I think he should have specified finacially unservicable personally, since your absolutely right- There is no physical reason to keep us from doing the job. Maybe once we get that moon base operational, sure, but as of this time it's probably just too damn expensive.
Or burning... Ahem, anyway, i agree with the parent on this one. We're literally torching a lot of history here. I mean, look what they did to the Enterprise...
Ok, busted JRR Tolkien's spelling:p Actually, yeah, I'd give him the same lattitude for Windows.com as I would give with JRRTolkien.com. After all, doesn't Angela Windows have the same claim? And even if it weren't a last name, I'd still give it to him. Again, he obtained it legally, just like a piece of real life land. Just because the land he bought happens to have a vally named Tolkien Valley doesn't mean jack squat. Tolkien, nor his predessessors have any legitimate prior claim to it in any way, shape or form. He bought it, they didn't and now the land is worth something. Looks like they missed a prime investment opportunity that he didn't.
Sorry fo the Tolkien Estate. They missed out just like any other land/stock deal. Tough shit. But you can purchase it at todays prices-- Whatever the man is asking.
Since they are the registar is figuratively and literally charging rent for the domain name, couldn't they actually charge more for it since it is now worth much more. You get charged more for apartments for being in a more desirable location, so why not domain names. Damn, I'd so love to see them get hosed with something like that since I totally agree with Muddie-- It doesn't matter what the man was doing with the domain/land as long as he aquired it legally. As everybody else has mentioned, I won't be getting a piece of McDonalds, Coke or Mircosoft.com just because it happens to be my last name as well. The Tokkien estate, by all rights ought be SOL just as they would be in IRL. Tough shit.
The difference between this guy and people sticking "I pwn this!" signs every thirty miles in virgin country is that this guy actually paid- through legal process -the deed for this land. Let's say that land had a famous hill named Tokkien Hill (JRRTokkien wrote his books up there on warm summer nights, ok?). That, by no means gives the Tokkien Estate the right to kick you off and set up a printing shop in their namesake no matter what you are doing with the land, ESPECIALLY after being duly and legally appointed the land.
Infact, just like real life, the value of the land increases the more people want it. If you want a piece of land on the beach in California, you can expect to pay big bucks for it because it's prime location. Guess what? JRRTokkien.com is prime real estate and thus the owner of that domain should get just compensation, if not exactly the price he asks for it. This guy had the foresight to pay $50 for the domain (or whatever) and now it's worth $5 million. He was in the right place at the right time with the right idea before shit became popular. Had the internet lost steam, his $50 could have been wasted. Would the Tokkien franchise have compensated him for that since they now have such a dire attachment to it?
Sorry, but this guy got shafted hard. He bought the land and wisely positioned himself for a trend that should have paid out huge. The Tokkien estate, however, missed the boat. People miss the boat every day and are told tough shit for better reasons than this. I don't care how many books the dead guy wrote Tokkien Hill, the squater should be paid the value of the property as it stands today, just like any other much sought after piece of land. He was there first, legally.
The only exception I would make to this is using the domain to slander somebody else of the same name. Anything else is pure BS.
"The public's irrational fear of all things nuclear..."
Wrong audience. It's not really the public's irrational fear, so much as certain environmental groups stirring the pot with nightmare senarios that have very remote chances of happening. I'd say the average public doesn't really care where the power comes from as long as it's A) Not in their back yard and B) Doesn't try and kill them in the process of making it. These are also the same groups that oppose drilling on US soil, even though it would drastically lessen our dependence on foreign oil (read: Middle East).
I submit that the public at large can stomach a nuclear launch that has a lower risk of fatalities per year than the millions of tons of polution dumped into the atmosphere per year world wide. It's the reactionary weenie environmentalists* that need to be put in their place.
*Not all environmentalists fall into this catagory, so put your troll down. Slowly.
Beyond the "actors can do it, so can you" theme here, you couldn't hope for anything better than to start hitting the actors for violations, turning them against against the copyright movement itself. It's interesting to see that apparently some of the people who actually work in the industry don't think the problem is big enough to hurt THEIR paychecks.
Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that MS was refereing to other portable MP3 hardware when it made the iPod monopolistic claims, as opposed to applicaions in general. Yes, we all know iTunes has other uses beyond the iPod, but to my knowledge, it can only be used for the iPod in the realm of portable MP3 hardware. In that, they are absolutely correct in what they said. One would think that apple is trying to secure absolute dominance on there computer market for their player. I mean, how many choices do you have for a software/hardware combination, let alone one that Apple endorces? Besides, Apple has always been about having an iron grip on anything connected to their name. proprietary, proprietary, proprietary.... Beyond the OS itself, MS doesn't have anything close to that sort of software/hardware control (yes, yes, preloaded windows. It's not your only choice and you damn well know it)....Whether it's important or not is a different story altogether. it's not as if Apple is hurting anybody's market share at this point, iTunes or no. This isn't going to be the thing to propel them to umber-monopoly status. And before I recieve that flame that's being undoubtably typed up, I'll be the first to admit it's hilarious to hear MS crying about monopoly's for once.
Nor is it wrong for the creator of said information to recieve just compensation for its creation and use. And the law of supply and demand begs to differ with you-- Their information does diminish in value when it can be widely/easily/freely distributed. And I'm sorry, but you don't have a right to know. You don't have a right to know what Cowboy Neil is doing with that sock puppet in the bathroom late at night, let alone distribute information that isn't yours simply because information is free, baby. It's not. The world does not work that way, nor has it worked that way for millenia, and it's not for lack of trying. In fact, go tell Coca Cola that since information is free, you should be allowed to copy their reciept and distribute across the net. Just let me know when you do so I can be their ro laugh my ass off at you.
Not that I don't -ahem- copy information, just that I'm realistic in knowing I don't have an automatic right to it. you want free information? Try telepathy. I seem to remember somebody (three guesses) refering to it as one of the worst curses you could bestow upon a civilzation.
How so? It doesn't sound like you are force to distrubute/sell the CD to make money, simply buy it. If this is illegal, then so are rebate coupons and the like.
I'm serious. All you hardcore space exploration people have one country above all others to thank for this, and it's the one who just recently put their first man into orbit and has been spouting off about a moon base for the better half of last year. And from paranoia's point of view, I can see why. Space is the ultimate high ground and danged if I'd want a nation with China's human rights record dominating it. But regardless of how or why...
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a space race!...And it's all good.
Both yas have been missing the polls. Bush doesn't need a mission to a planet that less than a 10% of the US population cares about. Infact, according to every credible poll, he doesn't need Mars or the Moon period to win the next election. Taking out Afaganistan and Iraq and capturing Saddam already did that for him (whether you agree with the reasoning behind them or not).
It'll certainly raise his coolness factor up a point or three, but his reelection was a forgone conclusion long before this.
Ah, but I never said it should be entirely based on country of origin, just that it helps in everything you do. I did mention exactly that point about your own self worth, such as being he most punk rock motherfucker imaginable as well.
It's not just a fundementally competitive attitude. It's knowing you are the best, which doesn't nessisarily walk hand in hand with thinking other countries are less important. It's something every citizen of every country needs-- Absolute pride in ones country and self. yes, that is patriotism in self and country, as bad of a word that seems to be at times. I actually see a problem with any countryman who doesn't see their coutry as the best, be it the USA or Uganda... That sense of self-worth is priceless and there are plenty of countries out there who give themselves a bad inferiority complex, or their people one.
I'm surprised those martians haven't complained about the amount of spam they've been recieveing lately. They need to prop up that firewall and update those virus definitions or something... Before they know it they'll get some probe claiming to be the South African heir to a fortune, asking them for a small deposite to leverage their millions...
'The movie industry, he said, has to ask itself what the music industry should have asked years ago: 'Why do they want to steal from us?' The answer, he said, is simple: 'Because you won't sell them what they want.'
It's not that we don't want what they sell, it's that they over-inflate the crap out of their products pricing and they're not fooling anybody. Anyway...
So tell me, what was the #1 downloaded movie off Kazaa? I mean besides 'Orgy Party 5'... Something tells me it wasn't a Bollywood production regardless of how much more money they make. And go figure; the population of India is over 1 billion with the US lagging behind at only 300 million. Call it a stretch, but somthing tells me it's not international demand fueling their movie industry. They only have about 700,000,000 more potential viewers... Go figure.
No, it's just very VERY unprofessional looking. If your comapny can't get the english in simple dialogue boxes right, what else are you going to screw up?
Of course, one would think that Slashdot gamers would know that Japan is practically the gaming capital of the world. One would also assume that such a monopoly on the English language does not belong soley to "westerners" as it is the language of commerce worldwide.
Of course, then I met a stereotyping Anonomous Coward who assumed way too much himself.
Slashdot Mirror
I think he should have specified finacially unservicable personally, since your absolutely right- There is no physical reason to keep us from doing the job. Maybe once we get that moon base operational, sure, but as of this time it's probably just too damn expensive.
Or burning...
