My understanding was that it didn't quite work that way.
Webcasters would have to pay BMI, RIAA, et al. regardless of whose music is played; it's assumed that a BMI/RIAA/whatever artist must be getting played somewhere, so those orgs collect he money, to distribute to their member artists as they see fit.
Which means, N'Sync gets cash for some webcaster playing his next door neighbour's indie band.
If I remember correctly, this book coined the term "avatar" as used in a virtual world. Yet another example of why we should all bow down and worship Neal Stephanson...;)
Actually, IIRC, my copy of Snow Crash has an author's note where Stephenson credits some on-line world (the name of which I don't recall) for coining the term avatar. -- Dream well...
We (In the US anyway), have a tendency to alienate anything or anyone that we consider "different". As adults, if we were subjected to the treatment that these kids were, I'm sure many of us would crack under the strain fairly quickly.
This is a part of it, but I don't think we can lay the blame squarely at the other kids. I suspect that there are people on/. who *were* subjected to that kind of treatment, and yet did not go on a killing spree.
"the murdered should not be held unaccountable for being murdered, and the robbed are not completely blameless for being robbed. For it is the cornerstone of the temple that is no higher than the lowest stone in it's foundation."
Actually, I think the "victim" mentality plays a large role in killing like this; it causes a dissociation between actiona and responsibility. "I was abused as a child, so when s/he got mad at me, I relived my trauma all over again, and killed him/her. I'm the victim here!". That's obviously an extreme example, but kids who are used to hearing that people are not responsible for their actions because of the actions of others, may start to lose thier sense of responsibility.
The argument that keeps getting dragged out is that if the US exports strong encryption, then terrorists et al. will be able to communicate without the NSA/CIA/Whoever being able to listen in. Except, most encryption algorithms are quite simple, and are widely known outside of the US. That doesn't stop the FBI Director and other vocal US gov't people from complaining.
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Jar Jar wasn't important to the story line. But then, neither was Anikan or the Jedi.
The whole battle with the droids was pointless; Palpatine was going to show up in a day or two to remove the blockade and be a hero anyway.
The Senator still came out smelling like a rose, and ready to take over the job of chancellor.
Jar Jar just managed to drag his people into a war that ended up pointlessly killing a lot of his people.
Though, the real problem there is that the story just didn't make any sense.
My understanding was that it didn't quite work that way. Webcasters would have to pay BMI, RIAA, et al. regardless of whose music is played; it's assumed that a BMI/RIAA/whatever artist must be getting played somewhere, so those orgs collect he money, to distribute to their member artists as they see fit. Which means, N'Sync gets cash for some webcaster playing his next door neighbour's indie band.
If I remember correctly, this book coined the term "avatar" as used in a virtual world. Yet another example of why we should all bow down and worship Neal Stephanson... ;)
Actually, IIRC, my copy of Snow Crash has an author's note where Stephenson credits some on-line world (the name of which I don't recall) for coining the term avatar.
--
Dream well...
The argument that keeps getting dragged out is that if the US exports strong encryption, then terrorists et al. will be able to communicate without the NSA/CIA/Whoever being able to listen in. Except, most encryption algorithms are quite simple, and are widely known outside of the US. That doesn't stop the FBI Director and other vocal US gov't people from complaining.