Baen books has been doing well for many years selling ebooks available in multiple formats, with absolutely NO DRM - you can download or read online whenever you want, in RTF, HTML, Rocketbook, MobiPocket etc www.webscriptions.net - you can even get the book before it hits the bookstores. also, most of the authors have a few completely free books, and the first third or so of the books are available for free - kind of a "try before you buy". The only Major downside is it's all science fiction or fantasy published by Baen. - limited selection. I keep hoping others will follow their lead, and a few minor publishers are starting to sell from their store as well, under the same terms. Personally, I've been buying from them since 2000, and have spent over $2000 dollars so far - WAY more then I spent at bookstores.
I'm hoping that more publishers will follow Baen's lead with online-HTML versions of books, both free and purchased - they eleminate the need for a special reader, as anything that can browse the web can be used as a reader. This includes all but the cheapest cellphones these days. Personally, I've spent over $600 on ebooks at baen's webscriptions so far, and would spend even more for some other books / series from other publishers, so long as I'm not tied to a proprietary reader and there's no DRM. I did buy a few ebooks that were both, years ago, from Embid Publishing and decided "never again!"
the key here is "whenever they act in an official capacity. " on or off the clock. I might have missed it, but I don't think anyone's advocating recording Police officers 24/7 - only maintaining that any citizen should have the right to record them whenever they do something as a "police officer", I.E. they show a badge, wear the uniform, or identify themselves as a police officer. Such private recordings of an officer acting in an official capacity need to be legally protected from confiscation without a court order. as others have noted, as "public servants" entrusted with extraordinary powers to enforce the law, they need to be held to a higher standard than the average private citizen.
I'm not sure what kind of ebooks you read, but check out Baen Publishing if you like SF and Fantasy. They have an extensive free library at www.baen.com/library/ , and almost every book they publish can be purchased at www.webscriptions.net. they are available in html, rtf, rocket ebook, palm, and microsoft reader formats with absolutely NO drm whatsoever. Even if you don't like SF or Fantasy, you should visit the "prime Palaver" section of the free library and read #4, McCaulay on copyright "These are two speeches given by Thomas Macaulay in Parliament in 1841, when the issue of copyright was being hammered out. They are, no other word for it, brilliant -- and cover everything fundamental which is involved in the issue." -- Eric Flint
Depends on the wording of the law that gets passed... IIRC, the SSSCA called for a panel to determine what DR system/s would be the "standard". What do you think the chances of an OSS spec getting accepted are?
A web based re-creation of the serialized novel using Science Fiction published by Baen Books. Each novel will be published in three segments, one month apart, beginning 3 months before the actual publication date. Each month 4 books will be available. The intent is to use all Frontlist book for that month. If less than four books are published, or if one or more of them are unavailable, books from the backlist will be used.
What do I get?
For each month purchased, you will receive internet access to a directory containing four books.
Three months before publication subscribers receive the first half of all 4 books.
Two months before publication subscribers receive the third quarter of all 4 books.
One months before publication subscribers receive the last quarter, completing all 4 books.
and about two weeks after the last quarter is delivered, bookstores around the country will begin to stock these titles.
WebScriptions does not require subscribers to purchase every month offered. Purchase of an individual month will deliver that months complete books whether other months are purchased or not.
I'm a regular purchaser, 30+ ebooks purchased and happy with them. it's $10 for a month (4 books)
Lets not forget all the Opera/Konqueror etc users who identify as IE so the pages will render right;)
I'd guess from talking to friends / people at work that it's a common practice, so probably 10+ % of the reported IE stats are really another browser.
IIRC, range and bandwith are determined by 2 general factors (ingnoring frequncy, etc.) a useful abstraction is that the range and bandwidth depend on 1)Power & Efficiency of transmitting antenna, and 2) Area & efficiency of recieving antenna. this means that you have two approaches: bigger, more powerfull transmitters, or bigger, more sensitive recievers. To get really good bandwidth from a small, low-power sat-phone, you need a BIG, sensitive recieving antenna in orbit. in short, maybe the telecom industry should concentrate on the sattelite end, rather than the phone, since any practical hand-held has size and weight constraints, whereas a sattelite (ignoring cost) can be as large as needed.
I think the reason most SF uses navy terminology, etc. is a basic extrapolation.
Navy: Large ships, large crews, long deployments, crew lives aboard ship, Ship visits ports / resupply infrequently.
Air Force: small craft (relativly, anyway)small crews, short deployment / mission, crew lives on base, etc. even a large plane rarely stays airborn for more than 24hrs (with in-flight refueling)
Which one sounds more like your typical SF show?
Space Ships (as opposed to fighters, etc.) stay out of port(space station, world, etc) for relatively long periods of time, have large crews living onboard, etc.
The Navy has evolved customs, traditions, regulations, etc. specifically to deal with this type of mission - The Air Force has never needed to.
Advantages: Cheap power (Thermal, wave / current, etc), somewhat mobile, access to nearly unlimited (oceanic) resources. With the quality of "geeks" we could attract, we could obtain financing, etc. for rapid development of various ocean-based technologies, commercial extraction of valuable materials from seawater, etc.