Ahem, anyway, i agree with the parent on this one. We're literally torching a lot of history here. I mean, look what they did to the Enterprise...
Becase, um, saftey reasons maybe?
Ok, busted JRR Tolkien's spelling :p
Actually, yeah, I'd give him the same lattitude for Windows.com as I would give with JRRTolkien.com. After all, doesn't Angela Windows have the same claim? And even if it weren't a last name, I'd still give it to him. Again, he obtained it legally, just like a piece of real life land. Just because the land he bought happens to have a vally named Tolkien Valley doesn't mean jack squat. Tolkien, nor his predessessors have any legitimate prior claim to it in any way, shape or form. He bought it, they didn't and now the land is worth something. Looks like they missed a prime investment opportunity that he didn't.
Sorry fo the Tolkien Estate. They missed out just like any other land/stock deal. Tough shit. But you can purchase it at todays prices-- Whatever the man is asking.
Since they are the registar is figuratively and literally charging rent for the domain name, couldn't they actually charge more for it since it is now worth much more. You get charged more for apartments for being in a more desirable location, so why not domain names. Damn, I'd so love to see them get hosed with something like that since I totally agree with Muddie-- It doesn't matter what the man was doing with the domain/land as long as he aquired it legally. As everybody else has mentioned, I won't be getting a piece of McDonalds, Coke or Mircosoft.com just because it happens to be my last name as well. The Tokkien estate, by all rights ought be SOL just as they would be in IRL. Tough shit.
The difference between this guy and people sticking "I pwn this!" signs every thirty miles in virgin country is that this guy actually paid- through legal process -the deed for this land. Let's say that land had a famous hill named Tokkien Hill (JRRTokkien wrote his books up there on warm summer nights, ok?). That, by no means gives the Tokkien Estate the right to kick you off and set up a printing shop in their namesake no matter what you are doing with the land, ESPECIALLY after being duly and legally appointed the land.
Infact, just like real life, the value of the land increases the more people want it. If you want a piece of land on the beach in California, you can expect to pay big bucks for it because it's prime location. Guess what? JRRTokkien.com is prime real estate and thus the owner of that domain should get just compensation, if not exactly the price he asks for it. This guy had the foresight to pay $50 for the domain (or whatever) and now it's worth $5 million. He was in the right place at the right time with the right idea before shit became popular. Had the internet lost steam, his $50 could have been wasted. Would the Tokkien franchise have compensated him for that since they now have such a dire attachment to it?
Sorry, but this guy got shafted hard. He bought the land and wisely positioned himself for a trend that should have paid out huge. The Tokkien estate, however, missed the boat. People miss the boat every day and are told tough shit for better reasons than this. I don't care how many books the dead guy wrote Tokkien Hill, the squater should be paid the value of the property as it stands today, just like any other much sought after piece of land. He was there first, legally.
The only exception I would make to this is using the domain to slander somebody else of the same name. Anything else is pure BS.
"The public's irrational fear of all things nuclear..."
Wrong audience. It's not really the public's irrational fear, so much as certain environmental groups stirring the pot with nightmare senarios that have very remote chances of happening. I'd say the average public doesn't really care where the power comes from as long as it's A) Not in their back yard and B) Doesn't try and kill them in the process of making it. These are also the same groups that oppose drilling on US soil, even though it would drastically lessen our dependence on foreign oil (read: Middle East).
I submit that the public at large can stomach a nuclear launch that has a lower risk of fatalities per year than the millions of tons of polution dumped into the atmosphere per year world wide. It's the reactionary weenie environmentalists* that need to be put in their place.
*Not all environmentalists fall into this catagory, so put your troll down. Slowly.
Beyond the "actors can do it, so can you" theme here, you couldn't hope for anything better than to start hitting the actors for violations, turning them against against the copyright movement itself. It's interesting to see that apparently some of the people who actually work in the industry don't think the problem is big enough to hurt THEIR paychecks.
Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that MS was refereing to other portable MP3 hardware when it made the iPod monopolistic claims, as opposed to applicaions in general. Yes, we all know iTunes has other uses beyond the iPod, but to my knowledge, it can only be used for the iPod in the realm of portable MP3 hardware. In that, they are absolutely correct in what they said. One would think that apple is trying to secure absolute dominance on there computer market for their player. I mean, how many choices do you have for a software/hardware combination, let alone one that Apple endorces? Besides, Apple has always been about having an iron grip on anything connected to their name. proprietary, proprietary, proprietary.... Beyond the OS itself, MS doesn't have anything close to that sort of software/hardware control (yes, yes, preloaded windows. It's not your only choice and you damn well know it). ...Whether it's important or not is a different story altogether. it's not as if Apple is hurting anybody's market share at this point, iTunes or no. This isn't going to be the thing to propel them to umber-monopoly status. And before I recieve that flame that's being undoubtably typed up, I'll be the first to admit it's hilarious to hear MS crying about monopoly's for once.
