Stephen is not the first to draw the link between MyDoom and SCO's actions over Linux - plenty of others have done that before, including virus experts.
> I wonder what the legal rights of the authors of GPL'd software would be if the GPL was rendered invalid?
Simple. Next time a free software mantainer releases an update, he uses a new version of GPL (version 3? 4?) that fills the roles that made GPL fail in court.
Think about this for a while, because of frivolous claims by SCO, the open source community will unite and make the movement stronger: no more inclusion of code from unknown origins and a compliance request to identify what piece of code each programmer submitted etc. With everything documented and agreed upon, it will be much harder to claim anything against it.
> It would be a bad day for IP if they rule that poor enforcement of copyright == public domain.
Sure thing. It could even be used against SCO: they have ftp access to Linux source for free. They are not "enforcing copyright", so they lose their copyrights in Linux, not just the IP they claim.
I simply don't get it. I see two possibilities of the outcome IN FAVOR of SCO:
1) GPL is invalid, GPL code is made public domain:
Then SCO doesn't own bollocks, therefore SCO can't ask for licence fees to linux users. Because they made it available free on their site.
2) GPL is invalid, some linux kernel code belongs to SCO:
Then all code that isn't SCO's belongs to their respective writers and they can (and probably will) prohibit SCO's distribution. Linux coders rewrite SCO's portion and it's ready to go.
Of course I don't expect SCO to win, it's just that I don't understand what they are doing. It is like trying to understand a schizophrenic.
True. But now it's not even the tiniest bit between the lines. Like when they said to Red Hat things like "we didn't expect that from you" after RH said they will sue.
It is blatantly out there and completely revealed even to the average joe.
So much for that "we respect linux, we just want to correct IP issues" crap they said earlier. They now have shown what they are up to and declared themselves enemies of the free software initiative and community. Anything they say know will be tainted by those ambitions.
> I am sure this is the way to go in the future...
Are you sure about that? Here in my College online education NEVER replaces presential education, it is used only to complement it. There are somethings that online education is good at, mind you, but it can't substitute the real experience for a lot of reasons, such as zones of proximal development, education in a social context and don't get me started on cheating in exams.
No. The entertainment industry must reduce price because it's unnaturaly too high, people should feel that they are paying the *right* price.
If you rase prices, you alienate your source of income, not very smart. Think how Henry Ford would do: if you want do get rich, sell a lot at a medium markup instead of a few at a larger markup.
Why do you think iTunes music store got it right in the music business: they sell music cheap! Doesn't take a Steve Jobs to realize that.;)
If they must create a blackhole, I suggest they do it at SCO, because they suck. Imagine the company being sucked by something that reminds the blackhole bomb from the arrival. That would be fantastic.
On the other hand I've only read a couple of mangas and wasn't too thrilled. Not to say manga is bad, just it's not very appealing to me.
Just because manga doesn't work for you doesn't mean it doesn't work for others. I, for one, got tired of how usually some good characters from american comics gets screwed because of a bad story, like Electra (reborning everytime comics sales are poor) or spider-man (and his boring clones), or how Marvel screwed Phoenix, or marketing strategies of Super-man's death and rebirth or how badass Wolverine can still be.
I don't think that we should be elevating Gnome to the same stature as charities the feed the homeless and those that work to cure tropical diseases (for example).
I think this is up to people to choose. They choose who deserve their money. BTW most people don't know what gnome is and a few donations by linux geeks won't change the amount that goes to real charity. What is import here is that taxes don't get on the way of "charity money".
You see, I think Hemos made a mistake calling it "Charity". It is not. You can't compare it with donating money to orphans or cancer victims. But if you use Gnome application you could donate if you like it. Think of it like a compensation for you using something nice and showing them your appreciation.
You already pay for software. And you could be paying a lot more if you were using only closed source. At least, in this case, you don't get a bill and you pay if you want.
I am probably going to be modded down after this, but I got tired of Mel Gibson doing Braveheartagain and again.
Trying to bring true historic events was getting tiresome and repetitive. Although it's not exactly new stuff, I liked the Mad Max movies. And Lethal Weapon has just too many sequels for me.
Microsoft is a member of a software association that says that companies should shun open source. This is like a software association telling people to deliberately avoid some software companies (Redhat, Suse, Mandrake) just because of the model used by them.
Is this "choice"?
I don't know if this is ethical, but I hope next time I don't see a software association saying "avoid software from country X because it's not from us".
Besides, a classic manga (japanese comic) by Osamu Tezuka and game from Konami in 1987 based on the the same manga for the MSX 2 computer system. I doubt someone would sue because of this name.
Besides the beer, kirin also means "giraffe" in japanese. Which is not a cool mythological monster.:)
Since "Godzilla" is a mixture of "Gorila" with "Kujira" (whale in japanese), hence the name "Gojira". Maybe something along the same line would be cool.
If they start charging for service. They better show some real service to the community and put up some real content. I don't know about wxwindows.org, but libsdl.org could be more like php.net. That would be really useful.
Slashdot Mirror
Stephen is not the first to draw the link between MyDoom and SCO's actions over Linux - plenty of others have done that before, including virus experts.
Fallacy: appealing to authority.
> I wonder what the legal rights of the authors of GPL'd software would be if the GPL was rendered invalid?
Simple. Next time a free software mantainer releases an update, he uses a new version of GPL (version 3? 4?) that fills the roles that made GPL fail in court.
