Like TrancePhreak said, there are various engines and whatnot. Crystal Space. ExNihilo. Graphics3D (well just a library). Irrlicht. OGRE. Probably many more. I haven't really tried them out much, so I don't know how well they work. I know Crystal Space has been around a while and seems popular, so it is probably somewhat mature. If you really want an open source game engine, just look around and help out.
We even had "a professional nose" who would come in and sniff the samples, assigning each sample with descriptions like "kiwi" or "slight fruity scent".
I guess you've never dealt with large corporations (or government bureaucrats). Whatever their computer says is the absolute truth. If their computer says you withdrew XX dollars from your account, then as far as they're concerned, it's gone. If their computer says you are dead, you are dead...doesn't matter if you are standing right in front of them with proper ID, you're still dead.
Sometimes if it's an obvious accounting error, such as the ATM gave you $30 but it deducted $50 from your account, they might fix it--probably in some screwed up way. But if they don't have any way of checking in their system, you'll be hard pressed to get them to fix the problem. You could ask for the security camera footage, but if fixing the problem is in your favor, most likely the tape will "disappear."
One story to illustrate (I heard this third hand): an elderly couple had a bank account. Some guy found out their routing and account numbers and had checks made with his name and their account number. He started writing checks, and of course, they were deducted from the elderly couple's account. They looked at the returned checks which were obviously not theirs and called the bank. The bank said since the checks had their account numbers on it, the money was correctly withdrawn from their account and did nothing about it. I don't think the couple got their money back. I suppose they could've called the feds and maybe something would have been done, but it would be a huge PITA, and I don't think they knew to do that.
If you find a good bank (or credit union), they will probably try to help you resolve the situation--especially if you have solid proof. However, those are hard to find, and any change in the management may change their attitude.
Well maybe this will keep companies/ non-profits/ individuals on IPv4, and they'll start using IP addresses instead of domain names. It would be much easier to type 66.35.250.150 than theplaceyouwant1sslashdot.org, and risk the user typing theplaceyouwantisslasdot.org and getting a search engine or pr0n site--perhaps they'll end up thinking that is the real site...
Maybe they should hire con artists too. Especially guys who ran countless payroll scams where they didn't even show up to work, but still managed to get paid. When they hire these guys, why even check up on them? After all they're honest, they'll show up to work every day, so you can just mail the check to their house. If they show up on payroll several times, that just means they're doing more work.
Who needs ethics? I'm a little short on cash today. Maybe I'll just start a construction company and blow up a few buildings to drum up some business. I should really start living the "capitalist" way(tm). [1]
SCO is not a company who just released a few chemicals into a river and gave a few locals diarrhea for a day. If I were hiring someone to work in a factory which used dagerous chemicals, and a prospective employee had misused chemicals in such a way as to get people killed, I probably wouldn't hire them. SCO's actions are the "IP" equivalent of dumping radioactive waste directly into a town's drinking water, and hundreds (if not thousands) die from it.
Even if they had some shred of legitimacy to their claims, they are still obviously dishonest by any reasonable account, and they mishandled the situation big time. I wouldn't trust them to hold my shit. In fact, hiring an ex-employee of SCO is like putting a bomb in your office, you never know when it might go off. Someday SCO may come knocking at your door, saying because of some absurd contract they have with their ex-employee, they now own all your "IP."
[1] Note: this is not the way free markets are supposed to work. This is the Soviet interpetation of capitalism, not the way any reasonable country would implement it.
One has to wonder if there was a DoS attack at all. First off, what evidence do we have of such an attack? The word of SCO? Oh yeah, there's proof...let's take the word of a buch of liers. Second, if SCO was really flooded with traffic, who's to say it wasn't millions of people who had some sort of stake in this case and were trying to find out information about them.
I'm not going to go back and dig up my original post,
Doesn't Slashdot give your browser a parent link? They do for mine.
I don't believe I linked DRM directly to copyright infringement.
You said: "I didn't advocate these developments. I'm just stating that they will come about as a result of the excesses of file sharing." Well, what did you mean by "these developments" then? This thread was talking about DRM. Your whole thing about the BIOS was DRM, wasn't it? Sure sounded like it.
