Yes. What does the venue matter? A bunch of people spent time arranging something nice that they could all enjoy, and your asshat of a friend took glee in ruining it. Firstly, it may be established that the scenario described might not be possible with Everquest.
But generally speaking... a bunch of people spent some time arranging something nice. It's rather why important events like weddings are held in somewhat controlled settings such as a church, a hall, sometimes outdoors but with some clear cut borders. Odds are you wouldn't hold a wedding in a pool hall where fighting and brawling is the norm.
Trying to arrange something nice in a combat zone is dumb. You would THINK that MMOPRPGs would offer a non-combat zone for this sort of thing.
Nobody was physically harmed, but quite possibly somone had their fun spoiled. Purposefully destroying the fun of others is rude, regardless of how it happens. How do you know their fun wasn't spoiled. I don't play Everquest but I'm thinking this would sound like grand fun. Wedding party crashed, guests slaughtered, wife kidnapped. This sounds like a good vehicle to organize a quest to get her back.
Similarily, if you're sitting in a park and having a quiet talk with someone, you'd be annoyed at someone who decided to leave their ghetto-blaster, playing the soundtrack of a porn-movie at full volume 2 meters away from you. This action too, hurts noone physically (aslong as it's not loud enough to be hearing-damaging) but nevertheless I think you'd find most people would be annoyed at it. Well, with the social rules vary from place to place, but this is generally accepted as being rude. Most public parks have rules regarding noise pollution. Skate parks ghetto-blasters and music are often par for the course. I don't see this as being an issue as most people who want to listen to music these days get an i-pod, unless they want music in a social setting.
But Everquest you could call raiding a wedding party "purposefully destroying the fun of others", or part of the fantasy role playing game where this sort of behavior should be expected, and planned for.
Is it ridicoloous for an amateur theatre-group to have a play where a wedding is part of it ?
And if not, why would it be more or less ridicolous if the players use online avatars rather than their own physical bodies ? We are not talking about a theater group putting on a play. We're talking about a MMORPG where combat brings wealth and experience and is part of game play. They were likely foolish for hosting a wedding in a combat zone.
Your friend is an idiot, and he has deliberately harassed people during an online event. Thats what it means. It doesnt matter whether it is allowed by that game's rules or not - it is an uncivil act. Someone who actually plays Everquest or other MPORPGs would know the social rules better than my self. But to me it's fantasy, as in pure fiction much like other "role playing games". Correct me if I'm wrong but combat between players or groups is perfectly normal and part of the role being played. If the role you are playing is a sociopath, then it would stand to reason that it would be appropriate to see a wedding party, see an opportunity to gain wealth and experience, and act upon it. If I was playing such a game, was getting married in the game, and got raided and my wife taken, then I would consider it a chance to organize a quest to get back my wife. I agree it would suck, but it's not real life.
I see emotional entanglement being an issue as Everquest is a pay service, and more over one can pay real money for fantasy equipment. But one makes a choice to play. I'm sure it's loads of fun for those willing to invest the money, time, and effort into it.
'This is not always true... many "Christian" groups are very restrictive.'
Sad to say, many "Christian" groups ARE cults. You could say that, it could be true. It's rather why I said religious or social groups. It doesn't change the fact that with in the past 50 years it was not uncommon for Catholics to be told not to attend Protestent weddings. My priest was a tad on the liberal side making jokes like "Oh, this door? Oh, that's where all the Catholics go who think they are the only ones who get into heaven". Heck, to this day officially the Catholic church has strong stand against birth control, even in developing countries where the population is on overload.
Here's how Christians tell a Christian group from a "Christian" group. One follows Jesus (or tries anyway, nobody's perfect;) ), and the other follows the Pastor (or whatever the human chooses to call him/herself). Good enough system. I'm not going to spend my time assigning labels, but generally speaking I take issue more with the followers than the institution, unless it's the institution it self that's directly affecting the quality of life of others or them selves.
IMO, Darwinian Theory is not in direct conflict with Christianity, and you can be a Christian even if you think that evolution was the likely way humans came about. My view is any church should not have direct say over what is taught in schools, but there are states where Darwinian theory is simply not taught.
Most people are ignorant, and no surprise most Christians are ignorant about their own religion, but the difference is Bible is there for EVERYONE to read (or even made fun of - often by bigots).
