A spyware company has a "chief privacy officer?!" What's next, a security-obssessed government that makes us less secure? Oh, wait...
Seriously, though, I can almost see the logic in this appointment. One thing spyware companies know is computer security. They defeat it all the time. I'm surprised the fine folks from Cool Web Search weren't appointed.
On the other hand, the more cynical side of me sees how reminiscent this is of early 20th century American politics, when the government appointed Big Business leaders to commitees on workers' rights. Money and connections will buy you anything.
I don't know if it's illegal, but remember that bit torrent forces you to upload as you download. So if you're referring to downloading from bit torrent, then you are sharing those episodes.
I'd have a completely different view on this if he'd taken the route Bram did with Suprnova Just to clarify: Bram Cohen, the creator of the Bit Torrent software, wasn't affiliated with Suprnova. Sloncek owned Suprnova, and he shut the site down because he wanted to make money by lending his name to Exeem, which is loaded with Spyware. I don't think that's any more admirable than what Ed Webber did.
It wasn't ethical to ask for donations if he had no intention to use them to fight the MPAA. Again, though, how do we know that he didn't ask for those donations in good faith?
I have a lot of respect for anyone who operates a file sharing web site or P2P app. They know they'll be shut down and get into serious legal trouble if they get too big, but because of those people, we live in a world where music, movies, and software are free. Shawn Fanning, Michael from Audiogalaxy, Ed Webber, etc. have improved the usefulness of the internet. I think they deserve a gold medal, but $40,000 is the next best thing.
How do we know that Ed Webber intended to take the donations and run with them? Just because he decided to give up instead of fighting a legal battle with the MPAA? Regardless of the legality or illegality of Loki Torrent, the MPAA has deep pockets and would have easily won a court case against him. It sounds to me that Webber just wised up and realized that.
But even if the call for donations was a fraud, I think he deserves that money. He provided an extremely valuable service to the entire internet. Millions of people downloaded free movies, commercial software, and cool games because Webber stuck his neck out. He knew what happened to other file sharing sites, yet he did it anyway. Whether he uses that money to pay off the RIAA or for a vacation in the Bahamas, I say more power to him.
I'm no Luddite, but the question for me is: why would anyone want this?
Have we really gotten to the point where we can't leave the rat race long enough to use the bathroom? Can't your stock quotes wait while you relieve yourself?
It'll be a sad day when there's a market for this.
I wonder about Comics.. that is, I wonder how much if anything they pay (or get paid) for them to be in the newspaper
The newspaper pays the distributor of the comic (usually a syndicate like King Features, etc.), for the right to print the comic. The comics are an incentive for readers to buy the paper.
I bet Steve Jobs, Al Gore, and the rest of the Apple guys are ready to slit their wrists. A deal like this one could make or break Apple, but for Microsoft, it's just another purchase in a long line of acquisitions.
Anyone else noticed how Universal's entire catalog is available for free on Kazaa, Soulseek, etc.?
There's been a paradigm shift in the music business lately. Universal is going to be obsolete in a 10 years. If I had 6 billion to spend, I wouldn't buy a record company.
War isn't fun and games. It involves murder, torture, rape. It's a horrible, horrible thing that will never go away. Kids will find out about it soooner or later, but why not allow them a few years of innocence?
I doubt the veracity of this story. Why would this almunus care so much about Microsoft that he'd withhold his donations unless Microsoft products weren't used? Why would someone do that? It makes no sense.
Besides, any college that doesn't teach Microsoft products is a bad college. Love them or hate them, Microsoft products are used in virtually every business sector. These graduates are going to have a hard time finding a job if they don't know how to find the Start button.
I don't know about the UK, but surveys are exempt from all do-not-call lists in the United States. Why would a survey company go to the extra expense and trouble of verifying their numbers against a do-no-call list if they're not required to?
Slashdot Mirror
Bonzi Buddy is soon to be carved into Mt. Rushmore.
A spyware company has a "chief privacy officer?!" What's next, a security-obssessed government that makes us less secure? Oh, wait...
