Yes, it's hard buying a compute without Windows. But it can be done.
Yeah. Now it can be done much easier. The damage is already done however. I guess we should all blame ourselves for not buying those computers that booted to BeOS. Oh wait, the OEM that manufactured them was pressured (pretty much forced) to making the BeOS boot-up sequence require boot floppies. Do you think the user asked for the OEM to make it hard to boot to BeOS b/c they wanted to give windows a fair chance? Or is it more likely that Microsoft used its power as a monopoly illegally?
That's ok keep apologizing for MS. The lawsuit was just b/c companies couldn't compete. MS is the god of innovation.
What it reflects is an attitude of passive submission that has been drilled into Americans by their government indoctrination centers (read: government schools). The whole rejection of the 2nd Amendment as a vital part of the American ethos is more evidence of this.
Passive submission? WTF?
When getting mugged at gunpoint you should:
a.) See if you can reach inside your jacket and draw before you get shot.
b.) Tell the mugger to wait while you run home and get your shotgun.
c.) Hand over your 50 bucks and walk away alive. Oh wait, you'd be passively submitting if you did this one.
Carrying a handgun is not going to magically make crime disappear. It might be nice to have the option to draw, but it might not be the best solution. Don't act as if handing out handguns to everyone cannot possible create a host of new problems.
Passive submission in regards to flying: When a plane is hijacked you were never supposed to attack the hijackers. You were supposed to allow the authorities to negotiate with the hijackers and take action. Wanna-be heroes get people killed. I don't want to get shot because you think you can take on trained hijackers with your handgun. How many stray bullets do you think are going to miss passengers?
The people on the planes had no idea if the terrorists had a bomb on the plane or not. It wasn't until the people on the PA flight (99?) learned that they were most likely going to die anyway did they rightfully take action and save lives.
Tell that to the very intelligent and resourceful Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto.
This snide comment means nothing. Literally taken I'm supposed to tell the intelligent and resourceful Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto (who cares about the dumb and unimaginative ones) that knowledge is more important than guns. Because I mean look at all the redneck ignorant hicks that have guns. They are still free. Won't i rather be ignorant and have a gun then be knowledgeable and not have a gun? That way i can repel attacks if the US army ever invades my house. whatever. Besides, the poster is talking about knowledge not intelligence. If the jews in the Warsaw ghetto had the knowledge necessary to somehow evacuate their families and countrymen out of Poland, i'm sure they would have rather done that then simpy stocking up on more weapons only to be crushed by superior Nazi forces.
It looks like Transmeta had no trouble entering asian markets but alot of trouble entering the US market. I wonder if they were "blocked" in the same way that BeOS was "blocked" in entering the OS market.
Does anyone know if/how Intel did/could block them from finding someone to produce and sell their chips?
"Who is worse, the people who abuse privileges/freedoms, or the people who limit the privileges/freedoms to curb the abuse."
Easy, the people who limit freedoms.
They should know better. They have been elected to uphold the constitution which provides for both a limited term on copyright and freedom of speech.
It's like asking who is worse, the teachers that break rules or the students? And it should be clear that the teachers are supposed to be the role models.
Not just that but if you have 4GB of physical memory and you start three processes that take up 2GB of memory each, the VM will start killing other processes to allocate memory for the second and third instance of your 2GB processes. (Actually it might be when you run out of swap+phys memory...i forget.)
You missed out on the 2nd best book - chapterhouse.
When i try get new people reading the Dune series i tell them to read books 1-2 and then 5-6 if they really want the best books. Books 3 and 4 sucked compared to the rest of the series and most people miss out on the last 2. Book 5 and 6 have some really good stuff in them.
I will proceed to point out loaded phrases the author throws into the article even if they don't make much sense in the context of the article.
Created by Finish college student Linus Torvalds, and continually updated and improved by a loose confederation of programmers who aren't paid for their work.
While it might be true that most of the programmers are not paid, it doesn't really mean anything. More microsoft FUD. Using the words "not paid for their work" seems very contrived. It seems to mesh very well with the idea that open source is unAmerican and destroys jobs.
