Until the recent 3G launch and the 2.0 firmware upgrade you could not even save files to the device without installing a 3rd party 'hack'.
This is something that has been possible for a long time on wireless devices but was crippled by Apple. During this time they were claiming the same things regarding its capabilities ala the Internet. "We do it all"
And now, how about downloading and installing an application outside of the App Store? oh right not possible without another 'hack'.
Therefore, who cares about flash etc, you can't even perform simple protocols on the device.
If you have a music player phone, or can side copy over to pc, try www.voeveo.com. It has CD Baby artists and a lot of other independent labels from around the globe. Even if you can't download, there are 30 second samples to preview, and links back to the artists pages for their albums etc.
This is science people! I personally studied this stuff in the few psych courses I took at University. Very important in regards to animal learning and cognition.
God, Slashdot is getting boring. Hey, let's talk about WOW again!
That's cause I'm still scoping the architecture:) But I'll be sure to come back when its up. As has been said in other slashdot posts, I'll include references to Natalie Portman, SCO, and the RIAA. that ought to do it.
When getting directions, do you need to have a tree or a traffic light explained to you or do you just need to know what to do at that tree or traffic light?
The greatest use for comments is mapping out the over all logic of the program. How does one method/function relate to the overall functionality/goal of the application, in what context will it be called, what other methods rely on this function etc.
Naming your variables is great, but if all it does is identify what that variable represents solely within the local scope of the method or function it's fairly useless when doing a code review a couple years down the road.
Well written methods with descriptive names are a good idea as well, and do lead to the 'self-commenting' coding type of approach, but speaking from my experience, comments are still the best way to clarify things.
Blizzard's Track Record for evolving their games
on
Review: World of Warcraft
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I've been playing this game for a few days, and I can feel that nasty little addictive twinge like I havent felt in a long long time for game. 'Just another half hour...'
At no point have I felt this game has lacked anything. It's completely engaging from the get go. I am sure eventually it will reach the 'been there done that' point, but I have confidence in Blizzard's record for evolving their games, and adding features, tweaks etc that make it fun all over again. The potential for this in WoW is probably more so than their other titles.
Eventually 'Hardcore' modes and PvP settings will come in to challenge the game gurus. It even says in the manual that the lvl cap is currently 60, but that will change in the future, which to me indicates plans for a whole new level of and types of adventures for higher level players.
In the meantime though, I've barely scratched the surface.
the riaa has circumstantial evidence at best that file swapping is affecting its bottom line in the manner they say it is, direct 'copyright theft'.
As mentioned here and elsewhere many times, there are many other reasons to account for a drop in profits. such as:
1. lack of quality output (brittny clones, yawn) 2. as you say, easy exposure to independent label/bands. in other words good ol fashioned 'competition'. 3. a lousy world economy, hello ~$20 for a cd! Some weeks thats all I got for my weekend spending cash. 4. rediscovery of older bands by a new generation (sort of like #2). which means all the dough they put into brainwas... advertising their 'latest and greatest' goes down the toilet.
thats just a few very plausible alternative explanations.
I dont agree with the attitude, expressed by some on this forum, that the RIAA has the right to do this. An 'unelected' governing body of our media and culture has the right to decide pricing (taxation essentially) and punishment outside any democratic process. hmmmm, I dont think so.
How exactly do we (citizens, consumers) demonstrate our unhappiness with the status quo?
yes, all those protestors who put themselves in harms way 'fighting', for what they believe in, without the aid of latest in weapon technologies are truly miserable creatures.
Not like dropping MOAB's on innocent civilians, now that is truly heroic.
According to the quote above we should all admire Hitler.
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal" Martin Luther King
Please check other news sources than CNN!!!
on
Strike on Iraq
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
I urge all Americans to actively seek other sources for news, than CNN. please. You may be surprised at hearing actual news instead of propaganda but this is a good thing.
You may hear other sides, different perspectives, maybe things will start to sound really complicated, but thats how it is in the world.