Think about this for a while, because of frivolous claims by SCO, the open source community will unite and make the movement stronger: no more inclusion of code from unknown origins and a compliance request to identify what piece of code each programmer submitted etc. With everything documented and agreed upon, it will be much harder to claim anything against it.
> It would be a bad day for IP if they rule that poor enforcement of copyright == public domain.
Sure thing. It could even be used against SCO: they have ftp access to Linux source for free. They are not "enforcing copyright", so they lose their copyrights in Linux, not just the IP they claim.
I simply don't get it. I see two possibilities of the outcome IN FAVOR of SCO:
1) GPL is invalid, GPL code is made public domain:
Then SCO doesn't own bollocks, therefore SCO can't ask for licence fees to linux users. Because they made it available free on their site.
2) GPL is invalid, some linux kernel code belongs to SCO:
Then all code that isn't SCO's belongs to their respective writers and they can (and probably will) prohibit SCO's distribution. Linux coders rewrite SCO's portion and it's ready to go.
Of course I don't expect SCO to win, it's just that I don't understand what they are doing. It is like trying to understand a schizophrenic.
True. But now it's not even the tiniest bit between the lines. Like when they said to Red Hat things like "we didn't expect that from you" after RH said they will sue.
It is blatantly out there and completely revealed even to the average joe.
So much for that "we respect linux, we just want to correct IP issues" crap they said earlier. They now have shown what they are up to and declared themselves enemies of the free software initiative and community. Anything they say know will be tainted by those ambitions.
I was expecting something like Ginger teaching the chickens how to fly.
> I am sure this is the way to go in the future... Are you sure about that? Here in my College online education NEVER replaces presential education, it is used only to complement it. There are somethings that online education is good at, mind you, but it can't substitute the real experience for a lot of reasons, such as zones of proximal development, education in a social context and don't get me started on cheating in exams.
Hey! Don't spoil it, I've never seen Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I'm still waiting the DVD release anytime now.
No. The entertainment industry must reduce price because it's unnaturaly too high, people should feel that they are paying the *right* price.
;)
If you rase prices, you alienate your source of income, not very smart. Think how Henry Ford would do: if you want do get rich, sell a lot at a medium markup instead of a few at a larger markup.
Why do you think iTunes music store got it right in the music business: they sell music cheap! Doesn't take a Steve Jobs to realize that.
If they must create a blackhole, I suggest they do it at SCO, because they suck. Imagine the company being sucked by something that reminds the blackhole bomb from the arrival. That would be fantastic.
Neat! I hope FreeBSD and NetBSD use this feature when they all merge.
Looking forward to it. ;)
On the other hand I've only read a couple of mangas and wasn't too thrilled. Not to say manga is bad, just it's not very appealing to me.
Just because manga doesn't work for you doesn't mean it doesn't work for others. I, for one, got tired of how usually some good characters from american comics gets screwed because of a bad story, like Electra (reborning everytime comics sales are poor) or spider-man (and his boring clones), or how Marvel screwed Phoenix, or marketing strategies of Super-man's death and rebirth or how badass Wolverine can still be.
I don't think that we should be elevating Gnome to the same stature as charities the feed the homeless and those that work to cure tropical diseases (for example).
I think this is up to people to choose. They choose who deserve their money. BTW most people don't know what gnome is and a few donations by linux geeks won't change the amount that goes to real charity. What is import here is that taxes don't get on the way of "charity money".
I already do that for lots of software. What I object to is the tax-deductible nature of the donation to Gnome.
They chose to go that way because it helps getting more people to donate. *Tax Deductable* can be a good incentive.
You see, I think Hemos made a mistake calling it "Charity". It is not. You can't compare it with donating money to orphans or cancer victims. But if you use Gnome application you could donate if you like it. Think of it like a compensation for you using something nice and showing them your appreciation.
You already pay for software. And you could be paying a lot more if you were using only closed source. At least, in this case, you don't get a bill and you pay if you want.
I am probably going to be modded down after this, but I got tired of Mel Gibson doing Braveheart again and again. Trying to bring true historic events was getting tiresome and repetitive. Although it's not exactly new stuff, I liked the Mad Max movies. And Lethal Weapon has just too many sequels for me.
Let me get this right.
Microsoft is a member of a software association that says that companies should shun open source. This is like a software association telling people to deliberately avoid some software companies (Redhat, Suse, Mandrake) just because of the model used by them.
Is this "choice"?
I don't know if this is ethical, but I hope next time I don't see a software association saying "avoid software from country X because it's not from us".
Suggestion: Hinotori (Phoenix in Japanese)
Besides, a classic manga (japanese comic) by Osamu Tezuka and game from Konami in 1987 based on the the same manga for the MSX 2 computer system. I doubt someone would sue because of this name.
I think they should use the name "Xenix" *.
:)
* It's a deceased Unixlike OS by... Microsoft, and the name sounds just like phoenix. After that Lindows case, I think they should try this one.
Besides the beer, kirin also means "giraffe" in japanese. Which is not a cool mythological monster. :)
Since "Godzilla" is a mixture of "Gorila" with "Kujira" (whale in japanese), hence the name "Gojira". Maybe something along the same line would be cool.
No... seriously. Watch it first, then comment.
I did and I must say wonderful story and it's much better than Mononoke Hime.
If they start charging for service. They better show some real service to the community and put up some real content. I don't know about wxwindows.org, but libsdl.org could be more like php.net. That would be really useful.
Nice story.
And maybe if you are curious or you don't know games for kids in Linux environment:
http://www.tux4kids.org/
is a nice site.
What? Microsoft Doctor? God forbids them to launch such thing. ;)