approves it, the bastard can take everyone to court to sue them for the money. IANAL, but I assume each offender of his patent would have to have his/her own civil trial. Just the sheer number of companies he would have to take to court should bankrupt this guy right off the planet.
How do we know that RMS didn't inadvertantly give the company the idea in the first place? Some currency-whore could have been trolling around looking for the next big cash-orgy, and stumbled across RMS's article, and the article became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just a thought.
There is a product that does about the same thing that has been around for a long time. Actually after you apply it to something, the longer you leave it on the more invisible the object gets. I don't know the trade name for it, but the scientific name is H2SO4.
This discussion reminds me of a scene from the movie Robin Hood: Men in Tights:
Prince: Such an unusual name, "Latrine." How did your family come by it?
Latrine: We changed it in the 9th century.
Prince: You mean you changed it TO "Latrine"?
Latrine: Yeah. Used to be "Shithouse."
Prince: It's a good change. That's a good change!
Q: What compilers will I need to compile the source code?
A: Initially the Open Watcom 1.0 compiler will require an official copy of the Watcom C/C++ 11.0b compiler, with the 11.0c binary patch release applied in order to successfully compile it. This is due to the need to rely upon proprietry SDK's for platforms such as Windows, and OS/2 that cannot be distributed along with the Open Source 1.0 compiler release. It is planned to eliminate this dependency in the Open Source 2.0 release, by allowing the compiler to work with freely downloadable SDK's for the supported platforms.
So in other words, to compile the 1.0 Open-Source version, you need the commercial 11.0c version. So everyone run out and buy the 11.0c version for ~$200 so you can compile your free Open-Source version. Or you could wait god knows how long for version 2.0 to come available without the 11.0c dependency.
Northeast Ohio (NEO) Roadrunner is notorious for inconsistent performance, overselling bandwidth, and poor support.
The USENET server is usually either slower than a one-legged man in a marathon, or up and down more than a Catholic at Mass. Recently they changed the local roadrunner.* news hierarchy to roadrunner.neo.*, and didn't bother to tell their customers until a week later. These things usually prompt serious USENET users to subscribe to a third-party service, which adds $10-$15 a month to the old internet(re: crack) habit.
The mail-server goes through spells of can't send, can't receive, or speed that makes you feel that you could fetch the mail faster if you ran to the server and personally carried each byte home separately.
They have a network status page that they never use. I guess whoever created it didn't want to mess up their pretty new web page with things like system and service outages.
The no-help desk is broken into 3 groups. You must pass through each group sequentially.
Local: Can ask 3 questions:
1. Is your cable light on the modem on?
2. Is your pc light on the modem on?
3. Would you like hot, tasty beverage?
(Actually I can't remember #3. But it's just as inane)
National:
Doesn't have access to our local network, so they can't verify any problems. They know a lot more questions, but only have 1 answer: Let's remove your TCP/IP stack and re-install it.
Local w/Intelligence Upgrade:
This group actually knows WTF is going on. The problem is, it took 3 to 5 days to get to this group.
Don't ask how much packet loss we've been enduring lately. I'm to the point now that I've given up on-line gaming.
All these things from a service that has been running for 4 years. That's right, to my knowledge, NEO RoadRunner was the first commercial rollout of cable-modem broadband internet access in the USA. I believe the beta-test was in Ithaca, NY.
Time-Warner Cable at it's best.
This is 911, how may I help you?
on
Techno Jacket
·
· Score: 4
Caller: Yeah, some script kiddies have hacked into my clothes and are running a recursion algorithm on the zipper of my pants. I've got tracks-marks on my penis from all the zipping and un-zipping. Can you get it to stop?
911: What OS are you running?
Caller: Debian 6.1.
911: Sorry, we only support Red Hat 9.3. Thank you for calling 911. [Click]
Re:What the hell is this?
on
LinuxWorld
·
· Score: 1
1) Is this the death knell of KDE?
2) Is this a move by the big corporate tech companies to 'Bogart' the Linux marketplace?
3) Is this really good for the open-source movement?
Granted, KDE can always exist, but this would probably make GNOME the 'de facto' standard linux desktop. I can't help but think that these major players won't undermine the open-source philosophy by usurping the responsibilty of the direction that GNOME takes. This could lead to the companies directing the development of GNOME not in the best interests of the community, but in there own fiscal interests. Remember, these companies don't give a rat's ass about open-source, but rather how can they make a buck from it. I guarantee this is just a business move to try and topple Microsoft. These companies would be Microsoft if they could. Does anyone want this to become the NEW Microsoft?