The last media you should trust is your own. No matter where you're from.
Are you for real? pull you head out of the sand. I love these naysayers that try to pull something down without even offering any alternatives, examples or evidence to support their opinion, other than 'oh please...'.
The EFF has been one of the most high profile and active organizations out there. See the list of cases below, easily available from their website and newsletter, though I'm sure you are aware of these since you've been following them since the early 90's.
At worst, at the very worst, they have made an extremely large number of people aware of these issues, which in turn has led to many more people getting involved. And even if they dont have the same clout(meaning cash to burn) as the tobacco lobbyists or hollywood, your suggestion is to stop supporting them now so they never do? sh'yeah.
P.S. their address is in San Francisco, they left DC sometime ago.
Read news sources from other countries as well
on
Salon Asks for Help
·
· Score: 1
Yes, all independent news sources should be cherished, but I would also encourage people to use this thing called the 'internet' in order to check out news from other countries, The BBC, or CBC news sites are very good, but try something like the tehran times for example. By reading all news sources, comparing and contrasting to each other, you can start to pick out the truth of the situation, and get a well rounded view. And it will at least raise some eyebrows if you start to notice a certain lack/onesided bias of information reaching you through your local media
I was born and raised in Canada, and now I'm currently living in New Zealand. I grew up watching american news side by side to CBC, and now I can compare CNN and BBC side by side here in NZ. It has become very obvious to me just how very biased and sensationalistic american media is. It's just awful, very US centric. All american media is so busy blasting outwards, hardly anything penetrates from the outside. You have to actively seek it out . I'm not saying other countries are always better BBC and CBC are pretty good examples of media, but I'm sure they show some bias. I just think the last media you should trust is your own, no matter where you are.
could the songwriter for the Grateful Dead become the voice of reason. And a good one at that. Meanwhile "elected" officals are trigger happy, right wing, christian capitalists zeolots.
JPB: There are a million virtual streetcorners with a million lonely pamphleteers on them, all of them decrying the war and not actually coming together in any organized fashion to oppose it. It strikes me that existing political institutions -- whether it's the administration or Congress or large corporations -- only respond to other institutions.
I hear a lot of complaints about slashdot being too political lately, not enough cool techy stuff. I disagree, if we have the resource of a forum like this one, we need to keep it going. We need to share this infomration, it affects a lot of us and it affects a lot of things to come. The information shared on this site has led to a lot of individual's political awakening, and those that awaken are starting to realize that they can make a difference, either by writing to an elected official, or making a donation to an organization like the EFF.
Keep it up slashdot. Cool toys and gadgets are great, but I like freedom more.
consider how far this may go. 600 songs sounds like a lot over one day, but what if they stretch it to include 600 songs in a year? Where will the line be drawn for fair use?
Yes, some people are downloading songs and never buying the album, but many are. Assuming everyone to be guilty first, and then laying the onus on them to prove otherwise is not historically how these things have been or should be approached.
Many people have legitimate reasons for downloading mp3's and sharing them. It could be their own created songs, a favorite song sent to a friend to cheer them up, a mix playlist for a friend, or how about having your own (legally owned) playlist available online at all times no matter where you are?
Noone will convince me that mp3 sharing wont lead to increased sales for an artist, if they are talented. You hear an artist you like and you realize you must support this band. People who never buy the album after downloading the mp3s, would probably have never bought it anyway.
Here is what I think the record labels are really fighting: They invest certain amounts of money into advertising the "one hit wonders" and they expect to get a serious return on this investment. Mp3 sharing hurts this business practice, as word of mouth and free adverstising is available through other means than the ones they control, pesky peer-to-peer. Heard anything new and independant on the radio lately? Meaning something not heavily invested in by a record label. I'll say No.
The "controlled" music market is what they want. It's like insider trading, a perfect way to invest in a product and get it sold without worry of competition cutting into their profits. If people are downloading mp3 of older bands or unsigned bands, and then going out and buying those albums, well this cuts into the sales of the "new thing" they are currently pushing everyone to buy.
