I work in a Canadian government office, and an e-mail is treated exactly like a paper letter. In fact, the Heritage Minister's web site says that explicitly.
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/contacts/index_e. cf m
Sending an e-mail ensures that the minister will get feedback quickly after her comments, letting her know that there's a fire to put out.
Frankly, I don't see any new law happening before the next election, so the easiest solution is to vote the Liberals out. But be sure to let them know your intent anyway. I sent my e-mail off last night.
A small correction: Dodie Smith wrote "The One Hundred and One Dalmatians." It doesn't belong in the public domain column, but neither is it entirely a Disney original.
Another of Smith's well-known novels is "I Capture the Castle," which was recently reprinted after J.K. Rowling listed it among her favourites.
What I don't understand is how the right to royalty-free distribution of modules protects Bioware and the end users. Can you give an example of where this provision would come in handy?
I understand that you may need to stop people from making Lord of the Rings modules and such, but there's a separate provision in the EULA for that.
Also, Sanuj's main concern on the BioWare thread doesn't seem to get addressed. I don't really care if Bioware distributes my module, but I would care if they used one of my characters in a spin-off novel. This isn't what the EULA is meant to allow, I gather.
As a Canadian, I have to pay a fee on every transaction to cover the cost of converting the payment into US dollars. The fee is 2.6% plus 30 cents, which kills any micropayment possibility.
The fee is charged twice if you're sending money to other Canadians -- once to convert it to US dollars and once to convert it back. The magic of the digital economy!
(I posted this yesterday, so if it sounds familiar, that's why.)
Even if PayPal did work, I agree with the O'Reilly article that the hassle of micro-subcriptions would be too much. I would rather tip when I think of it than be required to negotiate entrance each time.
Failing that, perhaps some sort of affiliate network modelled after cable TV could work. You pay OmniCorp $10/month and get access to a variety of sites. OmniCorp happens to cover Penny Arcade, Slashdot and the New York Times, so you subscribe to it rather than its rival. OmniCorp then divides its takings among its affiliates. (Sounds a little like AdultCheck, now that I think of it.)
As a Canadian, I have to pay a fee on every transaction to cover the cost of converting the payment into US dollars. The fee is 2.6% plus 30 cents, which kills any micropayment possibility.
As it happens, the fee is charged twice if you're sending money to other Canadians -- once to convert it to US dollars and once to convert it back. The magic of the digital economy!
I eagerly became a PayPal member, but after learning all the terms, I don't think I'll ever be a PayPal user.
According to the ZDNet interview, the 95 percent figure refers to the number of ISPs that have agreed to Gore and company's plan to provide "parent protection pages." It's not a commitment to filter 95% of pages, regardless of user wishes. He didn't express this point well in the third debate, so I wonder how many other people are confused.
By the way, I found that ZDNet interview refreshing. I can't see the other candidates talking about how cool it was to get an advance Palm Pilot, or even discussing the technical issues in this much depth at all.
I don't see how Bush can sincerely try to paint Gore as an "8-track" candidate.
Yogurt
(Who would vote, if he were American, and might sneak across the border and vote anyway.)
The edited MP3 was released *before* the album came out. In their commentary, they give the release date and note that once the album is released "there will be lots for you to download."
The album is out now and if you hope to find the message-version of the song, you have to go somewhere like barenaked.net. (Or I did, anyway.)
Personally, I was hoping for something more playful from the edited track. I already owned the CD when I went looking for the edited MP3. Instead of reworking the song, as they do in concert, or talking over the music like a DJ, they blanked the audio completely in sections. It's designed to be deleted, rather than kept around as one more Barenaked oddity.
For Freenet to be successful, it would need a wide body of users, just like Napster. If people really believed in the morality of copyright, they wouldn't use these systems to violate it.
If millions of people DO use these systems to violate copyright, then it's no longer the actions or opinions of a single person that are changing the world. Ian Clarke is just the spark. We're the blaze.
You're right that it's no suprise that the World Bank comes down on the side of deregulation in this paper, as it has in so many other places. The paper also promotes the role of an "honest information broker" like, surprise, the World Bank. People should understand the source of the policy recommendations in the paper.
