I think it will be interesting when an estate tries to sue someone for producing something "in the style of" a particular dead artist. It'll totally be worth it if it gets rid of the Nickleback derivatives.
The problem there is that the law serves too many purposes. We expect it to solve political, moral and economic problems. This creates an environment where yesterday's pragmatism is becomes tomorrow's iron fist.
But if there isn't a review what keeps them from making sure that everyone isn't trying to commit "cyber-stalking", "cyber-harassment" or thousands of possible felonies? The last time I check it isn't all that hard to commit some kind of felony offense. Odds are you or someone you know did something this week that a case could be built around. Something that didn't involve voter fraud, murder, poisoning a river or doing horrible things to innocent children.
So you ripped that tag off of the mattress. Can you prove that you don't know someone in the mattress manufacturing industry? I see that you received a rebate on that "product". Can you prove to the court that you did not conspire with the Serta to remove the tag and that the monetary incentive you received wasn't payment for that removal? I should also remind you that perjury will get you thrown in jail for the next 5 years and obstruction of justice, however we happen to define it, is also a crime, so please, answer the question.
Of course this is a silly example that I'd hope no jury would fall for, but the truth of it is if certain people want you in jail, odds are, you are going to jail.
I can remember when I only saw them in audio supply catalogs. At the time you didn't purchase a Monster cable because of their "wooden knob" claims (though they did stretch the truth, even back then), instead you bought them because of the lifetime warranty. Sure, I just paid $100 for a 20 foot guitar cable, but it "should" be the last 20 foot guitar cable I have to buy. No idea if they still do that.
I think I'd want the Windows Phone 7 Series Enterprise Professional phone. Anything less would require 7 or 8 additional packages at $500 each to get the full functionality.
I'd swap out very nice UI (as it brings the GUI to mind) with multi-touch. After playing with other devices and netbooks, I'd say that this is the one feature that I wish everyone else would copy instead of attempt to re-imagine. It seems like every smart phone out there tries to do something with a zoom bar, when it is almost ingrained in me to simply put my fingers on it and try to "stretch out" the page. The GUI, on the other hand, feels more and more lacking as I tinker with it. It has all of the appeal of shuffling a deck of cards.
After going around the block a few times I've had to come to the conclusion that GUIs can suck and so long as the application is robust enough to suit my needs. This is fine. Work flow is the real deal breaker. To cite a popular example, you have Blender and Gimp. Both have UIs that are far from friendly to the user, but once you get around the mountain of key commands and oddly placed boxes, Blender is a perfectly fine program, while Gimp still feels like a box of tangled yarn. Eclipse is a similar situation. After you get past its idiosyncrasies you can get the job done. Now whether or not developers should have to deal with getting to know the ins and outs of a UI (yes, the irony of that doesn't escape me), is a completely different question.
There is a grain of truth to it. A certain amount of the blame for childhood torture does belong to the victim, because they allow it to happen; at least that is what mom always said. The problem is that (at least in America) we live in a liability obsessed society where we frown on a child standing up for him/herself. When little Billy gets picked on and beaten up and he does finally hit back, all a bully has to do is turn him in. Then the administration hits back by calling the cops for assault and battery, getting him expelled and perhaps sending him off to DJJ.
On the other hand it is a hell of a lot easier to get people do to things when doing things is the only chance they have. You could go out and build wind turbines or you could starve. Millions of rural Chinese are choosing to not starve.
Also, and just because I have a few bones to pick with the article/blog, saying that China is leading the way on solar and wind is like saying that a diabetic is leading the fight against world hunger and sugar imbalance. Of course they are producing more solar panels and wind turbines than anyone else, they are producing more of anything else than anybody else. This is just stating the obvious while the blogger quietly applauds China's take on cap and trade.
As as far as green infrastructure building goes, of course they are. They have a ton of people and what would save other countries a penny, will costs China billions. If China didn't take that approach it would be like Wal-Mart swapping out their distribution chair for backpacked clowns on pogo sticks.
I can't help but think this law is well intended, but the consequences haven't been thought out. Like any other law it becomes a tool of law enforcement and there are plenty of people in jail who can tell you that calling a crime hotline is an awesome way to incriminate yourself as an accessory. Why? Because as your friendly district attorney will tell you, if the crime is bad enough somebody has to go to jail, if not he/she will appear soft on crime and possibly lose any chance of re-election.
Class differences and the contexts provided by those differences also played (and still play) a huge part in this. A poor wretch who breast feeds her 30 kids while pulling a plow and walking around in the muck wouldn't have inspired the same sense of titillation as a wealthy, unwed lady in a low cut dress.
I think it will be interesting when an estate tries to sue someone for producing something "in the style of" a particular dead artist. It'll totally be worth it if it gets rid of the Nickleback derivatives.
The problem there is that the law serves too many purposes. We expect it to solve political, moral and economic problems. This creates an environment where yesterday's pragmatism is becomes tomorrow's iron fist.
You my friend, have never watched Numb3rs.
I don't think it is bad design that is in question, but content.
The sad part is, if you wanted to clean up space, selling your method as a new weapons platform sounds like the only viable way to get funding.