Seriously, though, I can almost see the logic in this appointment. One thing spyware companies know is computer security. They defeat it all the time. I'm surprised the fine folks from Cool Web Search weren't appointed.
On the other hand, the more cynical side of me sees how reminiscent this is of early 20th century American politics, when the government appointed Big Business leaders to commitees on workers' rights. Money and connections will buy you anything.
Why not just start an ad channel; all ads all the time
We already have that. It's called MTV.
Since 1939.
Except that Eando Binder wasn't just one guy, but the pen name for Earl and Otto Binder.
I don't know if it's illegal, but remember that bit torrent forces you to upload as you download. So if you're referring to downloading from bit torrent, then you are sharing those episodes.
I'd have a completely different view on this if he'd taken the route Bram did with Suprnova
Just to clarify: Bram Cohen, the creator of the Bit Torrent software, wasn't affiliated with Suprnova. Sloncek owned Suprnova, and he shut the site down because he wanted to make money by lending his name to Exeem, which is loaded with Spyware. I don't think that's any more admirable than what Ed Webber did.
It wasn't ethical to ask for donations if he had no intention to use them to fight the MPAA. Again, though, how do we know that he didn't ask for those donations in good faith?
I have a lot of respect for anyone who operates a file sharing web site or P2P app. They know they'll be shut down and get into serious legal trouble if they get too big, but because of those people, we live in a world where music, movies, and software are free. Shawn Fanning, Michael from Audiogalaxy, Ed Webber, etc. have improved the usefulness of the internet. I think they deserve a gold medal, but $40,000 is the next best thing.
How do we know that Ed Webber intended to take the donations and run with them? Just because he decided to give up instead of fighting a legal battle with the MPAA? Regardless of the legality or illegality of Loki Torrent, the MPAA has deep pockets and would have easily won a court case against him. It sounds to me that Webber just wised up and realized that.
But even if the call for donations was a fraud, I think he deserves that money. He provided an extremely valuable service to the entire internet. Millions of people downloaded free movies, commercial software, and cool games because Webber stuck his neck out. He knew what happened to other file sharing sites, yet he did it anyway. Whether he uses that money to pay off the RIAA or for a vacation in the Bahamas, I say more power to him.
No, it's gramatically correct to use an apostrophe in a plural word if it's an acronym: DVD's, CD's, PC's.
I'm no Luddite, but the question for me is: why would anyone want this?
Have we really gotten to the point where we can't leave the rat race long enough to use the bathroom? Can't your stock quotes wait while you relieve yourself?
It'll be a sad day when there's a market for this.
I wonder about Comics.. that is, I wonder how much if anything they pay (or get paid) for them to be in the newspaper
The newspaper pays the distributor of the comic (usually a syndicate like King Features, etc.), for the right to print the comic. The comics are an incentive for readers to buy the paper.
I bet Steve Jobs, Al Gore, and the rest of the Apple guys are ready to slit their wrists. A deal like this one could make or break Apple, but for Microsoft, it's just another purchase in a long line of acquisitions.
Anyone else noticed how Universal's entire catalog is available for free on Kazaa, Soulseek, etc.?
There's been a paradigm shift in the music business lately. Universal is going to be obsolete in a 10 years. If I had 6 billion to spend, I wouldn't buy a record company.
War isn't fun and games. It involves murder, torture, rape. It's a horrible, horrible thing that will never go away. Kids will find out about it soooner or later, but why not allow them a few years of innocence?
I doubt the veracity of this story. Why would this almunus care so much about Microsoft that he'd withhold his donations unless Microsoft products weren't used? Why would someone do that? It makes no sense.
Besides, any college that doesn't teach Microsoft products is a bad college. Love them or hate them, Microsoft products are used in virtually every business sector. These graduates are going to have a hard time finding a job if they don't know how to find the Start button.
I don't know about the UK, but surveys are exempt from all do-not-call lists in the United States. Why would a survey company go to the extra expense and trouble of verifying their numbers against a do-no-call list if they're not required to?