The US and Canadian media lobby groups are doing their DAMNDEST to force Canada to take on legislation "imposed" by the US system, in direct violation of nearly a half century of precedent cases in Canada.
I, for one, will NOT stand by quietly and allow that to go unchallenged. I LIKE my copyright priveleges as a Canadian, and our media companies are NOT running in the red, so it seems to work for EVERYONE, no matter how much the luddites and dogs-in-a-manger bitch about how the "current system is broken."
The chicken little media companies have been claiming piracy was going to kill the music and movie industries since the 1970s with cassettes made of LPs. They have ZERO credibility in Canada left to their name.
It is not a "myopic" opinion -- it is a recognition of the FACT that different nations have different copyright legislation. US law != Global Law, no matter WHAT the American people think about their role in the world.
It is AMERICA that is "myopic" in their presumption that they get to shove their dictatorship and police state down the throats of the international community.
In short, the illegal activities of the few or the many does NOT mean I'm willing to budge an INCH on defending my established legal rights as a Canadian citizen to kiss American ass, or the asses of even Canadian media lobbyists.
I don't give a fuck what anyone else does. I'm LEGALLY ENTITLED to preview media in Canada and to format-shift content I already own. The US is it's own nightmare, and as long as they never succeed in shoving their fucked-up system down Canada's throat, I could give a tinker's damn about what the US does to itself.
Yeah, but it's worse. Unlike the buggy-whip makers and carriage builders, they've demonstrated since the 1970's that they're not going ANYWHERE, no matter how much they cry and scream about the money they're "losing", their revenues have and seem to still be going UP, not down.
And if you think the GPL is "anti copyright", you need to read what Rick actually says about the INTENTIONS of the GPL. It's subversive, not revolutionary.
The GPL is a lovely example of what I call "Systems Anarchy" -- using the rules of the system itself to force it to do something it's creators and managers did not intend and even OPPOSE. It's a tough game to play -- the systems of government and law are very complex and tangled, but it CAN be done.
The problem with individual contracts, aside from the enforcement hassle and the sheer VOLUME of contracts any serious OSS project would have to sign is that you're throwing out a system that has good INTENTIONS because it's being abused by special interest lobbyists.
The solution is not anarchy; the solution is to FIX THE SYSTEM. And the best way to do that is to keep highlighting the damage the abusers are doing and to hound government to patch the holes in the legislation.
There's nothing wrong with the INTENT of the patent system, for example. The problem is that it's too expensive for individuals to file for patents, and companies are abusing the concept by patenting CONCEPTS and IDEAS like user interface gestures and the fact that a device is rectangular. There is nothing wrong with protecting actual INVENTIONS and PRODUCTS from theft, but the SCOPE of patents has become too broad and needs to be pulled back.
My pet peeve with patents right now is not software patents, but the idea that you can patent a genetic DISCOVERY of something that exists in nature just because you MIGHT have figured out how that fragment of the genome works. IT'S NOT AN INVENTION AND SHOULD NOT BE PATENTABLE!
Why the hell do these morons keep tabling impossible and/or extremely EXPENSIVE (compute-wise) proposals without talking to someone who knows ANYTHING about IT and technology FIRST?
The last thing the world needs is ignorant luddites making the technology decisions for the global internet infrastructure.
And I DO, I don't TALK. I'm in battle with ISC (Information Services Corporation) of Saskatchewan to demand that they deliver on their published service level agreement of 1-2 weeks processing time for a paper-filed incorporation submission instead of the 7 weeks they're now trying to claim it's going to take.
THEY mismanaged my expectations and published the erroneous estimates for MONTHS. Their bad, their problem, and it's up to them to figure out a way to resolve the issue.
Were I a coward, I'd have said "Oh, no, I can't complain, or they'll take even LONGER than 7 weeks."
Fortunately for me and my business, I'm not a wuss.