Or are you saying you weren't talking about copyright infringement when you said "excesses of file sharing"? If you were talking about uses of file sharing which are not copyright infringing, then you are just as bad as the RIAA. If I create a work, it is perfectly legal for me to distribute it on a file sharing network. This is why I hate it when people use the term file sharing or p2p to mean only the copyright infringing uses.
That said, of course RIAA members are simply using the copyright issue as a tool to boost sales. Is that restraint of trade? Maybe, maybe not.
If you read closely, I wasn't saying they were using this issue to boost sales, I was saying they were using it to cause problems for competitors and restrict where their products may be sold by retailers (among other things), is that not restraining trade?
Your whole thing about copyright infringement is a red herring.
What if people don't realize their content will be unmoveable until they buy a new computer and try to move the files? It's the same thing with Lexmark printers. People buy them and don't realize they'll be charged up the butt on ink cartridges.
It's not as if everyone does hundreds of hours of research on DRM before the buy a computer. They may not even know it is a DRM system at all. They probably won't even know what DRM is. They'll just wonder why certain files won't copy, and either think they don't know how to use their computer or think their computer is screwing up.
The people pushing DRM are deceptive too. They call it "security" or "trusted computing", then tout it as a way to prevent viruses and spam. They don't say end consumers won't be able to back up their hard drive. They don't say end consumers will lose software and other "IP" they legally purchased if they buy a new computer or their system dies. They don't say users may not be able to copy files the users origionally created themselves, because for whatever reason the file got tied up in the DRM system--maybe they checked the wrong box, maybe the developer saved as DRM by default, maybe the developer didn't give an option to save as plaintext. There are a lot of down sides to DRM, and people will find them out the hard way, assuming they figure them out at all.
Maybe you didn't advocate DRM, but it is not coming about because of copyright infringement. If you really think so, you are naive. They are doing it to restrain trade.
Just like when the movie companies formed the DVDCCA--CSS it doesn't do much to prevent copying, it even uses weak encryption. What it does do is allow them to sue anyone who tries to make a DVD player without their approval--such as one for Linux or one which ignores the mandatory viewing track. Look at some of the "features" of DVDs. They have some which have nothing to do with copy protection at all. The mandatory viewing track was made so the movie companies can force people to watch advertisements on DVDs. Region encoding was put in so the movie companies can charge different amounts for different parts of the world. These have nothing to do with copy protection.
It is also like Microsoft and their "anti-piracy" campaign. They required all distributers to ship only Microsoft Windows with a computer. Retailers weren't allowed to sell a computer with a non-MS operating system. Nor were they allowed to sell a computer without one. Later on, when the DoJ was coming down on MS, they relaxed it to allow non-MS OSs, but by then the OS market was compeletely destroyed, so very few even bothered, and many didn't want to support an OS they didn't understand and few wanted (because they didn't understand the nonMS OSs as well). They couldn't sell a computer with no OS, so you were left with one choice: to pay the Microsoft tax. Even when you installed OS/2, Linux, BeOS, or FreeBSD on the computer, you still had to pay for the OS you never wanted and will never use.
DRM the result of copyright infringement? That is FUD, pure and simple. DRM will offer the MPAA, RIAA, and Microsoft whole new areas of abuse, that is why they want it. To say copyright infringment is hurting them on the scale they claim is absurd at best. Even when their sales have gone down (and not just the lies when their sales have really gone up), the reason is the economy (which has been in the crapper for 3 years), not to mention the fact they all make crappier and crappier products.
You are close to how it works, but not exactly. They don't use a "magic number" they use encryption and keys. The BIOS will only check and start up a "trusted" operating system, and the operating system will decide whether or not to copy the files. These days the BIOS doesn't run the show at all, it just boots another operating system.
if that same BIOS running on another machine blocks transfer of any file that doesn't contain a "legal" magic number, then the industry will have effectively blocked the transfer and copying of unauthorized files from one machine to another, even over a network.
That's how DRM will end up working after a while, except you are leaving out the fact it'll crush free speech. This won't just stop people from infringing copyright, it'll stop people from copying original files they create themselves! Only files signed by the DRM cartel will be allowed to be copied within the file's specified constraints.
