"First, the dude resigned. Sure, maybe he was "pressured" into it,"
You're new to academia, aren't you? Resigning IS the same as being fired, and as for pressured, there's no maybe about it when the music interests threaten your department with a tedious, full-scale audit for every PC in the department.
"Second, the administration had every right to fire him anyway. He made unauthorized use of their facilities by holding what amounted to a rally in their cafeteria, after he was denied use of the proper venues."
Having a lecture on the legal aspects of P2P systems falls under the rights of academic freedom, especially when the professor in charge has been teaching IP Law at the university for 5+ years. As for the word "rally," that's cute, but flat wrong. Here's a link, now why not learn what it means, as opposed to the use of the term "lecture."
"The University was simply protecting its interests,"
No, the University was caving in to commercial lobbying groups' extortion efforts. Maybe that flies at the 2-bit Finishing School you attend, but Universities, above all else, need to defend the rights of their faculty to hold lectures or seminars on intellectually boring OR controversial topics.
"and this guy was intent on raising a stink."
Keep spinning, Corporate Spokesperson. He was intent on holding a publicly-available lecture concerning P2P IP issues, and even went so far as to invite parties who have an interest in this topic (quote: "I even contacted SGAE, National Police, and the Attorney General in advance to inform them about it.").
"don't expect your employer to pay you to rail against those laws on their property."
Yes, because you'd appreciate seeing Universities become nothing more than teat-suckling, blindly-abide-the-Party-Line Institutions of Stooging, eh? It's what you're arguing for.
"There are large corporations out there that are working to build legitimate P2P applications for the benefit of the general public.
Where's the disconnect?"
In the brainstems of the MAFIA (Music and Film Industry of America). To them, P2P should be illegal regardless of its legal or infringing uses, reality notwithstanding.
"The Linux market offers little opportunities for complete domination."
In my uninformed opinion, if a company came out with a user-friendly Linux flavor that included all of the driver support of Windows, with none of virulent Linux zealot attitudes to go with it, it would totally dominate the consumer market.
"Moreover, could you really imagine Microsoft distributing software governed by the GPL after all the "viral code" FUD?"
Yes, and it would be easy since being two-faced isn't an issue for most companies. All they'd have to do is make the source available for download, and then sell their Linux products to that 90% of the consumer market that doesn't compile programs from source, and just wants to double-click a download to make it install.
As for competition, sure, other programmers could run with the source, but could they make a professional-grade UI to stick on the front end, or are we talking the mid-90s UI of KDE 3.x? More importantly, how many developers would work with Microsoft source code, given the virulent anti-MS attitude of the Linux community?
Frankly, if Microsoft entered Linux, I think the consumer market would embrace it big time to the tune of 15%-25% market share. Of course, who knows.
"OS X comes with web server (Apache), SSH server (where's that in XP anything?), a SQL database, and many other things that you can't get without XP Professional or even Win2000/2003 Server."
You can get them all for free. Use Google, you may have heard of it.
"I think Microsoft's OS strategy sucks"
I think Apple sucks because you have to pay an obscene premium for old, was new-one-to-two-years-ago hardware (plus $249 for AppleCare) if you want to use OS X.
OS X is terrific. The CPUs and FSB are also terrific, although it's hard to tell if IBM is beginning to "pull a Motorola" now. Everything else in those PCs are Apple scamming their Macolytes. Microsoft sucks in many ways too, no doubt, but I'd rather pay the $100 Microsoft tax for WinXP Home than pay the much worse Apple tax.
"Being disappointed when a product we never announced fails to materialize is, frankly, pretty bizarre."
Aye, you're right, but in the hands of a maniacal Fan Boy, it's a 10-month length of rope that helps expedite their virtual suicide when Apple doesn't deliver it.:-)
Oh, you're right, just ignore him. Heck, feel free to ignore anyone whose arguments and correlated data don't fit your ideology. And, if someone does present information that fits with your ideology, please feel free to agree while sitting on your butt doing nothing more than posting to Slashdot.
FWIW, I went to your link, but alas there's no way to request their SDK electronically. You have to print out their PDF at the bottom and then snailmail it.
Failing that, I'd suggest simply passing the word around that if you buy a digital Nikon, the only way to access your RAW files will be to buy Nikon Capture 4.0 for $100. Nothing else, anywhere, will do it.
"They point out that this 'proprietary' format is accessible through the use of their 'proprietary' SDK, which is freely available to 'bona fide software companies' on written application."
Pardon me, but Fuck' Em with a spoon. They shouldn't receive the support of the open source community, nor should they receive the support of the non-Nikon software community. If they like the bed they're making, then we shouldn't deny them the long-term pleasure of lying in it.
"High on the list of features are security enhancements, improved desktop searching and organizing, and better methods for laptops to roam from one network to another."
And you'll see all this and more when it's released in 2007.
"If we started limiting free speech freedoms to those who know how to speek properly maybe we wouldn't have such a functional illiterate problem in the western world."