"WiFi" may be a common term, but if it's a trademarked common term, the trademark holders should be suing for it's infringement by "Super WiFi".
I'm quite certain if you started talking about your "Super Kleenex" product, you'd have some lawyers on your butt, no matter how "generic" the term Kleenex may be in public usage.
Cherish the good friends you make over the years, because like you, they're rising in their careers, and some day they might have a contract or job bid to throw your way.
Never be afraid to meet people, hand out your business cards, and introduce yourself and your business. Even if they're not interested, give them TWO cards and ask them to pass one along to a friend (you'd be surprised how often they end up in the hand of a friend who's looking for such services.)
You can not win the game of life playing roulette with every other schmuck on the planet who thinks slinging code == programming. It's not. Programming is a broad-based skillset of analysis, debugging, design, and coming up with unorthodox ideas to solve everyday problems. A coder is a dime a dozen; a PROGRAMMER is a special breed.
Seeing as the Segway never took off because most cities banned them on sidewalks and they were too slow for public streets, what do you think they're going to do with this much larger vehicle?
Force it into traffic. Where you'll be little more protected in a collision than a motorcycle rider.
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The US and Canadian media lobby groups are doing their DAMNDEST to force Canada to take on legislation "imposed" by the US system, in direct violation of nearly a half century of precedent cases in Canada.
I, for one, will NOT stand by quietly and allow that to go unchallenged. I LIKE my copyright priveleges as a Canadian, and our media companies are NOT running in the red, so it seems to work for EVERYONE, no matter how much the luddites and dogs-in-a-manger bitch about how the "current system is broken."
The chicken little media companies have been claiming piracy was going to kill the music and movie industries since the 1970s with cassettes made of LPs. They have ZERO credibility in Canada left to their name.
It is not a "myopic" opinion -- it is a recognition of the FACT that different nations have different copyright legislation. US law != Global Law, no matter WHAT the American people think about their role in the world.
It is AMERICA that is "myopic" in their presumption that they get to shove their dictatorship and police state down the throats of the international community.
The US system of "copyright" is NOT global, no matter what the US lobbyists would like to believe.
Keep your fucked up laws to yourself.
*LOL* ".. my established legal rights as a Candian citizen to kiss American ass..."
Woot! That's a hilariously bad phrasing, but you know what I MEAN!
In short, the illegal activities of the few or the many does NOT mean I'm willing to budge an INCH on defending my established legal rights as a Canadian citizen to kiss American ass, or the asses of even Canadian media lobbyists.
I don't give a fuck what anyone else does. I'm LEGALLY ENTITLED to preview media in Canada and to format-shift content I already own. The US is it's own nightmare, and as long as they never succeed in shoving their fucked-up system down Canada's throat, I could give a tinker's damn about what the US does to itself.
Yeah, but it's worse. Unlike the buggy-whip makers and carriage builders, they've demonstrated since the 1970's that they're not going ANYWHERE, no matter how much they cry and scream about the money they're "losing", their revenues have and seem to still be going UP, not down.
And if you think the GPL is "anti copyright", you need to read what Rick actually says about the INTENTIONS of the GPL. It's subversive, not revolutionary.
The GPL is a lovely example of what I call "Systems Anarchy" -- using the rules of the system itself to force it to do something it's creators and managers did not intend and even OPPOSE. It's a tough game to play -- the systems of government and law are very complex and tangled, but it CAN be done.
The problem with individual contracts, aside from the enforcement hassle and the sheer VOLUME of contracts any serious OSS project would have to sign is that you're throwing out a system that has good INTENTIONS because it's being abused by special interest lobbyists.
The solution is not anarchy; the solution is to FIX THE SYSTEM. And the best way to do that is to keep highlighting the damage the abusers are doing and to hound government to patch the holes in the legislation.