Do you think they'll sign a document criticizing the RIAA, MPAA, or Microsoft? No. Do you think they'll sign software which competes with Microsoft? No. Do you think they'll use the DRM system to stifle competition and control the public? Yes, that's what they do. Do you think the DRM system will stop copyright infringement? If you do, you are clueless. Using technology will not stop crime, the criminals will just find a way around it. The only people who will suffer are the ones who are innocent.
what IF there actually are those people out there who - for whatever reason - cant diferentiate between what is and isnt real when it comes to gaming?
We used to call these people crazy and put them in mental institutions. Now we let them roam free, doing anything their psycho mind can come up with, then blame innocent third parties for their problems.
very obviously fictional envrionment in such games like Wolfenstein or Neverwinter Nights or BattleField 1942 or whatever.
First off, how are Wolfenstien and Battlefield 1942 more obviously fictional than GTA? They are simulations of WWII, a real war. Are you saying playing Wolfenstein will cause a person to walk into any mansion which looks something like a Nazi castle and kill all the occupants? Are you saying playing BF1942 will cause a person to steal a tank or plane and use it to kill lots of people?
Why not just make users pay for their bandwidth? This is the real reason ISPs block ports and ban "servers." If Joe Dumbass gets a bill for $200 because his computer is infected with the latest worm, then you'll see him start patching his computer and demanding his software vendors do something about security.
People really should have to pass a test to take a computer home like basic internet security 101.
Oh yeah, that's a real solution. That way people who are good at multiple guess will pass the test and leave their box insecure. While those who really know their stuff will fail because of obscure questions, strangely worded questions, and flat out wrong questions with no right choice (or something which looks like a right choice, but is a "wrong" answer on the test).
Who even says the test will be written by someone who knows anything about the subject? It happens. Who says the person writing the test will pay attention to what they're doing and double check their questions and answer key? I've seen this far too often. Who says the test will have anything to do with what the user is going to put on his/her system? I don't want to take a test on Windows XP if I'm using FreeBSD. Who even says the user is going to connect the computer to the internet in the first place?
IANAL, but they use the words interstate commerce because that is their jurisdiction. See, the way the US was designed, the Federal government is not supposed to interfere with the internal operations of each state. The feds use the term interstate commerce to indicate it is within their jurisdiction, but then expand it to mean everything. So even if you are swapping files with your next door neighbor, you are still considered to be doing interstate commerce.
This is much like the states who want to charge sales tax on out of state internet orders. They call it a use tax and say it is a tax on usage of products within a state, when really it is an interstate sales tax and out of their jurisdiction.
Only if he types in a bad posture. Quick movements while in strange crimped positions causes carpel tunnel, not touch typing itself. Maybe the way he does his two-finger typing will cause carpel tunnel and taking a real typing class will save him...
I've not bought a CD since the RIAA started cracking down on downloaders.
So you want to boycott the RIAA. You do realize the satellite radio company pays royalties to the RIAA for the music, don't you? There are also many hidden ways they get money from you. If you buy a CD burner or blank music CDs, by US law (other contries will vary, some are worse) the manufacturers have to pay a percentage of the price to the RIAA as "royalties." If you buy a product which is advertised on radio, the company sends money to the radio station, which pays compulsary licence fees, guess where those go. The RIAA. It isn't going to be as simple as a boycott of CDs...
On another note, some of the satellite radio companies tried to squash wireless networking (assuming you might care).
I have a good punishment for players who misbehave. Why not push the player into his/her own world where there are no other players? Then the trolls who screw with the game won't affect others. They'll be looking for victims and asking: "Why can't I find anyone???" Now that would be an evil punishment.
Moderators on crack. The AC is correct and is not a troll. Go to their FAQ, undet the question "What other accessories are available for the Jukebox Multimedia?" it lists "Video Recorder module: Record MPEG4 video directly from any video source. (World smallest VCR!)"
Who cares if the poster replied to a "in soviet russia..." post! It doesn't make the statement any less correct!
Why wouldn't a free, non-DRM email client be something you could write and then just install and use?
That can be done, but I was talking about for-profit software. A nonDRM email client (or whatever program) will not be able to read DRM emails or DRM files. You'll get a thousand calls about how your "broken" program can't read emails. Even if it is understood the program doesn't work with DRM, there will still be hassles.