"It's for geeks," said Faber Fedor, a New Jersey- based consultant who helps small businesses upgrade to Linux.
Excuse me? So I guess Windows Server and Datacenter are for the average person? I'm not saying that Linux is as easy to learn as Windows, but don't try to disparage Linux b/c it is powerful by saying Windows products are so easy to use.
Until recently, interacting with Linux was almost entirely text-driven -- much like Windows' precursor, DOS. So converting meant learning an arcane vocabulary of computerese to give the PC even the simplest commands.
Yeah, it is good that they finally invented a GUI for linux last month. This is an attempt to scare people away from linux as much as possible.
He says he doesn't see much point writing Linux applications for individual PC buyers.
"Home users are cheap," he said. "At $49.95, you're going to have to sell a whole lot of (copies) to make it in the market."
I guess he doesn't see much of a point writing windows applications for individual PC buyers either. There are a lot of computer games that sell for around $49.95 and they seem to be doing just fine *cough* warcraft III is $47.95 on pricegrabber.
What happened to Linux?
I'll answer this question since the author never seems to get back to the title of his article.Well it appears Linux has continued to make in-roads cutting away at Microsoft profits. It has become such a threat that Microsoft has funded PR FUD attacks against it. Linux, a completely free (beer and speech) product threatens an entrenched monopoly. Try picturing that 10 years ago. The short answer is that GOOD things have happened to Linux.
Why don't they phase in support for handhelds and see how effective they are? The kids that have enought money to get handhelds can be the testers of the system. If it catches on and teachers and kids seem to benefit, they can progress from there. We can discuss what we think are pros and cons all day, but until they actually do a study or run a pilot program no one really knows the impact handhelds will have on learning.
The copies that they have archived in their databases are individual copies served from the original web requests, so they have the right to keep them. They became their copy when they were originally downloaded.
You have the right to something once you download it?
If I copyright my content, other people are not allowed to distribute it without my consent. There is no way around this. I don't have to add extra disclaimers, just a copyright notice. How can there be any arguement about this?
Ok, someone GPLs some software they wrote and put it on their website. If you download a compiled version of the software, you can't redistribute the compiled executable without making the source available. Why? Because the copyright owner (via the GPL) only gives you permission to redistribute if you also make the source available. The owner can do this because the GPL is backed by copyright laws, just like copyrighted web content. Notice I said owner, because the law grants special priviledges to people that create content and copyright it. There is no implied social contract that says the content is up for grabs. And there is also no reason fair use even comes close to applying if you are talking about a large quantity of content.
I do think the archive provides a useful service, but I think they are on shaky legal ground.
Incredibly, Humphrey says, the design for large software projects is sometimes "nothing but a couple bubbles on the back of an envelope."
Excuse me? I don't know how everyone else does large software projects, but I don't know of any company that designs these large software projects on the back of envelopes. This article is a flawed, and dumb article about software engineering. Software is getting better not worse (ok, that's argueable. But software development proceedures are getting better). Sure we can rip on Microsoft's applications, but how many projects were 12 million lines of code in size 10 years ago? Most software they discuss is relatively new software. Old tried and true software is really quite solid. Has vi every crashed on me? Not once. Bleeding edge software is quite complex. What do you expect? There is no silver bullet, but as the profession grows, more and more tools are developed. We currently use Quantify to profile our C code and Boundschecker to check for memory leaks and dangling pointers. These tools continue to get better and better. The main problems the article harps on stem from poor development processes. Books such as "Writting Solid Code" and "Code Complete" cover much of these issues.
And of course the arguement that open source produces quality code through peer review is not even mentioned in the article.
But then i saw the slashdot ad when i started reading the comments. It made me want to buy from penquin computing. For around $1,700 i can get an AMD server from penquin computing.
Blizzard is exercising its right to not allow anybody except for Blizzard to use the gaming technology that it built!
