That, I believe, is why some universities banned napster and napster-like services. Some schools claimed it was a bandwidth issue, but your point was most definitely considered. I can't recall exactly which school it was, but they cited that exact reason for why p2p music sharing was banned.
I actually worked in the campus post office, which, mind you, is not the same as the little "mail rooms" at the respective dorms. At the post office, the non-student employees were federal postal employees. The students are paid by the university, but are held to the rules of the USPS. The people in the mail rooms in the dorms are emploiyed by the front desk of the dorm. They are not employed through the post office.
So what does that mean. Well, simple. No one is allowed to open you mail. It is a federal offense. There were certain "special" cases when we might open someone's mail, but only because they had requested it during holiday times, or if they wre athlete's on the road who were needing something urgent. Even that was probably breaking the rules/law, but again, it was only if requested and was something urgent. It was often loan info, looking for plane tickets for home, a check from mom and dad. And its not like we opened everything addressed to that person - they had to tell us exactly who it was coming from and what was in it.
But as far as the university "snooping" in your snail mail - well, that'd land a few butts in prison, to say the least.
People tend to forget that e-mail is indeed NOT the same as snail mail. But that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be.
proving libel is very, very difficult, which is why we don't see many of those kind of cases. you must prove that the statement directly caused harm/losses - damn near impossible to do in a court of law.
gee, I didn't know that we were talking about Linux and *BSD... I could have sworn the discussion was about Symantec and their patent.
When you're responsible for a large network with a lot of non-tech-savvy people using it, you need virus protection. Yes, obviously educating the user is the best method, but that requires you to take the time and resources to do that. Most companies don't have the time, or can't spent the time. So what options are left...? Say, a program like the variety from Symantec?
Bash Windows and MacOS all you want. In the end it doesn't matter, especially when its not what we're discussing.
A point to add about Symantec: Nowhere has it said that they are going after anyone for violating their patents, which is what is oft seen anymore. Their patent does not seem to be on the "quick cash" bandwagon. The article stated that Symantec did notify their competitors of the patent... this is not unheard of - call it professional courtesy.
As bad as the patent scene has been lately, its actually nice to see a patent that doesn't seem to be frivolous (aka - instant cash by way of multiple lawsuits). It seems that Symantec felt their process was unique, was a vast improvement upon existing methods, and was important enough to protect. This is what patents are for. Too bad other companies see them as an income source.
Reform the patent process.
Yes. Write your Congressmen, write your Senators, let them know that the people who elected them expect more. The US Patent Office won't improve unless the people damand it.
my god, has a company actually filed for a patent for a specific purpose?
It's kinda hard to tell, unless I missed something in the article, but it really looks like a perfectly good reason to file for a patent: a process that does something specific. Wow, who'd-a-thunk-it? This one may really have been done "right"... based on prior art, but improving upon it, with a specific purpose - what more can you ask for in a patent... (rhetorical question).
I am eager to see what else spawns from this - whether it be lawsuits (bad), cross-lisencing (acceptable), or nothing (fine by me). Until then, I await further news.
Anyone can post whatever they want on the Yahoo message boards. Now, in this case, we have someone admitting to be an former employee of said company. This is irrelevant - again, anyone can post to those message boards. I believe that Yahoo has a nice disclaimer that says something like there is no guarantee to the validity of the statements made on the message boards. So... how can you believe anything posted there?...
The fact that the company is even considering "going after" this guy is just funny (see: sick and wrong). Seems to me that they need a reality check - or they're afraid simply afraid of what was posted and are panicking. Either way, the company can do nothing.
And if the former company were to contact the guy's current employer, well, that's just juvenile. Its one thing for a company to check your references, but it is absurd to think that a company would "tattle" on an ex-employee to that person's current employer.
I am not an electrical engineer. Maybe there are ways to make the chips easily, maybe it is still considered too difficult (particularly monetarily).
