This is one of the many reasons why America (the government) is hated by the people and other governments of the world. Our government promises and makes statements, then acts in the opposite manner. Our government states that it cares about children, then refuses to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our government wants to bring criminals to justice, but continues to block a UN International Criminal Court. Our government says it will send food to countries experiencing famine, and then takes issue with a 'right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food' during a UN sponsered World Food Sumit. The US government screams bloody murder if another country violates the Geneva Convention regarding POWs, but shugs off its own blatant violations.
Reminds me of a poem I once read:
I live in the greatest country
in the world in the greatest time in history. But I scorn the ground I stand upon.
The one where lawyer Steve Dallas time travels and screws things up. He then quips "A blighted landscape of insurance monopolies and hiding, dependent, squabbling mice-people...An entire planet of victims!" Substitute any number of corporation types for "insurance" and you get the picture.
In these times when the major media corporations suck at the tit of the ruling political party and largely publish only those items that the ruling political party wishes to be published, that the citizenry should question government and the ideology by which the government is using to rule. The citizens cannot truely be free if they do not have free access to unfiltered streams of information. Refresh my memory, didn't we fight a war +230 years ago to put a stop to this nonsense?!
Monopolies are illegal and should be broken and/or punished. Media monopolies should not be allowed to start. The FCC should not even be considering this action - it should not be allowed. So much for being a democracy and/or republic.
One of the worst things that ever happened to this country was corporations being given protection under the Bill of Rights. Corporations cannot be given the same rights as citizens since corporations cannot be trusted not to abuse those rights. Government and corporations should be on a short leash being held by the citizenry, not the other way around.
I remember reading about this some time ago. Hmm, possibly within the past year.
At any rate, an interesting device. But looks like it has far too many non-beneficial uses - narrow cast marketing (hell, we have too many adverts already), protest/crowd control (where did that constitution go off to?), weapons (like we need more), 'suggestive control' (ok, more adverts), etc. While the beneficial uses are too few - rescue vehicle siren (can the sound go through metal & glass and distract someone from an +800 watt car audio system?), 'private' audio without disturbing others (yes, but it is mono or stereo at best, and anyway it has lousy bass; what are going to do - watch lifetime/oxygen channels all the time?).
The H1B visa program should be suspended and/or severely limited due to the current state of the economy and unemployment. Any time the local labor is being replaced by foreign labor something illegal must be happening. Sure, if the locals are a bunch of lazy and strike-prone union members, and no other local will cross the picket lines, then hire whoever is available. Otherwise skilled local labor should always be hired first.
If the MPAA wants to convert everyone to DVD-Blue correctly they should try these steps - 1) require disc size differences between disc for video and discs for data (video discs would only be for MPAA 'products') this would give a physical barrier for copying. 2) encode a serial number into the video/audio stream that would match a media serial number. data media (R/RW) would get a permanent physical serial number (would make re-encoding very difficult). 3) a new CSS (has to be done). 4) abandon the region code - or make it tougher (try using timezones). 5) abandon Macrovision (who is really going to copy a DVD to VHS - yech!)
Hmm, ok, who has the 5 year count down to implementation counter...?
bwahahaha... TV exists for the public benefit - good one there. Too funny. Ok, on to the real issue...
Actually this event could very well be brought under the law that prosecutes illegal cable TV 'descramblers' (not to mention that damn DMCA nonsense). Just because the signal is being broadcast, and you are able to receive it, and you have figured out how to process it, does not give you the 'right' to view and/or record it (or something like that (IANAL damit!)).
Personally, I think this is very cool. I will be looking into trying something like this when/if I get my *nix box back running. Power to the people!
Hmm, using encryption while comitting a crime is an even bigger crime. But how would they know you are comitting a crime unless they violated the DMCA (you are using encryted communications).
I guess if this administration isn't against removing rights of the 'free' citizenry, they also are not above making themselves exempt from procecution.
This will be damned good. I'll be able to hobble together a system and put a stable OS on it. Sure, it won't have a pretty interface and be able to run all the pretty bloated applications, but it also won't crash all the time and programming for VMS is a breeze (ok, stay away from C & C++, but everything else is cool).
Now if can just hold my breath for a few years until IA64 and VMS are released...