Huh? Actually blizzard is trying to stifle legal reverse engineering. The bnetd project reverse engineered the protocol through IP packets, never touching Blizzard's "technology". I bought a game from blizzard, why can't i use it whatever way i want to within the bounds of the license agreement. They are trying to use the DMCA in way that doesn't even make sense. The DMCA specifically states that devices do not violate it just because they don't offer the full protection of the original device. (i.e. not checking the keys) The DMCA (even though it is twisted all the time) is supposed to be for devices that have the primary purpose of circumventing copywrite protections. Since valid disks play with the bnetd system, I don't see how they can state the the overridding purpose is to circumvent copy protection.
This has nothing to do with the fact that it is open-source. The Bnetd project could be closed-source freeware (free as in beer). It seems like blizzard is using its powerful lawyers to force bnetd to close up shop, because the cost-benefit analysis says they will make bnetd settle and that in doing so they can preserve their profits. While this does make sense from a profit motive angle, it doesn't seem ethical or even worse it really doesn't seem like justice. Welcome to America--the Big guy always wins. I don't care if you're cynical and can say that that is just the way it is; just don't rationalize blizzard's behavior and tell me that is the way it should be.
I'm sorry blizzard can't figure out a way to do copy protection except on the server side....why don't they use a serial number so pirated (arrr matey!) disks don't work on the pc side? Isn't cloning the disks and breaking the key system already illegal? Then why is it bnetd's fault that people can pirate the software and make it work?
I hear you man. I ended up programming my chem equations into mine in high school. Unfortunatly, (or actually fortunatly for me) i ended up learning the equations inside out in order to program them so they would work for any number of variables.;)
I got so bored in my adv. chem class that i probably drew some of the first TI-85 porn. I'm not saying it was high quality having to draw with circles, boxes, and lines, but almost everyone in my classes eventually had the program on their calculators.
If write a program and distribute it under the GPL, I am free to re-license it in any way i choose since i own the copyright. I can't bring back the GPL versions but I can sell another version along side of it. No one else owns the GPLed version, but they are free to modify and distribute it under the terms of the GPL.
I thought this was a great idea, but then i remembered the inflexibility of bureacracies. More than likely the company would either come up with policies banning internet browsing or force users to use a set of shared computers for any internet browsing. Anything to combat the symptoms of the problem.;)
first, try getting the quote right so you actually refute something i say...
I can't buy coke, because coke has an agreement with the vending machines manufacturers, so only coke cans fit in them. And the stores can't sell two kinda of sodas or coke will raise the price to them per can. And the gas around here only works with Fords. And the only mechanics licenced to fix Chevy are out of state. But that is the price of innovation so i can't really complain.
My point is that once a company gets to the point of a monopoly it can use tactics that are not accounted for within the paradigm of free enterprise. If it could be attacked through normal competition it won't be called a monopoly (as shown in a court of law). Normal competition works just fine when their are enough significant players.
So, no, I don't agree that a couple of consumers not purchasing Microsoft products is an effective way of reining, or "railing" microsoft. Go tell that to BeOs when they were trying to provide a free (as in cost) operating system to OEMs to install in a dual-boot configuration before microsoft "warned" the OEMs of possible price increases of Windows if they installed a second OS on their systems.
uh, what is wrong with asking "big brother" to level the playing field? Isn't that the only way to limit companies that have been convicted of using their monopoly powers in an anti-competitive manner? It sounds logical that in order to "rail against 'big buisness'" that he would have to enlist the aid of "big brother," unless you are under the naive belief that a company that is an entranched monopoly is still constrained by the forces of free enterprise.
The GPL does not mean anything to the user as long as they understand they are bound by normal copyright law. If they accept the GPL they have some extra priviledges including distribution rights (along with some distribution restrictions). Only when they start modifing the copyright protected work and distributing it do they have to start understanding the GPL.
3) So what if they have $40 billion in the bank? What does that have to do with anything?
Wonder why they have this money? Because they don't pay a dime in income tax. Here is a good paper describing it. And references for 1999 and 2000.
