It's the same as with any internet service provider...Sure, they already have the hardware in place for you to dial into them, and it doesn't cost them more than a few cents' electrons to stay connected for an hour.
But they're still charging you for a convenience, aka. a service.
I'll believe it's "only an average C compiler" when someone compiles the Linux kernel with a commercial compiler and runs various benchmarks against the same version kernel compiled with gcc.
We already have clusters of radio antennas/dishes...
Turns out that a large number of smaller dishes over a large range is roughly equivalent to one much larger dish, in terms of being able to tell where a signal came from.
You mean, the same way VA Linux ran for years as a very open company until it couldn't afford it, and changed its name to VA instead?
You mean, the same way Apache has been picked up by a corporation and the publically available version is an old version of the codebase that the commercially available version is. (Recalling from memory...can't find the info anywhere.)
You mean, the way that slashdot, Sourceforge, Freshmeat, kuro5hin, Linux.com and all the rest of the OSDN network is run by corporation that recently purged their namesake from its name?
If NASA was privitized, every new technology it contracts for development could be monopolized, and advancements in the industry would be under constant threat!
Every company involved in technology advancement that I've ever heard of has patented their inventions, and not all of them license those. Those that do often do so at high prices, stifling derivitive works. This is why we have copylefts for those advancements made by civilians.
It's a precedent set by Edison. He hired hundreds of inventors and patented all their results. Those results weren't often used until afterr the patents ran out, as Edison charged a bundle for licenses.
I'd really prefer this not to happen to the one majorly funded civilian organization that freely gave us things like Mylar and aerogels.
The book's packed in storage until I finish moving, but Heinlein's Expanded Universe calculated that a trip to pluto at one gee would only take two weeks!
I own and operate an ISP, and I will not install this software on my servers, because I refuse to withold my customers' mail.
However, I will reccommend this software to my customers, so they can use it at their option. That way, they can do what they want. (And I don't get hit with a lawsuit on the off chance a very vital email gets blocked.)
Suppose you publish a CD w/ an RIAA member, but license it with a copyleft.
Now suppose that CD became the absolute hit album for the US and UK, where everyone wanted a copy for himself and a copy for his time capsule.
Finally, suppose that people, realizing the meaning of the copyleft, started pirating the CD left and right, and a few smart people made mucho money undercutting retail prices.
I can gaurantee you that the RIAA wouldn't be happy, but I couldn't tell you what they'd do. It'd depend on the details of the copyleft.
First, does the copyleft explicitly grant freedom of reproduction in addition to freedom to modify? Second, did the RIAA force you to include a clause prohibiting subsequent commercial use?
That could become a major hit in corporate environments, especially ones that use VPNs.
That concept should be included in the Linux kernel...maybe use a public key system like GPG.
Probably best implemented as a type of loopback device. Call it an "encryptback" device. That would also let anyone with proper permissions encrypt his files without additional software, at kernel-level timesharing priority.
Though that may not be a good idea, 'cause a disgruntled employee with system priviledges could just link two encryptback devices together and--whoops...locked the system.
Slashdot Mirror
It's the same as with any internet service provider...Sure, they already have the hardware in place for you to dial into them, and it doesn't cost them more than a few cents' electrons to stay connected for an hour.
But they're still charging you for a convenience, aka. a service.
I'll believe it's "only an average C compiler" when someone compiles the Linux kernel with a commercial compiler and runs various benchmarks against the same version kernel compiled with gcc.
You're not wrong, but it made for a good "+2 Funny" comment, so it was acceptable.
My grandparents have had a computer for a year now, and my grandfather uses Word to do his consulting documents.
I put him in front of a computer with fullscreen Abiword, and he was none the wiser until I pointed him to the About box.
I know and love Java, but even simple apps can be SLOW!
Unless you want to run inside browsers, I still say C/C++ is a better route. gcc supports compiling for all major platforms I've ever used.
In the book I mentioned, Heinlein talks as himself, and walked the reader through the math.
Windows is a competitor too.
/. there's a new article about a benchmark showing Linux better than Windows, or Apache better than IIS.
It seems like every week on
Large array of boxen...Should one use bootp? Or just mount drives over NFS?