So...the 100s of thousands of potentially violent drug dealers currently in prison should be released and most drug laws reworked?
Ok,ok, strawman. The arguements are not equal; [hard] drugs are dangerous and the dealers should be locked up. But you can see how a rule like that would not work quite the way you may think.
Of course, if there are 270 million US citizens and only 70 million are participating in 'illegal' file sharing, then the law would still stand as 200 million law abiding citizens would keep the balance.
It appears this is just a rehash of the same old copyright enforcement act. You remember, that annoying FBI/Interpol warning before every movie on tape, LD and DVD. The warning that somehow never makes it into your 'archival' copy. States something about several thousand dollars in fines and possible jail time for non-archival copying of the movie.
Want to hit these jokes where it hurts? Write a decentralized Kazaa that uses pseudo-random rotating ports and a healthy encryption mix. Make sure you use all the standard ports as well as ports for gaming systems (PS2 & Xbox). Encryption doesn't have to be too heavy - 128bit for searches and 40bit for transfers. When the court commands the ISPs to monitor traffic the ISPs have to tell the court to stick it since the DMCA (?!) won't allow cracking/breaking encrypted communications.
Since I live in the area I'll make a brief comment. The problems that I heard and read about in Broward(Fort Lauderdale) & Dade(Miami) counties were largely the fault of insufficiently trained polling 'employees'. Despite training, these people would not give the machines enough time to post and boot. Then there were a few stations that 'employees' failed to show and new 'raw' recruits had to work. What a bloody stupid live test.
I, as well as most people who got to use a working machine, thought the machines were great. Almost very nearly child/idiot-proof. My only real objection was that they were multi-lingual. Damn immigrants should really be required to learn at least a 5th grade level of English (reading, writing, speaking, understanding) before being given a 'green card' or becoming a citizen. But maybe thats just my last vestige of bigotry...
Lets see - they plan to test drive a production car on a race track designed for much high performance vehicles... Real smart...
Should have just put the thing up on a dynamometer type rack and hooked up some display for showing 1) the car, 2) speed and 3) mileage on a web-cam dohickey. Have some experts (advocates & opposition) to witness and document.
I've got diskettes in three sizes ready to go - 3.5", 5.25" and 8" (ok, the 8 contains a System360 library so it isn't useful).
Just recently found a stash of 5.25" (1.2MB) and unfortunately both drives are DOS (Dead On Salvage). Found the old bulk eraser and put them in the can.
Still have a couple 5.25" 360-/180-KB (!) drives from original IBM PC/XT (as well as a working XT). Gotta dust that puppy off and jack it into the CGA monitor. I wonder if I can still find a 9 pin ribbon for this silly printer that came with the XT...
Now I only use the 3.5 for MS Money backups (yea, yea, MS suxors, etc)...
This smells so illegal... First include an application in the OS that has a security hole, a few months later act surprised that someone discovers it, firstly deny any such problem exists than finally recant and recognized the problem, build a patch a few months later but include in the attached legal document aa disclaimer for any responsibility for the patch, application(s), and OS, and that third-party applications may be disabled/removed/erased without the owner/user permission at any time. Grrr...
Kinda like buying a new car and not noticing the dealership & manufacturer deny and responsibility for any item and/or service. Then find that if the dealership and/or manufaturer doesn't like any third-party something(s) you put into/onto the car (tires, stereo, etc.) they can eject/confiscate/destroy the third-party something(s) at any time. In a few months you get some new tires from some dealer down the road and as your cruising home on the interstate at 60 the front tires are ejected. Later the court throws out the lawsuit since you violated the dealship/manufacturer EULA...
Time to buy another drive and try the various "open" OS's again....
If a monopolistic cable ISP (MC-ISP) wants to limit what is carried over it's wires, it most certainly may do so. The MC-ISP built the infrastructure to supply this a service for it's customer base. The MC-ISP can [largely] do whatever it wants with the service. You would agree with this if the business were yours (and your altruistic ideals did not exist).
It is not really bad business, it is bad business ethics. In a recession, business ethics are the first to go. As customers we can only do a limited amount to get change - 1) complain, and 2) jump-ship/sign-on to whatever other broadband service is available. If none others are available - keep POTS (you can cry all you like to whoever will listen, but chances are high it will not gain you anything).