Yes mp3s are hurting their business, but not the way they want you to think.
This is typically done in Canada and ensures a fairer trial. I'm often surprised and sickened at the tabloid quality of the "unbiased" american (television) media. Everything turns into a circus. Well, sorry Canadians try to put the right to a fair trial above televison ratings.
After the case is over, we(anyone) will have full access to the details of the case, and the unauthorized bios, tv specials, etc will come flying out with every little sordid detail.
But for now let's let the case be tried without the play-by-play on every freaking media outlet, with their own special little catch phrase, bi-line and "Pig-Man Hooker Serial Killer" graphic.
Yes, it will be hard(impossible) in a borderless internet media world to "ban" this. But at least the internet media is far less in your face than television, ie. it has to be sought out, it wont accidently be overheard by a juror flipping through tv channels. Makes sense to me.
c'mon people, everyone whining about how useless it is prolly lives in North America. I lived in Canada til I was 25, where the mobile technology is crap, I never felt the need for one til I moved to New Zealand.
I felt like I left the stone age and entered the 21st century.
SMS messages here are pretty much 1/5 as expensive as calling(guesstimate,when considering per minute calls), and that builds up when you are constantly calling all over the country, or especially if calling overseas to Europe.
By the way in NZ you can call anywhere in the country here for the same price, because the phones aren't region (area code) specific, amazing hey!. And it isnt that much to call overseas either as they are on the same GSM technology, but its cheaper to 'text'(slang)
When you can quickly leave a quick reminder, or tell someone you'll be late, or arrange a meeting, or send an address, or share a cricket score to anyone, anywhere anytime, It is useful. And there is a learning curve to typing on them, but most New Zealanders peck out huge messges with both thumbs very quickly. I was amazed by it when I first moved here, as it took me 10 minutes to reply with "OK". And there is an sms nuspeak, like "mt u thr @ 3".
Besides how often does a regular "voice call" crap out anyway. Lets see the stats on that.
Firstly lots of people are getting their asses and making their voices heard, the EFF is one such organization, and I'm a member. Lawrence Lessig, often mentioned on Slashdot, rep Rick Boucher is another and there are many more.
Secondly the debate about whether downloading an mp3 is "stealing" is still being fought. The only ones who defintely say it is are the RIAA etc who are making gobs of money off of an outdated business model.
Thirdly, have you read any of the studies, or surveys done? Most sponsered by the RIAA, indicate piracy is a big problem, because they ask questions like "Have you downloaded an mp3?, have you burned a cd? etc. this shows people are not afraid to admit this, as most dont think it is a "federal crime". It's the follow up unbiased studies that usually clarify things with facts such as most people probably own the songs they are burning, or most people buy an album after listening to an mp3 from an artist they really enjoy.
And lastly, yes, most of my friends do download mp3's, including myself. But all of them, like myself, go and buy the album if we like what we hear! Maybe you like the top 40 bs that gets blasted at you over the airwaves but I dont. I like to look for artists to support that arent from the US, aren't manufactured pop crap, and not selling pepsi. For the record I buy approx 3 cd's a month, see 3 live bands a month at small venues, and see a few all day music festivals or concerts a year. I firmly believe I'm supporting artists. Paying $10 to see a live band sure as hell beats $20 for a cd, especially since I know 50% or higher of that $10 is going directly to the artist, unlike cds where it is closer to 5%. And I often buy the cds at the gigs since I also know that money is going straight to the artist and not some greedy label.
I'm not promoting the ripping off of artists, I want to support artists and mp3's help artists. Downloading them helps them just as much (more since they get easier international exposure) as radio used to. If the RIAA has its way we wont be able to get any mp3s, free or otherwise, because like you they want the govt to assume anyone having anything to do with mp3s is a thief. this way they get to continue to control access to music for both the artist and the conusmers, how is that a good thing?