5) Despite your inflamed rhetoric the US government has never been for the people. Go read A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and you'll quickly find that the government has been siding with business and industry over individuals for 200+ years. Yawn.
This goes against your second point. The settlement was bought. Bush has clearly sided with Microsoft. I wonder why? And how can you read that book and then say yawn? You are right that the gov't has never been for the people. I like Zinn's statement that Democrats are the second biggest supporters of Big business. I stopped reading the book because it disgusted me. And to think how many other Americans are receiving the same "US history" education that I got in high school. The only thing that is encouraging at least progress is going in the "right" direction (i.e. the derivative is > 0 (let's hope i'm right)).
It's been a while since my intro to law class, but the one thing I do remember is that putting a warning sign up can possible INCREASE the chance of being sued. The reason being that it is much easier to prove that the defendent knew that they had a dangerous situation and didn't do anything about it.
This site shows the 4 elements needed for a negligence case. (I apologize for the crappy site, but i didn't have much time and wanted to back up my information with something. Check google to find more sources).
1. The defendent must have a defined duty -- in this case to produce working products and not snake oil. 2. Breach of duty: act or ommision must be shown -- Sony knew about the defective CD's and any reasonable person would think that they should play in ALL cd players. Sony also knows that most people would try to use them in computer CD players which is why they have a warning. 3. The Breach of Duty must be shown to be considered a reasonable cause of damage -- Clear cut case here. 4. Damages must be shown.
Sony by warning the customer is actually admitting that they have a defect product, they know it's defective and can cause damages, and they refuse to fix it.
Who really cares if people have cell phones, game boys, pagers or any other electronic equipment in a movie theatre? Is it any worse for someone to have a phone ring then to hear them talking loudly? Kick their ass or tell them as nicely as possible to shut the fuck up. I don't care who has a phone as long as i can't hear it. Doesn't anyone have vibrate mode on their cell phones these days? Oh, look it's a call from.... it's probally an emergancy, i'll go outside and talk to them.
>>>Ok let's say my bank decided to build itself out of paper mache instead of 6 foot concrete walls. Is it the banks fault for getting broken into because they used fscked up building materials?
>>>No, it is still the criminals fault.
Exactly. You are completely right. It is the fault of the criminals that broke into the bank. Only problem is that the criminals used knives made by someone else. In this analogy, Dimitri is the knife maker, not the criminal stealing money. And yes the bank is negligent so is also at fault.
>>>That's what this Dimitri case is really about, he did a crime, so he should do the time.
In this analogy you would be supporting that knife making should be illegal therefore, Dimitri is a criminal. You are correct that he broke a law, but it is an asinine law that should not exist.
>>> Just because something is insecure, it does not give anyone a license to go willy nilly breaking things now does it?
You are over generalizing. Why shouldn't I be allowed to show people how to do something? I am legally allowed to tell you how to make a bomb. What I cannot do is use that knowledge to break a law.
>>> That's what I call vigilantism, last time I checked, vigilante justice was still illeagle in most parts of the world.
Non sequitur. Vigilante justice has nothing to do with this.
>>> 1. why are blind people buying stuff they can't read...
The same reason people in wheelchairs tried to go in buildings without ramps (before the buildings were required to have ramps). They were/are trying to live "normal" lives. They are hoping that Adobe will be required to provide them with access. I'm not arguing that they should or should not be provided access to ebooks only that, that is the reason they would be buying them.
Slashdot Mirror
That's ok keep apologizing for MS. The lawsuit was just b/c companies couldn't compete. MS is the god of innovation.
Carrying a handgun is not going to magically make crime disappear. It might be nice to have the option to draw, but it might not be the best solution. Don't act as if handing out handguns to everyone cannot possible create a host of new problems.
Passive submission in regards to flying: When a plane is hijacked you were never supposed to attack the hijackers. You were supposed to allow the authorities to negotiate with the hijackers and take action. Wanna-be heroes get people killed. I don't want to get shot because you think you can take on trained hijackers with your handgun. How many stray bullets do you think are going to miss passengers?
