They actually would have to get to the point of *being* under investigation.
When my friend was treated to racist terms and threats of violence from cops for being in a park with a white women, he called to make a complaint.
He was discouraged from doing so because the person who took the call said that once that complaint was on record other cops would go out of their way to make his life a living hell.
The whole point of outsourcing information and jobs like this to the private sector is to get the job done better and more efficiently.
That might be the point for you, but for the government officials there are other points to consider:
1) Who bid the lowest. 2) Will the company chosen contribute enough money to my/our campaign in the future. 3) Is there a way I can profit from my choice of contractor.
The idea that someone would believe a company is chosen for its actual merits is ludicrous.
The odd time it works. I've seen a few movies where it was just myself and friends in the theater. But then you also get that other group that shows up sometimes, who think that because the theater is mostly empty they can be even MORE obnoxious than usual.
I was thinking of the infrared lights as a purely prankish thing to drive the security guys crazy. It wouldn't bother me in the least if it messed up the cammers as well.
And then you have the people like me, who don't want to see it in a theater full of food-crunching, seat-kicking morons. I could probably download a cam of it, but I don't have any interest in that either. I'll wait till the blu-ray release and watch it at home (rental, because HD/blu-rays are just way overpriced) Of course if I could watch it at home the same day as theatrical release the studio would likely have a better shot at making more money off me. I bet they'd make a lot more off of simultaneous releases than me just renting it at blockbuster in 3 months.
It's funny how sending out spam can get you put in prison, yet my physical mailbox is routinely filled with unaddressed crap that I do not want. And it's impact on the environment is probably much more significant than spam.
When I started Junior High I discovered copies of Analog magazine in the library. I read every one they had, then asked my parents for a two year subscription. Lots of great Sci-Fi, plus one factual article every month. It introduced me to some great authors that I might otherwise never have heard of. And you can find old copies in used book stores dirt cheap. That way the kids can find a variety of authors they like without having to buy full books up front.
Since when is buying a retail copy before the street date illegal? It might be a violation of the agreement between the publisher and retailers, but it has no bearing on the consumer whatsoever.
Who's to say that elements of the government aren't already doing such a thing? If you really want to ruin someone's credibility within a community, just announce that child porn was found on their computers. Even if it turns out to be a "mistake" six months or a year down the road, that person is likely ruined for the rest of their lives unless they pull up stakes and move elsewhere. And now the internet makes it even easier to smear someone on a (inter)national basis.
I'm paranoid about using any cracks on my purchased software, because who knows what kind of payload might be hidden in them. Virus scanners aren't infallible.
I've just pretty much given up on buying PC games, because even though consoles are a closed system I don't have to worry about my PS3s copy protection exposing my banking info due to a rootkit in either the original protection or a crack.
As often comes up though, Steam's DRM has been one I can live with. Odd, since until it came out I was pretty much adamant that I'd never have any love for online distribution (no hard copy) with DRM. I guess the idea that you can save backups of the games was one of the points that won me over.
Any time you see insanity like this, just remember:
There are people out there that will spend 10,000 dollars on a purse that looks like it was dipped in wood glue and glitter.
Oddly enough if you take something that's not worth much and give it a slight bump in price, nobody will buy it. But if you give it a HUGE bump in price, then it's a status symbol.
Planescape: Torment was less like a story and more like one of Tolkien's reference books. You could spend 30 minutes at a time going through dialog that fleshed out the game universe but which contributed nothing to the story.
Accidentally firing a gun in GTA definitely ruins the date. Michelle got pissed at me, called me a freak, and ran off.
The problem was that I couldn't actually put the damn thing away. For some reason the weapon switch stopped working, and I was walking around on the date with the gun out. I thought it might be a graphical glitch and pressed the fire button, but alas, I unloaded in the middle of the street.
Maybe I should have went to TW@ and ordered some little pills online.
Putting someone in jail for this is just stupid. Too many people get put in jail that don't need to be there. Whether it's a hacker or a pot smoker, if they are not *endangering* someone else then they don't need jail time.
Instead, in the case of MediaDefender, blast them with huge fines or issue a court order restricting the company to no internet access for 6 months to a year. THAT would be more in line with the crime.
Most people are assuming that the spouse resides in the same residence. If the spouse is already out of the house due to separation, and is possibly using spyware/hardware to collect information for blackmail or court, then there is the option of having someone over to purge the system and visually inspect it. Any networking hardware like routers that could be compromised would need to be replaced or reflashed. Since she doesn't have the capability of dealing with a boot CD, her only option is third party intervention or going to the library to use their computers. We're missing too much info... How tech savvy is the spouse? Does he still live there? What kind of network setup is being used? etc. etc.
Slashdot Mirror
They actually would have to get to the point of *being* under investigation.
When my friend was treated to racist terms and threats of violence from cops for being in a park with a white women, he called to make a complaint.
He was discouraged from doing so because the person who took the call said that once that complaint was on record other cops would go out of their way to make his life a living hell.
Have to wonder how often that happens, huh?
The whole point of outsourcing information and jobs like this to the private sector is to get the job done better and more efficiently.
That might be the point for you, but for the government officials there are other points to consider:
1) Who bid the lowest.
2) Will the company chosen contribute enough money to my/our campaign in the future.
3) Is there a way I can profit from my choice of contractor.
The idea that someone would believe a company is chosen for its actual merits is ludicrous.