Actually this would involve [largely] worldwide communications, not just interstate. So the FBI still would not have jurisdiction. Since the UN seems to be deficient in a law enforcement branch (something to be thankful for, I guess), it would fall under non-jurisdictional and should be left to the civil courts and laws of the nation where committed to deal with it.
Confiscating the computers (permanently) is an outdated and possible illegal action (punishment without due process).
If law enforcement needs evidence they can take the cable modem, the cable service records, and maybe a quick image copy for the computers drives (taking less than 24 hours).
If the cable modem is owned by the customers then the only "crime" is TOS violation for bandwith "theft"; and really, if the cable service allows foreign equipment and fails to protect itself from bandwith "theft" at a point of other than source, those fault is that exactly?
Like I stated before - illegal use of law enforcement for civil complaint.
This is nothing more than excessive force and illegal use of public law enforcement to go after civil/corporate criminals.
The cable to provider should have simply disabled the cable service to these sites, secured the service equipment against tampering, applied fines to these customers, and informed these customers that they are now banned from cable service (from this company) for 2 to 5 years. If these former customers try or do hack into the service before that time than let law enforcement deal with them.
Damn I hate it when corporations use law enforcement to enforce TOS and other civil documents.
Tobacco commercials aren't banned. Tobacco companies and/or networks have decided on a voluntary break from tv advertising. Other forms of advertising have (and continue to) worked very well.
Hard liquor ads were off the air for a long time, but now they are back.
Actually the Supreme Court gave corporations access to protections under the constitution why back in the 1800s. This is why the FCC cannot ban corporate advertising - access to free speech.
An exagerated example would be if a corporation wanted to advertise crack cocaine on tv. Provided a network would take the advertisement, there would be nothing the FCC could do about it. Law enforement departments would grumble loudly about it and possibly investigate the company, but the advertisement could not be banned by any government agency.
OK, I know, this is not a criminal case (and IANAL), but this seems incredibly obviously illegal for a judge to make this request.
This judge is asking Replay/Sonic to gather data that will be used against themselves in a civil action. This should be the primary defense instead of "it goes against our privacy policy" non-sense that any judge would just tell them "so, modify your policy and process my request."
Not that either of these could ever be implemented...
Make the party, and its lawyers, that brings the case to court responsible for the defendants (party being sued) legal fees plus $50K-$100K. Then if the law firm that brought the case loses another two cases (of libel/defamation), suspend all lawyers in the firm for 5 years (or 1 year if all lawyers re-take courses relating to libel/defamation) and reset the counter (if happens again, 10 year disbarment for all lawyers in firm).
This is my opinion and I stand behind the U.S. Constitution that defends my right to express it.
Only by using hardware could the RIAA & MPAA dream about making content managed PCs. While MS will rollover with these two groups, the open software/OS groups cannot/should-not implement this plan/theory. These two groups should acknowlge that securing files by using applications and OSs is doomed to failure (there WILL be a way around any such security), and the answer lies in smart hardware.
A smart hardware drive, for example, would identify numerous security file formats and only permit limited operations on those files. The drive would not allow a copy to be made of a file that does not allow copies. A file that allows a limited number of plays/views would be scambled and deleted after the last play/view. Writing a secure file to a smart removable (or write once) media/device might not be allowed. A smart nic would not allow a secured file to be transmitted over that nic (or just a scrambled transmission). Secured files should not be able to be given a non-secured wrapper (ie. zip, rar, ace, gzip, lharc, etc).
The RIAA & MPAA MUST embrace the open software/OS development/user community and provide timely drivers and applications. Also importantly these groups MUST provide source code for those drivers and applications so as to provide trust with the open software/OS community.
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This is one of the many reasons why America (the government) is hated by the people and other governments of the world. Our government promises and makes statements, then acts in the opposite manner. Our government states that it cares about children, then refuses to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our government wants to bring criminals to justice, but continues to block a UN International Criminal Court. Our government says it will send food to countries experiencing famine, and then takes issue with a 'right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food' during a UN sponsered World Food Sumit. The US government screams bloody murder if another country violates the Geneva Convention regarding POWs, but shugs off its own blatant violations.