That is beside the point. The ability to design the chip openly is valuable in and of itself. Perhaps it would never see the light of day. Who cares - if the idea behind the design is sound enough, it could very well be adapted into a product from a "viable" chipmaker. Maybe I'm not being realistic, but I don't see this as one of those "doing something because you can" deals... this could have merit, even if only from a pure science point of view. There's nothing wrong with cold, hard research - something can always be learned.
Here's a question, though: Is there a way that if someone has a chip design, that design could be emulated in software to test the concept? Again, not being my field, I have no idea if doing such an emulation would even pan out anything useful... just an idea.
well, gee... would that be Yes and Boston? As in the Yessongs album cover, and the iconic Boston is a glass dome guitar-spaceship thing. Not that I've got either (yeah, right, I've got both on vinyl, tape, and cd), plus all their other albums, some extra Roger Dean artwork, etc. etc. etc...
ok... so I'm a freak.
I still liked the time when Zorak was telling how he went on tour with Boston, that was damn funny.
Perhaps put a bit harshly, but I can't say that I disagree... If the companies want SDMI badly enough, they'll throw some marketing madness behind it - with whatever spin they feel will give them full public acceptance. No amount of logic and well-thought argument will deter the mighty marketing beasts of corporate life.
And, sadly, people will follow... forums like Slashdot are nice - but we need to be sure that the rest of the world gets to see the other parts of the big picture, too.
I agree with Smallest, don't buy the new-fangled junk, don't help SDMI... but how do we mke sure others don't do it either?
But hell, lets start filing patents on every common net application, and any conceivable combination of layers from the OSI 7-Layer model. We only need to win a lawsuit on one of them to retire in bermuda
Ok... lets do it... I'm not so hot on the idea of retiring to Bermuda, though, but I could use the extra cash to put my kids through college (in 18 years, mind you, but still...)
Hell, lets all try to patent everything under the sun, sue everyone else for existing, then use the cash to fund the further effort of patenting anything else we might happen to think of. A vicious circle of patent doom! It would truly be a beautiful thing - in that odd Tarantino-like way. I'm hungry, lets get a taco...
Anyway... this has gotten to the point where there just seems no sense in trying to be insightful about patents - the lawyers have pushed me too far. Long live the frivolous patent & their happy lawsuit offspring!
What I really hope that Slashdot readers get out of all this is that these patent problems are not limited to the "tech" industry. These problems abound - they are in every industry. Everything I do must be carefully researched because our whole industry (biotech/drug delivery) is a patent minefield. Everybody and their brother/sister has some sort of patent on some aspect of delivery methods, drug preparations, something... its just hideous - and we're left to either cave in and "lisence" something that shouldn't be, or to fight it in court. What's worse is when you find yourself having to apply for patents as well in order to stay alive. It has become a vicious circle that should never have happened in the first place. It really gets angering and frustrating - yet another wonderful source of stress... oh joy.
Again - the system really, REALLY needs to change - but who's going to do it?
Point one - a lot of patents do not originate in the US - it just so happens that a lot of the more publicized BAD ones have been issues here. I've seen plenty of stupid ones issued from Germany, Japan, UK, etc... but the US ones have been pretty bad - which leads to point two...
Point two - my question on the patent office's agenda was partly rhetorical, I suppose, since I've answered it in the past myself... the agenda is as follows: (please note that it has NOTHING to do with any other country and the IP-screwing thereof)
the agenda is to let the patents through and make the companies fight it out in court. It comes down to "who ever has the $$$ can win", which is sad, as it really messes up the "balance" and hurts small companies. A really bad patent can be issued, a small company can have a great argument against it, but the big company can keep it locked up in the courts forever.
What it all comes down to is this - the patent system is showing its age and its flaws. The office is showing their lack of staffing and lack of insight/knowledge. And the patent lawyers are showing their muscle - too many of them in abusive ways.
Things need to change - perhaps your local congress-person or senator might be able to help, assuming the lobbyists aren't too trenched in their pockets...
I'm very glad that someone has stood up and said something about this issue. I'm glad that it appears that they are doing "the right thing".