What about the people who insist upon sending all their emails and files in DRM format because they don't want the "wrong" people to see them (as if one couldn't take a picture of the screen)?
What about if MS configures their software to send DRM by default? Since the crap is encrypted, you can't read it. You'll have to convince the sender to change the settings--assuming they even know how.
What if MS configures their software to ignore nonDRM email under the guise this supposedly prevents spam? Even if there is a setting to turn this off, many users will insist "but I'll get more spam! I'm not turning that off!" Your email will just disappear. You may not even realize their client software is doing this and think they are ignoring you. What if your only means of communicating with these people is through email? You won't even be able to ask them to change their settings at all.
DRM is just another way for MS to push others out of the market. Off the mainstream Internet too. If they are able to get their Palladium system going (yeah, yeah, it has new name SCSBCRAPFUDNAME), then it will become difficult to communiate with DRM enabled users. Eventually they are going to migrate into a DRM only system where it doesn't have a nonDRM part. Try to run your own software then. Obviously this is their plan. When that happens, you will only be able use the internet with the small number of non-Palladium systems, assuming the ISPs don't go DRM for more "security."
I remember back in 1998 or so. I was looking for an ISP, and all of them required you use some sort of Win95/98 program to sign up. They wouldn't even give out their data telephone numbers and DNS server addresses so I could connect with Linux. A few of the larger ISPs may have had the info on some web page, but I didn't have internet access at the time. I just gave up and bought the "upgrade" to Win98. [1] With Palladium it'll be worse, they're be no way to connect to a ISP if they use some sort of Palladium protocol.
[1] A programmer friend had said it was much more stable and better than Win3.11 or Win95, just like people say about Win XP now. Yeah right, it wasn't.
Even if you did create a magical situation where 3 different OSes had 33% marketshare each, the market would respond by creating universal cross-platform APIs like Java.
This is exactly what the parent poster was talking about, though not necessarily Java. There is OpenGL, ELF, POSIX, and many other standards which, if followed, would make a binary run on any operating system--assuming they don't pull a M$ and "embrace and extend" the standard.
Rather than regulation we should let the market decide.
You are talking about software, correct? What market? There is only one communist bloc known as Microsoft here. Some people say there is Linux, FreeBSD, etc, but they're not part of the market when they are given away for free.
However, you are on to something here, the world governments need to enforce their monopoly/anti-trust laws. The US DoJ did us a big disservice. MS should not be allowed to operate like that. When software developers have to ask Microsoft: "May I please write this program? Please don't crush me." there is a problem. When MS gets their Palladium system going, developers will literally have to ask MS this question. Otherwise their code won't be signed and their program won't be able to touch any DRM enabled files. Seeing as how MS intends to make everything DRM including email, no signature means certain death for any project. No one will buy it if it can't access their files.
What you say is true, but it doesn't mean something like Billy Goat isn't necessary. What if there isn't a patch for the security hole? What if the worm uses a 0 day exploit? Adding more defenses is not redundant. Luckily most worm / virus writers are stupid. Luckily they try to use already known and patched exploits. Luckily they don't know how (or aren't willing) to write really nasty worms.
What if someone develops a really nasty worm. One which uses one or multiple 0 day exploits. There is no patch and the vendor has to scramble to fix the problem(s). One which really digs deep into all system and program files, so the only way to fix it is reinstall the OS. One which also tries to imbed itself into the boot sector, then encrypt all the data on your hard drive so you lose all your data if you try to remove the worm--only the worm knows how to read your hard drive. One which trys to infect itself in the BIOS and won't let you burn back in the original, so the only way to clean it is remove the chip from your motherboard and reprogram it with an eprom burner (or whatever they use nowadays). One which uses an efficient infection algorithm with no bugs (they actually tested it), so it infects all vulnerable machines on the internet within hours or minutes.
This type of worm is theoretically possible. It hasn't happened because the people who write worms which are intended to infect the whole internet are mostly just stupid script kiddies trying to prove something. I'd worry more about worms which are specifically targeted at your company's lan. Those are going to be the people who know what they're doing, and intend to do things like steal your customer credit card database, destroy your network (maybe they are a competitor or a pissed off customer or some whacko "activist"), or some other really nasty thing which will screw you like there's no tomorrow. Billy Goat will probably help stop those too.
