Funny how they don't sue ISP's that connect to illegal sites within north america. I hope the "offending" carriers sue for baratry ("The offense of persistently instigating lawsuits, typically groundless ones").
RIAA is just following the path of least resistance.
Next they will try to overthrow the Chinese government and install a pro-RIAA dictatorship, perhaps with the assistance of the heavily armed and well trained force known as "The Auditors".
I worked for a video store for about a year. There is a usually a window of time during which a video is not for sale to the general public. Only rental stores can buy the video, for may times the retail cost.
Its about controlling what we wan't...
on
Borrowing ROMs
·
· Score: 1
ROM's, abandonware, etc will never be accepted by industry. Everything we buy has a carefully calculated lifespan. We are supposed to throw stuff out after a while - cars, clothes, music, etc. When the next generation product line rolls out, they gotta be sure the timing is right and people are ready to buy. While I'm sure the availability of old ROMS is insignificant in the scheme of things, its probably a variable they'd rather not have to deal with.
I am not really talking about sales directly. As an example imagine what you, Joe consumer, consider a "cool" game (you are probably thinking graphics more than any other single aspect). Industries put a lot of effort in influencing your concept of "cool" (or fashionable, useful, or whatever). They don't just ask people what they want and sell it to them because, as it turns out, this is not the most profitable way of doing things.
Do you really think the car industry want to sell me a car that I'll be happy with for 50 years? Word processors are a good example of this. They have not changed much at all since the DOS WordPerfect days, yet every year or two Microsoft launches a version of office under the foggy guise of "increased productivity, [buzzwords, etc...]."
Anyway, I think I've made my point... They want the old to disappear to make way for the new.
not bad, but check this mouse mod out...
on
Cryogenic Mouse Mod
·
· Score: 1
Using crime to make yourself heard makes one a "terrorist", as per U.S tradition,
and two wrongs never make it right.
Its illegal to criticize me. All in favour? Aye!
Ok done. If you reply to this and I deem it criticism you are a terrorist (I thought I knew what that meant once).
I am sure RIAA has given this some thought
on
RIAA to Sue You Now
·
· Score: 1
For those of you conjecturing on why RIAA would do this, remember that people scare easy. About a year ago a warez group was taken down and the whole scene did a disappearing act for about a week (then promptly resumed the "liberating" of "information"). I believe if they came down heavy on the odd individual, people would be reluctant to serve large collections. The demand on the would be greater than the supply and widespread music sharing would grind to a halt, probably reverting back to its old ftp / private sharing form.
I think a conservative estimate would be 1000 servers taken down for every server sued
I remember when i was 11 and trying to get on to an adult BBS. I somehow managed to screw up the BBS and a couple minutes later, *ring* *ring*..
me: "hello?" nerd: "you just call my BBS?" me: "no, it was my brother" nerd: "if you ever call again i'll come over there and bash your fucking head in"
*click*
Angry BBS nerds were somewhat less subtle than these modern AOL pervert types. Ahh the good old days.
I did not call again and, sadly, had to wait for the porn revolution known as the internet.
The program does not remove or modify anything. It simply informs the user of software that may be installed on the machine which the user may not be aware of. The program then provides an easy means of removing any offending software found.
I mean, sue Microsoft for releasing regedit. Its not as feature rich as Ad-Aware, but it does the same job.
The funny thing is, I switched to kazaa lite only after learning about it through the company's bitching. The thing about spy-ware is you want to keep as low a profile as possible - i.e. don't sue people for uncovering your hidden software. LOL.
I think one of the main reasons tech support is crap is because of the endless droves of morons.
I am serious. People just don't make judicious use of a tech support number; they make no "reasonable" attempt to solve their own problems. I know this is a generalization and doesn't always hold true, but talk to any tech support operator and see if they don't agree.
If tech support wasn't spread so thin, maybe the quality would improve. I hear a lot of hoary old unix hackers reminiscing about tech support back in the day, but keep in mind computers didn't used to be so mainstream. These days the majority of people use a computer for a specific set of tasks (typing, email, etc) - they don't know about the inner workings and don't care to know.
