He can say he's releasing it under the GPL and then never release it. Ethically and morally he can change his mind; he has the right.
Having read most of the comments on this story, and actually downloading the freedb database and code available as of July 1st, I can honestly say they need some serious help.
If this individual honestly thinks he can improve things and honestly wants to release the code, even if at a later date, I don't see a problem with it. I don't understand why the people currently responsible for freedb would throw in the towel the way they have. Except one possible reason.
They know that if he does even some of what is proposed they will no longer be necessary. period.
I was shocked at what constitutes the freedb; it is extreemly amateurish; and all parties are acting like children.
I know saying this won't make me popular, but the current state of the project is pathetic.
(Note: there are multiple messages, from both sides of this discussion indicating the 'help' he received was non-monetary. If the current state of the project is any example,, the help wasn't revolutionary either.).
I do have to congratulate the current maintainers for keeping the services up and running and the service available; but as an on-going concern the project as it stands is doomed.
Re:I'd just like to say,
on
Freedb.org Ending
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Not sure how much I want to get into this discussion (I AM NOT A LAWYER) but...
Copyright is for creative works, not database collections of fact. While there have been countries making changes to allow for the copyright of databases (collection of facts), it is very much untested waters.
You'd need a lawyer to make a definitive decision (OBVIOUSLY), but it is quite likely that no licensing terms can be applied to the database files, or any derivative works thereof.
Re:good database, but could have been so much more
on
Freedb.org Ending
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
And who deals with the copyright issues for the artwork?
When you have professionals assigned with the task of evaluating whether the conditions are safe or not and they are ignored by an administrator it should be a criminal liability issue.
If you think a couple of companies doing things like what Virgin Atlantic has proposed will keep the industry moving forward for the next 30 years you are sadly mistaken.
There is very little profit in the industry, even with launching communication satellites there is significant government funding because of profitability issues.
I hope the person responsible for the current 'go' decision can be held criminally responsible if things do go wrong.
Of course, the paranoid might think that this is somewhat intentional as a number of republicans would probably like to get in on private industry taking over NASA role in space exploration.
I cannot comprehend how the 'Hot Coffee' mod is even an issue.
The game allows you to pick up hookers, and then kill them. For this there is no problem, but 'showing' the guy having sex is a problem. Of which there is nothing to see anyway.
I can kind of understand the ERSB having an issue as it is very embarrassing for them and does reflect badly on their processes and procedures. I realize the code shouldn't have been executable, but it still made them look bad.
It looks to me like someone wants to make sure they didn't profit from this, and again I find this funny. For a 'free country' the United States shows it doesn't understand what 'free' is a little too often these days.
(for the record I own a couple of the GTA games, including GTA:San Andreas. And there is now way I'd let a kid play the game. It's entirely inappropriate.)
I'll give you a hint as to the most significant ways a retail outlet loses inventory... it isn't by shoplifting and walking out the front door.
It goes home with the employees.
So remind me again why I walk through those shoplifting detectors? Especially since thy get set off every 3 minutes in some stores for almost no reason.
Microsoft has sent something like 15 years on it, redefining it all the way.
They don't even know what it is, how are they supposed to produce it? Really, it is just a way for them to slow down their competition.
Re:I had my doubts about WinfFS
on
WinFS Gets the Axe
·
· Score: 3, Informative
BeOS had an implementation of a fully relational filesystem. They dropped it in early versions and replaced it with a hybrid. It worked. And it worked amazingly well.
Microsoft could only hope to accomplish what BeOS/BeFS did.
MS Bob was an attempt to make a computer interface more desktop like. Personally I think the effect of doing that can be kind of cool as a visual effect, but really it's wrong and headed in the wrong direction for long term use.
Personally I think the desktop metaphor is overused now, not underused.
The point was that the details were known. Atleast to someone other than me.;)
The moon is a barren wasteland, and as far as I'm concerned we should do with it whatever humanity wants. (Let me know when that gets figured out).
Except advertising. Let no-one use the moon for advertising. Last thing I want is someone figuring out how to use the face of the moon for a billboard.
There are a few hospitals in Quebec you should inform of this, as they have been trying for several years to get rid of a high-level of bacteria in the hospitals.
great, so that's another source of super-bacteria.
seriously, that type of attitude is a contributor to the problem.
When someone who is NOT sick sneezes, etc the risk of any type of infection spreading is nil. Now there is always the chance someone has something but doesn't know it, and hence it is prudent to take others into consideration. But this attitude of using disinfectants and antibiotic soaps, etc make things worse, not better when they are misapplied.
Me I think companies should do a better job of convincing people who are sick to STAY HOME. I don't care what environment they are in, even if they suppress most of the symptoms they are the ones spreading it to others.
Someone who is sick should NOT be serving the public.
But, if you're overly sensitive, trust me, you don't want to actually know what's in your food.
Slashdot Mirror
I suggested to my, now ex, girlfriend we should schedule our holidays to see a shuttle launch. She was all for it.
The next morning I heard that Columbia broker up on re-entry.
He can say he's releasing it under the GPL and then never release it. Ethically and morally he can change his mind; he has the right.
Having read most of the comments on this story, and actually downloading the freedb database and code available as of July 1st, I can honestly say they need some serious help.
If this individual honestly thinks he can improve things and honestly wants to release the code, even if at a later date, I don't see a problem with it. I don't understand why the people currently responsible for freedb would throw in the towel the way they have. Except one possible reason.
They know that if he does even some of what is proposed they will no longer be necessary. period.
I was shocked at what constitutes the freedb; it is extreemly amateurish; and all parties are acting like children.
I know saying this won't make me popular, but the current state of the project is pathetic.