There's nothing wrong with the INTENT of the patent system, for example. The problem is that it's too expensive for individuals to file for patents, and companies are abusing the concept by patenting CONCEPTS and IDEAS like user interface gestures and the fact that a device is rectangular. There is nothing wrong with protecting actual INVENTIONS and PRODUCTS from theft, but the SCOPE of patents has become too broad and needs to be pulled back.
My pet peeve with patents right now is not software patents, but the idea that you can patent a genetic DISCOVERY of something that exists in nature just because you MIGHT have figured out how that fragment of the genome works. IT'S NOT AN INVENTION AND SHOULD NOT BE PATENTABLE!
So you propose signing individual contracts to everyone who wants to use OSS software?
Keep thinking. You'll get there.
So you're proposing tossing out the GPL and every software license in the world because some media lobbyists are assholes? THINK, man, THINK!
Not at all. I "pirate" media to preview/prelisten before making a purchase decision. Were I not able to preview/prelisten, I'd buy NOTHING.
So "piracy" INCREASES their market share and sales in my case.
Heh, well if the worst they could pick apart was a typo, they must be in general agreement. Good enough! :D
1970's: We're going to collapse because of piracy by people making cassettes of their LP's!
1980's: We're going to collapse because of the threat of portable music players and people making cassettes of their CD's and LP's!
1990's: We're going to collapse because of the threat of people ripping CDs to MP3 players and computers!
2000's: We're going to collapse because of the threat of people sharing media online!
Fuck off, chicken little!
Why the hell do these morons keep tabling impossible and/or extremely EXPENSIVE (compute-wise) proposals without talking to someone who knows ANYTHING about IT and technology FIRST?
The last thing the world needs is ignorant luddites making the technology decisions for the global internet infrastructure.
Thank you ever so much for insulting me for liking Facebook and Google +.
Fuck you, too.
The same way anything else "hated" becomes popular -- by paying attention to the MASSES instead of a few loud-mouthed nay-sayers.
Cowards get the government they deserve.
And I DO, I don't TALK. I'm in battle with ISC (Information Services Corporation) of Saskatchewan to demand that they deliver on their published service level agreement of 1-2 weeks processing time for a paper-filed incorporation submission instead of the 7 weeks they're now trying to claim it's going to take.
THEY mismanaged my expectations and published the erroneous estimates for MONTHS. Their bad, their problem, and it's up to them to figure out a way to resolve the issue.
Were I a coward, I'd have said "Oh, no, I can't complain, or they'll take even LONGER than 7 weeks."
Fortunately for me and my business, I'm not a wuss.
So they can bend over and take it like good corporate sheep, or they can stand up to the government.
Too many people and companies are afraid of their own government.
The government exists to server US, not the other way around.
"WiFi" may be a common term, but if it's a trademarked common term, the trademark holders should be suing for it's infringement by "Super WiFi".
I'm quite certain if you started talking about your "Super Kleenex" product, you'd have some lawyers on your butt, no matter how "generic" the term Kleenex may be in public usage.
Cherish the good friends you make over the years, because like you, they're rising in their careers, and some day they might have a contract or job bid to throw your way.
Never be afraid to meet people, hand out your business cards, and introduce yourself and your business. Even if they're not interested, give them TWO cards and ask them to pass one along to a friend (you'd be surprised how often they end up in the hand of a friend who's looking for such services.)
You can not win the game of life playing roulette with every other schmuck on the planet who thinks slinging code == programming. It's not. Programming is a broad-based skillset of analysis, debugging, design, and coming up with unorthodox ideas to solve everyday problems. A coder is a dime a dozen; a PROGRAMMER is a special breed.
I can't wait for the master of the tantrum to rant again: John Cleese!
Seeing as the Segway never took off because most cities banned them on sidewalks and they were too slow for public streets, what do you think they're going to do with this much larger vehicle?
Force it into traffic. Where you'll be little more protected in a collision than a motorcycle rider.
Take public transit. Save yourself the hassle of demonstrating what happens when Humpty Dumpty meets a 1970's Volvo at speed.