A lovely demonstration of an "emotional knee-jerk reaction."
Did you reply to the right comment, because I really can't figure out how you could confuse an example of racist morals with miracle trans-racial births.(?)
So are you proposing that we apply animal rights laws to infants? Perhaps we should draw up some kind of scale of sentience, all of it could be based on papers and opinions about what constitutes a human being and the value of a life. I'm sure that we could get an agreement on this between Hindus, Christians, Jews and the agnostic. It would probably be a very calm and rational discussion.
You can believe whatever you want on this issue, there will always be people who passionately disagree with you.
For the same reason as I said above, as well as the fact that most Windows users probably wouldn't notice the fact that they'd been cracked. They can't simply type "w" and see who's logged in, and they're more used to seeing their computer slowing down and having the drives running for god-knows-what-reason. Last time I was using a cable modem, there were several dozen machines that would've been rather easy to get into because they had their drive shared without a password. Short of deleting all the files, how would any possibly know I was in their stuff? They wouldn't. And even if I deleted any of their files, without the logging present like there is under Unix, they wouldn't be able to figure out that it was an external user that wiped the files, and not some wierd glitch in the system.
Actually, NT's file auditing features are great. The NT security model is very smooth on the small scale. I mean, within the server and for remote connections to the server. They're just not turned on by default... but neither are Linux's.
Credit where credit is due. The fact of the matter is, unless this CGI hack managed to somehow dig out a root exploit from a non-privilidged account, this was not an OS bug. Linux as an operating system DOES protect against this sort of thing. There is no reason whatsoever that the files should have been capable of being modified by the user of the CGI application. The fact of the matter is that the operating system was not configured at all for security. They relied 100% on the CGI application to defend their files.
A non-privilidged application had a bug in it which allowed someone to modify unprotected files. Quick, send out the CERT advisory!
Could it be that MS purchased Visio for the same reason they created Office?
Because there is too much competition in the current market. Now if you want Visio, you get MS Office. You can't get Visio for a reasonable price outside of Office, nor are there any competing products available outside of the MS Office solution.
...Just like years ago it was best to pick up that silly Word program with that copy of Excel. Hey, it's not Wordperfect, but it uses that new-fangled MS GUI... and 1-2-3 just won't run anymore.
On the upside, maybe Sun will throw support into DIA:-)
If the system is not cryptographically secure, you can still copy the card, you can still use man-in-the middle attacks, there are all sorts of things you can do.
What if some sad little program like happy99 was designed to double-swipe your card? We don't know if that kind of attack or others are possible. Unless they say exactly how the system works, it is best to assume that it is not secure.
I think you're right about this. "The size of a book" reminds me of those small black NCD xterm boxes. If these wind up being only $10/mo, you could plug them into a 15" monitor and you'll have a cheap terminal. You can also plug modems into the things... though I don't think anyone outside of sales would recommend it.
Intel is going to create its own standard for a 423 pin socket? I find it strange that Intel would need a 423 pin standard, when they don't seem to be missing any functionality with their 370 pin Celeron socket.
If you're right, then I would be interested to hear what they're going to do with all those pins. I'm more inclined to think that the article has just made some kind of mistake.
The jump from Socket 370 to Socket 423 will only occur after 733mhz.
Am I right or does this article imply that Intel will migrate away from their own architecture, and begin to manufacture chips which will run on socket 423? This must be some kind of mistake. This means that AMD or Alpha failed to legally lock-down their bus from Intel... either that or the article is just wrong.
Oh well, if it is right, then it will be nice to have both chips running on the same motherboards again.
Um, yeah, or you could just get a proper pop/imap box from somewhere other than your school and learn how to access it from another computer. It's not hard.
Some cybercafes and kiosks make this a pain in the butt. Compared to running ssh java applets, Hotmail is just as secure (regarding snooping... ie. you still have to trust your home ISP admins if you're opening a SSH), arguably more stable, and a heck of a lot easier to setup.
I was with Hotmail before Microsoft bought them. Do you know what I do with the account? It's what I put into all those boxes out on the Internet which read "Enter your email address here: (Mandatory)". It's my big spamcatcher, I open it up once a week or so, and wipe out oodles of junk-email... with the odd interesting post from some company which I'm actually interested in.
