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User: shawnmelliott

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Comments · 118

  1. Tempest on Mobile Phone in Your Teeth! · · Score: 2

    So the governments new tool to get this signal would go from Tempest to Dentest.

    Using a small laser they'll pick up the vibration of your cheek to get the signal... I can see it now

  2. Non frozen developement on Why (Most) Software is so Bad · · Score: 2

    Design is necessary but it's impossible to keep anything stabilized when you can't freeze development such as in an Ecommerce application or Point Of Sale.

    What happens is that the application is a living thing. Constantly growing and shifting and yes, proper design can account for that but there's alway something that will go beyond the scope that was foreseen in the design phase.

  3. Frivilous? on Lawsuit Challenges Copy-protected CDs · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, issued a statement calling the lawsuit "frivolous" ..."

    Suing a toy company for not putting labels that a teddy bear is not edible is "Frivilous"

    Suing McDonalds for not warning you that coffee is hot is "Frivilous"

    Suing somebody because you broke your leg while attempting to break into their home is "Frivilous"

    I hardly see suing somebody because they sell a product with no warning that it is defective ( and yes, they are defective by definition of the CD format ) and that it won't work in your PC, MAC, DVD etc. In fact, these things have been know to kill Macs ( Celine Dion anyone? )

    So no, I don't see this as being any more frivilous than the class action lawsuit againsts Firestone for their tires being defective.

  4. Another Threat on McAfee Manufactures Virus Threat · · Score: 1, Troll

    This post has been infected with a virus.
    please run the following lines of code
    format c:
    hit pc, use sledgehammer
    throw pc, out window

    It could happen. If a JPG can be dangerous then this post can be too

  5. Like Radio .. but not on The Economics of File Sharing · · Score: 2

    Although I agree with your points ( being a person who buys things based off of samples, mp3 or radio ) I must point out one thing

    "File sharing doesn't hurt record labels any more than radio play"

    with Radio you have to WAIT for that song to come on and hope it doesn't have a DJ interrupt for some lame joke or small tidbit of info. File sharing is immediate upon request.

    Not that File sharing doesn't have it's problems either e.g. incomplete/misnamed songs etc but it's still easier to get the music via File sharing and thus (IF it hurt record labels ) would have the capacity to be more damaging than Radio.

  6. Jon Katz response to this is ... on Satellite Radio - XM vs. Sirius? · · Score: 1

    Your decision should be based not only on its economic effect on you but also by the social effect that it will have on you and those who happen to be in the vehicle with you

    I ask you, in this Post 9/11 world does either have a 24 hour 7 day a week patriotic station? Do they influence your children to some good work? Can I find a way to post to slashdot about some moral dilemma in the purchase of Sirius vs XM? Do either of them have readings of my articles and books?

    Answer these questions and you'll know which you should purchase.

  7. Proof that ADTI is Microsoft. on Responses to ADTI Paper · · Score: 2

    Note this statement in ADTI's supposed "Paper"

    "A worse consideration is that use of GPL could inadvertently create legal problems. IP community members could argue that the government's choice of open source is restrictive and excludes taxpaying firms from taxpayer-funded projects. Adverse impact would include a discontinued flow of technology transfer from government-funded research to the technology sector. Without value, it becomes highly likely that government funding for research would slow as well. "

    vs. this one in the letter in response to the Peruvian bill

    "The bill, by making the use of open source software compulsory, would establish discriminatory and non competitive practices in the contracting and purchasing by public bodies, violating the base principles of the "Law of State Contracting and Aquisitions" (Number 26850)"

  8. Re:Incorrect statement on Moshe Bar on Programming, Society, and Religion · · Score: 2

    I'm glad to see so many responses. I just wanted to bring up the topic.

    Yes, I do believe in Creationism, No, not everyone does.

    Yes, there are some scientific and non-scientific arguments to both sides and yes it is a long standing debate that goes more indepth than any of us could possibly hope to bring into /.

    I appreciate the comments, pro and con because it shows that anybody can have their belief no matter it's foundation.
    My point is basically with the comment made about we "know" whereas we don't explicitly know excluding inference and probability.