However, I was recommending the paper as a good introduction to the potential benefits of IT. Whether or not you agree with the World Bank's view of how to obtain them is another matter. I'm still undecided.
I'm writing something right now about IT and the developing world and haven't seen any statistics to counteract the Bank's claim that increased telecommunication deregulation leads to economic strengh for all levels of society. If anyone has counterexamples or stats, I'd be happy to read them.
16 comments and already people are claiming that the developing world should have perfect health infrastructures before getting IT. First of all, it's not like there are teams of plumber/sysadmins trying to decide which projects to pursue. Secondly, information poverty can hold back health-related projects as much as lack of money and investment.
Information technology can increase knowledge of health concerns, funding sources, successful development models, social information about human rights and the environment, crop prices, and more. It can provide new training and opportunities, bridging the significant gap between rural and urban life.
If you are really interested and aren't just expressing a contrarian point to be cool, try this World Bank paper on the need for IT in the developing world and the obstacles to introducing it. It's in PDF.
I often hear this apologia for The Phantom Menace, but there are many excellent kid's fantasy films that adults enjoy too: The Iron Giant, Indian in the Cupboard, My Neighbour Totoro, Labyrinth, The Last Unicorn -- these are just ones I own.
The truth is, The Phantom Menace was badly structured (who was the hero?), badly written, and -- unlike Star Wars -- relied on flash rather than a compelling story. It deserves every scrap of criticism it got.
Not all kid's movies need to have adult appeal, but unlike a Barney the Dinosaur movie, Phantom Menance *could* have been something adults would enjoy. Maybe the next one will be.
Some useful sites do cost a lot of money to maintain. It would be handy if the web site's users could defray some of these costs. They are the ones who visit and enjoy the site after all.
Most sites will remain free, published as labours of love, but if I site needs my support I'd like to find a feasible way for me to give it.
If you don't want to contribute to this discussion, fine. But then why even click on the link?
You have the choice between giving a small amount of money and giving nothing when you tip a server too.
I suppose you could argue that you're really paying to avoid the embarassment of stiffing a server, but I think most people do want to give a person what *we feel* they're due.
I think the difference is intention. Parents don't raise children for the money. And, I would argue, artists don't make art for the money. They make it because creating something and sharing it is fulfilling and fun.
But entertainers *are* in it for the money, and the way our society works, you're allowed to charge money for most anything you have or do, and people have the choice of taking it on your terms or leaving it. What we're not allowed to do is take something on terms other than those set by the owner or creator. That's why copying MP3s feels like stealing.
There is a point past which an entertainer's demands can seem unreasonable and ignoring their terms seems okay. Imagine if the author of "Happy Birthday" demanded that we all send him or her $100 each every time we sung the song at a party. Few people would comply or stop singing. It seems that the recording industry has reached that line, and it turned out to be a lot closer to $0 than $100.
However, I don't think that the line of reasonability is actually $0. Just last night I was sitting around trying to figure the best way to give the Arrogant Worms $10 because I like their song The Last Saskatchewan Pirate. $10 for one song! Well, I like it a lot. I played it at my wedding. And the band seems cool, so why not.
If there had been a button on my Winamp that said Tip The Artist, I would have pressed it. If there had been a Paypal link on the Worm's home page, I would have used it. (Well, if they worked with Canadians anyway -- hurry up, PayPal!)
Entertainers need to concentrate on making it easy to send them money, so we fans can reward them for entertaining us. I think if it were easy for millions of people to reward entertainers voluntarily, many talented people could make a living off free music.
Where is the record industry's role in this? Well, they should stick to what they're good at -- promotion. Perhaps artists can hire them like agents, giving them 10% or more of the cut. That's probably a lot less than what the record companies are used to getting. Maybe they should start a band.
(And yes, I recognize that most performers are both artists and entertainers. Which is fine -- there's nothing wrong with getting paid for what you like to do. As long as what you ask is reasonable.)
DeepDarkSky asked: "How else will artists get paid?"
If there were a button on Winamp that said "tip the artist," I would use it. When I was a student, maybe I'd set my tip button at 50 cents. When I remember how to become an Internet billionaire, maybe I'll set it at $100.
