Read the Constitution. It's the damn source code for our government.
Show me in the Constitution where we are guaranteed a right to privacy. Seriously. There is the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, right to bear arms, protection of unreasonable search and seizure... where is the protection of privacy?
I agree with you: people should read the Constitution.
Don't let the terrorists win! Don't sanction the uprooting of fundamental liberties for the impression of action and the illusion of safety. What is most desired by these despicable people is exactly that we become them, that we give up on three centuries of open and free government.
Where in the Constitution does it say that law enforcement cannot request information from ISPs? Or do you have another source of "fundamental liberties" that I am unaware of? The bill of rights gave us protection from "unreasonable search and seizure" of our persons, papers and property but also provides the exception in the case of probable cause of law breaking.
That said, I don't think that the terrorist most want us to give up on our form of government, more likely they want us to stay the heck out of their part of the world.
They want 50 MS Office licences and some PC Anywhere licences. What?
If that doesn't make the case for free (as in speech and/or beer) software, nothing will.
I can't even imagine the gall it would take for the BSA to try to audit the Red Cross now.
Wow! No editorializing.
on
Mob Software
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
I'd rather have concise articles on the front page than have Taco's opinion shoved down my throat.
Yeah, I'll get modded down for this. Good thing I don't care about karma.
Yeah, my concious decision to read/. does not constitute having an opinion "shoved down my throat". Get over it. Please don't patronize me with history lessons.
I agree that my distinction does not matter to Sklyarov. Nor does my distinction imply that protests should be called off, that pressure should not be put on the DOJ, or that anything that has happened to him was deserved.
My distinction simply points out that Slashdot made a false report. "US Won't Drop Charges Against Sklyarov" implies that the DOJ came out and said that (or at least that the EFF accused them of doing that). Show me the documentation. As of the time when the story was originally posted, there was nothing to substantiate the claims made here on slashdot.
I fully support the protest movement. Let's see that the wrongs are righted ASAP, but let's also hold/. accountable for accurate news if we are going to depend on them for information regarding this issue.
You're right, of course. But, here's my point: I listened to what the EFF's attorney said. (If you don't believe me, just go to science friday's website.)
She said they (the EFF) met with the DOJ. The DOJ listened to what the EFF said. The EFF left.
During that meeting, the DOJ gave no promise to drop the charges. So? Should we really expect them to instantly change their minds? I mean, as soon as they left the meeting, reports started to come out that the meeting was fruitless, which is not what the attorney said on the radio!
The EFF goes out and tells the world that they had a meeting and they are waiting to hear whether or not the DOJ will drop charges or continue on with the case. Right now, the DOJ is doing nothing. (Which is something that should be protested in and of itself.) The EFF attorney said it is now in the hands of the DOJ.
I do think the community should continue to pressure the DOJ to release Skylarov. But, it was a misrepresentation on the part of Slashdot to say that the DOJ "won't drop charges". They (the DOJ or the EFF) never said they (the DOJ) won't drop charges. I have not heard that report, nor have I yet seen those word used anywhere except here.
The email that is linked to in the story says the meetings ended with no promise to drop charges against Skylarov. Fine.
But, one of the attorney's with the EFF (Forgot her name) was on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday less than an hour before this/. article was posted. She said the DOJ (or FBI or whoever they met with) had listened politely and said they would consider dropping the charges, BUT that no decision could be made at that time.
If what she says is true (and I'm more apt to believe the words of someone who was actually at the meeting) then I think/. is mis-representing the story. (Not that it is a surprise.)
Personally, I think there is a HUGE distinction between "hasn't decided whether to drop charges or not" and "won't drop charges".
You make a very good argument here, I will grant you that. But that argument breaks down with this one simple fact:
You cannot copyright chord changes.
While you can copyright the score of a piece of music, you cannot ban a person from figuring out the chord progression and passing it on to anyone.
So when a tab is posted, it is (usually) just a chord progression posted with a preferred way of playing the chords. The way the chords are fingered are not copyrightable, either.
