What worries me about the amazon case is.... Why would a Texan register a domain 9-11.net , point it towards Amazon.com, and not request anything(ransom...).
Seems to me there's a lot behind that story... SImple whois'ing the domains shows that. If it's that of revenge, what happened to Michael Beck......
I'd be better than these clowns as an editor , but in no way better than most of the people at kuro5hin.org .
I've had all of my stories turned down too. I could care less about the karma... Still that's what it's taken when yu complain about unpublished stories...
1: Possible shenanigans at Amazon.com . Seems they registered 9-11.net and pointed it towards a search "september 11" at amazon.com (did 2, 1 anony/ 1 registered) 2: Gene Kan, co-author to Gnutella protocol dies 3: Congress OK's dumping of nuclear materials at Nevada.
Those are recent stories... ALL rejected. And I'm at 50 karma.
If I was everybody else,I'd stay away from threads like this. I assume that the editors feel insulted when you call "news" before they are ready to (ahem) report on it. Threads like these are great attractors for -1 Offtopic hits. Considering, at this time, he has 10 points of moderation against him. It will be more.
(Lauging) I guess that money all of us paid to/. SUUUURE didn't give us better editors.
---"Um. Most people aren't going to run out and buy all new hardware just to *try* a new OS."
Actually, I did. AT the time, I bought a refurb computer from a company (back in the 300MHz days). A 350 was fairly new and sold for about 1300$ us. Well, I got a great deal on a return (Acer 333). I did a bit of gaming on it, however whenever I used the CPU too much, the modem died. Course, this is also the time when I bought a book that included RH 5.1 . Essentially, my modem was crap (WInBlodem). I then proceeded to fork over 50 bucks for a ISA hardware modem. Considering that I'm still using that, I see that it has paid for the investment.
Also, nice to see you posting again;-) Haven't seen you in a while..
---"I put the quotes in because I find it interesting that they are asserting rights over something they did not write, nor can claim any code for."
That's IP for you. They bought the IP for OpenGL rights that SGI owned.
---"It smells like they are submarining a patent they bought from SGI, who in turn probably filed the patent as a submarine as well."
You damn right they are. If I was Billy, I'd buy up every rendering engine to force everybody to use _MINE_. And that's exactly they plan to do. For example, if you're running WinXP, go download GLTron and play it. WHOOPS! MS didn't include OpenGL drivers.
Simply, this is IE vs. Netscape all over again. Just a different terrain.
---"Yes, I like gnome a lot. I might even donate money, but the problem with this link is they they don't offer any specific details about what happens with this money? Does it go to administration? How so? To major coders? which? Who qualifies? Bandwidth? Why does the Gnome Foundation do that requires our financial support?"
I know where its gonna go.....
It's gonna pay for the slashdotting we gave 'em. heh
I just love the quote that ol' billG said.... here it is.
"The so-called (Free Software Foundation)... says that these other countries other than the US should devote R&D dollars in the so-called open approach, that means you can never commercialise that software," said Gates.
Well, umm, no shit BillG. As a government, would you spend your miney on a company in another country for proprietary software for internal matters, or put the money in developing better GPL/FSF type of software (where there is already base). So yes, the GPL keeps money (and code) out of your pocket.
By the way billy, nice job on the DeToqueville (whatever) essay. You didnt pay much for it, did you?
---"I used to work for the second largest Visa issuer."
OK. Prove it.
---" We tracked every thing a cardholder did. We knew your spending habits and what you liked to buy. We knew when you were on vacation"
Seems OK. You had to know by way of the UPC's what goods you were paying for.
---"and when you fooled around on your wife."
You just lost your point right there. Saying that's just plain dumb.
---"We sold this information to advertisers and gave it to other ventures within our corporation."
Is that supposed to scare us? Hell, even the US post office does that. Cuts the bills on us consumers indirectly.
---"Sometimes we'd even turn it over to the Secret Service."
