Re: What is Intellectual Property really?
on
RMS Responds
·
· Score: 1
Claiming Intellectual Property is unique is concep t that I have trouble grasping. It basically says that I had a thought that no one else may have.
My view of "Intellectual Property" is that it is merely a way of acknowledging someone as having thought of the idea first. And by "thought of" I mean not just having the idea, but having refined it so as to be usable.
I agree that the idea of copyright and patent are really absurd when viewed from the viewpoint of the information itself. But I think that what these really are are social agreements. When someone comes up with a good idea, there is usually some work involved, and if one puts effort into producing something, one may feel a sort of paternal affinity, as if part of oneself has been put into their creation. Now if someone else comes along and just takes it away, how does that make the person who created it feel?
Parents have to let go of their children eventually, although they never stop being their parents. Copyright and patents seem to me to merely be a way or societal convention of respect for those who contribute useful ideas to society. Now maybe they take it a bit to far, but...
Ok, the idea of having multiple flat panels combined to increase aggregate resolution is interesting. But I must say that I am not impressed by what this company has done. I could just as easily go out and buy four flat panel displays and weld em together.
If they really wanted to provide something unique, why didn't they create a new frame to contain all the LCDs, and place the LCDs with the frame with a minimal gap between frames. From the picture it looks like there might be as much as two inches whereas with a solution such as the one I suggest that might be reduced to under 1/2 or even 1/4 inch (less than 1.27 or 0.64 cm).
Oh, and while everyone is on the topic of bashing LCDs, when are more of them going to be touch sensitive?! (especially one laptops!:)
Has anyone ever tried to change the resolution on a Flat Panel? Yeah, right...
Um, maybe I am missing something, but I can change resolutions on my flat panel any time just by hitting ctrl+alt+'+' or ctrl+alt+'-'. Under X-windows I can go from 640x480 to 1024x768. I also can run in "full screen mode" running VMware.
Actually it is, for me at least. It just takes a wee bit of adjustment (read: fingers closer together) so after a long day of typing at a regular keyboard that must be remembered.
The term "Open Source" was controversial when it first came up, as those in the "Free Software" camp felt it compromised some of the principles they stood for.
Maybe now is the chance to chose a better name. Free Software advocates have long complained that there is no word in English to distinguish between free beer and free speech, although they note that such a difference exists in other language.
So why not borrow from another language? Maybe something like Libre Software (or Liberated Software even if that isnt seen as perjorative) could be used to really say what is meant. Of course this probably won't please everyone still, as I suspect that many who use the term "Open Source" really don't want to give users as much freedom as Free Software authors would.
...and you'll be able to remember everything you ever saw.
That would not necessarily be the best thing. Forgetting serve as an important psychological defense, allowing painful (destructive and self-defeating) memories to be inhibited, and irrelevant minutia to be discovered.
And for all those out there who think we're going to evolve into a race of cyborgs: you're crazy... it'll go MUCH further than that.
Take it to the logical conclusion - once reality is internally generated what need is there to remain a part of the external world? Start your own universe in which you are God...
We will become the Borg, but not in a bad way.
The borg aren't necessarily in a bad was as it is. You just have to give up your freedom and individualism in order to be part of the greater collective. If your life "sucks" this might be a desirable outcome.
If you combine the properties of humans and computers and end up with something which does not have the best of both.. then you haven't done it right.
Assuming that such a thing is possible, that is.
The internet will evolve from being a global suppository of all human knowledge into actually being humanity. We will be the nodes on the network. It won't take long either. Just 150 years or so at this rate.
It will likely require a whole new generation of people raised with the teaching that this is the way to go. Revolutionary ideas often become reality by attrition (i.e. those who oppose it grow old and die).
Of course, this is bound to cause a little friction during the transitional period. Some people will doubtless object, and probably consider the end of humanity as we know it to be a bad thing. I don't think the induhviduals (as Dogbert would have it) will stand much of a chance though, they'll be seriously out-smarted and the reliance which regular humanity places on computers will make them pathetically unable to fight against those who have plugged in.
Resistance is futile,eh? Intelligence does not guarantee evolutionary superiority or guaranteed dominance, its just one trait or tool at the disposal of those who possess it.
The HumaNet might have to annihilate them to protect itself. It's a bit like the old chestnut of being trapped in a room with a potential madman - you best kill him first in case he's thinking the same thing that you are. The HumaNet and humanity will essentially be different species so the potential for distrust and misunderstanding is high.
I would hope that the most essential part of us - our humanity - would survive in the transition. Otherwise won't we just be mindless killing machines without compassion or a desire to work towards solutions in a peaceful, non-destructive fashion?
Personally I hope that won't be necessary. The HumaNet will probably be smart enough to protect itself without resorting to annihilation even if humanity tries to destroy it. The HumaNet will take pleasure in letting some loose humans roam free - in the same way that we like to think of Apes still living wild and free in the jungle.
Heh.
Sorry guys, I seem to be losing it.
Maybe you are overclocking your brain?;-)
I wonder how many MP3s you can get on that thing...
Slashdot Mirror
Claiming Intellectual Property is unique is concep t that I have trouble grasping. It basically says that I had a thought that no one else may have.