Reminds me of a poem I once read:
Just a quick little test (clear cache and move ethernet cable) between DSL and cable showed...not too much difference.
...and the 'oddball'
BandwithPlace 1.8mpbs (cable) 1.2mpbs (dsl)
CNet 959kpbs (cable) 994kpbs (dsl)
BroadbandReports 1143kpbs (cable) 1203kpbs (dsl)
Toast 2.5mpbs (cable) 1.4mpbs (dsl)
As for browsers - Netscape (7.2) beat the pants off MSIE. Netscape consistantly brought home better times than MSIE.
Considering that Adelphia's service was down for around 3-5 days out of an average month, I think I'll keep my Bellsouth DSL.
The one where lawyer Steve Dallas time travels and screws things up. He then quips "A blighted landscape of insurance monopolies and hiding, dependent, squabbling mice-people...An entire planet of victims!" Substitute any number of corporation types for "insurance" and you get the picture.
In these times when the major media corporations suck at the tit of the ruling political party and largely publish only those items that the ruling political party wishes to be published, that the citizenry should question government and the ideology by which the government is using to rule. The citizens cannot truely be free if they do not have free access to unfiltered streams of information. Refresh my memory, didn't we fight a war +230 years ago to put a stop to this nonsense?!
Monopolies are illegal and should be broken and/or punished. Media monopolies should not be allowed to start. The FCC should not even be considering this action - it should not be allowed. So much for being a democracy and/or republic.
One of the worst things that ever happened to this country was corporations being given protection under the Bill of Rights. Corporations cannot be given the same rights as citizens since corporations cannot be trusted not to abuse those rights. Government and corporations should be on a short leash being held by the citizenry, not the other way around.
I remember reading about this some time ago. Hmm, possibly within the past year.
At any rate, an interesting device. But looks like it has far too many non-beneficial uses - narrow cast marketing (hell, we have too many adverts already), protest/crowd control (where did that constitution go off to?), weapons (like we need more), 'suggestive control' (ok, more adverts), etc. While the beneficial uses are too few - rescue vehicle siren (can the sound go through metal & glass and distract someone from an +800 watt car audio system?), 'private' audio without disturbing others (yes, but it is mono or stereo at best, and anyway it has lousy bass; what are going to do - watch lifetime/oxygen channels all the time?).
Interesting, but has dubious societal benefits.
The H1B visa program should be suspended and/or severely limited due to the current state of the economy and unemployment. Any time the local labor is being replaced by foreign labor something illegal must be happening. Sure, if the locals are a bunch of lazy and strike-prone union members, and no other local will cross the picket lines, then hire whoever is available. Otherwise skilled local labor should always be hired first.
If the MPAA wants to convert everyone to DVD-Blue correctly they should try these steps -
1) require disc size differences between disc for video and discs for data (video discs would only be for MPAA 'products') this would give a physical barrier for copying.
2) encode a serial number into the video/audio stream that would match a media serial number. data media (R/RW) would get a permanent physical serial number (would make re-encoding very difficult).
3) a new CSS (has to be done).
4) abandon the region code - or make it tougher (try using timezones).
5) abandon Macrovision (who is really going to copy a DVD to VHS - yech!)
Hmm, ok, who has the 5 year count down to implementation counter...?
bwahahaha... TV exists for the public benefit - good one there. Too funny. Ok, on to the real issue...
Actually this event could very well be brought under the law that prosecutes illegal cable TV 'descramblers' (not to mention that damn DMCA nonsense). Just because the signal is being broadcast, and you are able to receive it, and you have figured out how to process it, does not give you the 'right' to view and/or record it (or something like that (IANAL damit!)).
Personally, I think this is very cool. I will be looking into trying something like this when/if I get my *nix box back running.
Power to the people!
Hmm, using encryption while comitting a crime is an even bigger crime. But how would they know you are comitting a crime unless they violated the DMCA (you are using encryted communications).
I guess if this administration isn't against removing rights of the 'free' citizenry, they also are not above making themselves exempt from procecution.