Damn straight. I know if I was in charge of a business, I'd hand over a sizable amount of records to take heat off. There would be a limit though.
---"Every cardholder had an agreement similar to a EULA. We changed it all the time, raising rates and fees to our benefit. By using the card you were bound to the agreement."
Wonder how far that would have lasted if you were sued over license disputes? Not very long. Still, it doesnt seem to be that bad of a license.
---"Essentially we did the same thing you say Microsoft does, and maybe even a little more, yet you trust Visa over Microsoft. Interesting."
Wrong. If there's a bill dispute, all I have to do is call my Visa office and say something about fraud/non-payment . They then kill off billing till it's resolved. That's one BIG point "for" credit cards. Essentially, you get 'protection' for the extra money spent. (then again, doesnt that sound like another 'agency?)
Movies, series, whatever all ends. Well, the way Star Wars is going, it's going into the shitter. Overall, people dont like ep 1, and they hate ep2. ANd if you were around back then, you oughtta remember why Star Wars was popular. Hint: It wasnt the plot (try special fx). They just created more shows for revenue. They were just hooks to continue the first one.
Jump ahead a few years. Now we have 2 new movies which are crap. The director, along with most of your standard directors stink. They make mush of a movie that the "public will like".
Well, at least 3 of the shows were decent. Quit while you're ahead.
I'll know I'm gonna get flamebait from some fanboy. Go ahead. I know it's the truth though.
---microsoft rules old mpaa rocks crap lunix suxxx0rz, then I lose points.
Correct. However if you make it Micro$oft Sux0rz, MPAA sux my scholng and Linux rox0rs the w0rld, you get mod points. Also hiding goatse links in liew of good material get's tricked mods to "Mod YOU UP"
---" "The day I move to Linux as my desktop machine is getting closer and closer"
I've been hearing this for over five years now yet I have yet to meet anyone who uses Linux as a desktop machine."
I do. I figured that knowing Linux is an essential part of computer science in general, and a lot of interesting apps never make their way over to windows. Be aware that I still use Windows (games only). Everything else is done by Linux and linux programs.
One other thing: How do you learn something insie and out? You use the hardest product and 'grind yoru teeth' with it. My Linux distro is Slackware 8.0
1:It's a protocol. In IP speak, It's under the same secion that TCP(6), UDP(17), ICMP(1), and others fit under. On unix boxen, it can be found in/etc/protocols . The protocol specification is in the header of the 20 byte beginning part of the IPv4 datagram. It's a 8 bit field.
2: It was created specifically for voice transfers, along with "telephone emulation" (just the way you interface with the tele). I believe that many, if not all, webphones use this IP protocol. I also think that GSM and US telephones(that use IP networks) use this protocol to transfer voice data.
Some were asking how this could flood your system.... Well, what's the difference TCP and UDP? Or how about ping floods??? Well, it's all data being sent to you. Doesnt matter what 8 bit field is switched... It's still garbage data (if you didnt request it). It fills up your receving connection.
Hopefully I've explained what this is. I'll probably be modded redundant as somebody probably wrote a better "explanation" while I wrote mine. Oh well.
There's more than enough incongruities with the "article", but that's not what bugged me the most. That whole site was just a big ad. Ads were upon ads. And you then have that "News" block at the bottom. I started to think it was a porno ad or "viatamin" ad. It had that "Buy Now" type of lettering.
Point: Dont know if I quite trust these people for "news sources". Looks more like ad hell.
Kinda funnu that we end up with the same ideas.... There's only 2 minutes between our posts, and we have similar thoughts.
1: You host untrusted music(not essentially bad media). 2: People who downloaded it either sign or not. 3: When you download(or see file), you can see signees. 4: All clients have a ratings system.
---"That's the problem with running a service that's (for the most part) black market...when someone starts fucking it all up with counter-attacks, there's really not a lot of recourse."
Yeah there is. You fight back. No holes barred type of fighting too. If you can catch him in the act, do shit , like ping floods. It's effective in cutting bandwidth 1 way.