I do have some personal email archived in that account... but it's nothing I wouldn't want the world to see. All very boring and normal. If anybody asks me about hotmail now though, I point them to other HTML mail providers, and I do tell them why... because Microsoft is too powerful.
This is absoulutely true. I looked into the draft for the document which did go through, and the fees are retroactive. However, what people fail to mention is that the $.79 per 15 mins is proposed. The US already imposes a levy of this form, and all this dates back to some international agreement made a long time ago. Canada is one of the last countries to get in line on this thing.
The fact that retailers have not jacked up their prices 100% indicates one of two possible scenarios...
Despite all the con-men trying to milk people for thick margins on a blank CD shortage in late 1998, retailers are ignorant of the issue. Or,
Retailers are confident that the Canadian Levy will mirror that of the U.S... and that they will not be put out of business when they get the bill for back-payments.
If I was a lawyer, I would have a copy of the document lying around to draw references from... but after careful reading in late 1998 and early 1999, these are the conclusions I have drawn. This whole thing will almost certainly blow over as such a small fee that the whole thing will be a non-issue.
Aside from what I learned reading the document, The concept of paying the recording industry big bucks because I want to back up my HD, or a small band wants to distribute some work independantly, leaves a horrid taste in my mouth.
Also of note is that people who are in medical need of digital audio media are exempt from the tarrif. If we are infact hit with a wicked fee for importing CDs, there could be a huge market for blind technicians... after they burn a CD, it is no longer digital recording media, and consequently, they are free to redistribute it free from tarrifs. The document prevents them from redistributing "digital recording media" without the recipients paying up, but it does not indicate "personal use", nor does it mention write-once media.:-)
The reason I never contribute is because I don't feel qualified. Those who are qualified probably don't have time to contribute. Perhaps what is needed is a branch project, or an intermediate step... the "Hacker's LDP" or maybe a new document format... no longer the HOWTO or FAQ, but a new class of "implementor's notes" or something. I guess Mini-Howtos somewhat cover this...
In essence, this would be a centralized version of what people find on deja.com or on people's homepages. If the author wants to compile these notes into the HOWTO, then they can.
It's just an idea. It shouldn't take much to set this up... if somebody has the facilities.
The only issue I can think of is moderation and making sure that the feedback is not redundant... or that redundant feedback is appropriately categorized.
Even though that's a flame, I think it is a legitimate comment. But...
A website is only as good as the admin.
Slashdot uses lots of controversial operating systems and software in a very demanding environment. This kind of use points out the flaws in and indirectly contributes to the development of products like MySQL.
Fleeing to a closed solution as soon as there's a hiccup is IMHO, contrary to the open source development model. Doing so without consulting with the developers or other support channels is being a bad admin.
With all the appropriate configurations done on the server and the client workstations (ie, port ranges for ICQ) I have had few, if any problems.
I can send and receive files from ICQ, chat with people, even chat with people on my own lan. There is no loss of functionality for me with IP Masq. Some applications require special modules or commands, but once done, it's never an issue.
I'm running Slackware 3(?), with kernel 2.0.36. The machine is so solid that it doesn't have a monitor or keyboard attached to it, and it's only a 486.
I have not tried to do any online gaming with IP Masq.
I can't get full voice with MS netmeeting to work, though I haven't tried too hard. The whiteboard and everything else works fine though.
I do get strange intermittant problems, issues such as people being invited into a four-way-chat only getting a three way chat... when everyone else sees the four. People dissapear who should be visible, lots of peculiar behavior, but nothing show-stopping. I think it is a combination of ICQ running out of incomming TCP connections and a problem with the ICQ servers failing to correctly or timely interpret the status of people with the same IP address or something... most status issues are resolved by changing status back and forth.
I would love to hear people's suggestions about how to fine tune various applications.
As I understand it, because Linux was not based on the same source tree as the various flavours of UNIX, it is technically a "UNIX-Like" operating system. The term really doesn't mean much though. It certainly doesn't mean that BSD is more "UNIX compatible" or something than Linux is. Just ignore the label. It is technically accurate, but pretty meaningless. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
If Bill Gates or Dennis Ritche called it "UNIX-like" the poor media would get terribly confused and start thinking it was a clone or something.
I remember one misguided member of the press actually refering to Linux as "DOS-Based."
