If they used DeCSS. You know, that program that makes copying movies easy!
Aarrgghh!! I hope that trial judges everywhere are paying attention to what exactly had to be done to move an 80 minute movie from one location to another across data lines. Sure, every DeCSS user has fancy Cisco equipment at home, and point-to-point fiber links as well.
(Sorry, I'm still miffed about the ridiculous MPAA claims.)
And this is exactly what folks seem to be forgetting. How many people introduce themselves to every individual that they pass on the street? Or every person they pass in the store? Anonymity simply means that by default people don't know anything about you. It works fine in the real world. It also works fine online. But common sense flies out the window when dealing with technology.
Mandatory identification online is as bad an idea as a national ID card. The only practical use for it is to monitor behavior. Though my life would bore an observer to death, I am still not interested in being the subject of such an experiment.
I'm sure that would cause a fuss. But that doesn't mean that you make ski masks illegal. Neither does it mean that I have to wear an identification tag when I walk into a bank. Those who fear anonymity online seem to think that you must always identify yourself everywhere you go. I'm just not comfortable with the idea of an electronic "police state" that is only looking out for my "best interests." I will identify myself when necessary, just as I do in the real world.
Behavior in society typically dictates whether or not identification is required. If I'm walking down the street in the good ol' USA I am not required to carry any identification. If I am driving a vehicle down the street in the good ol' USA I am required to carry identification. So why should anonymity be forbidden online? Some sort of identification is required under various circumstances. Other circumstances do not require identification.
I noticed one comment in an interview comparing anonymous users online with bank robbers wearing ski masks. Yet ski masks remain perfectly legal. It seems that large organizations (gov't, riaa, etc.) are trying to make up for their ineptitude by slapping restrictions on the masses. Sure, anonymity can be abused. But the alternative seems much worse.
eBay was founded with the belief that people are honest and trustworthy. We believe that each of our customers, whether a buyer or a seller, is an individual who deserves to be treated with respect.
Perhaps it is time to update the Mission Statement?
The RIAA seems peeved that the mp3 format even exists. But I am having a hard time figuring out your stance. Are you opposed to the new technical distribution methods of music, or are you opposed to the abuse of these methods? Attacking the abuse should not cause much fuss, but attacking the technology (such as MPAA or RIAA do) can only cause a massive revolt.
Making money off of crimes is not the same as making money off of knowledge. If his lectures are geared toward informing the audience how to protect themselves, how could this be such a bad thing? Or are we all better off making sure Mitnik does not share his knowledge? May as well implant a "V-chip" in the guy to make sure he does not say anything naughty while we're at it.
Allowing him to earn a living on the lecture circuit is not the same as condoning his illegal activities. It appears that the only way he could really violate his probation at a lecture is to use a computer as part of the presentation. (Even that seems like a silly restriction.) Remember, any legal restrictions that apply to Mitnik can be applied to any of us at some future date. This is a scary precedent.
1) Does not properly extend middle finger at random times 2) Actually comes to complete stop at stop signs 3) Signals lane changes 4) Cannot operate a cell phone while driving 5) Does not blare horn 2 seconds after light turns green 6) Refuses to tailgate car in front of it 7) Does not drive 55 mph in school zone 8) Does not drive 15 mph in fast lane 9) Stops for pedestrians in crosswalk 10) Actually passed driving test
I e-mailed TiVo about this a couple of months ago. I politely mentioned that I wouldn't consider a device that required a telephone line, but that ethernet would probably make this an impulse buy. They responded that they are considering adding ethernet in the future, and that feedback was appreciated. But they had no specific information as to when this might occur. I hope they get enough requests so that they add an ethernet interface.
I was at the WOA 98 when you and Stephanie did your speech and Q&A session on this project. I was impressed with your drive to get this project completed. I was even more impressed with the fact that you appeared to be two regular people who were enjoying the ride (except for the 'lost key' thing).
Those who are interpreting this as an attempt to ressurect the Jaguar are missing the point. All I can say to them at this point is "your loss." I'll definitely be ordering a copy as soon as it is available.
Thanks for all of your work. By the way, are you guys going to be at CGE2K?
The Motley Fool reaches a great mixture of society. Regular consumers from all walks of life have just been exposed to the deplorable behavior of the MPAA. It shouldn't take many more articles like this from a variety of media before the consumers revolt.
Thanks Fool! You continue to provide your followers a great service!
Thanks to all for the encouragement. I just went to this site and left my thoughts regarding the matter. I am very satisfied with Suncoast's service and selection, and indicated as much in my note. But I also told them I am seriously considering a DVD boycott because of the MPAA's behavior. I would encourage all who feel the same to go to this site and provide Suncoast with your thoughts. If you decide to contact Suncoast, please remember that we need them on our side. It also would not hurt to include your Replay Club member # if you have one.