This will be damned good. I'll be able to hobble together a system and put a stable OS on it. Sure, it won't have a pretty interface and be able to run all the pretty bloated applications, but it also won't crash all the time and programming for VMS is a breeze (ok, stay away from C & C++, but everything else is cool).
Now if can just hold my breath for a few years until IA64 and VMS are released...
So...the 100s of thousands of potentially violent drug dealers currently in prison should be released and most drug laws reworked?
Ok,ok, strawman. The arguements are not equal; [hard] drugs are dangerous and the dealers should be locked up. But you can see how a rule like that would not work quite the way you may think.
Of course, if there are 270 million US citizens and only 70 million are participating in 'illegal' file sharing, then the law would still stand as 200 million law abiding citizens would keep the balance.
It appears this is just a rehash of the same old copyright enforcement act. You remember, that annoying FBI/Interpol warning before every movie on tape, LD and DVD. The warning that somehow never makes it into your 'archival' copy. States something about several thousand dollars in fines and possible jail time for non-archival copying of the movie.
Want to hit these jokes where it hurts? Write a decentralized Kazaa that uses pseudo-random rotating ports and a healthy encryption mix. Make sure you use all the standard ports as well as ports for gaming systems (PS2 & Xbox). Encryption doesn't have to be too heavy - 128bit for searches and 40bit for transfers. When the court commands the ISPs to monitor traffic the ISPs have to tell the court to stick it since the DMCA (?!) won't allow cracking/breaking encrypted communications.
Since I live in the area I'll make a brief comment. The problems that I heard and read about in Broward(Fort Lauderdale) & Dade(Miami) counties were largely the fault of insufficiently trained polling 'employees'. Despite training, these people would not give the machines enough time to post and boot. Then there were a few stations that 'employees' failed to show and new 'raw' recruits had to work. What a bloody stupid live test.
I, as well as most people who got to use a working machine, thought the machines were great. Almost very nearly child/idiot-proof. My only real objection was that they were multi-lingual. Damn immigrants should really be required to learn at least a 5th grade level of English (reading, writing, speaking, understanding) before being given a 'green card' or becoming a citizen. But maybe thats just my last vestige of bigotry...
Lets see - they plan to test drive a production car on a race track designed for much high performance vehicles... Real smart...
Should have just put the thing up on a dynamometer type rack and hooked up some display for showing 1) the car, 2) speed and 3) mileage on a web-cam dohickey. Have some experts (advocates & opposition) to witness and document.
I've got diskettes in three sizes ready to go - 3.5", 5.25" and 8" (ok, the 8 contains a System360 library so it isn't useful).
Just recently found a stash of 5.25" (1.2MB) and unfortunately both drives are DOS (Dead On Salvage). Found the old bulk eraser and put them in the can.
Still have a couple 5.25" 360-/180-KB (!) drives from original IBM PC/XT (as well as a working XT). Gotta dust that puppy off and jack it into the CGA monitor. I wonder if I can still find a 9 pin ribbon for this silly printer that came with the XT...
Now I only use the 3.5 for MS Money backups (yea, yea, MS suxors, etc)...
This smells so illegal... First include an application in the OS that has a security hole, a few months later act surprised that someone discovers it, firstly deny any such problem exists than finally recant and recognized the problem, build a patch a few months later but include in the attached legal document aa disclaimer for any responsibility for the patch, application(s), and OS, and that third-party applications may be disabled/removed/erased without the owner/user permission at any time. Grrr...
Kinda like buying a new car and not noticing the dealership & manufacturer deny and responsibility for any item and/or service. Then find that if the dealership and/or manufaturer doesn't like any third-party something(s) you put into/onto the car (tires, stereo, etc.) they can eject/confiscate/destroy the third-party something(s) at any time. In a few months you get some new tires from some dealer down the road and as your cruising home on the interstate at 60 the front tires are ejected. Later the court throws out the lawsuit since you violated the dealship/manufacturer EULA...
Time to buy another drive and try the various "open" OS's again....
If a monopolistic cable ISP (MC-ISP) wants to limit what is carried over it's wires, it most certainly may do so. The MC-ISP built the infrastructure to supply this a service for it's customer base. The MC-ISP can [largely] do whatever it wants with the service. You would agree with this if the business were yours (and your altruistic ideals did not exist).