Whipping out my English cluestick...
free speech freedoms should be free speech. speek should be speak speek properly should have a comma after it, denoting a compound sentence. functional illiterate problem should either be 'illiteracy problem' or 'widespread functional illiteracy.'
"My only problem with free speech is that those who don't know how to speek also have the freedom."
"That's fine, just don't do it on my tax dollars."
Hear hear! God knows our tax dollars shouldn't be used to support the demonstrably smart, hard-working children of illegal immigrants when it can go to people who haven't done anything to merit it besides being born in the right borders.
Ya know, with both OSs having incredibly, religiously, fanatical fanboy reserves to draw from, I'd pay good money to see this in a ring, in a Celebrity Deathmatch, or in a video game. My God, it would either be the height of hilarity or the first non-nuclear post-apocolyptic fight in history.
"I'd love to hear about the types of mass market games that are PC-only and have a loyal following."
Speaking from my experience, all of the Command & Conquer titles are substantially better on the PC than they are on a console. That includes C&C, C&C Red Alert, C&C Tiberian Sun, C&C Generals, plus all the addition packs and indie game-plug-ins you could work with this franchise. If it isn't clear, that's my favorite game franchise, but mostly because it doesn't depend heavily on eye-hand coordination like FPSs do.
Say, did the barber cut a little too close to your g/f's old man during his last haircut? Sure seems that way.
FWIW, I use an old Athlon 700 for my work (it's too old to game anything anymore) and will be getting an Xbox for gaming once I've got the $, but still, the father's attitude is pretty harsh. He shoud buy a Mac and a glass of Kool-Aid, and learn to exhale.
Slashdot Mirror
"What has Lucas done to the possibly tattered remains of my childhood?"
Possibly? I take it you missed the first two stops on the Jar Jar Binks Ruination Tour?
I'll catch "Sith" when it comes out on video.
"First, the dude resigned. Sure, maybe he was "pressured" into it,"
You're new to academia, aren't you? Resigning IS the same as being fired, and as for pressured, there's no maybe about it when the music interests threaten your department with a tedious, full-scale audit for every PC in the department.
"Second, the administration had every right to fire him anyway. He made unauthorized use of their facilities by holding what amounted to a rally in their cafeteria, after he was denied use of the proper venues."
Having a lecture on the legal aspects of P2P systems falls under the rights of academic freedom, especially when the professor in charge has been teaching IP Law at the university for 5+ years. As for the word "rally," that's cute, but flat wrong. Here's a link, now why not learn what it means, as opposed to the use of the term "lecture."
"The University was simply protecting its interests,"
No, the University was caving in to commercial lobbying groups' extortion efforts. Maybe that flies at the 2-bit Finishing School you attend, but Universities, above all else, need to defend the rights of their faculty to hold lectures or seminars on intellectually boring OR controversial topics.
"and this guy was intent on raising a stink."
Keep spinning, Corporate Spokesperson. He was intent on holding a publicly-available lecture concerning P2P IP issues, and even went so far as to invite parties who have an interest in this topic (quote: "I even contacted SGAE, National Police, and the Attorney General in advance to inform them about it.").
"don't expect your employer to pay you to rail against those laws on their property."
Yes, because you'd appreciate seeing Universities become nothing more than teat-suckling, blindly-abide-the-Party-Line Institutions of Stooging, eh? It's what you're arguing for.
Chuck
"There are large corporations out there that are working to build legitimate P2P applications for the benefit of the general public.
Where's the disconnect?"
In the brainstems of the MAFIA (Music and Film Industry of America). To them, P2P should be illegal regardless of its legal or infringing uses, reality notwithstanding.
"Just as long as Affleck keeps his mug out of it."
;-)
Don't be so harsh, I can think of several scenes where Ben and Jar Jar would be wonderful together.
My mistake. " it would totally dominate the consumer market" should be Linux consumer market.
"The Linux market offers little opportunities for complete domination."
In my uninformed opinion, if a company came out with a user-friendly Linux flavor that included all of the driver support of Windows, with none of virulent Linux zealot attitudes to go with it, it would totally dominate the consumer market.
"Moreover, could you really imagine Microsoft distributing software governed by the GPL after all the "viral code" FUD?"
Yes, and it would be easy since being two-faced isn't an issue for most companies. All they'd have to do is make the source available for download, and then sell their Linux products to that 90% of the consumer market that doesn't compile programs from source, and just wants to double-click a download to make it install.
As for competition, sure, other programmers could run with the source, but could they make a professional-grade UI to stick on the front end, or are we talking the mid-90s UI of KDE 3.x? More importantly, how many developers would work with Microsoft source code, given the virulent anti-MS attitude of the Linux community?
Frankly, if Microsoft entered Linux, I think the consumer market would embrace it big time to the tune of 15%-25% market share. Of course, who knows.
Peace.
"At least then I don't have to buy another upgrade for 7 or 8 years."
;-)
You mispelled "download," "patches," and "days."