It is however a sad comment on the part of the US Patent Office that this even has to take place. I already though that the patents should never have been awarded to Alta Vista, and now this adds more to that thought. Just what is the patent office's agenda? They really need straightened out quite badly... in my industry (biotech/drug delivery), there have already been a few more weak patents of bad ideas submitted... and at the current rate, I see no reason why the patent office won't approve them - even though the patents are not defensable in court. This is just really sad.
I'm what you might call a formulations development chemist. That means, when a client comes to us with a drug, I figure out how to get the proper release profile from the depot formulation that is to be used. That means I'm required to know organic chemistry, pharaceutical chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and polymer chemistry. Oddly, it does not require driving a truck.
ohh... come one now... push the envelope! Go for an Exaflop! peta just seems so, oh, I don't know, tiny? Will this this have a 20 Yoctabyte hard drive and 256 Zeptabytes of ram, cause that would be cool. (of course, I think its yocta and zepta, as yoctO and zepto are the freakin' tiny units)...
On a more serious note, this is pretty cool. Being in the biotech field - though more on the drug-delivery technology side - it is impressive to see how much massive research is being put into really understanding genetic fundamentals. Apply this to protien technology and you truly break open a huge tool to getting down to more "permanent" treatments of disorders such as diabetes and other hormonal difficiencies. Anyway, this is pretty cool.
Why should we be happy when the spammers get spammed?
Its not so much that we're happy... its more that we're amused - its funny in an ironic way.
I fail to see how the spammer getting spammed "hurt" him. You really need to come down off your soapbox and change your perspective on the world - I've rarely read such a skewed point-of-view. Your high-and-mighty attitude only adds to this.
Not that I'm trying to flame you, but really - it is amusing in itself how serious you seem to take everything, as I've read many of your past posts. Lighten up.
How dissappointing. I was hoping that the article was about the ability to convert adult cells into stem cells to grow actual stems, then leaves and pretty flowers. Have my own photosynthesis, produce some of my own oxygen, and have nice smelling flowers instead of the need for deodorant.
California is the source of California's problems. One day, they'll have to realize that.
Hopefully California's deregulation debacle will help other states that are going to undergo dereg. (such as here in Ohio) how not to do it. Now, if they could only learn from their own lessons...
Someone want to keep track of pledges and see if the/. community could pull this off? Maybe get Andover to pitch in a bit extra if we show enough support?
Or maybe I'm just nuts... either way, it'd be damn funny (see ironic) to see/. & co. pull this off.
I think that its great that companies want to better protect themselves. I like that they've taken the initiative and at least have this new group formed. What I don't like is how they will protect themselves, and only themselves.
Personally, and maybe I'm off-base here, I think a more public forum - though significantly more discreet than modern media - would better suit addressing security issues than a privately vested group. I mean, great, now all the "big" tech companies are helping to cover each others asses. But who's looking out for the mid-sized companies, the small companies? Sure, we could say that the big fish are going to be targets for problems more often, but that's really narrow minded and a bit selfish.
Anyway, I'm glad to see this happen, but I would feel better knowing that they were looking out for more than just themselves. Perhaps I'm becoming more ideallistic lately? I don't know. Perhaps I misread what the article was saying? Anyway, there you have it, my (our) take on things.
Looks like we missed out on some juicy patent discussions whilst we were out... damn.
well, wasn't that just lovely
on
MySQL FS
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· Score: 2
I do regret that the post this is attached to happened.
This is what happens when you discover that your co-worker has been posting crap as cyb0rq_m0nk3y, and then they feel that it would be funny to post their inane rant on my computer while in the restroom.
Makes us (the tewwetruggur contingency) look by far dumber than normal.
Slashdot Mirror
So what does that mean. Well, simple. No one is allowed to open you mail. It is a federal offense. There were certain "special" cases when we might open someone's mail, but only because they had requested it during holiday times, or if they wre athlete's on the road who were needing something urgent. Even that was probably breaking the rules/law, but again, it was only if requested and was something urgent. It was often loan info, looking for plane tickets for home, a check from mom and dad. And its not like we opened everything addressed to that person - they had to tell us exactly who it was coming from and what was in it.