It does a fantastic job rendering the IE5 homepage:-)
I checked out www.mozilla.org, then "what's related", saw IE5, and decided to see how some of those horridly complex MS pages would render. Very nice.
www.zdnet.com OTOH is completely broken.
I can't wait to see how the "translate" button works.
It doesn't seem too bad for submitting comments to Slashdot either.
I still don't see the speed benefits, and I don't consider it usable for day-to-day tasks, but it is damn close. I'll take everyone's word for it that it will speed up when it is out of Alpha. When Necko is finished, that might bump up the speed dramatically too. I'm beginnning to really like what I see though.
Is there any reason to believe that Houston could remotely deactivate the transmitter on the lunar lander? It sounds kind of strange. These transmissions, IIRC were not encrypted, nor was there anything particularly special about them. An avid HAM radio operator should have been able to pick up all the signals.
It makes me rather wonder that if there is a grain of truth, it is that the astronauts were trained to turn their radio off and accept the failure of their mission; rather than screaming quite futily for their lives. The astronauts knew that a rescue mission was quite impossible, and they knew that the space program was reliant on public image. Why would these trained and diciplined specialists be screaming into the radio that they were dying?
I found myself wondering about this when I stayed late to do some paperwork and avoid the hectic commute. Why bother going home? Even with a typical 8 hour workday, and two hours of commuting, It's just a place to commute to, sleep in, cook in, and do laundry in. What's the point?
If you're single, there is little need for a 'home'.
Sure, a security problem is a security problem only if someone decides to exploit it.
In my world, people exercise reasonable measures to protect their valuables. The measures of protection are proportional to the worth of the object/valuables. That's why banks have vaults and safety deposit boxes.
If Microsoft is going to claim that their operating systems are secure, I don't think they're the victim when people realize that their doors are wide open. The victims are the people who rely on Microsoft products for security. Microsoft should take responsability for their marketing claims and engineering blunders.
Analogies like these are just intended to stir people up. The thought of the AMA, a public organization doing anything of the sort, potentially killing millions of innocent people would be outrageous. Therefore, releasing backorifice must be similarly outrageous.
To paraphrase Bill Gates... "It's just a remote administration tool"
If that's what he believes, then to use their twisted analogies and flawed logic, the meat producers, after years of outbreaks of disease, to the suggestion of stepping up security argue "why would anybody want to taint beef?"
It's a horrible analogy. The facts of computer security aren't as black and white as deadly bacteria and food supplies.
(I agree with your criticisms, I just don't think the analogy is worth extending into that of governement regulation and control)
Slashdot is not a Linux site for Linux geeks, it just happens to be that Linux geeks like Slashdot.
I questioned the legitimacy of the moderation too, until I read the post and saw how dumb it was. NTFS supports jounalism...:-) NTFS supports encryption?
It sounds like he took the wrong answers from a multiple choice question. The last person I met who said "NTFS supports encryption" was an MCP in NT 3.1, and said that encryption was a basic feature of NTFS which you did not have to even turn on.
Microsoft OTOH doesn't make this claim anywhere. It is as though people are reading "File permissions", "Security" and "NTFS" in the same sentence and immediately equating it to encryption.
(And for the next MCP who argues that encryption is a feature of NTFS, it is common knowledge in the real world that a DOS diskette with a NTFS utility, or a Linux boot disk with NTFS support will quite nicely read your NTFS drive.)
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend any lawyers by this. I was only alluding to a future where mega trials and lawyers may eventually be paid similar to, and given similar media attention as professional athletes in big sporting events.
Some of the media coverage on these mega-trials is quite silly.
On a serious note, IMHO, most lawyers earn every penny they make... the only gripe I have is that many people can't afford to pay them. The legal system is just too complex to defend/represent yourself effectively. And too complex to expect anybody to be able to pay to have themselves defended from serious charges on a typical salary. Unfortunately, it's the only legal system we have, and there doesn't seem to be anything better out there. Work done pro bono is fantastic, but it's a shame that it's the only way some people can be adequately defended.
And with that... we're totally off topic and I'm not qualified to even argue on this subject. Could I convince you to take up this defense on my behalf:-)
It's the perfect story, a big political soap-opera. Complete with higly paid professional lawyers, corporate sponsors, and million dollar prizes.
Maybe in the future the whole North American economy will be based on lawsuits and stories about lawsuits -- Ocassionally interrupted by some poor fellow fleeing the tyranical society which opresses his free thought, a la Guy Montag.