However, I disagree with the idea that Sony is guilty of 'enabling' child pornography by making laptops and CD burners and camcorders. All are legitimate products turned to illegitimate uses. Just like Napster and Google.
Why disagree? Maybe if the public pushes it--estabilsh the anti-p2p / anti-url fight as precedents to linking Sony's laptops to child pr0n and linking News Corp's and Disney's[1] movies to inciting teen violence, drinking, and smoking. After a few multibillion class actions, they will do a 180. Maybe they won't even exist anymore.
An individual should not be forced to pay taxes to fund a program for the benefit of others. Yet an uneducated populace is an easy target for propaganda and dictatorship.
Ummm...a populace educated by state run schools and state run libraries is a perfect target for propaganda and dictatorship. Think about it. In fact, don't bother, just look around. It is easy to see.
Slashdot Mirror
Like TrancePhreak said, there are various engines and whatnot. Crystal Space. ExNihilo. Graphics3D (well just a library). Irrlicht. OGRE. Probably many more. I haven't really tried them out much, so I don't know how well they work. I know Crystal Space has been around a while and seems popular, so it is probably somewhat mature. If you really want an open source game engine, just look around and help out.
You mean like the guy in this video game?
I guess you've never dealt with large corporations (or government bureaucrats). Whatever their computer says is the absolute truth. If their computer says you withdrew XX dollars from your account, then as far as they're concerned, it's gone. If their computer says you are dead, you are dead...doesn't matter if you are standing right in front of them with proper ID, you're still dead.
Sometimes if it's an obvious accounting error, such as the ATM gave you $30 but it deducted $50 from your account, they might fix it--probably in some screwed up way. But if they don't have any way of checking in their system, you'll be hard pressed to get them to fix the problem. You could ask for the security camera footage, but if fixing the problem is in your favor, most likely the tape will "disappear."
One story to illustrate (I heard this third hand): an elderly couple had a bank account. Some guy found out their routing and account numbers and had checks made with his name and their account number. He started writing checks, and of course, they were deducted from the elderly couple's account. They looked at the returned checks which were obviously not theirs and called the bank. The bank said since the checks had their account numbers on it, the money was correctly withdrawn from their account and did nothing about it. I don't think the couple got their money back. I suppose they could've called the feds and maybe something would have been done, but it would be a huge PITA, and I don't think they knew to do that.
If you find a good bank (or credit union), they will probably try to help you resolve the situation--especially if you have solid proof. However, those are hard to find, and any change in the management may change their attitude.
Well maybe this will keep companies/ non-profits/ individuals on IPv4, and they'll start using IP addresses instead of domain names. It would be much easier to type 66.35.250.150 than theplaceyouwant1sslashdot.org, and risk the user typing theplaceyouwantisslasdot.org and getting a search engine or pr0n site--perhaps they'll end up thinking that is the real site...
Maybe they should hire con artists too. Especially guys who ran countless payroll scams where they didn't even show up to work, but still managed to get paid. When they hire these guys, why even check up on them? After all they're honest, they'll show up to work every day, so you can just mail the check to their house. If they show up on payroll several times, that just means they're doing more work.
Who needs ethics? I'm a little short on cash today. Maybe I'll just start a construction company and blow up a few buildings to drum up some business. I should really start living the "capitalist" way(tm). [1]
SCO is not a company who just released a few chemicals into a river and gave a few locals diarrhea for a day. If I were hiring someone to work in a factory which used dagerous chemicals, and a prospective employee had misused chemicals in such a way as to get people killed, I probably wouldn't hire them. SCO's actions are the "IP" equivalent of dumping radioactive waste directly into a town's drinking water, and hundreds (if not thousands) die from it.
Even if they had some shred of legitimacy to their claims, they are still obviously dishonest by any reasonable account, and they mishandled the situation big time. I wouldn't trust them to hold my shit. In fact, hiring an ex-employee of SCO is like putting a bomb in your office, you never know when it might go off. Someday SCO may come knocking at your door, saying because of some absurd contract they have with their ex-employee, they now own all your "IP."
[1] Note: this is not the way free markets are supposed to work. This is the Soviet interpetation of capitalism, not the way any reasonable country would implement it.