Seems that's not true for Scientology. I would very much agree that open doors help to address certain issues, as well as public disclosure. Also, to enjoy the benefit of tax free status, I feel one can't enjoy the benefits of copyright protection.
I judge religious and social groups based on a few factors 1) Family Values 2) Treatment of non-followers 3) Benefit to the world, community, and individual.
For example, I'm to a big fan of one aspect of the Amish where when children are adults, they have to make a choice whether to stay in a community or leave. But aside from that from what I've seen they treat others with respect, trade good quality farm and produce, and in exchange for being self sufficient they just want to be left alone.
No one will tell you where to work or where to live or which doctor to go to or who you can be friends with. This is not always true... many "Christian" groups are very restrictive. This seems to be common in the mid west of America where churches would seem to have stronger power over the people. Kids raised into a religion are often taught to avoid other sects because of fundamental differences. Schools in some states are not taught Darwinian theory because it is felt it's in direct conflict with the bible. I'm sure the Catholic church still maintains a list of banned books.
But... things on the religion front are getting better. For example a typical Catholic can marry a Protestent without causing much grief, and it's no longer unusual for them to be buried in the same cemetery. This is a huge change over a short period of time.
A good way to judge a religion or social group is how they react to those who don't follow the exact same set of beliefs. Ostracizing friends and family for this reason is not something I find to be acceptable. Also, an open door policy is something I enjoy in any religious group. Outside oversight helps to prevent abuses of power.
However, I also have no problem with Comcast restricting the type of traffic that comes across their network. It's their network, so they get to decide what they choose to allow on it. It's no different than blocking SMTP traffic to keep people from running mail servers. Blocking SMTP typically is not an issue for inbound traffic... I.e. you can often run a mail server so long as you use the ISP's outbound server. Not that I haven't seen it in reverse. However, they are not attempting to block mail... but rather put mail under their control in the event of complaints. However Comcast has a history of allowing outbound spam.
Let's not pretend that most torrent traffic is legitimate...we all know it isn't. That's like suggesting legalization pot for everyone because it may help with some the side effects of chemo (there is no glaucoma benefit, btw). That argument has nothing to do with the general population. Let's not pretend that most web traffic is legitimate... some might say the internet is for porn.
As for pot... from what I've seen it's an excellent drug for people on chemo. You can grow it your self, it addresses many issues associated with treatment, with minimal side effects. It has a very accepted medical use. It does have something to do with the general population as a good portion of the general population have had to deal with cancer. I'm not a pot smoker, but in the event I have to endure chemo, I would want medical marijuana available as an option.
But this is neither here nor there. There is a legit application for web traffic, SMTP traffic, and BT traffic.
So now we get to read all the self-important posts from people who download copyrighted movies games and software complaining because what someone else is doing may break the law?
pot kettle etc.
Nobody who is downloading copyrighted stuff has any right to complain about this. As a content provider, I'm glad this ISP is taking a stand on behalf of people who actually create new content. There is a commercial aspect to P2P... for example AOL (in2tv) offers free media downloads using BitTorrent. In fact, it's been a great boom to push older content which has little commercial value yet a nitch market. As for new content, BT is a great system of distribution with a low in cost.
If you are truly a content provider, you should respect the rights of other content providers in choosing how they wish their material to be distributed.
Well, KDE and GNOME do have such panels. In GNOME, System -> Preferences -> Screen Resolution In KDE, the program krandr does the same thing. For safe mode, we have the command prompt. Far more functional then windows safe mode. Valid point -> Windows crash recovery sucks. The recovery console is very limited in function, and safemode can easily be rendered useless. Heck, the jump from win2k to XP it would seem that the save mode video frequency was just enough off the spec to render some displays useless, in particular some LCD models. The only real way to do any sort of crash recovery is to have another version of xp, either on another HD or on a jump drive. WinME is when microsoft started stepping in and giving us the "you can't get here from there".
But the point is moot -> You missed the point... the point is to offer an experience to the end user better than windows can. and XF86config isn't exactly user friendly.