"For all your complaints, we are talking about a difference of $100 at most for between Apple's offerings and equivilent products."
Hhahaahahahahahahhaaa. You're really serious, aren't you?
Keep drinking that Kool-Aid.
Chuck
"OS X comes with web server (Apache), SSH server (where's that in XP anything?), a SQL database, and many other things that you can't get without XP Professional or even Win2000/2003 Server."
You can get them all for free. Use Google, you may have heard of it.
"I think Microsoft's OS strategy sucks"
I think Apple sucks because you have to pay an obscene premium for old, was new-one-to-two-years-ago hardware (plus $249 for AppleCare) if you want to use OS X.
OS X is terrific. The CPUs and FSB are also terrific, although it's hard to tell if IBM is beginning to "pull a Motorola" now. Everything else in those PCs are Apple scamming their Macolytes. Microsoft sucks in many ways too, no doubt, but I'd rather pay the $100 Microsoft tax for WinXP Home than pay the much worse Apple tax.
Of course, YMMV.
"Being disappointed when a product we never announced fails to materialize is, frankly, pretty bizarre."
:-)
Aye, you're right, but in the hands of a maniacal Fan Boy, it's a 10-month length of rope that helps expedite their virtual suicide when Apple doesn't deliver it.
Oh, you're right, just ignore him. Heck, feel free to ignore anyone whose arguments and correlated data don't fit your ideology. And, if someone does present information that fits with your ideology, please feel free to agree while sitting on your butt doing nothing more than posting to Slashdot.
FWIW, I went to your link, but alas there's no way to request their SDK electronically. You have to print out their PDF at the bottom and then snailmail it.
Failing that, I'd suggest simply passing the word around that if you buy a digital Nikon, the only way to access your RAW files will be to buy Nikon Capture 4.0 for $100. Nothing else, anywhere, will do it.
"They point out that this 'proprietary' format is accessible through the use of their 'proprietary' SDK, which is freely available to 'bona fide software companies' on written application."
Pardon me, but Fuck' Em with a spoon. They shouldn't receive the support of the open source community, nor should they receive the support of the non-Nikon software community. If they like the bed they're making, then we shouldn't deny them the long-term pleasure of lying in it.
"High on the list of features are security enhancements, improved desktop searching and organizing, and better methods for laptops to roam from one network to another."
:-)
And you'll see all this and more when it's released in 2007.
Honest.
"If we started limiting free speech freedoms to those who know how to speek properly maybe we wouldn't have such a functional illiterate problem in the western world."
Whipping out my English cluestick...
free speech freedoms should be free speech.
speek should be speak
speek properly should have a comma after it, denoting a compound sentence.
functional illiterate problem should either be 'illiteracy problem' or 'widespread functional illiteracy.'
"My only problem with free speech is that those who don't know how to speek also have the freedom."
And you, son of Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel, are Exhibit #1.
"So you're paying $30 for that non-Apple add-on. Why isn't Apple making these things?"
Because they've probably determined that it's not their core competency, and is in fact an example of di-worse-ification.
Chuck
And now you know where the religious refugees ended up.
"There is that word again. I'm getting tired of it. :("
Me too, that's why I've begun calling them Green Pigs, 'cause you can't make Green Eggs and Ham without them.
"That's fine, just don't do it on my tax dollars."
Hear hear! God knows our tax dollars shouldn't be used to support the demonstrably smart, hard-working children of illegal immigrants when it can go to people who haven't done anything to merit it besides being born in the right borders.
"And the half that I _do_ use turned out be useful at occasionally very unexpected places."
Like with a date?
"I wish people would stop acting as if graphic design isn't work. It's how I've eaten and paid my rent for six years."
;)
Designers get paid?
Self-righteous Apple fanboys in one corner.
Foaming-at-the-mouth Linux zealots in another.
Ya know, with both OSs having incredibly, religiously, fanatical fanboy reserves to draw from, I'd pay good money to see this in a ring, in a Celebrity Deathmatch, or in a video game. My God, it would either be the height of hilarity or the first non-nuclear post-apocolyptic fight in history.
Of course, I'm a geek, so maybe that's just me.
Why don't you take a deep breath and stop attacking everyone?
>;-)
"I'd love to hear about the types of mass market games that are PC-only and have a loyal following."
Speaking from my experience, all of the Command & Conquer titles are substantially better on the PC than they are on a console. That includes C&C, C&C Red Alert, C&C Tiberian Sun, C&C Generals, plus all the addition packs and indie game-plug-ins you could work with this franchise. If it isn't clear, that's my favorite game franchise, but mostly because it doesn't depend heavily on eye-hand coordination like FPSs do.
Say, did the barber cut a little too close to your g/f's old man during his last haircut? Sure seems that way.
FWIW, I use an old Athlon 700 for my work (it's too old to game anything anymore) and will be getting an Xbox for gaming once I've got the $, but still, the father's attitude is pretty harsh. He shoud buy a Mac and a glass of Kool-Aid, and learn to exhale.