It is not really bad business, it is bad business ethics. In a recession, business ethics are the first to go. As customers we can only do a limited amount to get change - 1) complain, and 2) jump-ship/sign-on to whatever other broadband service is available. If none others are available - keep POTS (you can cry all you like to whoever will listen, but chances are high it will not gain you anything).
Actually this would involve [largely] worldwide communications, not just interstate. So the FBI still would not have jurisdiction. Since the UN seems to be deficient in a law enforcement branch (something to be thankful for, I guess), it would fall under non-jurisdictional and should be left to the civil courts and laws of the nation where committed to deal with it.
Whee! Aren't legal loops fun!
Confiscating the computers (permanently) is an outdated and possible illegal action (punishment without due process).
If law enforcement needs evidence they can take the cable modem, the cable service records, and maybe a quick image copy for the computers drives (taking less than 24 hours).
If the cable modem is owned by the customers then the only "crime" is TOS violation for bandwith "theft"; and really, if the cable service allows foreign equipment and fails to protect itself from bandwith "theft" at a point of other than source, those fault is that exactly?
Like I stated before - illegal use of law enforcement for civil complaint.
This is nothing more than excessive force and illegal use of public law enforcement to go after civil/corporate criminals.
The cable to provider should have simply disabled the cable service to these sites, secured the service equipment against tampering, applied fines to these customers, and informed these customers that they are now banned from cable service (from this company) for 2 to 5 years. If these former customers try or do hack into the service before that time than let law enforcement deal with them.
Damn I hate it when corporations use law enforcement to enforce TOS and other civil documents.
Tobacco commercials aren't banned. Tobacco companies and/or networks have decided on a voluntary break from tv advertising. Other forms of advertising have (and continue to) worked very well.
Hard liquor ads were off the air for a long time, but now they are back.
Actually the Supreme Court gave corporations access to protections under the constitution why back in the 1800s. This is why the FCC cannot ban corporate advertising - access to free speech.
An exagerated example would be if a corporation wanted to advertise crack cocaine on tv. Provided a network would take the advertisement, there would be nothing the FCC could do about it. Law enforement departments would grumble loudly about it and possibly investigate the company, but the advertisement could not be banned by any government agency.
OK, I know, this is not a criminal case (and IANAL), but this seems incredibly obviously illegal for a judge to make this request.
This judge is asking Replay/Sonic to gather data that will be used against themselves in a civil action. This should be the primary defense instead of "it goes against our privacy policy" non-sense that any judge would just tell them "so, modify your policy and process my request."
Not that either of these could ever be implemented...
Make the party, and its lawyers, that brings the case to court responsible for the defendants (party being sued) legal fees plus $50K-$100K. Then if the law firm that brought the case loses another two cases (of libel/defamation), suspend all lawyers in the firm for 5 years (or 1 year if all lawyers re-take courses relating to libel/defamation) and reset the counter (if happens again, 10 year disbarment for all lawyers in firm).
This is my opinion and I stand behind the U.S. Constitution that defends my right to express it.
Time for all /. readers to make sure your copy of AdSubtract, Webwasher, etc. is updated and be prepared to add more filters.
/. ?!?! I haven't seen one yet...
Ads on
Only by using hardware could the RIAA & MPAA dream about making content managed PCs. While MS will rollover with these two groups, the open software/OS groups cannot/should-not implement this plan/theory. These two groups should acknowlge that securing files by using applications and OSs is doomed to failure (there WILL be a way around any such security), and the answer lies in smart hardware.
A smart hardware drive, for example, would identify numerous security file formats and only permit limited operations on those files. The drive would not allow a copy to be made of a file that does not allow copies. A file that allows a limited number of plays/views would be scambled and deleted after the last play/view. Writing a secure file to a smart removable (or write once) media/device might not be allowed. A smart nic would not allow a secured file to be transmitted over that nic (or just a scrambled transmission). Secured files should not be able to be given a non-secured wrapper (ie. zip, rar, ace, gzip, lharc, etc).
The RIAA & MPAA MUST embrace the open software/OS development/user community and provide timely drivers and applications. Also importantly these groups MUST provide source code for those drivers and applications so as to provide trust with the open software/OS community.