Of course, my argument sort of breaks down when entire scroes are posted, but that happens in less that 5% of the tabs out there, in my estimation.
the *only* effective
way to protest is to make somebody pay. May this is true, but more often, the ones who end up paying are the customers and not the big evil companies you are trying to fight.
telemarketing is ultimately paid by the advertising business, which I of course avoid. HAHAHA! That's funny. If you had truly avoided the advertising business then you would either be living off the land with your Amish brethren or holed up in a shack a la The Unibomber. Either way, you wouldn't be on the internet which is rife with advertising. Is is nearly impossible to go to a store and buy products in which 100% of each dollar you spend does NOT go to advertising in any way. That is capitalism.
After the old lyrics.ch server was taken down due to copyright infringement, they eventually brought it back up with the blessing of the RIAA. But, in its new form, they have all the lyrics displayed in some java applet with stanzas scrolling by one at a time, so that you:
can't copy/paste lyrics
can't save the lyrics as a text file
can't easily print the lyrics to a single song at once
can't even get a screen shot of the lyrics!
The only way to get the text would be to circumvent their java applet, which may be illegal under DMCA, even if what I do with the lyrics falls under fair use.
Main Entry: rapprochement
Pronunciation: "ra-"prOsh-'män, -"prosh-; ra-'prOsh-"
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from rapprocher to bring together, from Middle
French, from re- + approcher to approach, from Old French
aprochier
Date: 1809
: establishment of or state of having cordial relations
Many aspects are already computerized.
on
eLection '04
·
· Score: 1
Just because you have to punch your ballot or mark a paper ballot doesn't mean that there are no computers in the loop.
Computers (counting machines in some cases) count and tally the votes. If each precinct cannot afford this type of machine such that all ballots are counted locally and then reported to the central authority, what makes you think that they can afford computers to actually be the ballot/ballot counter/total reporting system?
Also, would it REALLY be much faster? I' not convinced it would be.
The first person to invent the radio was not Marconi (or Tesla) but a Russian named Popov. Popov was aware of Marconi's work in EM waves, and he was the first to build a device that carried information via radio waves. The device was used to relay messages from Russia's mainland to an outpost on an island in the Gulf of Finland.
It is actually a fascinating story, if you are interested in the history of science and technology.
Thank you for pointing out that the ABC computer came first. This thing was developed in the early part of the 20th century...well before ENIAC. If Atanasoff had patented that puppy, Silicon Valley would have been in Iowa and I don't care what CmdrTaco thinks about patents!
I see this thread is being moderated down (I mean the original post) is being moderated down from where it was. I'm glad to see that the dissenting view is being put in its place. God knows, the only way free speech can be expressed on/. is in the form of compilable (or interpretable) code. Heaven forbid that anyone disagree with Prince Malda.
By marking this Flamebait or Off-topic, you only prove my point.
I couldn't agree with you more! I sometimes wonder if the general readers here ever remember/know/care what the issue was surrounding the 1-Click patent bruhaha.
If some little independent computer parts reseller had patented this, then/. would not have given half a rat's ass. But, because Amazon is a huge company, it is given full conspiracy treatment. Give it up! If you think the current patent law is stupid, then fight patent law, not stupid patents.
(I'm not saying this is or is not a stupid patent...sure it was obvious, but no one did it the way amazon dd w/ transactions and all beofre them so get over it...)
BNL wins approval of CmdrTaco, Canada lets out a collective "Huh?"
Holland, MI (AP)
In a post this morning, CmdrTaco gave the nod to the Barenaked Ladies' use of Napster to promote their upcoming album. BNL could not be reached for comment, and Canadians all over the world were saying that it was too early in the day for tacos, anyway.
I noticed in the original discussion, no one really seemed to even question IF kids should be programming. Shouldn't kids be spending their time outside, running around, playing and discovering the real world? I know one thing I've learned from my experiences with the internet and computers is that they are no substitute for hands on learning and real live interaction with other people. Just my 2e-2 cents.
It's sad to see that big name artists are doing this sort of thing. Dre and Metallica are quickly losing credibility by going after the people who enjoy their work the most.