The people on the planes had no idea if the terrorists had a bomb on the plane or not. It wasn't until the people on the PA flight (99?) learned that they were most likely going to die anyway did they rightfully take action and save lives. This snide comment means nothing. Literally taken I'm supposed to tell the intelligent and resourceful Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto (who cares about the dumb and unimaginative ones) that knowledge is more important than guns. Because I mean look at all the redneck ignorant hicks that have guns. They are still free. Won't i rather be ignorant and have a gun then be knowledgeable and not have a gun? That way i can repel attacks if the US army ever invades my house. whatever. Besides, the poster is talking about knowledge not intelligence. If the jews in the Warsaw ghetto had the knowledge necessary to somehow evacuate their families and countrymen out of Poland, i'm sure they would have rather done that then simpy stocking up on more weapons only to be crushed by superior Nazi forces.
It looks like Transmeta had no trouble entering asian markets but alot of trouble entering the US market. I wonder if they were "blocked" in the same way that BeOS was "blocked" in entering the OS market.
Does anyone know if/how Intel did/could block them from finding someone to produce and sell their chips?
"Who is worse, the people who abuse privileges/freedoms, or the people who limit the privileges/freedoms to curb the abuse." Easy, the people who limit freedoms.
They should know better. They have been elected to uphold the constitution which provides for both a limited term on copyright and freedom of speech.
It's like asking who is worse, the teachers that break rules or the students? And it should be clear that the teachers are supposed to be the role models.
But won't it be better to kill the current process or deny it memory allocations rather than killing a running process?
Not just that but if you have 4GB of physical memory and you start three processes that take up 2GB of memory each, the VM will start killing other processes to allocate memory for the second and third instance of your 2GB processes. (Actually it might be when you run out of swap+phys memory...i forget.)
You missed out on the 2nd best book - chapterhouse.
When i try get new people reading the Dune series i tell them to read books 1-2 and then 5-6 if they really want the best books. Books 3 and 4 sucked compared to the rest of the series and most people miss out on the last 2. Book 5 and 6 have some really good stuff in them.
I will proceed to point out loaded phrases the author throws into the article even if they don't make much sense in the context of the article.
While it might be true that most of the programmers are not paid, it doesn't really mean anything. More microsoft FUD. Using the words "not paid for their work" seems very contrived. It seems to mesh very well with the idea that open source is unAmerican and destroys jobs.
Excuse me? So I guess Windows Server and Datacenter are for the average person? I'm not saying that Linux is as easy to learn as Windows, but don't try to disparage Linux b/c it is powerful by saying Windows products are so easy to use.
Yeah, it is good that they finally invented a GUI for linux last month. This is an attempt to scare people away from linux as much as possible.
I guess he doesn't see much of a point writing windows applications for individual PC buyers either. There are a lot of computer games that sell for around $49.95 and they seem to be doing just fine *cough* warcraft III is $47.95 on pricegrabber.
What happened to Linux?
I'll answer this question since the author never seems to get back to the title of his article.Well it appears Linux has continued to make in-roads cutting away at Microsoft profits. It has become such a threat that Microsoft has funded PR FUD attacks against it. Linux, a completely free (beer and speech) product threatens an entrenched monopoly. Try picturing that 10 years ago. The short answer is that GOOD things have happened to Linux.
It should have been:
"Our favourite (?) computer criminal...."
Why don't they phase in support for handhelds and see how effective they are? The kids that have enought money to get handhelds can be the testers of the system. If it catches on and teachers and kids seem to benefit, they can progress from there. We can discuss what we think are pros and cons all day, but until they actually do a study or run a pilot program no one really knows the impact handhelds will have on learning.
You have the right to something once you download it?
If I copyright my content, other people are not allowed to distribute it without my consent. There is no way around this. I don't have to add extra disclaimers, just a copyright notice. How can there be any arguement about this?