I propose that anyone routinely using a computer make an investment and learn a little about it. Probably half of tech support calls, at least, result not from problems with the product, but from the user's computer illiteracy.
Call me a cynic, but I wonder if this wasn't a clever to trick to sell some of the many copies lying around. They did produce a whole bunch of "Game of The Year Additions" in an attempt to cash in further on a popular title - maybe they didn't sell as many as they hoped.
Then again, it may just be bandwidth limitations. Though, the full game is smaller than most modern demos.
Anyway, this is a windfall regardless; if they did do it to clear out old copies, it's a good idea and other companies should follow suit. I just hope they used OOP, as I've always wanted to see how it's used "in the industry".
It is a legal requirement that pre-installed operating systems remain with a machine for the life of the machine
Ok, somebody with time and resources PLEASE sue Microsoft for damages.
Imagine this scenario: your organization, reading the above statement issued from Microsoft, declines donated PCs. Instead, your organization (which is saving dolphins, feeding the poor, educating children, etc - something PR friendly) spends 50k on new hardware.
This would seriously vilify MS; they outright lied and now little Jimmy will be learning with a typewriter and abacus. Bill Gates has already taken some heat for not "giving back" to society and this hardly helps.
The only benefit to the consumer would be a slightly reduced cost. This proves that microsoft cares about us. Personally, I like my hardware to be OS specific, because it prevents me from doing foolish things such as installing so called "free" software (which is un-American, btw).
Ever try using a winmodem in linux? LOL, or in windows for that matter?
Yeah right, OOP brought to you by the monsters that crapped out MFC. One of these days i'll have to give C# a try, but i feel like an abused spouse that keeps on coming back.
I for one do not interpret science according to my own convenience. Like most rational people, I look for the theories that best explain the current state of the universe and everything in it. My mind is not rigidly set on anyone idea, and I will gladly accept new and better theories as they come.
I agree we know nothing for sure. This could all be a dream, or yes, even some god's joke. But again, I believe what best explains the things around me; I think I got out of bed this morning - this explains better than any other theory why I am awake and sitting at the computer . Therefore i will accept it as valid for now (though it doesnt explain the talking llama...ah nevermind!)
BTW, half a million is stretching it. But I was referring to the point at which homo erectus evolved to homo sapiens (300k ~ 400k) years ago. At which time they were using tools and living in hunter-gatherer societies.
Humans evolved to their current form (more or less) almost half a million years ago. That leaves plenty of time for societies to rise up and disappear into dust in a relative blink of an eye. It seems we only remember those who leave massive monuments that endure across the millennia.
I know it seems impossible right now, but I wonder if we will be forgotten 10,000 years from now. I bet those who build the pyramids thought they had the universe under their thumbs, just like we do today. Call me pessimistic, but somehow I don't see our civilization as the enduring type.
Maybe a day will come when people worship our telecommunications "gods" as they glide across the sky.
Isn't Microsoft digging itself into a new anti-trust hole?
Granted, the majority of the competition is "in business" for remunerations other than money. But they do present legitimate competition - they are just bad business men;) Microsoft is again punishing organizations who's business practices they dislike.
Take OpenOffice, for instance. It works with Microsoft file formats, as Microsoft has a monopoly over the desktop market. They could not survive as viable competition if Microsoft declared these formats off limits.
It would make an interesting court case. But I don't think Microsoft is looking to take anyone to court; I see this as a small theatre in their attack on open source software - yet another smear on GPL software's reputation as being a reliable alternative.
Anyone who's played BG2 may have noticed one of the tips while a new level is loading: "while your character doesn't have to eat, remember that you do". I got a laugh from that (i was afterall well into a 10 hour clicking binge), but wow i wonder if it wasn't the layers who stuck that it;)
in Canada its illegal to shelf citrus beverages which contain caffeine (Mountain Dew up here is decaf). Our government has declared covertly addictive products to be illegal. I believe games such as EQ qualify as covertly addictive. I can imagine policy banning certain psychologically addictive elements in these games, or at least "stickers" labelling them as such.
Personally, I think this would be stupid. It would, however, be consistent with the other policies of my government. (I have only been of voting age for one election, and I voted for some other clowns).