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A lovely demonstration of an "emotional knee-jerk reaction."
Did you reply to the right comment, because I really can't figure out how you could confuse an example of racist morals with miracle trans-racial births.(?)
So are you proposing that we apply animal rights laws to infants? Perhaps we should draw up some kind of scale of sentience, all of it could be based on papers and opinions about what constitutes a human being and the value of a life. I'm sure that we could get an agreement on this between Hindus, Christians, Jews and the agnostic. It would probably be a very calm and rational discussion.
You can believe whatever you want on this issue, there will always be people who passionately disagree with you.
Obsessed with Beer?
That's the first I've heard of it.
For the same reason as I said above, as well as the fact that most Windows users probably wouldn't notice the fact that they'd been cracked. They can't simply type "w" and see who's logged in, and they're more used to seeing their computer slowing down and having the drives running for god-knows-what-reason. Last time I was using a cable modem, there were several dozen machines that would've been rather easy to get into because they had their drive shared without a password. Short of deleting all the files, how would any possibly know I was in their stuff? They wouldn't. And even if I deleted any of their files, without the logging present like there is under Unix, they wouldn't be able to figure out that it was an external user that wiped the files, and not some wierd glitch in the system.
Actually, NT's file auditing features are great. The NT security model is very smooth on the small scale. I mean, within the server and for remote connections to the server. They're just not turned on by default... but neither are Linux's.
Credit where credit is due. The fact of the matter is, unless this CGI hack managed to somehow dig out a root exploit from a non-privilidged account, this was not an OS bug. Linux as an operating system DOES protect against this sort of thing. There is no reason whatsoever that the files should have been capable of being modified by the user of the CGI application. The fact of the matter is that the operating system was not configured at all for security. They relied 100% on the CGI application to defend their files.
A non-privilidged application had a bug in it which allowed someone to modify unprotected files. Quick, send out the CERT advisory!
Could it be that MS purchased Visio for the same reason they created Office?
Because there is too much competition in the current market. Now if you want Visio, you get MS Office. You can't get Visio for a reasonable price outside of Office, nor are there any competing products available outside of the MS Office solution.
...Just like years ago it was best to pick up that silly Word program with that copy of Excel. Hey, it's not Wordperfect, but it uses that new-fangled MS GUI... and 1-2-3 just won't run anymore.
On the upside, maybe Sun will throw support into DIA :-)
I think you're missing the point.
If the system is not cryptographically secure, you can still copy the card, you can still use man-in-the middle attacks, there are all sorts of things you can do.
What if some sad little program like happy99 was designed to double-swipe your card? We don't know if that kind of attack or others are possible. Unless they say exactly how the system works, it is best to assume that it is not secure.
I think you're right about this. "The size of a book" reminds me of those small black NCD xterm boxes. If these wind up being only $10/mo, you could plug them into a 15" monitor and you'll have a cheap terminal. You can also plug modems into the things... though I don't think anyone outside of sales would recommend it.
Try Winframe over X over a 14.4 :-)
It launched... my 30 minute trial with the X software expired before anything more than a window was drawn.
Intel is going to create its own standard for a 423 pin socket? I find it strange that Intel would need a 423 pin standard, when they don't seem to be missing any functionality with their 370 pin Celeron socket.
If you're right, then I would be interested to hear what they're going to do with all those pins. I'm more inclined to think that the article has just made some kind of mistake.
The jump from Socket 370 to Socket 423 will only occur after 733mhz.
Am I right or does this article imply that Intel will migrate away from their own architecture, and begin to manufacture chips which will run on socket 423? This must be some kind of mistake. This means that AMD or Alpha failed to legally lock-down their bus from Intel... either that or the article is just wrong.
Oh well, if it is right, then it will be nice to have both chips running on the same motherboards again.
Some cybercafes and kiosks make this a pain in the butt. Compared to running ssh java applets, Hotmail is just as secure (regarding snooping... ie. you still have to trust your home ISP admins if you're opening a SSH), arguably more stable, and a heck of a lot easier to setup.
I was with Hotmail before Microsoft bought them. Do you know what I do with the account? It's what I put into all those boxes out on the Internet which read "Enter your email address here: (Mandatory)". It's my big spamcatcher, I open it up once a week or so, and wipe out oodles of junk-email... with the odd interesting post from some company which I'm actually interested in.