Ok, someone GPLs some software they wrote and put it on their website. If you download a compiled version of the software, you can't redistribute the compiled executable without making the source available. Why? Because the copyright owner (via the GPL) only gives you permission to redistribute if you also make the source available. The owner can do this because the GPL is backed by copyright laws, just like copyrighted web content. Notice I said owner, because the law grants special priviledges to people that create content and copyright it. There is no implied social contract that says the content is up for grabs. And there is also no reason fair use even comes close to applying if you are talking about a large quantity of content.
I do think the archive provides a useful service, but I think they are on shaky legal ground.
Excuse me? I don't know how everyone else does large software projects, but I don't know of any company that designs these large software projects on the back of envelopes. This article is a flawed, and dumb article about software engineering. Software is getting better not worse (ok, that's argueable. But software development proceedures are getting better). Sure we can rip on Microsoft's applications, but how many projects were 12 million lines of code in size 10 years ago? Most software they discuss is relatively new software. Old tried and true software is really quite solid. Has vi every crashed on me? Not once. Bleeding edge software is quite complex. What do you expect? There is no silver bullet, but as the profession grows, more and more tools are developed. We currently use Quantify to profile our C code and Boundschecker to check for memory leaks and dangling pointers. These tools continue to get better and better. The main problems the article harps on stem from poor development processes. Books such as "Writting Solid Code" and "Code Complete" cover much of these issues.
And of course the arguement that open source produces quality code through peer review is not even mentioned in the article.
But then i saw the slashdot ad when i started reading the comments. It made me want to buy from penquin computing. For around $1,700 i can get an AMD server from penquin computing.
Huh? Actually blizzard is trying to stifle legal reverse engineering. The bnetd project reverse engineered the protocol through IP packets, never touching Blizzard's "technology". I bought a game from blizzard, why can't i use it whatever way i want to within the bounds of the license agreement. They are trying to use the DMCA in way that doesn't even make sense. The DMCA specifically states that devices do not violate it just because they don't offer the full protection of the original device. (i.e. not checking the keys) The DMCA (even though it is twisted all the time) is supposed to be for devices that have the primary purpose of circumventing copywrite protections. Since valid disks play with the bnetd system, I don't see how they can state the the overridding purpose is to circumvent copy protection.
This has nothing to do with the fact that it is open-source. The Bnetd project could be closed-source freeware (free as in beer). It seems like blizzard is using its powerful lawyers to force bnetd to close up shop, because the cost-benefit analysis says they will make bnetd settle and that in doing so they can preserve their profits. While this does make sense from a profit motive angle, it doesn't seem ethical or even worse it really doesn't seem like justice. Welcome to America--the Big guy always wins. I don't care if you're cynical and can say that that is just the way it is; just don't rationalize blizzard's behavior and tell me that is the way it should be.
I'm sorry blizzard can't figure out a way to do copy protection except on the server side....why don't they use a serial number so pirated (arrr matey!) disks don't work on the pc side? Isn't cloning the disks and breaking the key system already illegal? Then why is it bnetd's fault that people can pirate the software and make it work?
I hear you man. I ended up programming my chem equations into mine in high school. Unfortunatly, (or actually fortunatly for me) i ended up learning the equations inside out in order to program them so they would work for any number of variables. ;)
I got so bored in my adv. chem class that i probably drew some of the first TI-85 porn. I'm not saying it was high quality having to draw with circles, boxes, and lines, but almost everyone in my classes eventually had the program on their calculators.
Wrong.
If write a program and distribute it under the GPL, I am free to re-license it in any way i choose since i own the copyright. I can't bring back the GPL versions but I can sell another version along side of it. No one else owns the GPLed version, but they are free to modify and distribute it under the terms of the GPL.
I thought this was a great idea, but then i remembered the inflexibility of bureacracies. More than likely the company would either come up with policies banning internet browsing or force users to use a set of shared computers for any internet browsing. Anything to combat the symptoms of the problem. ;)
Haha. whatever. I tested WindowsXP and linux on a 486 and on a pentium 166 with 16 meg of ram. Guess which one was faster?
first, try getting the quote right so you actually refute something i say...