I called intel tech support and they said the reason my new CPU won't boot is because its actually a 2 week yoga program. I felt a little embarrassed, but the techie said it's a common complaint and Intel is working on it.
The Hindenburg did not suddenly erupt into a roaring orange fireball because of its hydrogen; it was because of the special "paint" that was supposed to prevent lightning strikes. This paint was laughably similar to rocket fuel in composition. A couple of scientists recently did some tests on a surviving pieces of fabric, and indeed, it went up like gunpowder.
The internet, and digital medium in general, is relatively new. An equilibrium that favours corporations will eventually be met. Corporations push and push until they meet some resistance. By "resistance" I do not mean writing your senator or casting a vote. Your government officials / organizations have little to gain by representing a powerless citizen such as yourself - unless it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy.
Recently I imagined a system of democracy in which every citizen takes part in government through the use of wireless networks and electronic units issued much like passports. Citizens could vote on things on a daily basis, making self government a part of life. There are some obvious problems (i.e tivo hackers would run the planet), but it could be made to work. Electected officials would still be needed, but they would be less powerful.
We gotta try something new -- every system of govenment thus far has been crap. Maybe our technology can be the key to liberation, like a modern day printing press.
Failing that we can have a good old fashioned coup.
Re:What the hell is wrong with legal tender?
on
Gift Card Hacking
·
· Score: 1
When lining up to buy books at the start of each semester, there are two lines: cash and card. The card line is 20 - 30 students long, while the cash line... does not exist.
Cash is faster and safer (I am sure of this as my first job was working a till). Safer because a deviant cashier could easily spy one's pin and, with a reciept, make purchases on the account wihtout the card.
Also, cash has a better privacy factor -- which might be an issue in days soon to come.
That said, i use cards because, by my own arguments, I have plenty of time, little to lose, and nothing to hide. Cards are...style!;)
At this video store i worked in last year we had a slightly dated interac machine that printed the account number AND exp date on a reciept.
So having one of these reciepts was as good as a having the credit card. Also, with one of these reciepts one could determine the exp date on a bank card (the exp date is something arbitrary) and, with knowledge of the pin, make purchases from an account without having the card present.
The funny thing is that people were always reluctant to let me see their credit card when creating an account. Yet these same people toss the receipts around or not even take them.
If one was dishonest, it would be no trouble obtaining a customer pin as 90% of people make no attempt to hide it, thinking their account is secure as long as they have the card. With a reciept and some equipment, a fake card could be produced that would work on interac machines and possibly atm's.
Many customers were amazed when i explained how insecure thier credit is.
This won't happen over night. I see other posters vehemently claiming they would "rather die" than have a mandatory implant. I guarantee you, it wont be YOU who will be forced to have in implant - you have grown up knowing that a forced implant is undemocratic, satanic, etc. To your children, however, the idea will not seem so extreme. To your children's children it will be nothing at all...
I imagine this taking a couple generations.
1st step: As in now: optional implants for company workers. Today, some higher up execs traveling in 3rd world countries, where ransoming is prevalent, implant homing devices in their bodies.
2nd step: Forcible use of implants on violent criminals. This will be met with little resistance, as it is accepted that criminals forfeit some rights by committing crimes. I say "violent criminals" (i.e. rapists, murderers) as they would garner the least public sympathy. Soon after, lesser criminals would be tagged - eventually anyone who commits a criminal act. I imagine this process as taking a decade or so.
3rd step: Certain perks for those who accept an implant; faster border crossing, airport check in, etc. Those who refuse "optional" implants face longer delays (and other intentional hurdles). For you religious people, maybe a credit system whereby one just walks out of the store with merchandise -- only the luddites can be seen waiting in line. Over the space of years, people come to suspect those that refuse implants as having something to hide.
4th step: A new government policy -- all babies tagged at birth. My guess is that by this point (say 80 years from today), most people elect to have implants and the government need not force any legislation (that's why I say policy not law).
Never will an adult citizen be forced to have a foreign object implanted in their body. There will never be any protesting on the street or wild outrage. If this does happen, it will be slowly and insidiously.