On the one hand, I can see how they want credit (and compensation) for their work. But, when music becomes only about the money, it loses integrity as a form of art. We have had the technology to make popular art (music, music videos, films, cartoons, etc..) available on demand for years now. Constantly we are bombarded by hype telling us that in the future, we can just push a button and be able to watch or listen to whatever we want. I'm telling you that the technology to do that is available right now, but you're not going to see it go mainstream any time soon. Why? Because music or video on demand would allow people to easily capture the song or show or video or whatever and redistribute it without the original artist getting credit or royalties.
Imagine if MTV puts online all of their videos, in their entirity. Then, puts ads on the page that the videos are on to make money at providing the videos. As soon as they do that, I can save whatever video I want, and email it to my friends or put it on my web site or put it on napster. Then, no one has any reason to go to MTV.com to see the video, and the revenue is lost. Since companies can't control the distribution (like they do through conventional media) they simply refuse to go on-line and sue anyone who they feel puts them on-line illegally.
So, I'm highly skeptical of any artist who tries to sue anyone because their stuff is put on-line. It blurs the line between art and strictly business. I know what a copyright is, and I believe in their proper use. But, just because something is the law, doesn't make it right.
- Robin PS - no, the editors never read Slashdot.:)
I guess after rereading my comment, I should be lucky that it didn't get marked Flamebait. I was kinda pissy when I wrote that originally. It's just that I have such high hopes for/. and high expectations and standards that really shouldn't be there. I think you guys do a great job, but often fall short on details that sometimes make/. look....amateurish... I shouldn't complain, I guess. Glad you have a sense of humor, though!:)
This story is redundant. It had already been posted to the science section way earlier in the day. See here.
Maybe this means that the science section isn't well trafficked, if the/. people aren't even bothering to check there. I was actually surprised that it had not been posted to the main page origianlly.
I guess I find it odd that there is a science section (which could be such a cool section for the nerds that come to this site), that is so poorly used. There hadn't been any updates to the science page that were not also posted to the main page for a long time. I just wish there was more "news for nerds" in the form of cool science that did not require the use of Linux to make it to slashdot.
While I'm glad to see that non-Jovian scale planets have been found, these are obviously still gas giants - and this leads to the conclusion that our solar system may not be typical.
1. Saturn is a Jovian planet. Jovian refers to the composition of the planted, not its size or mass.
2. There have been on the order of 100 planets found. There are billions of stars. When we find billions of solar systems and show that none possess terrestrial planets, then we can conclude ours is not typical.
Slashdot Mirror
Show me in the Constitution where we are guaranteed a right to privacy. Seriously. There is the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, right to bear arms, protection of unreasonable search and seizure... where is the protection of privacy?
I agree with you: people should read the Constitution.
Where in the Constitution does it say that law enforcement cannot request information from ISPs? Or do you have another source of "fundamental liberties" that I am unaware of? The bill of rights gave us protection from "unreasonable search and seizure" of our persons, papers and property but also provides the exception in the case of probable cause of law breaking.
That said, I don't think that the terrorist most want us to give up on our form of government, more likely they want us to stay the heck out of their part of the world.
They want 50 MS Office licences and some PC Anywhere licences. What?
If that doesn't make the case for free (as in speech and/or beer) software, nothing will.
I can't even imagine the gall it would take for the BSA to try to audit the Red Cross now.
I'd rather have concise articles on the front page than have Taco's opinion shoved down my throat. Yeah, I'll get modded down for this. Good thing I don't care about karma. Yeah, my concious decision to read /. does not constitute having an opinion "shoved down my throat". Get over it. Please don't patronize me with history lessons.
My distinction simply points out that Slashdot made a false report. "US Won't Drop Charges Against Sklyarov" implies that the DOJ came out and said that (or at least that the EFF accused them of doing that). Show me the documentation. As of the time when the story was originally posted, there was nothing to substantiate the claims made here on slashdot.