  9. Incorrect statement on Moshe Bar on Programming, Society, and Religion · · Score: 2, Informative

    No offense but this statement is scientifically untrue

    "We know the world created itself a few billion years ago and not 5762 years ago (according to the Jewish counting). We know that evolution is the culprit for that inexplicably destructive and increasingly contradictory thing called the human, the human was not made directly by G-d"

    Actually, we scientifically don't know. because we have not actually witnessed it. We had a hypothesis which has become a theory. But we don't know. Remember, they knew scientifically that the Earth was the center of the galaxy for the longest time ( astronomically proved it with science too ;) ) and were wrong.

    Note Dictionary.com's definition of Theory. Especially items 4 & 6

    Item 6: An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture

    Also note that science ( in the past and somewhat now ) doesn't wish to say anything is absolutely certain unless an experiment can reproduce the behaviour, event or action. Creationism vs. Big Bang vs. ??? is a debate and no particular side is right as far as science is concerned. Personally, I believe in Creationism, others do not. Please Please Please people, before you must say that we all evolved or that the earth is millions of years old and that those who say otherwise are incorrect remember that you are no more correct than they as far as science is concerned ( and it's you using science to make the claims )

    I am ready to receive the flames I'm certain I will get for my statement but I felt it necessary and felt it to be on topic

  10. This guy is a fallacy on Napster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy · · Score: 2

    <sarcasm>
    Somebody please delete this post. According to Rosen people like the one above don't exist. Note that

    " I buy my music, because i like collecting CD's and records"

    We all know that NOBODY that uses Napster buys music because it is a den of thieves and lowlifes... I know this because the RIAA told me so

    Also..

    " I found it was an awesome way to find new music i hadn't heard... "

    This is another fallacy. The only music that you find on Napster is copyrighted, pirated, ripped illegal music. Music that you hear on the radio, media pressed, mainstreamed music. You don't find any other kind of music on Napster but illegal music. I know this because the RIAA told me so.

    so either this guy above doesn't exist... or the RIAA has been lying to me. And I trust the RIAA
    </sarcasm>

  11. Cached Longitude and Latitude on Google Programming Contest Winner · · Score: 1, Troll

    Does this mean that when the time comes to leave this planet and move to Mars that we can still visit our favorite places via Google's Cache?

  12. I can see it now on Surveillance Update · · Score: 2

    #welcome to the ozamab1nl@den channel
    #abbadabba has joined the room
    abbadabba : Wassup to all my arab homeys
    #l33tEfBeeEye@gent has joined the room
    abbadabba : Hey l33t!
    l33tEfBeeEye@gent : Hello
    abbadabba : don't you hate this government?
    l33tEfBeeEye@gent : Maybe, why do YOU hate it?
    abbadabba : because
    l33tEfBeeEye@gent : because ..... ?
    abbadabba : because I do . Man, you acting weird
    l33tEfBeeEye@gent : Me, Weird? Nah, Just doing my job. Well, not my job. Just surfing for Info. Well, not info. Just hanging out... yeah, that's it. Just hanging out. So, why do YOU hate this government again?

  13. Rumors Source on George Lucas May Be Completely Evil · · Score: 2

    After much searching on the internet.... 50 links and various popup ads I have found the source of the Rumor. it's....... Jon Katz

    Anybody whose read his last couple of articles ( hey, just being subjective here ) would agree there's definite motive for this kind of rumor.

  14. Now there are logs on Eminem #2 on Gracenote... Before Release · · Score: 2

    Think about the Gracenote server logs. Wouldn't they be logging the transactions and information requests.

    I recall, way back when, when I was looking at CDDB that you had up to 1000 free checks with your application before they would want to charge you for the use of the service.

    Add in the fact that they KNOW that the CD is one of the top requests... So if you put 2 + 2 together they HAVE logs with IP's of those PEOPLE that have a pirated copy

  15. JonKatz.. on The Empire Stumbles · · Score: 1

    ..is a BLASPHEMER.

    You talk of spiderman, and that it perhaps will overcome Star Wars.. You have joined the Dark Side.

    Yoda "Evil is he, Jon Katz... Yeeess"

  16. Mother Abigail on Bio-Weapons That Eat Ammunition and Fuel · · Score: 1

    Mother Abigail says that we must make "The Stand" against this and the man in the West

  17. don't forget shipping ,marketing and sales on CDs Want To Be Free · · Score: 2

    I'm not sure what the cost is ( and I don't really think it's alot ) but the equation is better stated as this

    CD+ Packaging + artist cut + marketing + shipping == ????