I do have some personal email archived in that account... but it's nothing I wouldn't want the world to see. All very boring and normal. If anybody asks me about hotmail now though, I point them to other HTML mail providers, and I do tell them why... because Microsoft is too powerful.
This is absoulutely true. I looked into the draft for the document which did go through, and the fees are retroactive. However, what people fail to mention is that the $.79 per 15 mins is proposed. The US already imposes a levy of this form, and all this dates back to some international agreement made a long time ago. Canada is one of the last countries to get in line on this thing.
The fact that retailers have not jacked up their prices 100% indicates one of two possible scenarios...
If I was a lawyer, I would have a copy of the document lying around to draw references from... but after careful reading in late 1998 and early 1999, these are the conclusions I have drawn. This whole thing will almost certainly blow over as such a small fee that the whole thing will be a non-issue.
Aside from what I learned reading the document, The concept of paying the recording industry big bucks because I want to back up my HD, or a small band wants to distribute some work independantly, leaves a horrid taste in my mouth.
Also of note is that people who are in medical need of digital audio media are exempt from the tarrif. If we are infact hit with a wicked fee for importing CDs, there could be a huge market for blind technicians... after they burn a CD, it is no longer digital recording media, and consequently, they are free to redistribute it free from tarrifs. The document prevents them from redistributing "digital recording media" without the recipients paying up, but it does not indicate "personal use", nor does it mention write-once media. :-)
I have never heard anyone, especially a manufacturer of semiconductors, refer to the RAM on a chip in bytes. Just check any electronics catalogue.
The reason I never contribute is because I don't feel qualified. Those who are qualified probably don't have time to contribute. Perhaps what is needed is a branch project, or an intermediate step... the "Hacker's LDP" or maybe a new document format... no longer the HOWTO or FAQ, but a new class of "implementor's notes" or something. I guess Mini-Howtos somewhat cover this...
In essence, this would be a centralized version of what people find on deja.com or on people's homepages. If the author wants to compile these notes into the HOWTO, then they can.
It's just an idea. It shouldn't take much to set this up... if somebody has the facilities.
The only issue I can think of is moderation and making sure that the feedback is not redundant... or that redundant feedback is appropriately categorized.
Comments?
Even though that's a flame, I think it is a legitimate comment. But...
Fleeing to a closed solution as soon as there's a hiccup is IMHO, contrary to the open source development model. Doing so without consulting with the developers or other support channels is being a bad admin.
With all the appropriate configurations done on the server and the client workstations (ie, port ranges for ICQ) I have had few, if any problems.
I can send and receive files from ICQ, chat with people, even chat with people on my own lan. There is no loss of functionality for me with IP Masq. Some applications require special modules or commands, but once done, it's never an issue.
I'm running Slackware 3(?), with kernel 2.0.36. The machine is so solid that it doesn't have a monitor or keyboard attached to it, and it's only a 486.
I have not tried to do any online gaming with IP Masq.
I can't get full voice with MS netmeeting to work, though I haven't tried too hard. The whiteboard and everything else works fine though.
I do get strange intermittant problems, issues such as people being invited into a four-way-chat only getting a three way chat... when everyone else sees the four. People dissapear who should be visible, lots of peculiar behavior, but nothing show-stopping. I think it is a combination of ICQ running out of incomming TCP connections and a problem with the ICQ servers failing to correctly or timely interpret the status of people with the same IP address or something... most status issues are resolved by changing status back and forth.
I would love to hear people's suggestions about how to fine tune various applications.
As I understand it, because Linux was not based on the same source tree as the various flavours of UNIX, it is technically a "UNIX-Like" operating system. The term really doesn't mean much though. It certainly doesn't mean that BSD is more "UNIX compatible" or something than Linux is. Just ignore the label. It is technically accurate, but pretty meaningless. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
If Bill Gates or Dennis Ritche called it "UNIX-like" the poor media would get terribly confused and start thinking it was a clone or something.
I remember one misguided member of the press actually refering to Linux as "DOS-Based."
It does a fantastic job rendering the IE5 homepage :-)
I checked out www.mozilla.org, then "what's related", saw IE5, and decided to see how some of those horridly complex MS pages would render. Very nice.
www.zdnet.com OTOH is completely broken.
I can't wait to see how the "translate" button works.