Actually, building a moon station, while farther away, may still cost less energy than building a space station, if done right, because you don't have to lift as much mass from the Earth! Most of the heavy materials needed for the superstructure is already on the moon. Just dig out some caves (which can be done by robots which don't need a costly artificial atmosphere), seal 'em off with light titanium or similar stuff flown in from the earth, fill it with the usual set of cables, pipes etc... and there you have a nice, perfectly usable permanent underground moon base! It may take some years to build, but since it's a modular design, it can be done over an extended period of time. And if you're already on the moon, you could start mining and using the local minerals etc... to extend the station It's a good question whether the moon would be a great place for mineable minerals or if the the main asteroid belt would be a better choice. At least with the moon solar is more available, so that opens the door to solar smelters, so perhaps a combo of mass drivers in the main belt to jet raw material the moon doesn't have, such as water, and moon based site to convert the raw materials into a usable form.
This seems to be turning into a real space race. On one hand we have china and india competing in who will land a human first, and on the other hand we have Russia and the US competing for the first moon base. But in the end, the US will be looked upon as the total victor of this space race as well. The reason is that because of their new long term vision, the US is the only contender that will develop a way to go to mars at the same time as they're planning the moon trip. By 2030 when moon bases are old news, everyone will be looking at mars but the US will be the only country with a chance to get there. Mars will probably be the end of this space race since its so much harder to go anywhere else. A moon base would likely be a good springboard to setting up real bases elsewhere in the solar system. While Mars is relatively close, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn are far more interesting, specifically: Titan - Titan at least has a decent atmosphere, toxic to humans, but still makes it more hospitable. Europa - At least has gas pockets, and the possibility of subterranean bases. But it's inside Jupiter's radiation belt. Callisto - About as attractive as our moon, but at least near the hot spot in the solar system for fuel and materials for further exploration.
But needless to say Mars is not the end of the space race.
You didn't read my last line where I compared it to taping a radio broadcast and giving that to a friend. So that fixes #1. I did read the last line, but the point is moot. You can record broadcasts... that issue is not in debate. You might be able to give away that physical recording you recorded. But it is without a doubt a copyright violation to make copies of something which you don't have the rights to, let alone rebroadcast it. That's the difference.
Instead of trying to redo the same old story with whats left of a aging and thinning available cast, they should take a hint from "The Next Generation" and move further in to the future with a new series and new characters. I thought that was what Andromeda was slated to be, trek in the far future after the Federation fell.
You could say downloading it from bittorrent is the same thing as getting a copy on tape from your friend, couldn't you? That's my justification at times. How is it different to download a song, or to get said song on a CD-R from a friend who owns the original CD? Or to go old school, how is it different than getting a tape with a recording of a song off the radio? How is getting a friend to tape something different from bittorrent?
1) One does have the right to record off the air broadcasts. Video recorders are legal 2) You are asking one person to copy and record one thing. It's not being re-broadcast over distances, and being shared with planet Earth. 3) Sneaker net is presently not a traceable medium. While in it self a copyright violation, it's something which has been done for years. 4) There is no way you can honestly say you have a personal relationship of any sort with the swarm, well unless it's an organized private tracker.
Try as you might to justify it, there is a big difference between old school sneaker net and modern day internet rebroadcasting.
You have pretty shitty friends if they can't handle you for one hour a week. Or you're a pretty shitty friend. Either way. 1. Your "friend" must be close enough to get signal, or have cable/dish. 2. Your "friend" must like you well enough to have you over weekly 3. Your "friend" must like the show well enough to watch it 4. Your "friend" must have a compatible schedule for this to even work. I have friends who are in bed by 8pm, others who are going to work after 6pm.
If your "friend" doesn't met these requirements, then one can always consider talking to the fan clubs. There almost always is someone who actually likes to watch shows in groups.
1) Use an Antenna. It's called broadcast TV. 2) Go to a friends house. You do have friends right? 3) Go out to a public place that has Heroes on their TV. 4) Wait to buy the DVD's.
Most of these options don't even involve paying NBC.
Yes, a little hyperbole in my reply, but no more than "Guess what my only alternative will be". Those out of range of NBC broadcasts are not very likely to be able to use option 1, or 2. Option 3 seems a tad strange... I imagine that there could be a university campus which watches this show publicly, but not your average pup. What is likely a more elegant solution is setting up a video recording device in your car and, drive to a place where you can get a good signal, and drive back.
If this was the 20th century, I would get a friend to tape it and wait for the tape. Heck a public exhibition from recorded media so long as it's for charity, i.e. renting a room in an activity center and a big TV, is often very acceptable by the major networks. If you are a member of a Heroes fan club, this is something that could be organized.
There are other solutions to piracy, just people are lazy.