---"I was thinking that a moderation system would work, if it's implemented correctly."
---"For instance, once a person has been sharing X GB of files for, say, 2 weeks, they start getting moderation points....they can use these points to flag a file as being a dummy. (or just a shitty rip) If a user gets too many files modded down, he becomes unable to gain moderation points for a certain period."
Already incorrect implementation. I'd simply have a writable part of the P2P fs that allows you to GPG sign a file. You sign the MD5 sum to your 'nick'. If it's good, you sign. If bad, you dont. Now if some idiot is signing bad shit, you can assign trustworthiness to 0. You could also apply 'trusted' user signs to other known good MD5 sums (from untrusted users).
This system creates a "Web of Trust" that cannot be spoofed. No moderation point system will ever cut it (since it relies on a server-no reason to)
---"The sharing requirements will make it undesirable for RIAA droids to pollute the moderation system, since they'll have to be sharing material of their own. (and any dummy files they have will hopefully be moderated down...and if they ARE sharing valid material, well, cool, they're contributing to their own demise)"
First, even 1 screech is enough to 'kill' a file. For example, in Cool Edit plugins, they inset a bell after 30 seconds. Very effective. Also, might I remend you that it's legal for the RIAA to warez these files. Who's gonna pick on them?
Please, nitpick at this suggestion, I'd like to see if it's feasible or not.
---" Although I'll happily diss the corps, I'd much rather see this than a new law or something. They're fighting technology with technology - fair enough."
That's EXACTLY the same thing I say about spammers. Fight tech with tech. Gub'ment just brings in inefficenty and money-wasting skills. And they have no clue about technology.
In spite of this article, there's already a bunch of good files (I didnt say good music....) carried by legit people. I just follow my own rules when I download stuff from P2P networks. Be aware that I search for j-(group) type music, so mine's much harder to find files...
1: If I get a good turnout on search, I look at most of files, bitrates, and times. I download what seems to be the mode of the similar type of files. 2: I tend to stick with files that many users have (eg: 7 people have file with size 4,032,112 and 1 person with size 4,129,326). I can resume easier with "popular one". I do the same thing with movies (anime mostly) 3: While I download, I play it with Winamp/Xmms. If there are errors/not what I expected/fake files , I can easily cancel the download and blacklist the user. 4: If I get corrupt movies, I use virtualdub to determine where in the file is the error. Then I use a snip tool and "cut" the file into N parts. I can then use resume on the P2P services and possibly fix the file. However, some files, like Serial Experiments Lain (AVI sub), 1 episode has a "divx freeze frame". That error'ed file has propigated on WInMX, Kazaa, Gnutella, and Nap-clones. 5: Even with my modem, I download "weird" files in hopes of getting unreleased/changed song. You occaisionally see stuff like this when you search for a popular song. Then you see a "somewhat changed name" but usually longer. I usually get them. If they're bad, I can find out in the first minute(remember, I play as I download).
I figure that this wont be as much helpful... It's just my skills I use in getting the "goods".
---"I mean, are you saying that the Space Program should be the no 1 responsibility of the US government? That we should have taxed the nation for billions of dollars for the sole purpose sending people into space?"
>>>It should be a responsibility. Welfare (and other national programs that micro-manage local governments) should have never been allowed by reason of the 10'th amendment. Course, it doesn't mean anything now.....
Still, now that I think of "taxed the nation for billions of dollars" is a good thing if we could set up a colony on the moon. Biggest key here is to have the colony self-suistaning. Get a foundry, living quarters and food production are your biggies. Since we know what the composition of the moon soil is, it isn't hard to simulate plant life in it.
---"Are you saying that sending people to the moon is more important then feeding starving Americans?"
DAMN straight. NASA is a national governmental program. Welfare should have NEVER been a national program because it deals with local issues. Essentially, this is a bunch of pork-fed idiots holed up in some domed building when some bum in (name your state)'an is homeless. The city/state government should have made their own local programs. Bringing in national government is the biggest waste of time.