Disadvantages: _VERY_ high startup costs, danger of EXTREME weather sinking us, need for our own high-bandwidth sattelite for communications / internet, etc.
Are you Kidding????? you're not logged in and you expect anyone to send spam anywhere???? either A) you think we're idiots, and we'll help you spam some poor dude, or B)YOUR an idiot, and don't realize that at a minimum, you should be logged in so we can verify who YOU are, and that it's a legit request.
I used to work installing phone systems and computer cable, and a tech I knew had a (larger) RC Tank that he used for pulling a pull-string through the ceiling across large offices and down long hallways. as long as there was enough space, and the AC ducts weren't too bad, he could get a cable through in a lot less time then throw 15-25 ft, replace tile, move ladder, open tile, recoil cable, throw 15-25 ft, etc, etc.
Some of the other things I've seen used are
Crossbow
Slingshot
dart gun
( it doesn't take a whole lot to pull a 10-20lb test fishing line for a pull string)
Ideal has come out with a cable gun that shoots a suction-cup tipped dart about 50ft, trailing a line (from a reel)behind it for cable installers.
try http://www.altex.com/store.htm and send them an email - the kits aren't online, they're at the sister store atex;) They started as a parts & electronic surplus store, added computers, did well and split into atex (the original store - parts and surplus)and Altex - (computers only)
If nothing else, they can give you the phone # and / or email of ATEX at xxxx Gulfdale, San Antonio TX 78242. they have tons of neat stuff if you're the type that likes to heat up a soldering iron!
Perhaps it's become "vogue" because there's so much to complain about.......
And remember, if nobody complains, the chances of anything improving are pretty much nil. Micro$oft is in business to make $$$$, and will continue to engage in practices, deceptive and otherwise, which result in a net increase in $$$$. As consumers, we have an obligation to ourselves to provide feedback to indicate our dissatisfaction to microsoft by any means possible. Just as an example, anyone who installs linux due to dissatisfaction with M$ software should notify Microsoft of the fact, and that they chose Linux over Microsoft due to: [insert list of reasons here]. At the very least, you can then proceed to bash microsoft (a favored pastime) with a completely clear conscience;) At best, if enough people prove to microsoft that they're actually <gasp> losing money!, there may be a slight chance of improvement. Case in point: Smarttags.
If the outcry (and possible litigation) had not been so prevalent and widespread, It would still be slated for release in XP. Of course, they could just be waiting for a more favorable climate to release them;)
Slashdot Mirror
Baen books has been doing well for many years selling ebooks available in multiple formats, with absolutely NO DRM - you can download or read online whenever you want, in RTF, HTML, Rocketbook, MobiPocket etc www.webscriptions.net - you can even get the book before it hits the bookstores. also, most of the authors have a few completely free books, and the first third or so of the books are available for free - kind of a "try before you buy". The only Major downside is it's all science fiction or fantasy published by Baen. - limited selection. I keep hoping others will follow their lead, and a few minor publishers are starting to sell from their store as well, under the same terms. Personally, I've been buying from them since 2000, and have spent over $2000 dollars so far - WAY more then I spent at bookstores.
I'm hoping that more publishers will follow Baen's lead with online-HTML versions of books, both free and purchased - they eleminate the need for a special reader, as anything that can browse the web can be used as a reader. This includes all but the cheapest cellphones these days.
Personally, I've spent over $600 on ebooks at baen's webscriptions so far, and would spend even more for some other books / series from other publishers, so long as I'm not tied to a proprietary reader and there's no DRM. I did buy a few ebooks that were both, years ago, from Embid Publishing and decided "never again!"
--Robb Hammack
the key here is "whenever they act in an official capacity. " on or off the clock. I might have missed it, but I don't think anyone's advocating recording Police officers 24/7 - only maintaining that any citizen should have the right to record them whenever they do something as a "police officer", I.E. they show a badge, wear the uniform, or identify themselves as a police officer. Such private recordings of an officer acting in an official capacity need to be legally protected from confiscation without a court order. as others have noted, as "public servants" entrusted with extraordinary powers to enforce the law, they need to be held to a higher standard than the average private citizen.
I'm not sure what kind of ebooks you read, but check out Baen Publishing if you like SF and Fantasy. They have an extensive free library at www.baen.com/library/ , and almost every book they publish can be purchased at www.webscriptions.net. they are available in html, rtf, rocket ebook, palm, and microsoft reader formats with absolutely NO drm whatsoever. Even if you don't like SF or Fantasy, you should visit the "prime Palaver" section of the free library and read #4, McCaulay on copyright "These are two speeches given by Thomas Macaulay in Parliament in 1841, when the issue of copyright was being hammered out. They are, no other word for it, brilliant -- and cover everything fundamental which is involved in the issue." -- Eric Flint
Depends on the wording of the law that gets passed... IIRC, the SSSCA called for a panel to determine what DR system/s would be the "standard". What do you think the chances of an OSS spec getting accepted are?
Pretty sure he's talking about Webscriptions
from the site:
What is WebScriptions?