But as far as the university "snooping" in your snail mail - well, that'd land a few butts in prison, to say the least.
People tend to forget that e-mail is indeed NOT the same as snail mail. But that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be.
When you're responsible for a large network with a lot of non-tech-savvy people using it, you need virus protection. Yes, obviously educating the user is the best method, but that requires you to take the time and resources to do that. Most companies don't have the time, or can't spent the time. So what options are left...? Say, a program like the variety from Symantec?
Bash Windows and MacOS all you want. In the end it doesn't matter, especially when its not what we're discussing.
As bad as the patent scene has been lately, its actually nice to see a patent that doesn't seem to be frivolous (aka - instant cash by way of multiple lawsuits). It seems that Symantec felt their process was unique, was a vast improvement upon existing methods, and was important enough to protect. This is what patents are for. Too bad other companies see them as an income source.
Reform the patent process.
Yes. Write your Congressmen, write your Senators, let them know that the people who elected them expect more. The US Patent Office won't improve unless the people damand it.
It's kinda hard to tell, unless I missed something in the article, but it really looks like a perfectly good reason to file for a patent: a process that does something specific. Wow, who'd-a-thunk-it? This one may really have been done "right"... based on prior art, but improving upon it, with a specific purpose - what more can you ask for in a patent... (rhetorical question).
I am eager to see what else spawns from this - whether it be lawsuits (bad), cross-lisencing (acceptable), or nothing (fine by me). Until then, I await further news.
The fact that the company is even considering "going after" this guy is just funny (see: sick and wrong). Seems to me that they need a reality check - or they're afraid simply afraid of what was posted and are panicking. Either way, the company can do nothing.
And if the former company were to contact the guy's current employer, well, that's just juvenile. Its one thing for a company to check your references, but it is absurd to think that a company would "tattle" on an ex-employee to that person's current employer.
Simply put, what this is, is sad.
That is beside the point. The ability to design the chip openly is valuable in and of itself. Perhaps it would never see the light of day. Who cares - if the idea behind the design is sound enough, it could very well be adapted into a product from a "viable" chipmaker. Maybe I'm not being realistic, but I don't see this as one of those "doing something because you can" deals... this could have merit, even if only from a pure science point of view. There's nothing wrong with cold, hard research - something can always be learned.
Here's a question, though: Is there a way that if someone has a chip design, that design could be emulated in software to test the concept? Again, not being my field, I have no idea if doing such an emulation would even pan out anything useful... just an idea.
ok... so I'm a freak.
I still liked the time when Zorak was telling how he went on tour with Boston, that was damn funny.
And, sadly, people will follow... forums like Slashdot are nice - but we need to be sure that the rest of the world gets to see the other parts of the big picture, too.
I agree with Smallest, don't buy the new-fangled junk, don't help SDMI... but how do we mke sure others don't do it either?
Ok... lets do it... I'm not so hot on the idea of retiring to Bermuda, though, but I could use the extra cash to put my kids through college (in 18 years, mind you, but still...)
Hell, lets all try to patent everything under the sun, sue everyone else for existing, then use the cash to fund the further effort of patenting anything else we might happen to think of. A vicious circle of patent doom! It would truly be a beautiful thing - in that odd Tarantino-like way. I'm hungry, lets get a taco...
Anyway... this has gotten to the point where there just seems no sense in trying to be insightful about patents - the lawyers have pushed me too far. Long live the frivolous patent & their happy lawsuit offspring!
What I really hope that Slashdot readers get out of all this is that these patent problems are not limited to the "tech" industry. These problems abound - they are in every industry. Everything I do must be carefully researched because our whole industry (biotech/drug delivery) is a patent minefield. Everybody and their brother/sister has some sort of patent on some aspect of delivery methods, drug preparations, something... its just hideous - and we're left to either cave in and "lisence" something that shouldn't be, or to fight it in court. What's worse is when you find yourself having to apply for patents as well in order to stay alive. It has become a vicious circle that should never have happened in the first place. It really gets angering and frustrating - yet another wonderful source of stress... oh joy.