I just got back from Suncoast Video, where I purchased two movies (Star Trek: First Contact and Weird Science). Total out-of-pocket expense for tonight: $65. That brings the total number of DVDs in my collection up to 65, with 3 more South Park episodes due to arrive in my mailbox any day now. If you take an average price of $20 per movie (conservative), that would be about $1300 that I have spent on MOVIES for home viewing during the past year. It doesn't include the money I have spent going to the movies. Then I went online and saw the article about your latest stunt.
Every time I read about your pressure/scare tactics regarding the deCSS program I get more vocal about the subject. People around me who never knew anything about it receive an introduction, complete with description of your strong-arm tactics and bogus claims. You see, I feel that by virtue of spending this significant amount of money on something as non-essential as movies, I should have every right to view them on whatever player I choose. Even if that player is on a PC running Linux. Or OS/2. Or Be. Anything!
At first, I thought maybe you'd pull your collective heads out and look around at who is paying your salaries. (That would be we, the movie-going, DVD-purchasing public.) But it seems apparent that your would rather be wrong and have your way than admit you are wrong and satisfy your customers. Be warned that you are going to receive a wave of bad publicity, the likes of which you have never seen. If you think you are immune to the pressures of the public, please review the results of the last Major League Baseball strike. Or the NBA strike. Yes, you can piss on the fans. But the fans can piss back, and there are more of us.
Please keep in mind that your pursuit of the casual viewer is severely misguided, and poses the greatest threat of all to advances in video technology. Don't blame us, for we have flocked to the stores to spend millions of collective dollars on these movies. You would be wise to invest these dollars in advancing the technology, not suing the customers. You have a chance to get it right. I'd suggest you start appreciating us instead of beating us up.
They closed today at 270. Splitting to 135 (or whatever it ends up being) doesn't seem such a risk for a company as diverse as Sony. It's not like they don't make stereos or tvs or anything else to bring in revenue.
I'm sorry to see the tradition of credits ending. Even easter eggs are sometimes ok, although embedding flight simulators in spreadsheets is a bit extreme. While at the CGE in August I listened to the original Activision guys talk about how credit for their work at Atari was important. Atari didn't like giving its programmers credit, and even got upset at easter eggs. (Pay was certainly a factor too, but I'm not sure where Apple stands on that issue right now.) They left Atari and founded a company so that they could enjoy life again, while also getting financially rewarded for their efforts. You gotta wonder if the engineers at Apple are feeling the same way right about now.
I've gotta agree with you. So many people seem to enjoy getting their undies in a wad over this pronunciation. Here in the states, people take all sorts of liberties with the English language. I just don't understand why this particular word causes so much anxiety. It's easy to pronounce: Linux.
Yeah, I found it downright spooky that they painted it that way. What exactly is Opera supposed to do differently? Clue in the AOL users for AOL?
Another scary thing is that they seem to be ignoring the fact that people are continuing to open attachments without considering the ramifications.
"Malicious" E-mailer: Open the enclosed attachment. Trust me.
AOL User: OK.
"Malicious" RL Criminal: Open the front door to your house and look the other way for awhile. Trust me.
AOL User: OK.
I also found the following phrase interesting: "...the company repeatedly educates AOL users to beware the techniques of the wily password-stealer." It seems more apparent than ever that AOL's greatest enemy is an educated user.
My bosses now consider Linux an officially supported production platform. It took a little bit of doing, but when I quietly replaced an NT server with my Linux workstation for proxy services our helpdesk stopped receiving proxy trouble calls. (The only feedback I received was that the proxy server had apparently "settled down.") After a couple of weeks of this I was told to put the NT server back "for the time being." After 2 days of problems with the NT proxy, I was asked to put my workstation back in as the enterprise proxy until I could wipe the NT server clean and install Linux onto it.
This small "test" showed the higher-ups that Linux was capable, and that we were capable of supporting it. Because of the success with this, Linux is an officially supported platform here. We are preparing to put up a news server running Linux. We have a test Linux machine with Oracle installed which we hope to devote time to shortly. And I'm playing with some of the CD writing software for Linux on another machine so that anyone in my area that needs to burn CDs can do so. I'll probably have a document scanning machine in place within 6 months also.
Hope this provides you with a little encouragement.
I guess I didn't really expect to get anything back from the projected tax overcharge...er...make that "surplus." Laws, laws, and more laws. Each day he remains in office our republic gets weaker.