If someone from Amsterdam posted a sale for Marijuana on EBay, than the sale should be taken down. The server and company are based in the USA and therefore subject to US laws as an accessory to distribute a known controlled substance. Now that also means that the seller can not be extradited if this an acceptable practice in Amsterdam. However a buyer from the US could be prosecuted for trying to purchase a known controlled substance.
Warning - Potential Stereotype:
I believe that some countries (Middle East?) prohibit the public display of exposed skin by their women. Does this grant them the right to have porn sites shut down in other countries?
So here is how I break it down:
1. Your country governs your country's servers
2. Your country governs your country's citizens
You can't enforce social and moral values on another country.
Re:For those experiencing the "Slashdot Effect"
on
Gnutella Vs. SPAM
·
· Score: 1
I know it's a troll, but what the hell:
Did I mention anything about karma? If you re-read what I posted, I said it was a waste of moderator points. Other more useful posts could have been modded up, instead of 4 mod points being wasted on a post that was only intended to help with a/.ed website. I didn't even expect the my original post would be modded up at all, because it didn't add any original insight to the topic. It was just a public service. Although I see that the post before mine got modded up to 5 (why???)
Re:For those experiencing the "Slashdot Effect"
on
Gnutella Vs. SPAM
·
· Score: 1
Why was this modded down? I could understand if the previous post was posted 30 minutes before, but 1 MINUTE separated the posts. In other words the other poster hit the submit button a few seconds before me.
In cases like this, modding down is just a waste of moderator points. Get a life.
Create a free-beer version that does exactly what Sharezilla does and watch all of the spammers flock to it like flies on shit. Why spend $75 for something when you can get it for free, right?
Make Sharezilla fight a two-front war by trying to combat GNUTella's filtering and disabling the free-beer version (a'la AOL Messenger fighting Microsoft and Yahoo's IM's accessing their clients). Sharezilla will go out of business due to lack of sales. Their server's will be shut down due to this, taking down the free-beer client with it.
The States have done the same thing with the Tobacco Industry and Microsoft, yet as a Windows using smoker, I have yet to hear where I'll be able to pick up my check when the dust settles.
Do we care if the States or the Record companies have the money? Sure, on some childish, spiteful level we want to see the Record companies punished, and yes, it could lower future CD prices, but what the States are suing for is OUR money. The States use the money for whatever pet programs that they want. In a way, this is like an indirect form of TAXATION.
Combine Telemetry and GPS and you have a "seeing-eye-watch" for the visually impaired (or blind for forward thinking people). I would think that a device that could tell you you are moving "North" down the "1600 block" of "Maple Street" and you are about to step out into the street in front of an on-coming bus, might be a practical application.
The USPS is projected to lose a lot of money to commercial e-mail and third-party delivery companies. So the USPS, in its infinite wisdom and who makes so much money from all of the junk mail that they deliver that they should have to PAY US for the privilege of delivering a first class letter, wants us to sign up for a free e-mail account to better organize us for the spammers so that they won't need to send bulk junk mail anymore, hence eliminating said profitable revenue source.
Oh, wait a minute, it made sense for a minute. I used to work in the government, and something took over the logic portion of my brain. I'm all better now. Sorry.
(sarcasm on) You mean like the 1000's of people working on Linux? With this line of reasoning, Linux is also much too large of a project to be wasting our time on. (sarcasm off)
It doesn't matter if the project is completed or not. Even if it isn't completed, it could produce better insight for projects like Wine, Gnome, etc.
Sometimes a project is helpful even if it is NOT completed.
Slashdot Mirror
need to make this public? Why couldn't he privately contact the KDE/QT teams and say "Look, there may be a couple of minor problems with regards to GPL licensing. Here are some possible solutions." Then the KDE/QT teams could have publicly stated "We are replacing code to make the product 100% GPL compliant." and no one would know RMS was even involved. This would have been the professional thing to do if his main concern was indeed GPL compliance.
You might try blowing Cmdr Taco.
I figured he was talking about WinLinux2000.
what would happen if the DeCSS source-code was distributed worldwide via an "I Love You" virus type vehicle? No malicious code attached, just the source-code and an explanation about the true implications of the case explained in layman's terms("fair use", "freedom of speech", etc.). Basically, with the cascading effect of every OE user's address book used to forward it to others, propagation should be high. Use the VBS drawback for good instead of evil.
The only drawback I can see is that it might be construed to support the MPAA's assertion that this is not about our rights, but about a bunch of "dirty pirates" infringing on their copyright.
I wonder if there is anyone out there that can acclompish this and not get caught?
DISCLAIMER: I do not condone doing this. This is all purely conjecture, and in no way should be contrued as a request for action.
it's but about law firms making money. These large-scale class-action suits net the plaintiffs little money on an individual basis, but the 30% the law firm gets is in the millions. There are firms whose sole practice is to file class-action lawsuits in the name of people who didn't even ask for it.