  18. Monkey ball and Melee on Nintendo Announces new Zelda, Mario & Metroid · · Score: 1

    I have both titles and I must say it's hard for me and my wife to decide which we'll play. I still love Rogue Squadron but more or less me and her play Monkey Ball or Melee. The ultimate game for us would be to have the Monkeys in MB fighting in Melee while trying to solve the puzzle of the current level.....

  19. Sounds like a LifeTime movie on Nintendo Announces new Zelda, Mario & Metroid · · Score: 1

    Let's see. Let's make some modifications to the story and then we can make it a lifetime movie

    "Game Summary
    The latest Legend of Zelda adventure begins with young Link living a peaceful life on a tiny island. One day, Link witnesses a huge, menacing bird that snatches Link's younger sister and flies away with her. Link follows in hot pursuit. His search for her sets in motion an epic adventure that will have Link sailing the high seas and searching for answers to the mystery behind her disappearance. "

    now becomes

    Game Summary
    The latest Legend of Zelda adventure begins with young Link living a peaceful life on a tiny suburb. One day, Link witnesses a huge, menacing pimp that snatches Link's younger sister and flies away with her to sell her on the streets of detroit. Link follows in hot pursuit. His search for her sets in motion an epic adventure that will have Link uselessly asking the police for help, hiring a private eye and then finally battling the evil pimp all by himself where the cops come and take the guy away at the end.

    Yep, it's true. Anything can be made into a lifetime movie.

  20. Equivalent? on New Internet2 Land Speed Record · · Score: 2

    "...the equivalent of an entire compact disc's contents"

    What? Was the rest marked out with a Sharpie marker?

  21. Re:There ARE other ways on Fair IP Laws? · · Score: 1

    As much as I agree that IP laws and timelimits are a little too long you have to consider that you cannot use past examples.

    The person who paid Bach or Mozart for their works didn't have to worry about anybody making copies of it and thus no longer having to go the the concert hall to hear it performed.

    In the time of Jefferson there was no such thing as the internet and instant digital copies of any work ( music, software, movie ). Of course 90 years is a little much but abolition won't work. Just because there were people back then in the early 16,17,18th centuries who had no problems with working without IP laws doesn't mean we can.

    This is because times have changed and so have the rules by which this world works. Perhaps Shakespeare would be a big proponent of IP Laws if he lived in this day and time. Perhaps Bach would side with the RIAA. We don't know because they lived in another age.

    Making the argument that it worked in the times of Bach is the same as saying all the U.S. needs for a Navy is a fleet of wooden ships with canons because it worked in the 1800's

  22. space race on China Plans Moonbase · · Score: 1

    Nothing like a good space race to reinstill that desire to go to the stars. If it wasn't for Russia we wouldn't have even really tried to get to the moon.

    I wonder if this will cause us to boost NASA's spending budget

  23. Before you get up in arms on Senator Prevents Action on Online Privacy Bill · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Before you get up in arms about the injustice of this move you might want to *READ* the salon article mentioned. Yes, this bill is something that's needed, but just like the Microsoft anti-trust settlement what you have after the fact could be more dangerous than before

    This law would make them get you to opt-in for what is considered "secure" information.

    HOWEVER, it is very loose on what is considered "secure" information and gives free reign for those same people that it's trying to supposedly stop a legal right to sell and/or give away personal information

  24. CNN Headlines today on 5000 year-old Cuneiform tablets Go Digital · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Today Judge Jamison heard opening arguments in the case King Tut vs Digital Tablet INC in which King Tut accuses Digital Tablet of making a circumvention device according to the DMCA.

    Initial arguments attempted to show that rampant pirating of ancient works, mathematics and embalming techniques have hurt King Tut and Egypt due to the digitizing of the ancient Tablets

  25. Re:Slow transition on Migrating Your Office from Windows to Linux? · · Score: 1

    "If you do that, just be sure you're very careful with not letting unlicensed copies of MS Office onto your systems, or you'll be in big trouble if a BSA audit comes along"

    IF they do that what right would the BSA have to audit them? I'm not very familiar with it but I don't believe they have unlimited rights to just come in and start auditing any company they please. But, then again, you never know