Jeez. Beats that bank robber that used lemon juice on his face because he was told it would blur it out on the camera :)
The odd time it works. I've seen a few movies where it was just myself and friends in the theater.
But then you also get that other group that shows up sometimes, who think that because the theater is mostly empty they can be even MORE obnoxious than usual.
I was thinking of the infrared lights as a purely prankish thing to drive the security guys crazy. It wouldn't bother me in the least if it messed up the cammers as well.
I've been waiting for the flash mobs to hit a theatre with every person wearing infrared LEDs on their clothes but nobody has yet.
The first time the staff scanned the audience for camcorders they'd see a wall of light and probably crap their pants.
And then you have the people like me, who don't want to see it in a theater full of food-crunching, seat-kicking morons. I could probably download a cam of it, but I don't have any interest in that either.
I'll wait till the blu-ray release and watch it at home (rental, because HD/blu-rays are just way overpriced)
Of course if I could watch it at home the same day as theatrical release the studio would likely have a better shot at making more money off me. I bet they'd make a lot more off of simultaneous releases than me just renting it at blockbuster in 3 months.
It's funny how sending out spam can get you put in prison, yet my physical mailbox is routinely filled with unaddressed crap that I do not want.
And it's impact on the environment is probably much more significant than spam.
You still don't point them at someone who is complying with the law...
Once you have enough laws you can point them at anyone.
When I started Junior High I discovered copies of Analog magazine in the library. I read every one they had, then asked my parents for a two year subscription.
Lots of great Sci-Fi, plus one factual article every month. It introduced me to some great authors that I might otherwise never have heard of.
And you can find old copies in used book stores dirt cheap. That way the kids can find a variety of authors they like without having to buy full books up front.
Since when is buying a retail copy before the street date illegal?
It might be a violation of the agreement between the publisher and retailers, but it has no bearing on the consumer whatsoever.
That's right Waldo, you can run but you can't hide!
(put on your tinfoil hat for the following)
Who's to say that elements of the government aren't already doing such a thing? If you really want to ruin someone's credibility within a community, just announce that child porn was found on their computers.
Even if it turns out to be a "mistake" six months or a year down the road, that person is likely ruined for the rest of their lives unless they pull up stakes and move elsewhere.
And now the internet makes it even easier to smear someone on a (inter)national basis.
Yup, covered in the second paragraph. The idea of being rootkit'ed by the DRM is an ugly spectre as well.
I'm paranoid about using any cracks on my purchased software, because who knows what kind of payload might be hidden in them. Virus scanners aren't infallible.
I've just pretty much given up on buying PC games, because even though consoles are a closed system I don't have to worry about my PS3s copy protection exposing my banking info due to a rootkit in either the original protection or a crack.
As often comes up though, Steam's DRM has been one I can live with. Odd, since until it came out I was pretty much adamant that I'd never have any love for online distribution (no hard copy) with DRM. I guess the idea that you can save backups of the games was one of the points that won me over.
Any time you see insanity like this, just remember:
There are people out there that will spend 10,000 dollars on a purse that looks like it was dipped in wood glue and glitter.
Oddly enough if you take something that's not worth much and give it a slight bump in price, nobody will buy it. But if you give it a HUGE bump in price, then it's a status symbol.
Planescape: Torment was less like a story and more like one of Tolkien's reference books. You could spend 30 minutes at a time going through dialog that fleshed out the game universe but which contributed nothing to the story.
Still, one of the coolest CRPGs ever.
Accidentally firing a gun in GTA definitely ruins the date. Michelle got pissed at me, called me a freak, and ran off.
The problem was that I couldn't actually put the damn thing away. For some reason the weapon switch stopped working, and I was walking around on the date with the gun out. I thought it might be a graphical glitch and pressed the fire button, but alas, I unloaded in the middle of the street.
Maybe I should have went to TW@ and ordered some little pills online.
Putting someone in jail for this is just stupid. Too many people get put in jail that don't need to be there. Whether it's a hacker or a pot smoker, if they are not *endangering* someone else then they don't need jail time.
Instead, in the case of MediaDefender, blast them with huge fines or issue a court order restricting the company to no internet access for 6 months to a year. THAT would be more in line with the crime.
"I think I own this land."
"Really? Well, I think I own this land."
"You do? I have a gun."
"This land is your land."
and even the radiation badge. Although the radiation dots have long since maxed out.
Cool. If you adopt you can pass it on to your kids!(I hate preview. I always click it and then go on to something else thinking I've submitted.)
Most people are assuming that the spouse resides in the same residence. If the spouse is already out of the house due to separation, and is possibly using spyware/hardware to collect information for blackmail or court, then there is the option of having someone over to purge the system and visually inspect it.
Any networking hardware like routers that could be compromised would need to be replaced or reflashed. Since she doesn't have the capability of dealing with a boot CD, her only option is third party intervention or going to the library to use their computers.
We're missing too much info...
How tech savvy is the spouse? Does he still live there? What kind of network setup is being used? etc. etc.
Galileo was only 'shown the instruments' of torture and placed under house arrest.
By 'shown' do you mean 'forcefully inserted into one's bottom'?
Man, it's really going to suck when the burning bushes come to Earth to forge an alliance and somebody throws water on them.
Their portal application may not be obnoxious, but it lies like a Clinton!
I'm still waiting for my cake, damnit!