Basically you get a letter in the mail from the lawyers stating that you are now a plaintiff (one of thousands) in a class-action lawsuit, and if you don't want to participate you have to submit a written letter stating so. This is supposed to protect your right to sue the defendant on your own if you choose to do so, but also exempts you from any proceeds from a successful verdict for the class-action. The problem I have is that you have to write a letter to bow out from a lawsuit you didn't even ask for. The lawyers also have the right to settle out of court with no approval from the plaintiffs, which they usually do for a fraction of the lawsuit amount so that they can make an easy buck.
My wife and I went through this with Sears and Roebuck a couple of years ago. A law firm was suing them for a tens of thousands of plaintiffs in regards to there accounting practices for interest on their credit cards. I took the letter and threw it in the trash. Six months later a letter arrived stating that the suit was settled out of court and we were entitled to $15.00 before lawyer fees, processing etc. The check was for $3.50. I'm sure the law firm took home more than that.
You bastards!
ignore it. If the US Patent office approves it, the bastard can take everyone to court to sue them for the money. IANAL, but I assume each offender of his patent would have to have his/her own civil trial. Just the sheer number of companies he would have to take to court should bankrupt this guy right off the planet.
How do we know that RMS didn't inadvertantly give the company the idea in the first place? Some currency-whore could have been trolling around looking for the next big cash-orgy, and stumbled across RMS's article, and the article became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just a thought.
>NOTE: By reading this post, you have agreed to run around the room which you are currently in, flapping your arms, and sqawking like a chicken.
Everyone in my office thought I was nuts, but a license agreement is a license agreement.
There is a product that does about the same thing that has been around for a long time. Actually after you apply it to something, the longer you leave it on the more invisible the object gets. I don't know the trade name for it, but the scientific name is H2SO4.
This discussion reminds me of a scene from the movie Robin Hood: Men in Tights:
Prince: Such an unusual name, "Latrine." How did your family come by it?
Latrine: We changed it in the 9th century.
Prince: You mean you changed it TO "Latrine"?
Latrine: Yeah. Used to be "Shithouse."
Prince: It's a good change. That's a good change!
I had a substitute teacher in high school named Richard Lipps.
Direct from the OpenWatcom FAQ:
Q: What compilers will I need to compile the source code?
A: Initially the Open Watcom 1.0 compiler will require an official copy of the Watcom C/C++ 11.0b compiler, with the 11.0c binary patch release applied in order to successfully compile it. This is due to the need to rely upon proprietry SDK's for platforms such as Windows, and OS/2 that cannot be distributed along with the Open Source 1.0 compiler release. It is planned to eliminate this dependency in the Open Source 2.0 release, by allowing the compiler to work with freely downloadable SDK's for the supported platforms.
So in other words, to compile the 1.0 Open-Source version, you need the commercial 11.0c version. So everyone run out and buy the 11.0c version for ~$200 so you can compile your free Open-Source version. Or you could wait god knows how long for version 2.0 to come available without the 11.0c dependency.
Depends where you are using RoadRunner.
Northeast Ohio (NEO) Roadrunner is notorious for inconsistent performance, overselling bandwidth, and poor support.
The USENET server is usually either slower than a one-legged man in a marathon, or up and down more than a Catholic at Mass. Recently they changed the local roadrunner.* news hierarchy to roadrunner.neo.*, and didn't bother to tell their customers until a week later. These things usually prompt serious USENET users to subscribe to a third-party service, which adds $10-$15 a month to the old internet(re: crack) habit.
The mail-server goes through spells of can't send, can't receive, or speed that makes you feel that you could fetch the mail faster if you ran to the server and personally carried each byte home separately.
They have a network status page that they never use. I guess whoever created it didn't want to mess up their pretty new web page with things like system and service outages.
The no-help desk is broken into 3 groups. You must pass through each group sequentially.
Local: Can ask 3 questions:
1. Is your cable light on the modem on?
2. Is your pc light on the modem on?
3. Would you like hot, tasty beverage?
(Actually I can't remember #3. But it's just as inane)
National:
Doesn't have access to our local network, so they can't verify any problems. They know a lot more questions, but only have 1 answer: Let's remove your TCP/IP stack and re-install it.
Local w/Intelligence Upgrade:
This group actually knows WTF is going on. The problem is, it took 3 to 5 days to get to this group.
Don't ask how much packet loss we've been enduring lately. I'm to the point now that I've given up on-line gaming.