How close do the walls have to close in before you figure out laws passed by an elected government and "laws" passed by companies are not the same thing.
When the majority become the criminals, what does that mean? That all people resort to crime when not properly controlled? Or does it means something is wrong with the current system, that tehre is something people do not agree with. The latter is closer to the truth and that is why The RIAA wants to keep this out of government hands, where just possibly the consumer, aka citizens, voices may be heard fairly.
"But like, c'mon, piracy is rampant!", who says so? Most unbiased research I've read says otherwise. Be careful what rights you are willing to give up, simply becasue you buy into their crap and believe you are "morally" superior to the rest of us theives.
I'm sick of this fricking hypocrisy from the *AA'a and related corporations and the US.
On the one hand they are continually trying to shake down the consumer with crap like regional encoding, copy-protected cd's, Trusted computing, price fixing, etc and when we cry foul and say someone has to start regulating what these companies do on a global scale, Up comes the calls for capitalism.
"No, we cant interfere with the system, it's a free market and cannot be moderated! Messing with it will destroy us all!!!". yeah right.
Yet at the same time they are constantly fucking with it, killing new technology, slowing it down as much as possible, ip claims, DMCA, US companies trying to throw their weight around the rest of the world (we know who really runs the US, it's blatantly obvious now, if it wasnt before). Hell, they are even unabashedly throwing junk onto peer-to-peer networks! Is this not some sort of net terrorism!? They dont even feel bad about it, it like a big fuck off to the whole world.
Like Janis Ian said Despite free tap water, there is still a market for bottled water. The *AA;s should stop being so fucking lazy, get off their fat asses and offer us something worth buying, instead of trying to fuck us continually with what amounts to a protection racket. Find a new business model, evolve, survival of the fittest, not the fattest, thats what capitalism is supposed to be about.
So do you think it may be a combination of things then? Not necessarily the patent process per se, but the way in which people attempt to enforce them in the courts, and the fact that there is no good recourse for frivilous lawsuits over patents, leading to these blackmail type lawsuits?
I can see why the patent office would be allowing things to pass through that are basic tools, because as you say this allows for a variety of implementation on the same concept, but once it leaves the review/approval domain, it seems to spin out of control in the courts.
Thanks for clearing things up a bit, I admit I have never had a chance to discuss it with someone who works in the process, so I appreciate your replies.
yes, you are right. I dont know much about it, that's what I was intending for the post, a question about it, I actually wanted to know. I admit it was snarky, but I was exasperated. No offense intended personally, but patents like these are affecting my livelihood.
It is good to know that there are specializations in patenting, but it seems to be failing somewhere. You have to admit a lot of frivilous patents have been passing, and they are affecting my field (programming) drastically. My example might have been a bit contrived, and the wording in the article, as you say, may be the preamble. But the result is the same, basic procedures and tools that people use everyday to get a job done are being patented. Common logic, or something so vague it can be used to shake small business down, as in the article. The fact that greedy shiesters like this Lockwood guy make a living from it, says something is wrong in the process.
what are the current job reqs for the patent office? Do they have different division? Meaning is there a patent division for internet technology, a patent division for genetic pateneting, etc?
Decisions about patents are obviously being made by people who have no idea how these things work in their respective fields. Are they just checking the patent claims for grammer, and that all the checkbox's are filled in? We need people working there that actually have a vague idea of what is being patented. I dont understand how anyone semi tech-literate could allow these pass, hell I dont know how anyone literate could let these pass?
Imagine if people start claiming necessary carpentry skills like 'the process of putting a a variety of small steel spikes in a piece of wood' - that'll cover hammering, screwing, etc. Or 'method of subdividing wood into smaller pieces.' - sawing.
Slashdot Mirror
Can you actually download and save a file from your browser now? like say an mp3 or aac file.
Until the recent 3G launch and the 2.0 firmware upgrade you could not even save files to the device without installing a 3rd party 'hack'.