But if there isn't a review what keeps them from making sure that everyone isn't trying to commit "cyber-stalking", "cyber-harassment" or thousands of possible felonies? The last time I check it isn't all that hard to commit some kind of felony offense. Odds are you or someone you know did something this week that a case could be built around. Something that didn't involve voter fraud, murder, poisoning a river or doing horrible things to innocent children.
So you ripped that tag off of the mattress. Can you prove that you don't know someone in the mattress manufacturing industry? I see that you received a rebate on that "product". Can you prove to the court that you did not conspire with the Serta to remove the tag and that the monetary incentive you received wasn't payment for that removal? I should also remind you that perjury will get you thrown in jail for the next 5 years and obstruction of justice, however we happen to define it, is also a crime, so please, answer the question.
Of course this is a silly example that I'd hope no jury would fall for, but the truth of it is if certain people want you in jail, odds are, you are going to jail.
I can remember when I only saw them in audio supply catalogs. At the time you didn't purchase a Monster cable because of their "wooden knob" claims (though they did stretch the truth, even back then), instead you bought them because of the lifetime warranty. Sure, I just paid $100 for a 20 foot guitar cable, but it "should" be the last 20 foot guitar cable I have to buy. No idea if they still do that.
Ahh, I've had this problem before. Autodial ended up being the culprit.
If you are worried about being nothing but a select statement there are always alternatives. http://xkcd.com/327/
I think I'd want the Windows Phone 7 Series Enterprise Professional phone. Anything less would require 7 or 8 additional packages at $500 each to get the full functionality.
I'd swap out very nice UI (as it brings the GUI to mind) with multi-touch. After playing with other devices and netbooks, I'd say that this is the one feature that I wish everyone else would copy instead of attempt to re-imagine. It seems like every smart phone out there tries to do something with a zoom bar, when it is almost ingrained in me to simply put my fingers on it and try to "stretch out" the page. The GUI, on the other hand, feels more and more lacking as I tinker with it. It has all of the appeal of shuffling a deck of cards.
Yes, and they made sure that the horrible vagetative serial rapist will spend plenty of time in the state prison!
After going around the block a few times I've had to come to the conclusion that GUIs can suck and so long as the application is robust enough to suit my needs. This is fine. Work flow is the real deal breaker. To cite a popular example, you have Blender and Gimp. Both have UIs that are far from friendly to the user, but once you get around the mountain of key commands and oddly placed boxes, Blender is a perfectly fine program, while Gimp still feels like a box of tangled yarn. Eclipse is a similar situation. After you get past its idiosyncrasies you can get the job done. Now whether or not developers should have to deal with getting to know the ins and outs of a UI (yes, the irony of that doesn't escape me), is a completely different question.
There is a grain of truth to it. A certain amount of the blame for childhood torture does belong to the victim, because they allow it to happen; at least that is what mom always said. The problem is that (at least in America) we live in a liability obsessed society where we frown on a child standing up for him/herself. When little Billy gets picked on and beaten up and he does finally hit back, all a bully has to do is turn him in. Then the administration hits back by calling the cops for assault and battery, getting him expelled and perhaps sending him off to DJJ.
Is kdawson obsessed with China or is kdawson obsessed with a China obsessed NYT?
On the other hand it is a hell of a lot easier to get people do to things when doing things is the only chance they have. You could go out and build wind turbines or you could starve. Millions of rural Chinese are choosing to not starve.
Also, and just because I have a few bones to pick with the article/blog, saying that China is leading the way on solar and wind is like saying that a diabetic is leading the fight against world hunger and sugar imbalance. Of course they are producing more solar panels and wind turbines than anyone else, they are producing more of anything else than anybody else. This is just stating the obvious while the blogger quietly applauds China's take on cap and trade.
As as far as green infrastructure building goes, of course they are. They have a ton of people and what would save other countries a penny, will costs China billions. If China didn't take that approach it would be like Wal-Mart swapping out their distribution chair for backpacked clowns on pogo sticks.
I can't help but think this law is well intended, but the consequences haven't been thought out. Like any other law it becomes a tool of law enforcement and there are plenty of people in jail who can tell you that calling a crime hotline is an awesome way to incriminate yourself as an accessory. Why? Because as your friendly district attorney will tell you, if the crime is bad enough somebody has to go to jail, if not he/she will appear soft on crime and possibly lose any chance of re-election.
My apologies, I misread the article.
Publish? Why should they open up anything to anyone other than the patent office?
Class differences and the contexts provided by those differences also played (and still play) a huge part in this. A poor wretch who breast feeds her 30 kids while pulling a plow and walking around in the muck wouldn't have inspired the same sense of titillation as a wealthy, unwed lady in a low cut dress.
As an IT worker that sounds like the most horrible place on Earth.
I predict you'll be reading Cringely blog or Calacanis tweets again this afternoon.
Wow, comparing an Apple tablet to a McLaren. And some wonder why Apple's fans are so often labeled elitist.
4chan is a hell of an organization.
It isn't that extremist feel ethically bound to kill innocents, it is because they feel morally obligated.