My view of "Intellectual Property" is that it is merely a way of acknowledging someone as having thought of the idea first. And by "thought of" I mean not just having the idea, but having refined it so as to be usable.
I agree that the idea of copyright and patent are really absurd when viewed from the viewpoint of the information itself. But I think that what these really are are social agreements. When someone comes up with a good idea, there is usually some work involved, and if one puts effort into producing something, one may feel a sort of paternal affinity, as if part of oneself has been put into their creation. Now if someone else comes along and just takes it away, how does that make the person who created it feel?
Parents have to let go of their children eventually, although they never stop being their parents. Copyright and patents seem to me to merely be a way or societal convention of respect for those who contribute useful ideas to society. Now maybe they take it a bit to far, but...
Marv
Ok, the idea of having multiple flat panels combined to increase aggregate resolution is interesting. But I must say that I am not impressed by what this company has done. I could just as easily go out and buy four flat panel displays and weld em together.
:)
If they really wanted to provide something unique, why didn't they create a new frame to contain all the LCDs, and place the LCDs with the frame with a minimal gap between frames. From the picture it looks like there might be as much as two inches whereas with a solution such as the one I suggest that might be reduced to under 1/2 or even 1/4 inch (less than 1.27 or 0.64 cm).
Oh, and while everyone is on the topic of bashing LCDs, when are more of them going to be touch sensitive?! (especially one laptops!
Marv
Has anyone ever tried to change the resolution on a Flat Panel? Yeah, right...
Um, maybe I am missing something, but I can change resolutions on my flat panel any time just by hitting ctrl+alt+'+' or ctrl+alt+'-'. Under X-windows I can go from 640x480 to 1024x768. I also can run in "full screen mode" running VMware.
Am I missing something here?
Marv
Actually it is, for me at least. It just takes a wee bit of adjustment (read: fingers closer together) so after a long day of typing at a regular keyboard that must be remembered.
Marv
The term "Open Source" was controversial when it first came up, as those in the "Free Software" camp felt it compromised some of the principles they stood for.
Maybe now is the chance to chose a better name. Free Software advocates have long complained that there is no word in English to distinguish between free beer and free speech, although they note that such a difference exists in other language.
So why not borrow from another language? Maybe something like Libre Software (or Liberated Software even if that isnt seen as perjorative) could be used to really say what is meant. Of course this probably won't please everyone still, as I suspect that many who use the term "Open Source" really don't want to give users as much freedom as Free Software authors would.
Marv
I think it's spelled "terabit"
(Fine, now you can moderate my post down: -1, Picky first post)
...and you'll be able to
remember everything you ever saw.
That would not necessarily be the best thing. Forgetting serve as an important psychological defense, allowing painful (destructive and self-defeating) memories to be inhibited, and irrelevant minutia to be discovered.
And for all those out there who think we're going to evolve into a race of cyborgs:
you're crazy... it'll go MUCH further than that.
Take it to the logical conclusion - once reality is internally generated what need is there to remain a part of the external world? Start your own universe in which you are God...
We will become the Borg, but not in a bad way.
The borg aren't necessarily in a bad was as it is. You just have to give up your freedom and individualism in order to be part of the greater collective. If your life "sucks" this might be a desirable outcome.
If you combine the properties of humans and computers and end up with something which does not have the best of both.. then you haven't done it right.
Assuming that such a thing is possible, that is.
The internet will evolve from being
a global suppository of all human knowledge into actually being humanity. We will be the
nodes on the network. It won't take long either. Just 150 years or so at this rate.
It will likely require a whole new generation of people raised with the teaching that this is the way to go. Revolutionary ideas often become reality by attrition (i.e. those who oppose it grow old and die).
Of course, this is bound to cause a little friction during the transitional period.
Some people will doubtless object, and probably consider the end of humanity
as we know it to be a bad thing. I don't think the induhviduals (as Dogbert would have it)
will stand much of a chance though, they'll be seriously out-smarted and the
reliance which regular humanity places on computers will make them pathetically
unable to fight against those who have plugged in.
Resistance is futile,eh? Intelligence does not guarantee evolutionary superiority or guaranteed dominance, its just one trait or tool at the disposal of those who possess it.
The HumaNet might have to
annihilate them to protect itself. It's a bit like the old chestnut of being trapped
in a room with a potential madman - you best kill him first in case he's thinking
the same thing that you are. The HumaNet and humanity will essentially be different
species so the potential for distrust and misunderstanding is high.
I would hope that the most essential part of us - our humanity - would survive in the transition. Otherwise won't we just be mindless killing machines without compassion or a desire to work towards solutions in a peaceful, non-destructive fashion?
Personally I hope that won't be necessary. The HumaNet will probably be smart
enough to protect itself without resorting to annihilation even if humanity tries to destroy it.
The HumaNet will take pleasure in letting some loose humans roam free - in the same way
that we like to think of Apes still living wild and free in the jungle.
Heh.
Sorry guys, I seem to be losing it.
Maybe you are overclocking your brain?
I wonder how many MP3s you can get on that thing...
Never enough, I'm sure!
Marvin