I fully support the protest movement. Let's see that the wrongs are righted ASAP, but let's also hold /. accountable for accurate news if we are going to depend on them for information regarding this issue.
You're right, of course. But, here's my point: I listened to what the EFF's attorney said. (If you don't believe me, just go to science friday's website.) She said they (the EFF) met with the DOJ. The DOJ listened to what the EFF said. The EFF left. During that meeting, the DOJ gave no promise to drop the charges. So? Should we really expect them to instantly change their minds? I mean, as soon as they left the meeting, reports started to come out that the meeting was fruitless, which is not what the attorney said on the radio! The EFF goes out and tells the world that they had a meeting and they are waiting to hear whether or not the DOJ will drop charges or continue on with the case. Right now, the DOJ is doing nothing. (Which is something that should be protested in and of itself.) The EFF attorney said it is now in the hands of the DOJ. I do think the community should continue to pressure the DOJ to release Skylarov. But, it was a misrepresentation on the part of Slashdot to say that the DOJ "won't drop charges". They (the DOJ or the EFF) never said they (the DOJ) won't drop charges. I have not heard that report, nor have I yet seen those word used anywhere except here.
But, one of the attorney's with the EFF (Forgot her name) was on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday less than an hour before this /. article was posted. She said the DOJ (or FBI or whoever they met with) had listened politely and said they would consider dropping the charges, BUT that no decision could be made at that time.
If what she says is true (and I'm more apt to believe the words of someone who was actually at the meeting) then I think /. is mis-representing the story. (Not that it is a surprise.)
Personally, I think there is a HUGE distinction between "hasn't decided whether to drop charges or not" and "won't drop charges".
You cannot copyright chord changes.
While you can copyright the score of a piece of music, you cannot ban a person from figuring out the chord progression and passing it on to anyone.
So when a tab is posted, it is (usually) just a chord progression posted with a preferred way of playing the chords. The way the chords are fingered are not copyrightable, either.
Of course, my argument sort of breaks down when entire scroes are posted, but that happens in less that 5% of the tabs out there, in my estimation.
What does "OP" mean?
the *only* effective way to protest is to make somebody pay.
May this is true, but more often, the ones who end up paying are the customers and not the big evil companies you are trying to fight.
telemarketing is ultimately paid by the advertising business, which I of course avoid.
HAHAHA! That's funny. If you had truly avoided the advertising business then you would either be living off the land with your Amish brethren or holed up in a shack a la The Unibomber. Either way, you wouldn't be on the internet which is rife with advertising. Is is nearly impossible to go to a store and buy products in which 100% of each dollar you spend does NOT go to advertising in any way. That is capitalism.
If it makes you feel better, Taco, go for it. But realize you are NOT helping to make progress in changing what you see as a problem.
After the old lyrics.ch server was taken down due to copyright infringement, they eventually brought it back up with the blessing of the RIAA. But, in its new form, they have all the lyrics displayed in some java applet with stanzas scrolling by one at a time, so that you:
The only way to get the text would be to circumvent their java applet, which may be illegal under DMCA, even if what I do with the lyrics falls under fair use.
From m-w.com (sorry for the formatting)
Main Entry: rapprochement
Pronunciation: "ra-"prOsh-'män, -"prosh-; ra-'prOsh-"
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from rapprocher to bring together, from Middle
French, from re- + approcher to approach, from Old French
aprochier
Date: 1809
: establishment of or state of having cordial relations
Just because you have to punch your ballot or mark a paper ballot doesn't mean that there are no computers in the loop.
Computers (counting machines in some cases) count and tally the votes. If each precinct cannot afford this type of machine such that all ballots are counted locally and then reported to the central authority, what makes you think that they can afford computers to actually be the ballot/ballot counter/total reporting system?
Also, would it REALLY be much faster? I' not convinced it would be.
The first person to invent the radio was not Marconi (or Tesla) but a Russian named Popov. Popov was aware of Marconi's work in EM waves, and he was the first to build a device that carried information via radio waves. The device was used to relay messages from Russia's mainland to an outpost on an island in the Gulf of Finland.