This is something that has been possible for a long time on wireless devices but was crippled by Apple. During this time they were claiming the same things regarding its capabilities ala the Internet. "We do it all"
And now, how about downloading and installing an application outside of the App Store? oh right not possible without another 'hack'.
Therefore, who cares about flash etc, you can't even perform simple protocols on the device.
If you have a music player phone, or can side copy over to pc, try www.voeveo.com. It has CD Baby artists and a lot of other independent labels from around the globe. Even if you can't download, there are 30 second samples to preview, and links back to the artists pages for their albums etc.
Warning: this is a self-plug. I work on the site.
Agree,
This is science people! I personally studied this stuff in the few psych courses I took at University. Very important in regards to animal learning and cognition.
God, Slashdot is getting boring. Hey, let's talk about WOW again!
That's cause I'm still scoping the architecture :) But I'll be sure to come back when its up. As has been said in other slashdot posts, I'll include references to Natalie Portman, SCO, and the RIAA. that ought to do it.
When getting directions, do you need to have a tree or a traffic light explained to you or do you just need to know what to do at that tree or traffic light?
The greatest use for comments is mapping out the over all logic of the program. How does one method/function relate to the overall functionality/goal of the application, in what context will it be called, what other methods rely on this function etc.
Naming your variables is great, but if all it does is identify what that variable represents solely within the local scope of the method or function it's fairly useless when doing a code review a couple years down the road.
Well written methods with descriptive names are a good idea as well, and do lead to the 'self-commenting' coding type of approach, but speaking from my experience, comments are still the best way to clarify things.
I've been playing this game for a few days, and I can feel that nasty little addictive twinge like I havent felt in a long long time for game. 'Just another half hour...'
At no point have I felt this game has lacked anything. It's completely engaging from the get go. I am sure eventually it will reach the 'been there done that' point, but I have confidence in Blizzard's record for evolving their games, and adding features, tweaks etc that make it fun all over again. The potential for this in WoW is probably more so than their other titles.
Eventually 'Hardcore' modes and PvP settings will come in to challenge the game gurus. It even says in the manual that the lvl cap is currently 60, but that will change in the future, which to me indicates plans for a whole new level of and types of adventures for higher level players.
In the meantime though, I've barely scratched the surface.
well said.
the riaa has circumstantial evidence at best that file swapping is affecting its bottom line in the manner they say it is, direct 'copyright theft'.
As mentioned here and elsewhere many times, there are many other reasons to account for a drop in profits. such as:
1. lack of quality output (brittny clones, yawn)
2. as you say, easy exposure to independent label/bands. in other words good ol fashioned 'competition'.
3. a lousy world economy, hello ~$20 for a cd! Some weeks thats all I got for my weekend spending cash.
4. rediscovery of older bands by a new generation (sort of like #2). which means all the dough they put into brainwas... advertising their 'latest and greatest' goes down the toilet.
thats just a few very plausible alternative explanations.
I dont agree with the attitude, expressed by some on this forum, that the RIAA has the right to do this. An 'unelected' governing body of our media and culture has the right to decide pricing (taxation essentially) and punishment outside any democratic process. hmmmm, I dont think so.
How exactly do we (citizens, consumers) demonstrate our unhappiness with the status quo?
Anyway I'm starting to ramble...
couple of things to check out in Vanbcouver area..
UBC Museum of Anthropology,
EA Games sports division
Molson Canadian brewery tour
then get out there and enjoy some of the amazing nature!!!!
yes, all those protestors who put themselves in harms way 'fighting', for what they believe in, without the aid of latest in weapon technologies are truly miserable creatures.
Not like dropping MOAB's on innocent civilians, now that is truly heroic.
According to the quote above we should all admire Hitler.
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal"
Martin Luther King
I urge all Americans to actively seek other sources for news, than CNN. please. You may be surprised at hearing actual news instead of propaganda but this is a good thing.