Ever notice how most little kids start out with Velcro shoes?
Ever give a Mylar baloon to your parents for their Anniversary?
Thanks, Apollo.
"For Sale:
Pot, Kettle
Black.
Argue noisly at night.
(616) 532-8423"
We already have clusters of radio antennas/dishes...
Turns out that a large number of smaller dishes over a large range is roughly equivalent to one much larger dish, in terms of being able to tell where a signal came from.
Privatized?!
You mean, the same way VA Linux ran for years as a very open company until it couldn't afford it, and changed its name to VA instead?
You mean, the same way Apache has been picked up by a corporation and the publically available version is an old version of the codebase that the commercially available version is. (Recalling from memory...can't find the info anywhere.)
You mean, the way that slashdot, Sourceforge, Freshmeat, kuro5hin, Linux.com and all the rest of the OSDN network is run by corporation that recently purged their namesake from its name?
If NASA was privitized, every new technology it contracts for development could be monopolized, and advancements in the industry would be under constant threat!
Every company involved in technology advancement that I've ever heard of has patented their inventions, and not all of them license those. Those that do often do so at high prices, stifling derivitive works. This is why we have copylefts for those advancements made by civilians.
It's a precedent set by Edison. He hired hundreds of inventors and patented all their results. Those results weren't often used until afterr the patents ran out, as Edison charged a bundle for licenses.
I'd really prefer this not to happen to the one majorly funded civilian organization that freely gave us things like Mylar and aerogels.
The book's packed in storage until I finish moving, but Heinlein's Expanded Universe calculated that a trip to pluto at one gee would only take two weeks!
"It's a bird!"
"It's a plane!"
"It's a frog!"
(in chorus) "A frog?!"
"I'm no bird, nor plane, nor even frog. I'm just little old me--"(CRASH!) (weakly) "Underdog..."
I've noticed that /. often has articles about novelty websites.
How about a site title, "1001 Ways to Be Filtered as SPAM"?
I own and operate an ISP, and I will not install this software on my servers, because I refuse to withold my customers' mail.
However, I will reccommend this software to my customers, so they can use it at their option. That way, they can do what they want. (And I don't get hit with a lawsuit on the off chance a very vital email gets blocked.)
...the rubber is really made of flexible solar cells.
Power during the day, camoflage during the night.
So they should argue that the lack of an NDA makes cracking that encryption legal.
I hope I don't sound like a troll, and please note that I'm playing devil's advocate.
What authoritive figure said that code is a form of speech?
If it is, who says that I have more of a right to tell other people's secrets in the form of source code than I have in the form of writing or speech?
Actually, most of it isn't.
For example, DeCSS was intended to allow Linux users view their DVDs on their computers.
If I wanted to do something illegal with a DVD, I'd just take a DVD-ROM drive, burn a copy of the DVD and give it to a friend.
I can think of at least one case.
Suppose you publish a CD w/ an RIAA member, but license it with a copyleft.
Now suppose that CD became the absolute hit album for the US and UK, where everyone wanted a copy for himself and a copy for his time capsule.
Finally, suppose that people, realizing the meaning of the copyleft, started pirating the CD left and right, and a few smart people made mucho money undercutting retail prices.
I can gaurantee you that the RIAA wouldn't be happy, but I couldn't tell you what they'd do. It'd depend on the details of the copyleft.
First, does the copyleft explicitly grant freedom of reproduction in addition to freedom to modify? Second, did the RIAA force you to include a clause prohibiting subsequent commercial use?
In the criminal case, it wound up with a hung jury, so decision was passed on to Judge Ito.
Didn't Steven Mitnick claim that most of his exploits were through "social engineering?"
Encrypted block device? cool!
That could become a major hit in corporate environments, especially ones that use VPNs.
That concept should be included in the Linux kernel...maybe use a public key system like GPG.
Probably best implemented as a type of loopback device. Call it an "encryptback" device. That would also let anyone with proper permissions encrypt his files without additional software, at kernel-level timesharing priority.
Though that may not be a good idea, 'cause a disgruntled employee with system priviledges could just link two encryptback devices together and--whoops...locked the system.
Score one for Linux! (Well, SuSE, for now.)
The lameness filter has universal decryption software builtin.