One has to wonder if there was a DoS attack at all. First off, what evidence do we have of such an attack? The word of SCO? Oh yeah, there's proof...let's take the word of a buch of liers. Second, if SCO was really flooded with traffic, who's to say it wasn't millions of people who had some sort of stake in this case and were trying to find out information about them.
Doesn't Slashdot give your browser a parent link? They do for mine.
You said: "I didn't advocate these developments. I'm just stating that they will come about as a result of the excesses of file sharing." Well, what did you mean by "these developments" then? This thread was talking about DRM. Your whole thing about the BIOS was DRM, wasn't it? Sure sounded like it.
Or are you saying you weren't talking about copyright infringement when you said "excesses of file sharing"? If you were talking about uses of file sharing which are not copyright infringing, then you are just as bad as the RIAA. If I create a work, it is perfectly legal for me to distribute it on a file sharing network. This is why I hate it when people use the term file sharing or p2p to mean only the copyright infringing uses.
If you read closely, I wasn't saying they were using this issue to boost sales, I was saying they were using it to cause problems for competitors and restrict where their products may be sold by retailers (among other things), is that not restraining trade?
Your whole thing about copyright infringement is a red herring.
What if people don't realize their content will be unmoveable until they buy a new computer and try to move the files? It's the same thing with Lexmark printers. People buy them and don't realize they'll be charged up the butt on ink cartridges.
It's not as if everyone does hundreds of hours of research on DRM before the buy a computer. They may not even know it is a DRM system at all. They probably won't even know what DRM is. They'll just wonder why certain files won't copy, and either think they don't know how to use their computer or think their computer is screwing up.
The people pushing DRM are deceptive too. They call it "security" or "trusted computing", then tout it as a way to prevent viruses and spam. They don't say end consumers won't be able to back up their hard drive. They don't say end consumers will lose software and other "IP" they legally purchased if they buy a new computer or their system dies. They don't say users may not be able to copy files the users origionally created themselves, because for whatever reason the file got tied up in the DRM system--maybe they checked the wrong box, maybe the developer saved as DRM by default, maybe the developer didn't give an option to save as plaintext. There are a lot of down sides to DRM, and people will find them out the hard way, assuming they figure them out at all.
Maybe you didn't advocate DRM, but it is not coming about because of copyright infringement. If you really think so, you are naive. They are doing it to restrain trade.
Just like when the movie companies formed the DVDCCA--CSS it doesn't do much to prevent copying, it even uses weak encryption. What it does do is allow them to sue anyone who tries to make a DVD player without their approval--such as one for Linux or one which ignores the mandatory viewing track. Look at some of the "features" of DVDs. They have some which have nothing to do with copy protection at all. The mandatory viewing track was made so the movie companies can force people to watch advertisements on DVDs. Region encoding was put in so the movie companies can charge different amounts for different parts of the world. These have nothing to do with copy protection.
It is also like Microsoft and their "anti-piracy" campaign. They required all distributers to ship only Microsoft Windows with a computer. Retailers weren't allowed to sell a computer with a non-MS operating system. Nor were they allowed to sell a computer without one. Later on, when the DoJ was coming down on MS, they relaxed it to allow non-MS OSs, but by then the OS market was compeletely destroyed, so very few even bothered, and many didn't want to support an OS they didn't understand and few wanted (because they didn't understand the nonMS OSs as well). They couldn't sell a computer with no OS, so you were left with one choice: to pay the Microsoft tax. Even when you installed OS/2, Linux, BeOS, or FreeBSD on the computer, you still had to pay for the OS you never wanted and will never use.
DRM the result of copyright infringement? That is FUD, pure and simple. DRM will offer the MPAA, RIAA, and Microsoft whole new areas of abuse, that is why they want it. To say copyright infringment is hurting them on the scale they claim is absurd at best. Even when their sales have gone down (and not just the lies when their sales have really gone up), the reason is the economy (which has been in the crapper for 3 years), not to mention the fact they all make crappier and crappier products.
You are close to how it works, but not exactly. They don't use a "magic number" they use encryption and keys. The BIOS will only check and start up a "trusted" operating system, and the operating system will decide whether or not to copy the files. These days the BIOS doesn't run the show at all, it just boots another operating system.