(Note: there are multiple messages, from both sides of this discussion indicating the 'help' he received was non-monetary. If the current state of the project is any example,, the help wasn't revolutionary either.).
I do have to congratulate the current maintainers for keeping the services up and running and the service available; but as an on-going concern the project as it stands is doomed.
bah, POKE 36879,8
Not sure how much I want to get into this discussion (I AM NOT A LAWYER) but...
Copyright is for creative works, not database collections of fact. While there have been countries making changes to allow for the copyright of databases (collection of facts), it is very much untested waters.
You'd need a lawyer to make a definitive decision (OBVIOUSLY), but it is quite likely that no licensing terms can be applied to the database files, or any derivative works thereof.
And who deals with the copyright issues for the artwork?
When you have professionals assigned with the task of evaluating whether the conditions are safe or not and they are ignored by an administrator it should be a criminal liability issue.
If you think a couple of companies doing things like what Virgin Atlantic has proposed will keep the industry moving forward for the next 30 years you are sadly mistaken.
There is very little profit in the industry, even with launching communication satellites there is significant government funding because of profitability issues.
I hope the person responsible for the current 'go' decision can be held criminally responsible if things do go wrong.
Of course, the paranoid might think that this is somewhat intentional as a number of republicans would probably like to get in on private industry taking over NASA role in space exploration.
(Too bad there is no money in space right now.)
I cannot comprehend how the 'Hot Coffee' mod is even an issue.
The game allows you to pick up hookers, and then kill them. For this there is no problem, but 'showing' the guy having sex is a problem.
Of which there is nothing to see anyway.
I can kind of understand the ERSB having an issue as it is very embarrassing for them and does reflect badly on their processes and procedures. I realize the code shouldn't have been executable, but it still made them look bad.
It looks to me like someone wants to make sure they didn't profit from this, and again I find this funny. For a 'free country' the United States shows it doesn't understand what 'free' is a little too often these days.
(for the record I own a couple of the GTA games, including GTA:San Andreas. And there is now way I'd let a kid play the game. It's entirely inappropriate.)
I'll give you a hint as to the most significant ways a retail outlet loses inventory... it isn't by shoplifting and walking out the front door.
It goes home with the employees.
So remind me again why I walk through those shoplifting detectors? Especially since thy get set off every 3 minutes in some stores for almost no reason.
It isn't audiophiles that listen to their music sitting in that chair in the perfect location for all the speakers, etc.
It's their friends when they come over the visit. (and not by choice).
Really the audiophiles listen to 1970s transistor radios (you know, with the single hard plastic earplug).
Really? Hmm, so you don't mind the audio compression performed when recording to vinyl?
You don't mind that the audio range is less than the spec for CD?
You don't actually think the average(or above) needle on a record player can actually produce anything higher than 22Khz do you?
Now, if you want to complain about the lack of production quality on music CDs these days, be my guest.
Actually, the biggest advantage of giving the money away now is that his family would have to sue him, not his estate if they want the money.
And that isn't likely to happen.
If he died and donated his money to charity it could sit there for 30 years doing 'nothing' while the family fights for it in court.
Microsoft has sent something like 15 years on it, redefining it all the way.
They don't even know what it is, how are they supposed to produce it? Really, it is just a way for them to slow down their competition.
BeOS had an implementation of a fully relational filesystem. They dropped it in early versions and replaced it with a hybrid. It worked. And it worked amazingly well.
Microsoft could only hope to accomplish what BeOS/BeFS did.
Of course there some something amusing about using PDF to distribute the PDF spec.
In a sick and twisted way.
MS Bob was an attempt to make a computer interface more desktop like. Personally I think the effect of doing that can be kind of cool as a visual effect, but really it's wrong and headed in the wrong direction for long term use.
Personally I think the desktop metaphor is overused now, not underused.
Bob by any other name is still Bob.
I don't know what rock he's been sleeping under, but internet security has been a concern since long before 2000.
Oh, but not for Microsoft. That's hardly the users fault.
The point was that the details were known. Atleast to someone other than me.
The moon is a barren wasteland, and as far as I'm concerned we should do with it whatever humanity wants. (Let me know when that gets figured out).
Except advertising. Let no-one use the moon for advertising. Last thing I want is someone figuring out how to use the face of the moon for a billboard.
Hmm.
I thought i was understood. The O2 went into the concrete which continues to set for a very long period of time.
Because, if you do research you will find that not all the MacMini's support the virtualization required.
Seems intel had a run of chips that didn't support it and Apple didn't care either way, it wasn't a selling point of the machine at the time.
There are a few hospitals in Quebec you should inform of this, as they have been trying for several years to get rid of a high-level of bacteria in the hospitals.
great, so that's another source of super-bacteria.
seriously, that type of attitude is a contributor to the problem.
When someone who is NOT sick sneezes, etc the risk of any type of infection spreading is nil. Now there is always the chance someone has something but doesn't know it, and hence it is prudent to take others into consideration. But this attitude of using disinfectants and antibiotic soaps, etc make things worse, not better when they are misapplied.
Me I think companies should do a better job of convincing people who are sick to STAY HOME. I don't care what environment they are in, even if they suppress most of the symptoms they are the ones spreading it to others.
Someone who is sick should NOT be serving the public.
But, if you're overly sensitive, trust me, you don't want to actually know what's in your food.
really.
RIM wouldn't want unlimited networking available to just anyone.
They prefer to negotiate with the carriers so their users can have unlimited network access, while everyone else pays through the nose.
A little self-interest in limited access to the wireless network. No surprise.
Considering 60 minutes did coverage of it about 8 years ago it shouldn't be too hard.
But hey, it should be illegal to use cash to buy airline tickets, right?