Of course, there would be thousands of twits who would never tip, just like there are people who stiff their waiters or stand in front of buskers and never pay. However, small contributions from thousands of honest fans would add up. Maybe no Madonna-fortunes could be made and some people would give up music as a result. Would we miss them?
Obviously, the backend of a tip button is a serious technical feat. But it's what artists and companies like PayPal (or e-gold above) should be thinking about, because the music industry isn't going to be looking for solutions that cut them out of the loop.
For a long time, there have been musicians who played for free and got paid if people liked them. Now these artists have a chance to play for an audience of millions.
It sounds as though Richard Garriott's planned game "X" will allow participants to earn real money for adding content to the game. It's not the same as earning money for finding a +5 Sword of Camping, but it's an intriguing idea.
"Q: People can earn money playing the game? A: I believe that if [my secret game] works many people will quit their real jobs and live full time in the virtual world I am creating."
The essence of Kaczynski's quoted argument is that if the rich didn't need the masses, they would kill or zombify them. This is not a claim about technology -- it's a claim about human nature, and one for which Kaczynski offers no evidence at all.
Joy's other concern about humans being supplanted by our own creations is also not a great concern to me. These new humans who extend their life through surgery have already supplanted the old medieval model that just died. Is anyone bothered by that?
Joy is worried these new humans will somehow lack "humanity," but that concern is so vague that it can't be refuted. Is he worried that they won't feel emotions? Appreciate life? Be self-aware? Spell it out, man!
The only real threat Joy raises is the gray goo problem. However, I think the risks here are matched by the potential benefits. Immortality is a tempting payoff, after all. Without new advances, I'm going to be goo in seventy years anyway, so maybe I'll take that gamble. (Sorry to the future generations who get gooed. Should have been born earlier.)
Factovision mentioned a recent experiment that apparently disproved Penrose's hypothesis about the connection between quantum physics and consciousness. All I have is this abstract. If anyone has more, let us know.
Excellent reply -- thank you
on
VDSL Demoed
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Thanks for the thoughtful reply, FalseConsciousness. I hope other people come across it.
He's right (but don't move anyway)
on
VDSL Demoed
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· Score: 1
I'm always amazed when these high-bandwidth discussions come up on Slashdot and American after American complains about still being on dial-up or paying US$80 for a tempermental high speed service.
Every one of my Canadian friends is on cable or DSL and the cost is US$30 (after tax). I mean, frickin' Nanaimo, British Columbia, has cable modems now. This is a medium-sized town on Vancouver Island. Not a capital. Not a big centre. They race bathtubs there. Seriously.
Now, I admit that part of the reason for this post is to say "ha! ha!" Sorry. But I also sincerely don't understand why the States lag so far behind its northern neighbour. Has our tolerance for monopolies helped us? Fewer population centres to cover?
And to the Scarberian who can't get DSL in Ontario, try Rogers@Home instead. I know four people in Scarborough on cable and none of them have problems.
That being said, one of the advantages of Canada is that we only have to put up with 10% of the people that Americans do. So please, stay where you are! There are bears here! And taxes! Stay!
If I'm understanding Singer's argument correctly, he's arguing that babies with no self-awareness and no hope of self-awareness do not have the same ethical standing that babies with the potential for consciousness have.
To say this somehow justifies euthanizing Dennis the Menace is nonsense.
I think that if a person works for something, then they should be able to earn it, but should someone be held down because their parents couldn't give them that advantage?
Would you apply the same argument to hiring university-educated people over those without a degree? You raise an important concern, but it's an argument for government support of genetic improvements (and other essentials like education) rather than a reason to resist engineering altogether.
Only four months after its introduction, the world's first driverless freeway is closed for twelve hours after an unidentified pedestrian climbs the security fence and is struck by a computer-piloted passenger car.
Supporters of the experimental high speed route say that improved security and remote safety procedures are the answer to such problems, rather than the still impractical on-board collision avoidance technology.
Slashdot Mirror
I work in a Canadian government office, and an e-mail is treated exactly like a paper letter. In fact, the Heritage Minister's web site says that explicitly.
. cf m
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/contacts/index_e
Sending an e-mail ensures that the minister will get feedback quickly after her comments, letting her know that there's a fire to put out.