You may hear other sides, different perspectives, maybe things will start to sound really complicated, but thats how it is in the world.
The last media you should trust is your own. No matter where you're from.
Are you for real? pull you head out of the sand. I love these naysayers that try to pull something down without even offering any alternatives, examples or evidence to support their opinion, other than 'oh please...'.
The EFF has been one of the most high profile and active organizations out there. See the list of cases below, easily available from their website and newsletter, though I'm sure you are aware of these since you've been following them since the early 90's.
Recent cases
Active cases
At worst, at the very worst, they have made an extremely large number of people aware of these issues, which in turn has led to many more people getting involved. And even if they dont have the same clout(meaning cash to burn) as the tobacco lobbyists or hollywood, your suggestion is to stop supporting them now so they never do? sh'yeah.
P.S. their address is in San Francisco, they left DC sometime ago.
Yes, all independent news sources should be cherished, but I would also encourage people to use this thing called the 'internet' in order to check out news from other countries, The BBC, or CBC news sites are very good, but try something like the tehran times for example. By reading all news sources, comparing and contrasting to each other, you can start to pick out the truth of the situation, and get a well rounded view. And it will at least raise some eyebrows if you start to notice a certain lack/onesided bias of information reaching you through your local media
I was born and raised in Canada, and now I'm currently living in New Zealand. I grew up watching american news side by side to CBC, and now I can compare CNN and BBC side by side here in NZ. It has become very obvious to me just how very biased and sensationalistic american media is. It's just awful, very US centric. All american media is so busy blasting outwards, hardly anything penetrates from the outside. You have to actively seek it out . I'm not saying other countries are always better BBC and CBC are pretty good examples of media, but I'm sure they show some bias. I just think the last media you should trust is your own, no matter where you are.
could the songwriter for the Grateful Dead become the voice of reason. And a good one at that. Meanwhile "elected" officals are trigger happy, right wing, christian capitalists zeolots.
JPB:
There are a million virtual streetcorners with a million lonely pamphleteers on them, all of them decrying the war and not actually coming together in any organized fashion to oppose it. It strikes me that existing political institutions -- whether it's the administration or Congress or large corporations -- only respond to other institutions.
I hear a lot of complaints about slashdot being too political lately, not enough cool techy stuff. I disagree, if we have the resource of a forum like this one, we need to keep it going. We need to share this infomration, it affects a lot of us and it affects a lot of things to come. The information shared on this site has led to a lot of individual's political awakening, and those that awaken are starting to realize that they can make a difference, either by writing to an elected official, or making a donation to an organization like the EFF.
Keep it up slashdot. Cool toys and gadgets are great, but I like freedom more.
yeah, screw future generations. Lets not do anything now, so it can be worse later.
No, but I'm sure you could borrow a tape of a program he recorded off his TV.
consider how far this may go. 600 songs sounds like a lot over one day, but what if they stretch it to include 600 songs in a year? Where will the line be drawn for fair use?
Yes, some people are downloading songs and never buying the album, but many are. Assuming everyone to be guilty first, and then laying the onus on them to prove otherwise is not historically how these things have been or should be approached.
Many people have legitimate reasons for downloading mp3's and sharing them. It could be their own created songs, a favorite song sent to a friend to cheer them up, a mix playlist for a friend, or how about having your own (legally owned) playlist available online at all times no matter where you are?
Noone will convince me that mp3 sharing wont lead to increased sales for an artist, if they are talented. You hear an artist you like and you realize you must support this band. People who never buy the album after downloading the mp3s, would probably have never bought it anyway.
Here is what I think the record labels are really fighting:
They invest certain amounts of money into advertising the "one hit wonders" and they expect to get a serious return on this investment. Mp3 sharing hurts this business practice, as word of mouth and free adverstising is available through other means than the ones they control, pesky peer-to-peer. Heard anything new and independant on the radio lately? Meaning something not heavily invested in by a record label. I'll say No.