Can't we just nuke the ice caps and save ourselves a few billion in water detecting probes?
Yes. that IS a joke.
Nor is it wrong for the creator of said information to recieve just compensation for its creation and use. And the law of supply and demand begs to differ with you-- Their information does diminish in value when it can be widely/easily/freely distributed. And I'm sorry, but you don't have a right to know. You don't have a right to know what Cowboy Neil is doing with that sock puppet in the bathroom late at night, let alone distribute information that isn't yours simply because information is free, baby. It's not. The world does not work that way, nor has it worked that way for millenia, and it's not for lack of trying. In fact, go tell Coca Cola that since information is free, you should be allowed to copy their reciept and distribute across the net. Just let me know when you do so I can be their ro laugh my ass off at you.
Not that I don't -ahem- copy information, just that I'm realistic in knowing I don't have an automatic right to it. you want free information? Try telepathy. I seem to remember somebody (three guesses) refering to it as one of the worst curses you could bestow upon a civilzation.
Of course, there is the fact that that you're the one actually paying for the government subsidies anyway...
How so? It doesn't sound like you are force to distrubute/sell the CD to make money, simply buy it. If this is illegal, then so are rebate coupons and the like.
"China has a focused and reliable space program."
Such as....?
I'm serious. All you hardcore space exploration people have one country above all others to thank for this, and it's the one who just recently put their first man into orbit and has been spouting off about a moon base for the better half of last year. And from paranoia's point of view, I can see why. Space is the ultimate high ground and danged if I'd want a nation with China's human rights record dominating it. But regardless of how or why...
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a space race!
Both yas have been missing the polls. Bush doesn't need a mission to a planet that less than a 10% of the US population cares about. Infact, according to every credible poll, he doesn't need Mars or the Moon period to win the next election. Taking out Afaganistan and Iraq and capturing Saddam already did that for him (whether you agree with the reasoning behind them or not).
It'll certainly raise his coolness factor up a point or three, but his reelection was a forgone conclusion long before this.
Ah, but I never said it should be entirely based on country of origin, just that it helps in everything you do. I did mention exactly that point about your own self worth, such as being he most punk rock motherfucker imaginable as well.
It's not just a fundementally competitive attitude. It's knowing you are the best, which doesn't nessisarily walk hand in hand with thinking other countries are less important. It's something every citizen of every country needs-- Absolute pride in ones country and self. yes, that is patriotism in self and country, as bad of a word that seems to be at times. I actually see a problem with any countryman who doesn't see their coutry as the best, be it the USA or Uganda... That sense of self-worth is priceless and there are plenty of countries out there who give themselves a bad inferiority complex, or their people one.
I'm surprised those martians haven't complained about the amount of spam they've been recieveing lately. They need to prop up that firewall and update those virus definitions or something... Before they know it they'll get some probe claiming to be the South African heir to a fortune, asking them for a small deposite to leverage their millions...
'The movie industry, he said, has to ask itself what the music industry should have asked years ago: 'Why do they want to steal from us?' The answer, he said, is simple: 'Because you won't sell them what they want.'
It's not that we don't want what they sell, it's that they over-inflate the crap out of their products pricing and they're not fooling anybody. Anyway...
"Sun is inviting Cray (of supercomputer fame) and IBM (needs no introduction) to join..."
Wait-- this is Slashdot, right? News for nerds, remember??? Since when did Cray need an introduction?
So tell me, what was the #1 downloaded movie off Kazaa? I mean besides 'Orgy Party 5'... Something tells me it wasn't a Bollywood production regardless of how much more money they make. And go figure; the population of India is over 1 billion with the US lagging behind at only 300 million. Call it a stretch, but somthing tells me it's not international demand fueling their movie industry. They only have about 700,000,000 more potential viewers... Go figure.
Imagine the replacement battery costs on THAT product....
No, it's just very VERY unprofessional looking. If your comapny can't get the english in simple dialogue boxes right, what else are you going to screw up?
Of course, one would think that Slashdot gamers would know that Japan is practically the gaming capital of the world. One would also assume that such a monopoly on the English language does not belong soley to "westerners" as it is the language of commerce worldwide.
Of course, then I met a stereotyping Anonomous Coward who assumed way too much himself.