Frankly, I don't see any new law happening before the next election, so the easiest solution is to vote the Liberals out. But be sure to let them know your intent anyway. I sent my e-mail off last night.
Yogurt in British Columbia
A small correction: Dodie Smith wrote "The One Hundred and One Dalmatians." It doesn't belong in the public domain column, but neither is it entirely a Disney original.
Another of Smith's well-known novels is "I Capture the Castle," which was recently reprinted after J.K. Rowling listed it among her favourites.
What I don't understand is how the right to royalty-free distribution of modules protects Bioware and the end users. Can you give an example of where this provision would come in handy?
I understand that you may need to stop people from making Lord of the Rings modules and such, but there's a separate provision in the EULA for that.
Also, Sanuj's main concern on the BioWare thread doesn't seem to get addressed. I don't really care if Bioware distributes my module, but I would care if they used one of my characters in a spin-off novel. This isn't what the EULA is meant to allow, I gather.
Yogurt
As a Canadian, I have to pay a fee on every transaction to cover the cost of converting the payment into US dollars. The fee is 2.6% plus 30 cents, which kills any micropayment possibility.
The fee is charged twice if you're sending money to other Canadians -- once to convert it to US dollars and once to convert it back. The magic of the digital economy!
(I posted this yesterday, so if it sounds familiar, that's why.)
Even if PayPal did work, I agree with the O'Reilly article that the hassle of micro-subcriptions would be too much. I would rather tip when I think of it than be required to negotiate entrance each time.
Failing that, perhaps some sort of affiliate network modelled after cable TV could work. You pay OmniCorp $10/month and get access to a variety of sites. OmniCorp happens to cover Penny Arcade, Slashdot and the New York Times, so you subscribe to it rather than its rival. OmniCorp then divides its takings among its affiliates. (Sounds a little like AdultCheck, now that I think of it.)
As I say, I'd prefer a working system of tips.
Yogurt
As a Canadian, I have to pay a fee on every transaction to cover the cost of converting the payment into US dollars. The fee is 2.6% plus 30 cents, which kills any micropayment possibility.
As it happens, the fee is charged twice if you're sending money to other Canadians -- once to convert it to US dollars and once to convert it back. The magic of the digital economy!
I eagerly became a PayPal member, but after learning all the terms, I don't think I'll ever be a PayPal user.
Yogurt
According to the ZDNet interview, the 95 percent figure refers to the number of ISPs that have agreed to Gore and company's plan to provide "parent protection pages." It's not a commitment to filter 95% of pages, regardless of user wishes. He didn't express this point well in the third debate, so I wonder how many other people are confused.
By the way, I found that ZDNet interview refreshing. I can't see the other candidates talking about how cool it was to get an advance Palm Pilot, or even discussing the technical issues in this much depth at all.
I don't see how Bush can sincerely try to paint Gore as an "8-track" candidate.
Yogurt
(Who would vote, if he were American, and might sneak across the border and vote anyway.)
The edited MP3 was released *before* the album came out. In their commentary, they give the release date and note that once the album is released "there will be lots for you to download."
The album is out now and if you hope to find the message-version of the song, you have to go somewhere like barenaked.net. (Or I did, anyway.)
Personally, I was hoping for something more playful from the edited track. I already owned the CD when I went looking for the edited MP3. Instead of reworking the song, as they do in concert, or talking over the music like a DJ, they blanked the audio completely in sections. It's designed to be deleted, rather than kept around as one more Barenaked oddity.
Yogurt
(from Scarborough)
For Freenet to be successful, it would need a wide body of users, just like Napster. If people really believed in the morality of copyright, they wouldn't use these systems to violate it.
If millions of people DO use these systems to violate copyright, then it's no longer the actions or opinions of a single person that are changing the world. Ian Clarke is just the spark. We're the blaze.
You're right that it's no suprise that the World Bank comes down on the side of deregulation in this paper, as it has in so many other places. The paper also promotes the role of an "honest information broker" like, surprise, the World Bank. People should understand the source of the policy recommendations in the paper.
However, I was recommending the paper as a good introduction to the potential benefits of IT. Whether or not you agree with the World Bank's view of how to obtain them is another matter. I'm still undecided.
