Well I'm quite happy that their ass get kicked, but would be happier if it would be done without using patents. Why? Patents can be very dangerous weapon that can be used to strike virtually everyone. Software patents are strange, bad and will cause `us' many problems in the future. Especially when we have stupid courts not aware of what is going on in IT market.
``The biggest weapon people have against products that they believe infringe on their rights is to simply stop buying those products.'' Maybe I'm too pessimistic about it, but I think it won't be that easy. You may say that if one doesn't like a product - then he can buy from different producent. But what if most of producers applies this prohibitive policy? And there is no manufacturer of similar product with no such `feature'. Of course there is possibility of ``magic-hand-of-market'' effect, and such manufacturer will appear... but bear in mind one of the important sentences: ``corporations are evil'':)
``how copies are made and who uses them'' In that there is no problem - but isn't the example with ``genuine Ford tyres'' suggestive. If ones purchased something (i.e. car) he can destroy it with a hammer - and that's ok.. Another example that comes to mind mind are ink-jet producents fighting with the refilling (why? because its their primary source of revenue). But if I want to put ink from my fountain pen into my printer - why not?
That's true - but do You see any possibility of changing it? I mean real one that would work. I've we as the users get to rating the stuff - there would be bigger mess than in ordinary search engine - because everyones searching for something a bit different. Besides, as I mentioned somewhere earlier - how would we protect against artificial rating up of `crap'? Maybe some kind of `slashdot moderation':) - but for search engine this may not work though.
And that's why it will not suceed. Everything where users are given enough privileges can be turned into `unusable crap' by a group with `bad-intentions'.
And the worst thing is that probably such law will be passed in nice-looking `wrapper' - only good sides will be emphasized while bad will be reduced. Then when it shall come to real life use problems will start. A bunch of institutions will be created, stupid employees knowing nothing about IT market will be employed to `supervise' the execution of that law. Maybe above is the dark scenario. But in such cases it's better to be very cautious and pessimistic. Once such kind of law will have been setup - it would be hard to change it. So for now I think it's time to support European group protesting against it and inform as many people as possible about the situation.
``Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said: "Pirates and counterfeiters are in effect stealing from right holders the fair payment they deserve for their work. If we don't stamp that out, the incentives for industrial innovation and cultural creativity will be weakened. That would threaten Europe's competitiveness and its cultural diversity and dynamism. So we have to get tough with the pirates and counterfeiters and make sure they can find no safe havens in the EU.''
I liked the part about weakening the creativity and innovation. Bleh. Political ``new-speach''.
This case tainted him forever. He'd lost his personal life, probably most of relatives turned away from him. It doesn't matter that he wasn't guilty. At least two types of crimes you can be accused and that will ruin your life whatever the outcome is. I mean peadophilia and rape. For many it will be enough that he was accused, no matter what was the decision of court. It's worse than shit under your shoe... On the other hand he should be grateful that case ended this way, if he would gone to prison - many `nice' people there would take `care of him'.
It would yield all current cryptography totally useless and will provide totally new methods...? Besides we're (as people) rather poor in foreseeing the future. We can say what will happen in the technology in lets say next few years. But one unexpected invention will totally ruin our prediction. For sure such computer will find its place in the technological `ecosystem'.
Not quite - look at the plot it is monthly plot - there are 31 bars - one for each day. If we had daily plot - the time zone effect would be visible... However I don't know how to explain this phenomenon (Slashdot is good for making research and writing some thesis).
OK, that's a strategy - but it requires being careful. Imagine one time you by accident enter wrong email when writing something - and you can end with described system being screwed up.
Few minutes ago I received `something'. Its probably a spam - from some Foobar Inc. (in headers). Well it came from Taiwan and is written with very strange letters - for sure none looks like `V1agra' or even `Viagra'. I can't tell from what is written inside whether it could possibly be real or fake spam.
``"by clicking on this link you agree to let us call your house" kind of things (where the link containers a token for identification purposes). Having a filter auto-follow links could be really dangerous then''
So it would be necessary to make changes in the law to forbid `auto-agreeing' techniques. And we will have one less problem.
And another super-smart spam sending mechanism will be developed to bypass defences. And another group of people will think a perfect method to defence against it, and so on, and so on.
``I forget if the movie does anything with this.'' As far as I remember the movie has nothing about it. But I may be wrong - seen it few years ago. Still the movie beginning is pretty impressive. I think this is due to music (and the fact that I've seen it for the first time when I was 7 - not much I undestood then, but I remembered it and watched later)
Slashdot Mirror
True, maybe their point of view will change. Let's wait till the final settling of this case.
Does it have anything in common with the bug in Windows discovered by Polish group.
``So their ass has been kicked'' ...
Well I'm quite happy that their ass get kicked, but would be happier if it would be done without using patents. Why? Patents can be very dangerous weapon that can be used to strike virtually everyone. Software patents are strange, bad and will cause `us' many problems in the future. Especially when we have stupid courts not aware of what is going on in IT market.
Da, my mistake. However you're among lets say 0.5 percent of computer users who use IE in such a fashion. Still nice to hear about it.
``I'm sure you meant "IE is available free of charge".''