All these things from a service that has been running for 4 years. That's right, to my knowledge, NEO RoadRunner was the first commercial rollout of cable-modem broadband internet access in the USA. I believe the beta-test was in Ithaca, NY.
Time-Warner Cable at it's best.
Caller: Yeah, some script kiddies have hacked into my clothes and are running a recursion algorithm on the zipper of my pants. I've got tracks-marks on my penis from all the zipping and un-zipping. Can you get it to stop?
911: What OS are you running?
Caller: Debian 6.1.
911: Sorry, we only support Red Hat 9.3. Thank you for calling 911. [Click]
And why is it sitting on top of a toilet? :)
In no particular order:
1) Is this the death knell of KDE?
2) Is this a move by the big corporate tech companies to 'Bogart' the Linux marketplace?
3) Is this really good for the open-source movement?
Granted, KDE can always exist, but this would probably make GNOME the 'de facto' standard linux desktop. I can't help but think that these major players won't undermine the open-source philosophy by usurping the responsibilty of the direction that GNOME takes. This could lead to the companies directing the development of GNOME not in the best interests of the community, but in there own fiscal interests. Remember, these companies don't give a rat's ass about open-source, but rather how can they make a buck from it. I guarantee this is just a business move to try and topple Microsoft. These companies would be Microsoft if they could. Does anyone want this to become the NEW Microsoft?
IANALFF (I Am Not A Lawyer From France)
If someone from Amsterdam posted a sale for Marijuana on EBay, than the sale should be taken down. The server and company are based in the USA and therefore subject to US laws as an accessory to distribute a known controlled substance. Now that also means that the seller can not be extradited if this an acceptable practice in Amsterdam. However a buyer from the US could be prosecuted for trying to purchase a known controlled substance.
Warning - Potential Stereotype:
I believe that some countries (Middle East?) prohibit the public display of exposed skin by their women. Does this grant them the right to have porn sites shut down in other countries?
So here is how I break it down:
1. Your country governs your country's servers
2. Your country governs your country's citizens
You can't enforce social and moral values on another country.
I know it's a troll, but what the hell:
/.ed website. I didn't even expect the my original post would be modded up at all, because it didn't add any original insight to the topic. It was just a public service. Although I see that the post before mine got modded up to 5 (why???)
Did I mention anything about karma? If you re-read what I posted, I said it was a waste of moderator points. Other more useful posts could have been modded up, instead of 4 mod points being wasted on a post that was only intended to help with a
Why was this modded down? I could understand if the previous post was posted 30 minutes before, but 1 MINUTE separated the posts. In other words the other poster hit the submit button a few seconds before me.
In cases like this, modding down is just a waste of moderator points. Get a life.
Create a free-beer version that does exactly what Sharezilla does and watch all of the spammers flock to it like flies on shit. Why spend $75 for something when you can get it for free, right?
Make Sharezilla fight a two-front war by trying to combat GNUTella's filtering and disabling the free-beer version (a'la AOL Messenger fighting Microsoft and Yahoo's IM's accessing their clients). Sharezilla will go out of business due to lack of sales. Their server's will be shut down due to this, taking down the free-beer client with it.
Who gets the money if the States win?
The States have done the same thing with the Tobacco Industry and Microsoft, yet as a Windows using smoker, I have yet to hear where I'll be able to pick up my check when the dust settles.
Do we care if the States or the Record companies have the money? Sure, on some childish, spiteful level we want to see the Record companies punished, and yes, it could lower future CD prices, but what the States are suing for is OUR money. The States use the money for whatever pet programs that they want. In a way, this is like an indirect form of TAXATION.
Combine Telemetry and GPS and you have a "seeing-eye-watch" for the visually impaired (or blind for forward thinking people). I would think that a device that could tell you you are moving "North" down the "1600 block" of "Maple Street" and you are about to step out into the street in front of an on-coming bus, might be a practical application.
The USPS is projected to lose a lot of money to commercial e-mail and third-party delivery companies. So the USPS, in its infinite wisdom and who makes so much money from all of the junk mail that they deliver that they should have to PAY US for the privilege of delivering a first class letter, wants us to sign up for a free e-mail account to better organize us for the spammers so that they won't need to send bulk junk mail anymore, hence eliminating said profitable revenue source.
Oh, wait a minute, it made sense for a minute. I used to work in the government, and something took over the logic portion of my brain. I'm all better now. Sorry.
(sarcasm on)
You mean like the 1000's of people working on Linux? With this line of reasoning, Linux is also much too large of a project to be wasting our time on.
(sarcasm off)
It doesn't matter if the project is completed or not. Even if it isn't completed, it could produce better insight for projects like Wine, Gnome, etc.
Sometimes a project is helpful even if it is NOT completed.