I'm writing something right now about IT and the developing world and haven't seen any statistics to counteract the Bank's claim that increased telecommunication deregulation leads to economic strengh for all levels of society. If anyone has counterexamples or stats, I'd be happy to read them.
Yogurt
16 comments and already people are claiming that the developing world should have perfect health infrastructures before getting IT. First of all, it's not like there are teams of plumber/sysadmins trying to decide which projects to pursue. Secondly, information poverty can hold back health-related projects as much as lack of money and investment.
Information technology can increase knowledge of health concerns, funding sources, successful development models, social information about human rights and the environment, crop prices, and more. It can provide new training and opportunities, bridging the significant gap between rural and urban life.
If you are really interested and aren't just expressing a contrarian point to be cool, try this World Bank paper on the need for IT in the developing world and the obstacles to introducing it. It's in PDF.
Yogurt
I often hear this apologia for The Phantom Menace, but there are many excellent kid's fantasy films that adults enjoy too: The Iron Giant, Indian in the Cupboard, My Neighbour Totoro, Labyrinth, The Last Unicorn -- these are just ones I own.
The truth is, The Phantom Menace was badly structured (who was the hero?), badly written, and -- unlike Star Wars -- relied on flash rather than a compelling story. It deserves every scrap of criticism it got.
Not all kid's movies need to have adult appeal, but unlike a Barney the Dinosaur movie, Phantom Menance *could* have been something adults would enjoy. Maybe the next one will be.
Yogurt
Some useful sites do cost a lot of money to maintain. It would be handy if the web site's users could defray some of these costs. They are the ones who visit and enjoy the site after all.
Most sites will remain free, published as labours of love, but if I site needs my support I'd like to find a feasible way for me to give it.
If you don't want to contribute to this discussion, fine. But then why even click on the link?
Yogurt
You have the choice between giving a small amount of money and giving nothing when you tip a server too.
I suppose you could argue that you're really paying to avoid the embarassment of stiffing a server, but I think most people do want to give a person what *we feel* they're due.
Excellent point.
I think the difference is intention. Parents don't raise children for the money. And, I would argue, artists don't make art for the money. They make it because creating something and sharing it is fulfilling and fun.
But entertainers *are* in it for the money, and the way our society works, you're allowed to charge money for most anything you have or do, and people have the choice of taking it on your terms or leaving it. What we're not allowed to do is take something on terms other than those set by the owner or creator. That's why copying MP3s feels like stealing.
There is a point past which an entertainer's demands can seem unreasonable and ignoring their terms seems okay. Imagine if the author of "Happy Birthday" demanded that we all send him or her $100 each every time we sung the song at a party. Few people would comply or stop singing. It seems that the recording industry has reached that line, and it turned out to be a lot closer to $0 than $100.
However, I don't think that the line of reasonability is actually $0. Just last night I was sitting around trying to figure the best way to give the Arrogant Worms $10 because I like their song The Last Saskatchewan Pirate. $10 for one song! Well, I like it a lot. I played it at my wedding. And the band seems cool, so why not.
If there had been a button on my Winamp that said Tip The Artist, I would have pressed it. If there had been a Paypal link on the Worm's home page, I would have used it. (Well, if they worked with Canadians anyway -- hurry up, PayPal!)
Entertainers need to concentrate on making it easy to send them money, so we fans can reward them for entertaining us. I think if it were easy for millions of people to reward entertainers voluntarily, many talented people could make a living off free music.
Where is the record industry's role in this? Well, they should stick to what they're good at -- promotion. Perhaps artists can hire them like agents, giving them 10% or more of the cut. That's probably a lot less than what the record companies are used to getting. Maybe they should start a band.
(And yes, I recognize that most performers are both artists and entertainers. Which is fine -- there's nothing wrong with getting paid for what you like to do. As long as what you ask is reasonable.)
Tim Mitchell
Yogurt
DeepDarkSky asked: "How else will artists get paid?"
If there were a button on Winamp that said "tip the artist," I would use it. When I was a student, maybe I'd set my tip button at 50 cents. When I remember how to become an Internet billionaire, maybe I'll set it at $100.