ELF resonance??? You mean like Executable and Linkable Format? I didn't know old houses ran Linux! Imagine a beowulf cluster of those!
We used to call these people crazy and put them in mental institutions. Now we let them roam free, doing anything their psycho mind can come up with, then blame innocent third parties for their problems.
First off, how are Wolfenstien and Battlefield 1942 more obviously fictional than GTA? They are simulations of WWII, a real war. Are you saying playing Wolfenstein will cause a person to walk into any mansion which looks something like a Nazi castle and kill all the occupants? Are you saying playing BF1942 will cause a person to steal a tank or plane and use it to kill lots of people?
GTA3 and GTA: Vice City are both rated "M" for Mature. That is the equivalent of an R.
Why not just make users pay for their bandwidth? This is the real reason ISPs block ports and ban "servers." If Joe Dumbass gets a bill for $200 because his computer is infected with the latest worm, then you'll see him start patching his computer and demanding his software vendors do something about security.
Oh yeah, that's a real solution. That way people who are good at multiple guess will pass the test and leave their box insecure. While those who really know their stuff will fail because of obscure questions, strangely worded questions, and flat out wrong questions with no right choice (or something which looks like a right choice, but is a "wrong" answer on the test).
Who even says the test will be written by someone who knows anything about the subject? It happens. Who says the person writing the test will pay attention to what they're doing and double check their questions and answer key? I've seen this far too often. Who says the test will have anything to do with what the user is going to put on his/her system? I don't want to take a test on Windows XP if I'm using FreeBSD. Who even says the user is going to connect the computer to the internet in the first place?
IANAL, but they use the words interstate commerce because that is their jurisdiction. See, the way the US was designed, the Federal government is not supposed to interfere with the internal operations of each state. The feds use the term interstate commerce to indicate it is within their jurisdiction, but then expand it to mean everything. So even if you are swapping files with your next door neighbor, you are still considered to be doing interstate commerce.
This is much like the states who want to charge sales tax on out of state internet orders. They call it a use tax and say it is a tax on usage of products within a state, when really it is an interstate sales tax and out of their jurisdiction.
Only if he types in a bad posture. Quick movements while in strange crimped positions causes carpel tunnel, not touch typing itself. Maybe the way he does his two-finger typing will cause carpel tunnel and taking a real typing class will save him...
...
So you want to boycott the RIAA. You do realize the satellite radio company pays royalties to the RIAA for the music, don't you? There are also many hidden ways they get money from you. If you buy a CD burner or blank music CDs, by US law (other contries will vary, some are worse) the manufacturers have to pay a percentage of the price to the RIAA as "royalties." If you buy a product which is advertised on radio, the company sends money to the radio station, which pays compulsary licence fees, guess where those go. The RIAA. It isn't going to be as simple as a boycott of CDs...
On another note, some of the satellite radio companies tried to squash wireless networking (assuming you might care).
I have a good punishment for players who misbehave. Why not push the player into his/her own world where there are no other players? Then the trolls who screw with the game won't affect others. They'll be looking for victims and asking: "Why can't I find anyone???" Now that would be an evil punishment.
Moderators on crack. The AC is correct and is not a troll. Go to their FAQ, undet the question "What other accessories are available for the Jukebox Multimedia?" it lists "Video Recorder module: Record MPEG4 video directly from any video source. (World smallest VCR!)"
Who cares if the poster replied to a "in soviet russia..." post! It doesn't make the statement any less correct!
That can be done, but I was talking about for-profit software. A nonDRM email client (or whatever program) will not be able to read DRM emails or DRM files. You'll get a thousand calls about how your "broken" program can't read emails. Even if it is understood the program doesn't work with DRM, there will still be hassles.
What about the people who insist upon sending all their emails and files in DRM format because they don't want the "wrong" people to see them (as if one couldn't take a picture of the screen)?
What about if MS configures their software to send DRM by default? Since the crap is encrypted, you can't read it. You'll have to convince the sender to change the settings--assuming they even know how.