Its always the gradual change that slips under the radar.
Slashdot Mirror
Funny how they don't sue ISP's that connect to illegal sites within north america. I hope the "offending" carriers sue for baratry ("The offense of persistently instigating lawsuits, typically groundless ones").
RIAA is just following the path of least resistance.
Next they will try to overthrow the Chinese government and install a pro-RIAA dictatorship, perhaps with the assistance of the heavily armed and well trained force known as "The Auditors".
Our crack dealer is powerful indeed.
I worked for a video store for about a year. There is a usually a window of time during which a video is not for sale to the general public. Only rental stores can buy the video, for may times the retail cost.
ROM's, abandonware, etc will never be accepted by industry. Everything we buy has a carefully calculated lifespan. We are supposed to throw stuff out after a while - cars, clothes, music, etc. When the next generation product line rolls out, they gotta be sure the timing is right and people are ready to buy. While I'm sure the availability of old ROMS is insignificant in the scheme of things, its probably a variable they'd rather not have to deal with.
...]."
I am not really talking about sales directly. As an example imagine what you, Joe consumer, consider a "cool" game (you are probably thinking graphics more than any other single aspect). Industries put a lot of effort in influencing your concept of "cool" (or fashionable, useful, or whatever). They don't just ask people what they want and sell it to them because, as it turns out, this is not the most profitable way of doing things.
Do you really think the car industry want to sell me a car that I'll be happy with for 50 years? Word processors are a good example of this. They have not changed much at all since the DOS WordPerfect days, yet every year or two Microsoft launches a version of office under the foggy guise of "increased productivity, [buzzwords, etc
Anyway, I think I've made my point... They want the old to disappear to make way for the new.
here
Using crime to make yourself heard makes one a "terrorist", as per U.S tradition, and two wrongs never make it right.
Its illegal to criticize me. All in favour? Aye! Ok done. If you reply to this and I deem it criticism you are a terrorist (I thought I knew what that meant once).
For those of you conjecturing on why RIAA would do this, remember that people scare easy. About a year ago a warez group was taken down and the whole scene did a disappearing act for about a week (then promptly resumed the "liberating" of "information"). I believe if they came down heavy on the odd individual, people would be reluctant to serve large collections. The demand on the would be greater than the supply and widespread music sharing would grind to a halt, probably reverting back to its old ftp / private sharing form.
I think a conservative estimate would be 1000 servers taken down for every server sued
I remember when i was 11 and trying to get on to an adult BBS. I somehow managed to screw up the BBS and a couple minutes later, *ring* *ring*..
me: "hello?"
nerd: "you just call my BBS?"
me: "no, it was my brother"
nerd: "if you ever call again i'll come over there and bash your fucking head in"
*click*
Angry BBS nerds were somewhat less subtle than these modern AOL pervert types. Ahh the good old days.
I did not call again and, sadly, had to wait for the porn revolution known as the internet.
Microbiologists "mysteriously dead" after developing "weapons-grade biological plagues".
The program does not remove or modify anything. It simply informs the user of software that may be installed on the machine which the user may not be aware of. The program then provides an easy means of removing any offending software found.
I mean, sue Microsoft for releasing regedit. Its not as feature rich as Ad-Aware, but it does the same job.
The funny thing is, I switched to kazaa lite only after learning about it through the company's bitching. The thing about spy-ware is you want to keep as low a profile as possible - i.e. don't sue people for uncovering your hidden software. LOL.
I think one of the main reasons tech support is crap is because of the endless droves of morons.
I am serious. People just don't make judicious use of a tech support number; they make no "reasonable" attempt to solve their own problems. I know this is a generalization and doesn't always hold true, but talk to any tech support operator and see if they don't agree.
If tech support wasn't spread so thin, maybe the quality would improve. I hear a lot of hoary old unix hackers reminiscing about tech support back in the day, but keep in mind computers didn't used to be so mainstream. These days the majority of people use a computer for a specific set of tasks (typing, email, etc) - they don't know about the inner workings and don't care to know.
I propose that anyone routinely using a computer make an investment and learn a little about it. Probably half of tech support calls, at least, result not from problems with the product, but from the user's computer illiteracy.