Of course, there would be thousands of twits who would never tip, just like there are people who stiff their waiters or stand in front of buskers and never pay. However, small contributions from thousands of honest fans would add up. Maybe no Madonna-fortunes could be made and some people would give up music as a result. Would we miss them?
Obviously, the backend of a tip button is a serious technical feat. But it's what artists and companies like PayPal (or e-gold above) should be thinking about, because the music industry isn't going to be looking for solutions that cut them out of the loop.
For a long time, there have been musicians who played for free and got paid if people liked them. Now these artists have a chance to play for an audience of millions.
Yogurt
Tim Mitchell
It sounds as though Richard Garriott's planned game "X" will allow participants to earn real money for adding content to the game. It's not the same as earning money for finding a +5 Sword of Camping, but it's an intriguing idea.
"Q: People can earn money playing the game? A: I believe that if [my secret game] works many people will quit their real jobs and live full time in the virtual world I am creating."
See this interview.
Yogurt
From the ZDNet article:
Microsystems attorney Irwin Schwartz said the settlement proves the case was about copyright violation and not, as the ACLU claimed, free speech.
"This is a case about a couple of guys who violated a copyright. Once we called them on it, they settled within a week," Schwartz said.
Does the deal you made allow them to spin the issue however they want, while you yourself must remain quiet? A tall price.
Yogurt
The essence of Kaczynski's quoted argument is that if the rich didn't need the masses, they would kill or zombify them. This is not a claim about technology -- it's a claim about human nature, and one for which Kaczynski offers no evidence at all.
Joy's other concern about humans being supplanted by our own creations is also not a great concern to me. These new humans who extend their life through surgery have already supplanted the old medieval model that just died. Is anyone bothered by that?
Joy is worried these new humans will somehow lack "humanity," but that concern is so vague that it can't be refuted. Is he worried that they won't feel emotions? Appreciate life? Be self-aware? Spell it out, man!
The only real threat Joy raises is the gray goo problem. However, I think the risks here are matched by the potential benefits. Immortality is a tempting payoff, after all. Without new advances, I'm going to be goo in seventy years anyway, so maybe I'll take that gamble. (Sorry to the future generations who get gooed. Should have been born earlier.)
Yogurt
Yogurt
Tim Mitchell
Mooselessness at tim.pitas.com
"One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all,
And in the darkness bind them."
Sterling silver: US$89
Gold: US$590
Mithril: Currently on back order.
http://www.badalijewelry.com/tolkien.htm
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, FalseConsciousness. I hope other people come across it.
I'm always amazed when these high-bandwidth discussions come up on Slashdot and American after American complains about still being on dial-up or paying US$80 for a tempermental high speed service.
Every one of my Canadian friends is on cable or DSL and the cost is US$30 (after tax). I mean, frickin' Nanaimo, British Columbia, has cable modems now. This is a medium-sized town on Vancouver Island. Not a capital. Not a big centre. They race bathtubs there. Seriously.
Now, I admit that part of the reason for this post is to say "ha! ha!" Sorry. But I also sincerely don't understand why the States lag so far behind its northern neighbour. Has our tolerance for monopolies helped us? Fewer population centres to cover?
And to the Scarberian who can't get DSL in Ontario, try Rogers@Home instead. I know four people in Scarborough on cable and none of them have problems.
That being said, one of the advantages of Canada is that we only have to put up with 10% of the people that Americans do. So please, stay where you are! There are bears here! And taxes! Stay!
Yogurt
If I'm understanding Singer's argument correctly, he's arguing that babies with no self-awareness and no hope of self-awareness do not have the same ethical standing that babies with the potential for consciousness have.
To say this somehow justifies euthanizing Dennis the Menace is nonsense.
Would you apply the same argument to hiring university-educated people over those without a degree? You raise an important concern, but it's an argument for government support of genetic improvements (and other essentials like education) rather than a reason to resist engineering altogether.
Only four months after its introduction, the world's first driverless freeway is closed for twelve hours after an unidentified pedestrian climbs the security fence and is struck by a computer-piloted passenger car.
Supporters of the experimental high speed route say that improved security and remote safety procedures are the answer to such problems, rather than the still impractical on-board collision avoidance technology.