What if MS configures their software to ignore nonDRM email under the guise this supposedly prevents spam? Even if there is a setting to turn this off, many users will insist "but I'll get more spam! I'm not turning that off!" Your email will just disappear. You may not even realize their client software is doing this and think they are ignoring you. What if your only means of communicating with these people is through email? You won't even be able to ask them to change their settings at all.
DRM is just another way for MS to push others out of the market. Off the mainstream Internet too. If they are able to get their Palladium system going (yeah, yeah, it has new name SCSBCRAPFUDNAME), then it will become difficult to communiate with DRM enabled users. Eventually they are going to migrate into a DRM only system where it doesn't have a nonDRM part. Try to run your own software then. Obviously this is their plan. When that happens, you will only be able use the internet with the small number of non-Palladium systems, assuming the ISPs don't go DRM for more "security."
I remember back in 1998 or so. I was looking for an ISP, and all of them required you use some sort of Win95/98 program to sign up. They wouldn't even give out their data telephone numbers and DNS server addresses so I could connect with Linux. A few of the larger ISPs may have had the info on some web page, but I didn't have internet access at the time. I just gave up and bought the "upgrade" to Win98. [1] With Palladium it'll be worse, they're be no way to connect to a ISP if they use some sort of Palladium protocol.
[1] A programmer friend had said it was much more stable and better than Win3.11 or Win95, just like people say about Win XP now. Yeah right, it wasn't.
You are clueless.
This is exactly what the parent poster was talking about, though not necessarily Java. There is OpenGL, ELF, POSIX, and many other standards which, if followed, would make a binary run on any operating system--assuming they don't pull a M$ and "embrace and extend" the standard.
You are talking about software, correct? What market? There is only one communist bloc known as Microsoft here. Some people say there is Linux, FreeBSD, etc, but they're not part of the market when they are given away for free.
However, you are on to something here, the world governments need to enforce their monopoly/anti-trust laws. The US DoJ did us a big disservice. MS should not be allowed to operate like that. When software developers have to ask Microsoft: "May I please write this program? Please don't crush me." there is a problem. When MS gets their Palladium system going, developers will literally have to ask MS this question. Otherwise their code won't be signed and their program won't be able to touch any DRM enabled files. Seeing as how MS intends to make everything DRM including email, no signature means certain death for any project. No one will buy it if it can't access their files.
What you say is true, but it doesn't mean something like Billy Goat isn't necessary. What if there isn't a patch for the security hole? What if the worm uses a 0 day exploit? Adding more defenses is not redundant. Luckily most worm / virus writers are stupid. Luckily they try to use already known and patched exploits. Luckily they don't know how (or aren't willing) to write really nasty worms.
What if someone develops a really nasty worm. One which uses one or multiple 0 day exploits. There is no patch and the vendor has to scramble to fix the problem(s). One which really digs deep into all system and program files, so the only way to fix it is reinstall the OS. One which also tries to imbed itself into the boot sector, then encrypt all the data on your hard drive so you lose all your data if you try to remove the worm--only the worm knows how to read your hard drive. One which trys to infect itself in the BIOS and won't let you burn back in the original, so the only way to clean it is remove the chip from your motherboard and reprogram it with an eprom burner (or whatever they use nowadays). One which uses an efficient infection algorithm with no bugs (they actually tested it), so it infects all vulnerable machines on the internet within hours or minutes.
This type of worm is theoretically possible. It hasn't happened because the people who write worms which are intended to infect the whole internet are mostly just stupid script kiddies trying to prove something. I'd worry more about worms which are specifically targeted at your company's lan. Those are going to be the people who know what they're doing, and intend to do things like steal your customer credit card database, destroy your network (maybe they are a competitor or a pissed off customer or some whacko "activist"), or some other really nasty thing which will screw you like there's no tomorrow. Billy Goat will probably help stop those too.
Why disagree? Maybe if the public pushes it--estabilsh the anti-p2p / anti-url fight as precedents to linking Sony's laptops to child pr0n and linking News Corp's and Disney's[1] movies to inciting teen violence, drinking, and smoking. After a few multibillion class actions, they will do a 180. Maybe they won't even exist anymore.
Ummm...a populace educated by state run schools and state run libraries is a perfect target for propaganda and dictatorship. Think about it. In fact, don't bother, just look around. It is easy to see.
[1] Disney's companies make more than cartoons.