Call me a cynic, but I wonder if this wasn't a clever to trick to sell some of the many copies lying around. They did produce a whole bunch of "Game of The Year Additions" in an attempt to cash in further on a popular title - maybe they didn't sell as many as they hoped.
Then again, it may just be bandwidth limitations. Though, the full game is smaller than most modern demos.
Anyway, this is a windfall regardless; if they did do it to clear out old copies, it's a good idea and other companies should follow suit. I just hope they used OOP, as I've always wanted to see how it's used "in the industry".
Are any of you still taking the CIA seriously after they released this
Use above link in moderation -- a slashdot effect on cia.gov could trigger a hail of nukes.
Ok, somebody with time and resources PLEASE sue Microsoft for damages.
Imagine this scenario: your organization, reading the above statement issued from Microsoft, declines donated PCs. Instead, your organization (which is saving dolphins, feeding the poor, educating children, etc - something PR friendly) spends 50k on new hardware.
This would seriously vilify MS; they outright lied and now little Jimmy will be learning with a typewriter and abacus. Bill Gates has already taken some heat for not "giving back" to society and this hardly helps.
The only benefit to the consumer would be a slightly reduced cost. This proves that microsoft cares about us. Personally, I like my hardware to be OS specific, because it prevents me from doing foolish things such as installing so called "free" software (which is un-American, btw).
Ever try using a winmodem in linux? LOL, or in windows for that matter?
Yeah right, OOP brought to you by the monsters that crapped out MFC. One of these days i'll have to give C# a try, but i feel like an abused spouse that keeps on coming back.
I for one do not interpret science according to my own convenience. Like most rational people, I look for the theories that best explain the current state of the universe and everything in it. My mind is not rigidly set on anyone idea, and I will gladly accept new and better theories as they come.
I agree we know nothing for sure. This could all be a dream, or yes, even some god's joke. But again, I believe what best explains the things around me; I think I got out of bed this morning - this explains better than any other theory why I am awake and sitting at the computer . Therefore i will accept it as valid for now (though it doesnt explain the talking llama...ah nevermind!)
BTW, half a million is stretching it. But I was referring to the point at which homo erectus evolved to homo sapiens (300k ~ 400k) years ago. At which time they were using tools and living in hunter-gatherer societies.
Humans evolved to their current form (more or less) almost half a million years ago. That leaves plenty of time for societies to rise up and disappear into dust in a relative blink of an eye. It seems we only remember those who leave massive monuments that endure across the millennia.
I know it seems impossible right now, but I wonder if we will be forgotten 10,000 years from now. I bet those who build the pyramids thought they had the universe under their thumbs, just like we do today. Call me pessimistic, but somehow I don't see our civilization as the enduring type.
Maybe a day will come when people worship our telecommunications "gods" as they glide across the sky.
Isn't Microsoft digging itself into a new anti-trust hole?
;)
Granted, the majority of the competition is "in business" for remunerations other than money. But they do present legitimate competition - they are just bad business men
Microsoft is again punishing organizations who's business practices they dislike.
Take OpenOffice, for instance. It works with Microsoft file formats, as Microsoft has a monopoly over the desktop market. They could not survive as viable competition if Microsoft declared these formats off limits.
It would make an interesting court case. But I don't think Microsoft is looking to take anyone to court; I see this as a small theatre in their attack on open source software - yet another smear on GPL software's reputation as being a reliable alternative.
Anyone who's played BG2 may have noticed one of the tips while a new level is loading: "while your character doesn't have to eat, remember that you do". I got a laugh from that (i was afterall well into a 10 hour clicking binge), but wow i wonder if it wasn't the layers who stuck that it ;)
in Canada its illegal to shelf citrus beverages which contain caffeine (Mountain Dew up here is decaf). Our government has declared covertly addictive products to be illegal. I believe games such as EQ qualify as covertly addictive. I can imagine policy banning certain psychologically addictive elements in these games, or at least "stickers" labelling them as such.
Personally, I think this would be stupid. It would, however, be consistent with the other policies of my government. (I have only been of voting age for one election, and I voted for some other clowns).