It is actually a fascinating story, if you are interested in the history of science and technology.
Thank you for pointing out that the ABC computer came first. This thing was developed in the early part of the 20th century...well before ENIAC. If Atanasoff had patented that puppy, Silicon Valley would have been in Iowa and I don't care what CmdrTaco thinks about patents!
By marking this Flamebait or Off-topic, you only prove my point.
I couldn't agree with you more! I sometimes wonder if the general readers here ever remember/know/care what the issue was surrounding the 1-Click patent bruhaha. If some little independent computer parts reseller had patented this, then /. would not have given half a rat's ass. But, because Amazon is a huge company, it is given full conspiracy treatment. Give it up! If you think the current patent law is stupid, then fight patent law, not stupid patents.
(I'm not saying this is or is not a stupid patent...sure it was obvious, but no one did it the way amazon dd w/ transactions and all beofre them so get over it...)
BNL wins approval of CmdrTaco, Canada lets out a collective "Huh?"
Holland, MI (AP) In a post this morning, CmdrTaco gave the nod to the Barenaked Ladies' use of Napster to promote their upcoming album. BNL could not be reached for comment, and Canadians all over the world were saying that it was too early in the day for tacos, anyway.
If these things get released, I bet the number "hidden camera" shots on the internet would skyrocket! No more being conspicuos at the nude beach....
I noticed in the original discussion, no one really seemed to even question IF kids should be programming. Shouldn't kids be spending their time outside, running around, playing and discovering the real world? I know one thing I've learned from my experiences with the internet and computers is that they are no substitute for hands on learning and real live interaction with other people. Just my 2e-2 cents.
On the one hand, I can see how they want credit (and compensation) for their work. But, when music becomes only about the money, it loses integrity as a form of art. We have had the technology to make popular art (music, music videos, films, cartoons, etc..) available on demand for years now. Constantly we are bombarded by hype telling us that in the future, we can just push a button and be able to watch or listen to whatever we want. I'm telling you that the technology to do that is available right now, but you're not going to see it go mainstream any time soon. Why? Because music or video on demand would allow people to easily capture the song or show or video or whatever and redistribute it without the original artist getting credit or royalties.
Imagine if MTV puts online all of their videos, in their entirity. Then, puts ads on the page that the videos are on to make money at providing the videos. As soon as they do that, I can save whatever video I want, and email it to my friends or put it on my web site or put it on napster. Then, no one has any reason to go to MTV.com to see the video, and the revenue is lost. Since companies can't control the distribution (like they do through conventional media) they simply refuse to go on-line and sue anyone who they feel puts them on-line illegally.
So, I'm highly skeptical of any artist who tries to sue anyone because their stuff is put on-line. It blurs the line between art and strictly business. I know what a copyright is, and I believe in their proper use. But, just because something is the law, doesn't make it right.
I guess after rereading my comment, I should be lucky that it didn't get marked Flamebait. I was kinda pissy when I wrote that originally. It's just that I have such high hopes for /. and high expectations and standards that really shouldn't be there. I think you guys do a great job, but often fall short on details that sometimes make /. look....amateurish... I shouldn't complain, I guess. Glad you have a sense of humor, though! :)
Second, I thought it was cool a new story popped up in this section without hitting the main page. Then, it hit the main page. Oh well. :)
BTW...I never noticed an increase in spam when I registered for my nytimes.com account.
Maybe this means that the science section isn't well trafficked, if the /. people aren't even bothering to check there. I was actually surprised that it had not been posted to the main page origianlly.
I guess I find it odd that there is a science section (which could be such a cool section for the nerds that come to this site), that is so poorly used. There hadn't been any updates to the science page that were not also posted to the main page for a long time. I just wish there was more "news for nerds" in the form of cool science that did not require the use of Linux to make it to slashdot.
1. Saturn is a Jovian planet. Jovian refers to the composition of the planted, not its size or mass.
2. There have been on the order of 100 planets found. There are billions of stars. When we find billions of solar systems and show that none possess terrestrial planets, then we can conclude ours is not typical.