The "controlled" music market is what they want. It's like insider trading, a perfect way to invest in a product and get it sold without worry of competition cutting into their profits. If people are downloading mp3 of older bands or unsigned bands, and then going out and buying those albums, well this cuts into the sales of the "new thing" they are currently pushing everyone to buy.
Yes mp3s are hurting their business, but not the way they want you to think.
This is typically done in Canada and ensures a fairer trial. I'm often surprised and sickened at the tabloid quality of the "unbiased" american (television) media. Everything turns into a circus. Well, sorry Canadians try to put the right to a fair trial above televison ratings.
After the case is over, we(anyone) will have full access to the details of the case, and the unauthorized bios, tv specials, etc will come flying out with every little sordid detail.
But for now let's let the case be tried without the play-by-play on every freaking media outlet, with their own special little catch phrase, bi-line and "Pig-Man Hooker Serial Killer" graphic.
Yes, it will be hard(impossible) in a borderless internet media world to "ban" this. But at least the internet media is far less in your face than television, ie. it has to be sought out, it wont accidently be overheard by a juror flipping through tv channels. Makes sense to me.
c'mon people, everyone whining about how useless it is prolly lives in North America. I lived in Canada til I was 25, where the mobile technology is crap, I never felt the need for one til I moved to New Zealand.
I felt like I left the stone age and entered the 21st century.
SMS messages here are pretty much 1/5 as expensive as calling(guesstimate,when considering per minute calls), and that builds up when you are constantly calling all over the country, or especially if calling overseas to Europe.
By the way in NZ you can call anywhere in the country here for the same price, because the phones aren't region (area code) specific, amazing hey!. And it isnt that much to call overseas either as they are on the same GSM technology, but its cheaper to 'text'(slang)
When you can quickly leave a quick reminder, or tell someone you'll be late, or arrange a meeting, or send an address, or share a cricket score to anyone, anywhere anytime, It is useful. And there is a learning curve to typing on them, but most New Zealanders peck out huge messges with both thumbs very quickly. I was amazed by it when I first moved here, as it took me 10 minutes to reply with "OK". And there is an sms nuspeak, like
"mt u thr @ 3".
Besides how often does a regular "voice call" crap out anyway. Lets see the stats on that.
Firstly lots of people are getting their asses and making their voices heard, the EFF is one such organization, and I'm a member. Lawrence Lessig, often mentioned on Slashdot, rep Rick Boucher is another and there are many more.
Secondly the debate about whether downloading an mp3 is "stealing" is still being fought. The only ones who defintely say it is are the RIAA etc who are making gobs of money off of an outdated business model.
Thirdly, have you read any of the studies, or surveys done? Most sponsered by the RIAA, indicate piracy is a big problem, because they ask questions like "Have you downloaded an mp3?, have you burned a cd? etc. this shows people are not afraid to admit this, as most dont think it is a "federal crime". It's the follow up unbiased studies that usually clarify things with facts such as most people probably own the songs they are burning, or most people buy an album after listening to an mp3 from an artist they really enjoy.
And lastly, yes, most of my friends do download mp3's, including myself. But all of them, like myself, go and buy the album if we like what we hear! Maybe you like the top 40 bs that gets blasted at you over the airwaves but I dont. I like to look for artists to support that arent from the US, aren't manufactured pop crap, and not selling pepsi. For the record I buy approx 3 cd's a month, see 3 live bands a month at small venues, and see a few all day music festivals or concerts a year. I firmly believe I'm supporting artists. Paying $10 to see a live band sure as hell beats $20 for a cd, especially since I know 50% or higher of that $10 is going directly to the artist, unlike cds where it is closer to 5%. And I often buy the cds at the gigs since I also know that money is going straight to the artist and not some greedy label.
I'm not promoting the ripping off of artists, I want to support artists and mp3's help artists. Downloading them helps them just as much (more since they get easier international exposure) as radio used to. If the RIAA has its way we wont be able to get any mp3s, free or otherwise, because like you they want the govt to assume anyone having anything to do with mp3s is a thief. this way they get to continue to control access to music for both the artist and the conusmers, how is that a good thing?