What kind of idiot would connect the security system to the Internet so that 'they' could get to anything. Didn't they put it on a private VPN or use a password even? Your average ordinary idiot. People don't understand when they connect that wire... they are connected to "planet earth". They really don't. Even Axis cameras don't come with a default robot.txt on their cameras.
When it was advertised as unlimited, I can see where a user could complain that it would be a FTC violation if they limited your service, but these days i've only noted in the adverts always on. What's the advertising stance presently on comcast service?
For those who compare this to companies that put keyloggers on employee's computers - this is NOT the same. If companies were to install cameras inside cabs and watch the driver's behavior (something many bus companies actually do), or record the drivers voice, or even record driving manners by analyzing the car computer's data - you'd have a (somewhat) legitimate case of privacy invasion, since you'd monitor the driver himself. Would you agree at your place of employment to get strapped down with a GPS unit and have all your movements during the day archived?
My feelings are mixed on this subject. On the one hand, I see GPS being a powerful tool very useful in establishing good solid routes between two places, and assurance that no cab driver makes a honest mistake not knowing a given residential street doesn't go through. Not to speak of a dispatcher knowing on the fly exactly who's nearest to a given location. But on the other hand, I agree with the tin hats not only with the privacy issue, but the moment any manager gets access to lots of data they *tend* to use that data to harass or fire someone.
As to whether a company with fleet vehicles has the right to keep track of their exact location at any given time, that's the question. With new technology we have to re-evaluate the rights of individuals. To keep with tradition, I would prefer if drivers had the option to uplink their location at the start or end of a fare, and go private when not taking the fare. If flagged stolen then an option for real-time GPS tracking.
Having to upgrade hardware every couple years was annoying, but it's all this crap heaped on me, who is trying to pay real money for games that pushed it over the edge. I'm sure I'm not alone. And yes, I know that Console games are protected too...but for console games, it's transparent to the user It's not upgrading hardware that bugs me but rather the downgrading of hardware for older games that really gets me.
Consoles are great in the fact that they just work for the most part... but given the choice of having to buy a spiffy new vid card, more memory, or a MB/cpu upgrade and shelling out $300-$500 for a console from time to time, i'd go with the PC even with it's glitches and pitfalls. If the whole business of spyware/rootkits bug you get another HD and boot from that when you want to game.
Meth heads don't do less drugs during the work week, I wonder if that has something to do with them not having jobs. Meth is one of those funny drugs that offer some benefit for some occupations. Truck driving is a big one. CIS is actually another. Engineering is another. Any job that requires you to stay awake for long periods of time meth is most helpful for. Not that it's a good idea for your average person, but it is used.
I'm sure it also has recreational value, but so does sniffing glue.
...pee in your yard. Trees like the nutrients! On the one hand, if you want to take controlled substances and go undetected, then the viable solution is to find a non-mainstream method of disposing your waste.
On the other hand, if you are doing enough in the way of controlled substances for recreational to worry about it, odds are you are not going to be that picky when you need to get rid of excess waste.
Still, this opens the door to companies rather than testing employees for drugs to create temp storage tank for waste, sample, then dump.
There are no gentoo USERS. they never get to actually use the system That's not too far from the truth. I tried to install the sucker, selected a bunch of options on my k7 2800+ system, which isn't a slouch by any means, after 27 hours of compiling I gave up.
"While I hate coupons I've found that The Kroger Co... aka Fred Meyers and QFC are the least restrictive on coupons. Not only do they accept photocopies of their store adverts, but they don't even require the physical coupon."
Well I suspect "Mr Fraud" has ruined another barrel of apples. Kroger doesn't take internet coupons around here. Mine still does, though the website doesn't include the bar code on the enlarged edition. You just ask the cashier, she pulls out her little drawer with the current coupon list, it gets scanned, and away you go.
It isn't fraud if you are honest, and I always added the text "web coupons don't scan, try this bar code". My local store doesn't require the physical advert coupon, they are happy to keep a copy and scan from that. I just want to save the cashier time.
Absolutely simple as friggin pie, or even install a print to PDF driver from sourceforge, print and save to file, open in adobe [print as many as you like, DUH!!! I only glanced at TFA but from what I read... these coupons have serial numbers which can be used to track who's using what, and multiable serials such as those from a photocopy or in this case PDF copy can be detected and the store might have to foot the bill or no longer accept these coupons. Nice idea, but they seem to be very particular about the where what and how you get and use these coupons.