No it is not - it is integrated with one of the OS'es. And to get IE you have to buy that OS.
Must be blind and did not see it in the comments above. Or liked the phrase too much.
Time to sleep.
From the article:
``About SCO
The SCO Group (SCOX - news) helps millions of customers in more than 82 countries to grow their businesses everyday.''
Hahahaahahahahahahahahahah
``The biggest weapon people have against products that they believe infringe on their rights is to simply stop buying those products.'' :)
Maybe I'm too pessimistic about it, but I think it won't be that easy. You may say that if one doesn't like a product - then he can buy from different producent. But what if most of producers applies this prohibitive policy? And there is no manufacturer of similar product with no such `feature'. Of course there is possibility of ``magic-hand-of-market'' effect, and such manufacturer will appear... but bear in mind one of the important sentences: ``corporations are evil''
``how copies are made and who uses them''
In that there is no problem - but isn't the example with ``genuine Ford tyres'' suggestive.
If ones purchased something (i.e. car) he can destroy it with a hammer - and that's ok..
Another example that comes to mind mind are ink-jet producents fighting with the refilling (why? because its their primary source of revenue). But if I want to put ink from my fountain pen into my printer - why not?
That's true - but do You see any possibility of changing it? I mean real one that would work. I've we as the users get to rating the stuff - there would be bigger mess than in ordinary search engine - because everyones searching for something a bit different. Besides, as I mentioned somewhere earlier - how would we protect against artificial rating up of `crap'? Maybe some kind of `slashdot moderation' :) - but for search engine this may not work though.
And that's why it will not suceed. Everything where users are given enough privileges can be turned into `unusable crap' by a group with `bad-intentions'.
And the worst thing is that probably such law will be passed in nice-looking `wrapper' - only good sides will be emphasized while bad will be reduced. Then when it shall come to real life use problems will start. A bunch of institutions will be created, stupid employees knowing nothing about IT market will be employed to `supervise' the execution of that law.
Maybe above is the dark scenario. But in such cases it's better to be very cautious and pessimistic. Once such kind of law will have been setup - it would be hard to change it.
So for now I think it's time to support European group protesting against it and inform as many people as possible about the situation.
``Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said: "Pirates and counterfeiters are in effect stealing from right holders the fair payment they deserve for their work. If we don't stamp that out, the incentives for industrial innovation and cultural creativity will be weakened. That would threaten Europe's competitiveness and its cultural diversity and dynamism. So we have to get tough with the pirates and counterfeiters and make sure they can find no safe havens in the EU.''
I liked the part about weakening the creativity and innovation. Bleh. Political ``new-speach''.
This case tainted him forever. He'd lost his personal life, probably most of relatives turned away from him. It doesn't matter that he wasn't guilty. At least two types of crimes you can be accused and that will ruin your life whatever the outcome is. I mean peadophilia and rape. For many it will be enough that he was accused, no matter what was the decision of court. It's worse than shit under your shoe...
On the other hand he should be grateful that case ended this way, if he would gone to prison - many `nice' people there would take `care of him'.
One Galaxy to Rule Them All, and In the Darkness Bind Them All.
"Power supplies tend to be one of those forgotten, but ever so important parts of machine construction..."
Here you can see why you should pay more attention when buying supply...
Check the section called: `The Potential and Power of Quantum Computing' from the page: About quatum computing
It would yield all current cryptography totally useless and will provide totally new methods...?
Besides we're (as people) rather poor in foreseeing the future. We can say what will happen in the technology in lets say next few years. But one unexpected invention will totally ruin our prediction. For sure such computer will find its place in the technological `ecosystem'.
January 2003:
18th - Saturday
19th - Sunday (hmm, logical)
26th - Sunday (beginning of second `peak')
31st - Friday (end of plot)
Aww, the saturdays and sundays are marked on the plot (I used calendar)
Not quite - look at the plot it is monthly plot - there are 31 bars - one for each day. If we had daily plot - the time zone effect would be visible...
However I don't know how to explain this phenomenon (Slashdot is good for making research and writing some thesis).
OK, that's a strategy - but it requires being careful. Imagine one time you by accident enter wrong email when writing something - and you can end with described system being screwed up.
:)
To be honest I do the same
Few minutes ago I received `something'. Its probably a spam - from some Foobar Inc. (in headers).
Well it came from Taiwan and is written with very strange letters - for sure none looks like `V1agra' or even `Viagra'. I can't tell from what is written inside whether it could possibly be real or fake spam.
``"by clicking on this link you agree to let us call your house" kind of things (where the link containers a token for identification purposes). Having a filter auto-follow links could be really dangerous then''
So it would be necessary to make changes in the law to forbid `auto-agreeing' techniques. And we will have one less problem.
And another super-smart spam sending mechanism will be developed to bypass defences. And another group of people will think a perfect method to defence against it, and so on, and so on.
``I forget if the movie does anything with this.''
As far as I remember the movie has nothing about it. But I may be wrong - seen it few years ago.
Still the movie beginning is pretty impressive. I think this is due to music (and the fact that I've seen it for the first time when I was 7 - not much I undestood then, but I remembered it and watched later)