Slashdot Mirror
If they used DeCSS. You know, that program that makes copying movies easy!
Aarrgghh!! I hope that trial judges everywhere are paying attention to what exactly had to be done to move an 80 minute movie from one location to another across data lines. Sure, every DeCSS user has fancy Cisco equipment at home, and point-to-point fiber links as well.
(Sorry, I'm still miffed about the ridiculous MPAA claims.)
They get Microsoft, we get Terrance & Phillip.
Mandatory identification online is as bad an idea as a national ID card. The only practical use for it is to monitor behavior. Though my life would bore an observer to death, I am still not interested in being the subject of such an experiment.
I'm sure that would cause a fuss. But that doesn't mean that you make ski masks illegal. Neither does it mean that I have to wear an identification tag when I walk into a bank. Those who fear anonymity online seem to think that you must always identify yourself everywhere you go. I'm just not comfortable with the idea of an electronic "police state" that is only looking out for my "best interests." I will identify myself when necessary, just as I do in the real world.
Behavior in society typically dictates whether or not identification is required. If I'm walking down the street in the good ol' USA I am not required to carry any identification. If I am driving a vehicle down the street in the good ol' USA I am required to carry identification. So why should anonymity be forbidden online? Some sort of identification is required under various circumstances. Other circumstances do not require identification.
I noticed one comment in an interview comparing anonymous users online with bank robbers wearing ski masks. Yet ski masks remain perfectly legal. It seems that large organizations (gov't, riaa, etc.) are trying to make up for their ineptitude by slapping restrictions on the masses. Sure, anonymity can be abused. But the alternative seems much worse.
Notice what it says under "Our Mission:"
eBay was founded with the belief that people are honest and trustworthy. We believe that each of our customers, whether a buyer or a seller, is an individual who deserves to be treated with respect.
Perhaps it is time to update the Mission Statement?
The RIAA seems peeved that the mp3 format even exists. But I am having a hard time figuring out your stance. Are you opposed to the new technical distribution methods of music, or are you opposed to the abuse of these methods? Attacking the abuse should not cause much fuss, but attacking the technology (such as MPAA or RIAA do) can only cause a massive revolt.
Making money off of crimes is not the same as making money off of knowledge. If his lectures are geared toward informing the audience how to protect themselves, how could this be such a bad thing? Or are we all better off making sure Mitnik does not share his knowledge? May as well implant a "V-chip" in the guy to make sure he does not say anything naughty while we're at it.
Allowing him to earn a living on the lecture circuit is not the same as condoning his illegal activities. It appears that the only way he could really violate his probation at a lecture is to use a computer as part of the presentation. (Even that seems like a silly restriction.) Remember, any legal restrictions that apply to Mitnik can be applied to any of us at some future date. This is a scary precedent.
1) Does not properly extend middle finger at random times
2) Actually comes to complete stop at stop signs
3) Signals lane changes
4) Cannot operate a cell phone while driving
5) Does not blare horn 2 seconds after light turns green
6) Refuses to tailgate car in front of it
7) Does not drive 55 mph in school zone
8) Does not drive 15 mph in fast lane
9) Stops for pedestrians in crosswalk
10) Actually passed driving test
I e-mailed TiVo about this a couple of months ago. I politely mentioned that I wouldn't consider a device that required a telephone line, but that ethernet would probably make this an impulse buy. They responded that they are considering adding ethernet in the future, and that feedback was appreciated. But they had no specific information as to when this might occur. I hope they get enough requests so that they add an ethernet interface.
Those who are interpreting this as an attempt to ressurect the Jaguar are missing the point. All I can say to them at this point is "your loss." I'll definitely be ordering a copy as soon as it is available.
Thanks for all of your work. By the way, are you guys going to be at CGE2K?
The Motley Fool reaches a great mixture of society. Regular consumers from all walks of life have just been exposed to the deplorable behavior of the MPAA. It shouldn't take many more articles like this from a variety of media before the consumers revolt.
Thanks Fool! You continue to provide your followers a great service!
FIGHT NOW, OR DON'T COMPLAIN LATER!!!
NOTE: For the uninitiated, this program is used for legally viewing dvd movies which you have purchased.
Thanks to all for the encouragement. I just went to this site and left my thoughts regarding the matter. I am very satisfied with Suncoast's service and selection, and indicated as much in my note. But I also told them I am seriously considering a DVD boycott because of the MPAA's behavior. I would encourage all who feel the same to go to this site and provide Suncoast with your thoughts. If you decide to contact Suncoast, please remember that we need them on our side. It also would not hurt to include your Replay Club member # if you have one.