The best thing I can recommend is to not any system that is so restrictive. While I hate coupons I've found that The Kroger Co... aka Fred Meyers and QFC are the least restrictive on coupons. Not only do they accept photocopies of their store adverts, but they don't even require the physical coupon. To me, this is cool beans, even cooler if you live in Salt Lake Utah where they have a port & beans isle. Or better yet, if there is a store that offers good deals all the time without coupons, use them.
Slashdot Mirror
But generally speaking... a bunch of people spent some time arranging something nice. It's rather why important events like weddings are held in somewhat controlled settings such as a church, a hall, sometimes outdoors but with some clear cut borders. Odds are you wouldn't hold a wedding in a pool hall where fighting and brawling is the norm.
Trying to arrange something nice in a combat zone is dumb. You would THINK that MMOPRPGs would offer a non-combat zone for this sort of thing.
But Everquest you could call raiding a wedding party "purposefully destroying the fun of others", or part of the fantasy role playing game where this sort of behavior should be expected, and planned for. Is it ridicoloous for an amateur theatre-group to have a play where a wedding is part of it ?
And if not, why would it be more or less ridicolous if the players use online avatars rather than their own physical bodies ? We are not talking about a theater group putting on a play. We're talking about a MMORPG where combat brings wealth and experience and is part of game play. They were likely foolish for hosting a wedding in a combat zone.
I see emotional entanglement being an issue as Everquest is a pay service, and more over one can pay real money for fantasy equipment. But one makes a choice to play. I'm sure it's loads of fun for those willing to invest the money, time, and effort into it.
Sad to say, many "Christian" groups ARE cults. You could say that, it could be true. It's rather why I said religious or social groups. It doesn't change the fact that with in the past 50 years it was not uncommon for Catholics to be told not to attend Protestent weddings. My priest was a tad on the liberal side making jokes like "Oh, this door? Oh, that's where all the Catholics go who think they are the only ones who get into heaven". Heck, to this day officially the Catholic church has strong stand against birth control, even in developing countries where the population is on overload. Here's how Christians tell a Christian group from a "Christian" group. One follows Jesus (or tries anyway, nobody's perfect
Seems that's not true for Scientology. I would very much agree that open doors help to address certain issues, as well as public disclosure. Also, to enjoy the benefit of tax free status, I feel one can't enjoy the benefits of copyright protection.
I judge religious and social groups based on a few factors
1) Family Values
2) Treatment of non-followers
3) Benefit to the world, community, and individual.
For example, I'm to a big fan of one aspect of the Amish where when children are adults, they have to make a choice whether to stay in a community or leave. But aside from that from what I've seen they treat others with respect, trade good quality farm and produce, and in exchange for being self sufficient they just want to be left alone.
But... things on the religion front are getting better. For example a typical Catholic can marry a Protestent without causing much grief, and it's no longer unusual for them to be buried in the same cemetery. This is a huge change over a short period of time.
A good way to judge a religion or social group is how they react to those who don't follow the exact same set of beliefs. Ostracizing friends and family for this reason is not something I find to be acceptable. Also, an open door policy is something I enjoy in any religious group. Outside oversight helps to prevent abuses of power.
As for pot... from what I've seen it's an excellent drug for people on chemo. You can grow it your self, it addresses many issues associated with treatment, with minimal side effects. It has a very accepted medical use. It does have something to do with the general population as a good portion of the general population have had to deal with cancer. I'm not a pot smoker, but in the event I have to endure chemo, I would want medical marijuana available as an option.
But this is neither here nor there. There is a legit application for web traffic, SMTP traffic, and BT traffic.
pot kettle etc.
Nobody who is downloading copyrighted stuff has any right to complain about this. As a content provider, I'm glad this ISP is taking a stand on behalf of people who actually create new content. There is a commercial aspect to P2P... for example AOL (in2tv) offers free media downloads using BitTorrent. In fact, it's been a great boom to push older content which has little commercial value yet a nitch market. As for new content, BT is a great system of distribution with a low in cost.
If you are truly a content provider, you should respect the rights of other content providers in choosing how they wish their material to be distributed.
But the point is moot -> You missed the point... the point is to offer an experience to the end user better than windows can. and XF86config isn't exactly user friendly.
Titan - Titan at least has a decent atmosphere, toxic to humans, but still makes it more hospitable.