It doesn't seem too bad for submitting comments to Slashdot either.
I still don't see the speed benefits, and I don't consider it usable for day-to-day tasks, but it is damn close. I'll take everyone's word for it that it will speed up when it is out of Alpha. When Necko is finished, that might bump up the speed dramatically too. I'm beginnning to really like what I see though.
Is there any reason to believe that Houston could remotely deactivate the transmitter on the lunar lander? It sounds kind of strange. These transmissions, IIRC were not encrypted, nor was there anything particularly special about them. An avid HAM radio operator should have been able to pick up all the signals.
It makes me rather wonder that if there is a grain of truth, it is that the astronauts were trained to turn their radio off and accept the failure of their mission; rather than screaming quite futily for their lives. The astronauts knew that a rescue mission was quite impossible, and they knew that the space program was reliant on public image. Why would these trained and diciplined specialists be screaming into the radio that they were dying?
It's just a thought.
I found myself wondering about this when I stayed late to do some paperwork and avoid the hectic commute. Why bother going home? Even with a typical 8 hour workday, and two hours of commuting, It's just a place to commute to, sleep in, cook in, and do laundry in. What's the point?
If you're single, there is little need for a 'home'.
Sure, a security problem is a security problem only if someone decides to exploit it.
In my world, people exercise reasonable measures to protect their valuables. The measures of protection are proportional to the worth of the object/valuables. That's why banks have vaults and safety deposit boxes.
If Microsoft is going to claim that their operating systems are secure, I don't think they're the victim when people realize that their doors are wide open. The victims are the people who rely on Microsoft products for security. Microsoft should take responsability for their marketing claims and engineering blunders.
Analogies like these are just intended to stir people up. The thought of the AMA, a public organization doing anything of the sort, potentially killing millions of innocent people would be outrageous. Therefore, releasing backorifice must be similarly outrageous.
To paraphrase Bill Gates... "It's just a remote administration tool"
If that's what he believes, then to use their twisted analogies and flawed logic, the meat producers, after years of outbreaks of disease, to the suggestion of stepping up security argue "why would anybody want to taint beef?"
It's a horrible analogy. The facts of computer security aren't as black and white as deadly bacteria and food supplies.
(I agree with your criticisms, I just don't think the analogy is worth extending into that of governement regulation and control)
Slashdot is not a Linux site for Linux geeks, it just happens to be that Linux geeks like Slashdot.
I questioned the legitimacy of the moderation too, until I read the post and saw how dumb it was. NTFS supports jounalism... :-) NTFS supports encryption?
It sounds like he took the wrong answers from a multiple choice question. The last person I met who said "NTFS supports encryption" was an MCP in NT 3.1, and said that encryption was a basic feature of NTFS which you did not have to even turn on.
Microsoft OTOH doesn't make this claim anywhere. It is as though people are reading "File permissions", "Security" and "NTFS" in the same sentence and immediately equating it to encryption.
(And for the next MCP who argues that encryption is a feature of NTFS, it is common knowledge in the real world that a DOS diskette with a NTFS utility, or a Linux boot disk with NTFS support will quite nicely read your NTFS drive.)
This is so awful... Terrible. Probably one of those products which will dissapear when people start ODing on it.
When will it be in variety stores :-)
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend any lawyers by this. I was only alluding to a future where mega trials and lawyers may eventually be paid similar to, and given similar media attention as professional athletes in big sporting events.
Some of the media coverage on these mega-trials is quite silly.
On a serious note, IMHO, most lawyers earn every penny they make... the only gripe I have is that many people can't afford to pay them. The legal system is just too complex to defend/represent yourself effectively. And too complex to expect anybody to be able to pay to have themselves defended from serious charges on a typical salary. Unfortunately, it's the only legal system we have, and there doesn't seem to be anything better out there. Work done pro bono is fantastic, but it's a shame that it's the only way some people can be adequately defended.
And with that... we're totally off topic and I'm not qualified to even argue on this subject. Could I convince you to take up this defense on my behalf :-)
It's the perfect story, a big political soap-opera. Complete with higly paid professional lawyers, corporate sponsors, and million dollar prizes.
Maybe in the future the whole North American economy will be based on lawsuits and stories about lawsuits -- Ocassionally interrupted by some poor fellow fleeing the tyranical society which opresses his free thought, a la Guy Montag.