You sound a little brainwashed my friend.
How close do the walls have to close in before you figure out laws passed by an elected government and "laws" passed by companies are not the same thing.
When the majority become the criminals, what does that mean? That all people resort to crime when not properly controlled? Or does it means something is wrong with the current system, that tehre is something people do not agree with. The latter is closer to the truth and that is why The RIAA wants to keep this out of government hands, where just possibly the consumer, aka citizens, voices may be heard fairly.
"But like, c'mon, piracy is rampant!", who says so? Most unbiased research I've read says otherwise. Be careful what rights you are willing to give up, simply becasue you buy into their crap and believe you are "morally" superior to the rest of us theives.
I know its obvious but I have to rant.
I'm sick of this fricking hypocrisy from the *AA'a and related corporations and the US.
On the one hand they are continually trying to shake down the consumer with crap like regional encoding, copy-protected cd's, Trusted computing, price fixing, etc and when we cry foul and say someone has to start regulating what these companies do on a global scale, Up comes the calls for capitalism.
"No, we cant interfere with the system, it's a free market and cannot be moderated! Messing with it will destroy us all!!!". yeah right.
Yet at the same time they are constantly fucking with it, killing new technology, slowing it down as much as possible, ip claims, DMCA, US companies trying to throw their weight around the rest of the world (we know who really runs the US, it's blatantly obvious now, if it wasnt before). Hell, they are even unabashedly throwing junk onto peer-to-peer networks! Is this not some sort of net terrorism!? They dont even feel bad about it, it like a big fuck off to the whole world.
Like Janis Ian said Despite free tap water, there is still a market for bottled water. The *AA;s should stop being so fucking lazy, get off their fat asses and offer us something worth buying, instead of trying to fuck us continually with what amounts to a protection racket. Find a new business model, evolve, survival of the fittest, not the fattest, thats what capitalism is supposed to be about.
So do you think it may be a combination of things then? Not necessarily the patent process per se, but the way in which people attempt to enforce them in the courts, and the fact that there is no good recourse for frivilous lawsuits over patents, leading to these blackmail type lawsuits?
I can see why the patent office would be allowing things to pass through that are basic tools, because as you say this allows for a variety of implementation on the same concept, but once it leaves the review/approval domain, it seems to spin out of control in the courts.
Thanks for clearing things up a bit, I admit I have never had a chance to discuss it with someone who works in the process, so I appreciate your replies.
Cheers,
yes, you are right. I dont know much about it, that's what I was intending for the post, a question about it, I actually wanted to know. I admit it was snarky, but I was exasperated. No offense intended personally, but patents like these are affecting my livelihood.
It is good to know that there are specializations in patenting, but it seems to be failing somewhere.
You have to admit a lot of frivilous patents have been passing, and they are affecting my field (programming) drastically. My example might have been a bit contrived, and the wording in the article, as you say, may be the preamble. But the result is the same, basic procedures and tools that people use everyday to get a job done are being patented. Common logic, or something so vague it can be used to shake small business down, as in the article. The fact that greedy shiesters like this Lockwood guy make a living from it, says something is wrong in the process.
what are the current job reqs for the patent office? Do they have different division? Meaning is there a patent division for internet technology, a patent division for genetic pateneting, etc?
Decisions about patents are obviously being made by people who have no idea how these things work in their respective fields. Are they just checking the patent claims for grammer, and that all the checkbox's are filled in? We need people working there that actually have a vague idea of what is being patented. I dont understand how anyone semi tech-literate could allow these pass, hell I dont know how anyone literate could let these pass?
Imagine if people start claiming necessary carpentry skills like 'the process of putting a a variety of small steel spikes in a piece of wood' - that'll cover hammering, screwing, etc. Or 'method of subdividing wood into smaller pieces.' - sawing.
How is this any different?