Europa - At least has gas pockets, and the possibility of subterranean bases. But it's inside Jupiter's radiation belt.
Callisto - About as attractive as our moon, but at least near the hot spot in the solar system for fuel and materials for further exploration.
But needless to say Mars is not the end of the space race.
Boom
1) One does have the right to record off the air broadcasts. Video recorders are legal
2) You are asking one person to copy and record one thing. It's not being re-broadcast over distances, and being shared with planet Earth.
3) Sneaker net is presently not a traceable medium. While in it self a copyright violation, it's something which has been done for years.
4) There is no way you can honestly say you have a personal relationship of any sort with the swarm, well unless it's an organized private tracker.
Try as you might to justify it, there is a big difference between old school sneaker net and modern day internet rebroadcasting.
2. Your "friend" must like you well enough to have you over weekly
3. Your "friend" must like the show well enough to watch it
4. Your "friend" must have a compatible schedule for this to even work. I have friends who are in bed by 8pm, others who are going to work after 6pm.
If your "friend" doesn't met these requirements, then one can always consider talking to the fan clubs. There almost always is someone who actually likes to watch shows in groups.
2) Go to a friends house. You do have friends right?
3) Go out to a public place that has Heroes on their TV.
4) Wait to buy the DVD's.
Most of these options don't even involve paying NBC.
Yes, a little hyperbole in my reply, but no more than "Guess what my only alternative will be". Those out of range of NBC broadcasts are not very likely to be able to use option 1, or 2. Option 3 seems a tad strange... I imagine that there could be a university campus which watches this show publicly, but not your average pup. What is likely a more elegant solution is setting up a video recording device in your car and, drive to a place where you can get a good signal, and drive back.
If this was the 20th century, I would get a friend to tape it and wait for the tape. Heck a public exhibition from recorded media so long as it's for charity, i.e. renting a room in an activity center and a big TV, is often very acceptable by the major networks. If you are a member of a Heroes fan club, this is something that could be organized.
There are other solutions to piracy, just people are lazy.
When it was advertised as unlimited, I can see where a user could complain that it would be a FTC violation if they limited your service, but these days i've only noted in the adverts always on. What's the advertising stance presently on comcast service?
My feelings are mixed on this subject. On the one hand, I see GPS being a powerful tool very useful in establishing good solid routes between two places, and assurance that no cab driver makes a honest mistake not knowing a given residential street doesn't go through. Not to speak of a dispatcher knowing on the fly exactly who's nearest to a given location. But on the other hand, I agree with the tin hats not only with the privacy issue, but the moment any manager gets access to lots of data they *tend* to use that data to harass or fire someone.
As to whether a company with fleet vehicles has the right to keep track of their exact location at any given time, that's the question. With new technology we have to re-evaluate the rights of individuals. To keep with tradition, I would prefer if drivers had the option to uplink their location at the start or end of a fare, and go private when not taking the fare. If flagged stolen then an option for real-time GPS tracking.
Consoles are great in the fact that they just work for the most part... but given the choice of having to buy a spiffy new vid card, more memory, or a MB/cpu upgrade and shelling out $300-$500 for a console from time to time, i'd go with the PC even with it's glitches and pitfalls. If the whole business of spyware/rootkits bug you get another HD and boot from that when you want to game.
I'm sure it also has recreational value, but so does sniffing glue.
...pee in your yard. Trees like the nutrients! On the one hand, if you want to take controlled substances and go undetected, then the viable solution is to find a non-mainstream method of disposing your waste.On the other hand, if you are doing enough in the way of controlled substances for recreational to worry about it, odds are you are not going to be that picky when you need to get rid of excess waste.
Still, this opens the door to companies rather than testing employees for drugs to create temp storage tank for waste, sample, then dump.
It isn't fraud if you are honest, and I always added the text "web coupons don't scan, try this bar code". My local store doesn't require the physical advert coupon, they are happy to keep a copy and scan from that. I just want to save the cashier time.
The best thing I can recommend is to not any system that is so restrictive. While I hate coupons I've found that The Kroger Co... aka Fred Meyers and QFC are the least restrictive on coupons. Not only do they accept photocopies of their store adverts, but they don't even require the physical coupon. To me, this is cool beans, even cooler if you live in Salt Lake Utah where they have a port & beans isle. Or better yet, if there is a store that offers good deals all the time without coupons, use them.