I called intel tech support and they said the reason my new CPU won't boot is because its actually a 2 week yoga program. I felt a little embarrassed, but the techie said it's a common complaint and Intel is working on it.
The Hindenburg did not suddenly erupt into a roaring orange fireball because of its hydrogen; it was because of the special "paint" that was supposed to prevent lightning strikes. This paint was laughably similar to rocket fuel in composition. A couple of scientists recently did some tests on a surviving pieces of fabric, and indeed, it went up like gunpowder.
u rg _hydrogen.html
www.fuelcellstore.com/products/atlantis/hindenb
The internet, and digital medium in general, is relatively new. An equilibrium that favours corporations will eventually be met. Corporations push and push until they meet some resistance. By "resistance" I do not mean writing your senator or casting a vote. Your government officials / organizations have little to gain by representing a powerless citizen such as yourself - unless it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy.
Recently I imagined a system of democracy in which every citizen takes part in government through the use of wireless networks and electronic units issued much like passports. Citizens could vote on things on a daily basis, making self government a part of life. There are some obvious problems (i.e tivo hackers would run the planet), but it could be made to work. Electected officials would still be needed, but they would be less powerful.
We gotta try something new -- every system of govenment thus far has been crap. Maybe our technology can be the key to liberation, like a modern day printing press.
Failing that we can have a good old fashioned coup.
When lining up to buy books at the start of each semester, there are two lines: cash and card. The card line is 20 - 30 students long, while the cash line... does not exist.
...style! ;)
Cash is faster and safer (I am sure of this as my first job was working a till). Safer because a deviant cashier could easily spy one's pin and, with a reciept, make purchases on the account wihtout the card.
Also, cash has a better privacy factor -- which might be an issue in days soon to come.
That said, i use cards because, by my own arguments, I have plenty of time, little to lose, and nothing to hide. Cards are
At this video store i worked in last year we had a slightly dated interac machine that printed the account number AND exp date on a reciept.
So having one of these reciepts was as good as a having the credit card. Also, with one of these reciepts one could determine the exp date on a bank card (the exp date is something arbitrary) and, with knowledge of the pin, make purchases from an account without having the card present.
The funny thing is that people were always reluctant to let me see their credit card when creating an account. Yet these same people toss the receipts around or not even take them.
If one was dishonest, it would be no trouble obtaining a customer pin as 90% of people make no attempt to hide it, thinking their account is secure as long as they have the card. With a reciept and some equipment, a fake card could be produced that would work on interac machines and possibly atm's.
Many customers were amazed when i explained how insecure thier credit is.
This won't happen over night. I see other posters vehemently claiming they would "rather die" than have a mandatory implant. I guarantee you, it wont be YOU who will be forced to have in implant - you have grown up knowing that a forced implant is undemocratic, satanic, etc. To your children, however, the idea will not seem so extreme. To your children's children it will be nothing at all...
I imagine this taking a couple generations.
1st step: As in now: optional implants for company workers. Today, some higher up execs traveling in 3rd world countries, where ransoming is prevalent, implant homing devices in their bodies.
2nd step: Forcible use of implants on violent criminals. This will be met with little resistance, as it is accepted that criminals forfeit some rights by committing crimes. I say "violent criminals" (i.e. rapists, murderers) as they would garner the least public sympathy. Soon after, lesser criminals would be tagged - eventually anyone who commits a criminal act. I imagine this process as taking a decade or so.
3rd step: Certain perks for those who accept an implant; faster border crossing, airport check in, etc. Those who refuse "optional" implants face longer delays (and other intentional hurdles). For you religious people, maybe a credit system whereby one just walks out of the store with merchandise -- only the luddites can be seen waiting in line. Over the space of years, people come to suspect those that refuse implants as having something to hide.
4th step: A new government policy -- all babies tagged at birth. My guess is that by this point (say 80 years from today), most people elect to have implants and the government need not force any legislation (that's why I say policy not law).
Never will an adult citizen be forced to have a foreign object implanted in their body. There will never be any protesting on the street or wild outrage. If this does happen, it will be slowly and insidiously.
Its always the gradual change that slips under the radar.