I can't buy coke, because coke has an agreement with the vending machines manufacturers, so only coke cans fit in them. And the stores can't sell two kinda of sodas or coke will raise the price to them per can. And the gas around here only works with Fords. And the only mechanics licenced to fix Chevy are out of state. But that is the price of innovation so i can't really complain.
My point is that once a company gets to the point of a monopoly it can use tactics that are not accounted for within the paradigm of free enterprise. If it could be attacked through normal competition it won't be called a monopoly (as shown in a court of law). Normal competition works just fine when their are enough significant players.
So, no, I don't agree that a couple of consumers not purchasing Microsoft products is an effective way of reining, or "railing" microsoft. Go tell that to BeOs when they were trying to provide a free (as in cost) operating system to OEMs to install in a dual-boot configuration before microsoft "warned" the OEMs of possible price increases of Windows if they installed a second OS on their systems.
uh, what is wrong with asking "big brother" to level the playing field? Isn't that the only way to limit companies that have been convicted of using their monopoly powers in an anti-competitive manner? It sounds logical that in order to "rail against 'big buisness'" that he would have to enlist the aid of "big brother," unless you are under the naive belief that a company that is an entranched monopoly is still constrained by the forces of free enterprise.
The GPL does not mean anything to the user as long as they understand they are bound by normal copyright law. If they accept the GPL they have some extra priviledges including distribution rights (along with some distribution restrictions). Only when they start modifing the copyright protected work and distributing it do they have to start understanding the GPL.
This goes against your second point. The settlement was bought. Bush has clearly sided with Microsoft. I wonder why? And how can you read that book and then say yawn? You are right that the gov't has never been for the people. I like Zinn's statement that Democrats are the second biggest supporters of Big business. I stopped reading the book because it disgusted me. And to think how many other Americans are receiving the same "US history" education that I got in high school. The only thing that is encouraging at least progress is going in the "right" direction (i.e. the derivative is > 0 (let's hope i'm right)).
Sony by warning the customer is actually admitting that they have a defect product, they know it's defective and can cause damages, and they refuse to fix it.
Who really cares if people have cell phones, game boys, pagers or any other electronic equipment in a movie theatre? Is it any worse for someone to have a phone ring then to hear them talking loudly? Kick their ass or tell them as nicely as possible to shut the fuck up. I don't care who has a phone as long as i can't hear it. Doesn't anyone have vibrate mode on their cell phones these days? Oh, look it's a call from .... it's probally an emergancy, i'll go outside and talk to them.
>>>Ok let's say my bank decided to build itself out of paper mache instead of 6 foot concrete walls. Is it the banks fault for getting broken into because they used fscked up building materials?
>>>No, it is still the criminals fault.
Exactly. You are completely right. It is the fault of the criminals that broke into the bank. Only problem is that the criminals used knives made by someone else. In this analogy, Dimitri is the knife maker, not the criminal stealing money. And yes the bank is negligent so is also at fault.
>>>That's what this Dimitri case is really about, he did a crime, so he should do the time.
In this analogy you would be supporting that knife making should be illegal therefore, Dimitri is a criminal. You are correct that he broke a law, but it is an asinine law that should not exist.
>>> Just because something is insecure, it does not give anyone a license to go willy nilly breaking things now does it?
You are over generalizing. Why shouldn't I be allowed to show people how to do something? I am legally allowed to tell you how to make a bomb. What I cannot do is use that knowledge to break a law.
>>> That's what I call vigilantism, last time I checked, vigilante justice was still illeagle in most parts of the world.
Non sequitur. Vigilante justice has nothing to do with this.
>>> 1. why are blind people buying stuff they can't read...
The same reason people in wheelchairs tried to go in buildings without ramps (before the buildings were required to have ramps). They were/are trying to live "normal" lives. They are hoping that Adobe will be required to provide them with access. I'm not arguing that they should or should not be provided access to ebooks only that, that is the reason they would be buying them.