Again - the system really, REALLY needs to change - but who's going to do it?
Point one - a lot of patents do not originate in the US - it just so happens that a lot of the more publicized BAD ones have been issues here. I've seen plenty of stupid ones issued from Germany, Japan, UK, etc... but the US ones have been pretty bad - which leads to point two...
Point two - my question on the patent office's agenda was partly rhetorical, I suppose, since I've answered it in the past myself... the agenda is as follows: (please note that it has NOTHING to do with any other country and the IP-screwing thereof)
the agenda is to let the patents through and make the companies fight it out in court. It comes down to "who ever has the $$$ can win", which is sad, as it really messes up the "balance" and hurts small companies. A really bad patent can be issued, a small company can have a great argument against it, but the big company can keep it locked up in the courts forever.
What it all comes down to is this - the patent system is showing its age and its flaws. The office is showing their lack of staffing and lack of insight/knowledge. And the patent lawyers are showing their muscle - too many of them in abusive ways.
Things need to change - perhaps your local congress-person or senator might be able to help, assuming the lobbyists aren't too trenched in their pockets...
but anyway... enough ranting for one day.
It is however a sad comment on the part of the US Patent Office that this even has to take place. I already though that the patents should never have been awarded to Alta Vista, and now this adds more to that thought. Just what is the patent office's agenda? They really need straightened out quite badly... in my industry (biotech/drug delivery), there have already been a few more weak patents of bad ideas submitted... and at the current rate, I see no reason why the patent office won't approve them - even though the patents are not defensable in court. This is just really sad.
I'm what you might call a formulations development chemist. That means, when a client comes to us with a drug, I figure out how to get the proper release profile from the depot formulation that is to be used. That means I'm required to know organic chemistry, pharaceutical chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and polymer chemistry. Oddly, it does not require driving a truck.
On a more serious note, this is pretty cool. Being in the biotech field - though more on the drug-delivery technology side - it is impressive to see how much massive research is being put into really understanding genetic fundamentals. Apply this to protien technology and you truly break open a huge tool to getting down to more "permanent" treatments of disorders such as diabetes and other hormonal difficiencies. Anyway, this is pretty cool.
Its not so much that we're happy... its more that we're amused - its funny in an ironic way.
I fail to see how the spammer getting spammed "hurt" him. You really need to come down off your soapbox and change your perspective on the world - I've rarely read such a skewed point-of-view. Your high-and-mighty attitude only adds to this.
Not that I'm trying to flame you, but really - it is amusing in itself how serious you seem to take everything, as I've read many of your past posts. Lighten up.
I can always keep dreaming...
Hopefully California's deregulation debacle will help other states that are going to undergo dereg. (such as here in Ohio) how not to do it. Now, if they could only learn from their own lessons...
Or maybe I'm just nuts... either way, it'd be damn funny (see ironic) to see /. & co. pull this off.
Personally, and maybe I'm off-base here, I think a more public forum - though significantly more discreet than modern media - would better suit addressing security issues than a privately vested group. I mean, great, now all the "big" tech companies are helping to cover each others asses. But who's looking out for the mid-sized companies, the small companies? Sure, we could say that the big fish are going to be targets for problems more often, but that's really narrow minded and a bit selfish.
Anyway, I'm glad to see this happen, but I would feel better knowing that they were looking out for more than just themselves. Perhaps I'm becoming more ideallistic lately? I don't know. Perhaps I misread what the article was saying? Anyway, there you have it, my (our) take on things.
Looks like we missed out on some juicy patent discussions whilst we were out... damn.
This is what happens when you discover that your co-worker has been posting crap as cyb0rq_m0nk3y, and then they feel that it would be funny to post their inane rant on my computer while in the restroom.
Makes us (the tewwetruggur contingency) look by far dumber than normal.
again, my apologies.