I just got back from Suncoast Video, where I purchased two movies (Star Trek: First Contact and Weird Science). Total out-of-pocket expense for tonight: $65. That brings the total number of DVDs in my collection up to 65, with 3 more South Park episodes due to arrive in my mailbox any day now. If you take an average price of $20 per movie (conservative), that would be about $1300 that I have spent on MOVIES for home viewing during the past year. It doesn't include the money I have spent going to the movies. Then I went online and saw the article about your latest stunt.
Every time I read about your pressure/scare tactics regarding the deCSS program I get more vocal about the subject. People around me who never knew anything about it receive an introduction, complete with description of your strong-arm tactics and bogus claims. You see, I feel that by virtue of spending this significant amount of money on something as non-essential as movies, I should have every right to view them on whatever player I choose. Even if that player is on a PC running Linux. Or OS/2. Or Be. Anything!
At first, I thought maybe you'd pull your collective heads out and look around at who is paying your salaries. (That would be we, the movie-going, DVD-purchasing public.) But it seems apparent that your would rather be wrong and have your way than admit you are wrong and satisfy your customers. Be warned that you are going to receive a wave of bad publicity, the likes of which you have never seen. If you think you are immune to the pressures of the public, please review the results of the last Major League Baseball strike. Or the NBA strike. Yes, you can piss on the fans. But the fans can piss back, and there are more of us.
Please keep in mind that your pursuit of the casual viewer is severely misguided, and poses the greatest threat of all to advances in video technology. Don't blame us, for we have flocked to the stores to spend millions of collective dollars on these movies. You would be wise to invest these dollars in advancing the technology, not suing the customers. You have a chance to get it right. I'd suggest you start appreciating us instead of beating us up.
Sincerely,
A customer.
They closed today at 270. Splitting to 135 (or whatever it ends up being) doesn't seem such a risk for a company as diverse as Sony. It's not like they don't make stereos or tvs or anything else to bring in revenue.
Tempe, Arizona is fine. Nothing to see here folks. Move along.
I'm sorry to see the tradition of credits ending. Even easter eggs are sometimes ok, although embedding flight simulators in spreadsheets is a bit extreme. While at the CGE in August I listened to the original Activision guys talk about how credit for their work at Atari was important. Atari didn't like giving its programmers credit, and even got upset at easter eggs. (Pay was certainly a factor too, but I'm not sure where Apple stands on that issue right now.) They left Atari and founded a company so that they could enjoy life again, while also getting financially rewarded for their efforts. You gotta wonder if the engineers at Apple are feeling the same way right about now.
I've gotta agree with you. So many people seem to enjoy getting their undies in a wad over this pronunciation. Here in the states, people take all sorts of liberties with the English language. I just don't understand why this particular word causes so much anxiety. It's easy to pronounce: Linux.
Yeah, I found it downright spooky that they painted it that way. What exactly is Opera supposed to do differently? Clue in the AOL users for AOL?
Another scary thing is that they seem to be ignoring the fact that people are continuing to open attachments without considering the ramifications.
"Malicious" E-mailer: Open the enclosed attachment. Trust me.
AOL User: OK.
"Malicious" RL Criminal: Open the front door to your house and look the other way for awhile. Trust me.
AOL User: OK.
I also found the following phrase interesting: "...the company repeatedly educates AOL users to beware the techniques of the wily password-stealer." It seems more apparent than ever that AOL's greatest enemy is an educated user.
Donner Island
Check out The Digital Bits. They covered this a few days ago, and they're an excellent source for DVD information.
My bosses now consider Linux an officially supported production platform. It took a little bit of doing, but when I quietly replaced an NT server with my Linux workstation for proxy services our helpdesk stopped receiving proxy trouble calls. (The only feedback I received was that the proxy server had apparently "settled down.") After a couple of weeks of this I was told to put the NT server back "for the time being." After 2 days of problems with the NT proxy, I was asked to put my workstation back in as the enterprise proxy until I could wipe the NT server clean and install Linux onto it.
This small "test" showed the higher-ups that Linux was capable, and that we were capable of supporting it. Because of the success with this, Linux is an officially supported platform here. We are preparing to put up a news server running Linux. We have a test Linux machine with Oracle installed which we hope to devote time to shortly. And I'm playing with some of the CD writing software for Linux on another machine so that anyone in my area that needs to burn CDs can do so. I'll probably have a document scanning machine in place within 6 months also.
Hope this provides you with a little encouragement.
Micro$oft always claimed that their systems were open. They just never told us HOW open....
I guess I didn't really expect to get anything back from the projected tax overcharge...er...make that "surplus." Laws, laws, and more laws. Each day he remains in office our republic gets weaker.