A web based re-creation of the serialized novel using Science Fiction published by Baen Books. Each novel will be published in three segments, one month apart, beginning 3 months before the actual publication date. Each month 4 books will be available. The intent is to use all Frontlist book for that month. If less than four books are published, or if one or more of them are unavailable, books from the backlist will be used.
What do I get?
For each month purchased, you will receive internet access to a directory containing four books.
Three months before publication subscribers receive the first half of all 4 books.
Two months before publication subscribers receive the third quarter of all 4 books.
One months before publication subscribers receive the last quarter, completing all 4 books.
and about two weeks after the last quarter is delivered, bookstores around the country will begin to stock these titles.
WebScriptions does not require subscribers to purchase every month offered. Purchase of an individual month will deliver that months complete books whether other months are purchased or not.
I'm a regular purchaser, 30+ ebooks purchased and happy with them. it's $10 for a month (4 books)
Lets not forget all the Opera/Konqueror etc users who identify as IE so the pages will render right ;)
I'd guess from talking to friends / people at work that it's a common practice, so probably 10+ % of the reported IE stats are really another browser.
IIRC, range and bandwith are determined by 2 general factors (ingnoring frequncy, etc.) a useful abstraction is that the range and bandwidth depend on 1)Power & Efficiency of transmitting antenna, and 2) Area & efficiency of recieving antenna. this means that you have two approaches: bigger, more powerfull transmitters, or bigger, more sensitive recievers. To get really good bandwidth from a small, low-power sat-phone, you need a BIG, sensitive recieving antenna in orbit. in short, maybe the telecom industry should concentrate on the sattelite end, rather than the phone, since any practical hand-held has size and weight constraints, whereas a sattelite (ignoring cost) can be as large as needed.
....In the land of Redmond where the darkness lies
I think the reason most SF uses navy terminology, etc. is a basic extrapolation.
Navy: Large ships, large crews, long deployments, crew lives aboard ship, Ship visits ports / resupply infrequently.
Air Force: small craft (relativly, anyway)small crews, short deployment / mission, crew lives on base, etc. even a large plane rarely stays airborn for more than 24hrs (with in-flight refueling)
Which one sounds more like your typical SF show?
Space Ships (as opposed to fighters, etc.) stay out of port(space station, world, etc) for relatively long periods of time, have large crews living onboard, etc.
The Navy has evolved customs, traditions, regulations, etc. specifically to deal with this type of mission - The Air Force has never needed to.
Floating City, International waters.
Advantages: Cheap power (Thermal, wave / current, etc), somewhat mobile, access to nearly unlimited (oceanic) resources. With the quality of "geeks" we could attract, we could obtain financing, etc. for rapid development of various ocean-based technologies, commercial extraction of valuable materials from seawater, etc.
Disadvantages: _VERY_ high startup costs, danger of EXTREME weather sinking us, need for our own high-bandwidth sattelite for communications / internet, etc.
Are you Kidding????? you're not logged in and you expect anyone to send spam anywhere????
either A) you think we're idiots, and we'll help you spam some poor dude, or B)YOUR an idiot, and don't realize that at a minimum, you should be logged in so we can verify who YOU are, and that it's a legit request.
I used to work installing phone systems and computer cable, and a tech I knew had a (larger) RC Tank that he used for pulling a pull-string through the ceiling across large offices and down long hallways. as long as there was enough space, and the AC ducts weren't too bad, he could get a cable through in a lot less time then throw 15-25 ft, replace tile, move ladder, open tile, recoil cable, throw 15-25 ft, etc, etc.
Some of the other things I've seen used are
Crossbow
Slingshot
dart gun
( it doesn't take a whole lot to pull a 10-20lb test fishing line for a pull string)
Ideal has come out with a cable gun that shoots a suction-cup tipped dart about 50ft, trailing a line (from a reel)behind it for cable installers.
try http://www.altex.com/store.htm and send them an email - the kits aren't online, they're at the sister store atex ;) They started as a parts & electronic surplus store, added computers, did well and split into atex (the original store - parts and surplus)and Altex - (computers only)
If nothing else, they can give you the phone # and / or email of ATEX at xxxx Gulfdale, San Antonio TX 78242. they have tons of neat stuff if you're the type that likes to heat up a soldering iron!
Perhaps it's become "vogue" because there's so much to complain about....... And remember, if nobody complains, the chances of anything improving are pretty much nil. Micro$oft is in business to make $$$$, and will continue to engage in practices, deceptive and otherwise, which result in a net increase in $$$$. As consumers, we have an obligation to ourselves to provide feedback to indicate our dissatisfaction to microsoft by any means possible. ;)
Just as an example, anyone who installs linux due to dissatisfaction with M$ software should notify Microsoft of the fact, and that they chose Linux over Microsoft due to: [insert list of reasons here]. At the very least, you can then proceed to bash microsoft (a favored pastime) with a completely clear conscience
At best, if enough people prove to microsoft that they're actually <gasp> losing money!, there may be a slight chance of improvement. Case in point: Smarttags. If the outcry (and possible litigation) had not been so prevalent and widespread, It would still be slated for release in XP. Of course, they could just be waiting for a more favorable climate to release them;)