---"I mean, are you saying that the Space Program should be the no 1 responsibility of the US government? That we should have taxed the nation for billions of dollars for the sole purpose sending people into space?"
It should be a responsibility. Welfare (and other national programs that micro-manage local governments) should have never been allowed by reason of the 10'th amendment. Course, it doesn't mean anything now.....
Actually, people like you are what makes Slashdot successful. There's so much group-think on this site yet some aren't willing to succumb. I know I don't, and I get modded to hell for it sometimes.
---"This is really NOT the forum in which you want to post this kind of question. It feels like you had already drawn a conclusion "users are dumb!" and you wanted support in that conclusion. You'll get plenty of it here, but I don't think it will be very useful advice.
"Well, if you don't use the command-line ONLY, you're a lamer".... Yeah. Guess I'm a lamer.
---"A quick example... about three years ago, I commented that you should always use a UPS on a Linux box, because the ext2 filesystem was fragile. (there was much more to this, but in the interest of brevity I'll omit it.)"
I thought the same thing. "Windows sux" yet can survive resets like that. With the ext2fs, you had to wait for a fsck. Then you wait for the filesystem to fsck you.
---"So what did I get in reply? "You're a moron, you should be manually editing your filesystem when it's corrupted and using backups of the superblock." And other posters appeared to agree with him. I don't think I got even a single reply in support of my stance... that I shouldn't have to, that a properly designed fileystem wouldn't have these problems. I'll not repeat the whole argument. Either you will understand why this was a ridiculous thing to say or you won't. But the blame-the-user mindset was firmly in place... it was MY fault because I didn't know enough, not the fault of the designer(s)."
In a very few instances, you should do as such. If you're investigating a crime (where logfiles were deleted), you use the Coroner's tookit. Other than that, it should be AS EASY as the fat32 partition type. Instead, they made it horridly fragile.
---"Read the book "The Design of Everyday Things". It is a great set of examples of how badly real-life things can be designed... and how a properly designed real-life thing should automatically guide the user into using it correctly. A door that pushes, for example, should NOT have a handle, it should have a push plate... and maybe a handle for the other side, because it pulls on that side."
I remember a web-site that covered the worst software UI's. I cant remember (or find) the site. It covered Quicktime, some IBM software and others.
---"According to research, there are two basic ways that humans organize data and navigate through the world: "knowledge in the head" and "knowledge in the world". People who use the former are Slashdotters... they use their memory as their primary navigation device. They tend to trust their own memories over things like street signs and maps."
---"The other type of thinker uses the world around him/herself to keep them organized. WHERE the piece of paper is tells them WHAT it is. They'll trust a street sign over their memory every time. They don't try to store the entire world in their head, and (this is the crucial part) they get confused when input isn't consistently mappable to output."
---"A car is easy to drive for everyone because inputs translate to outputs in a simple, direct way. There are only a few states and only about five main inputs. Anyone tall enough to see over the dashboard can successfully move a car with an automatic transmission."
---"For 'in the world' thinkers, however, a computer is a deep mystery. Inputs don't translate into outputs. In a car, if you push the accelerator, the engine revs up, and the car usually goes faster. On a computer, if you click the mouse, a zillion different things could happen, depending on where the pointer was, what mouse button you pressed, what program was running, or what the time of day was, or what have you. This means computers are HARD for 'in the world' types."
Command line is somewhat different. Yeah, the commands are a bear to remember, but input and output are simple. In a way, this is what makes Linux really nice, but also excruciatingly hard. You can simply pipe the outputs from 1 program into another program. However, this type of thoughts are usually held by very logical people. Your average person doesn't fall into this category.
---"That is part of what was so successful about the Macintosh. One button. Short menus. It's still complex, but the inputs map more closely to the outputs, and the onscreen cues make it easier for externally-organized people. The internal states of the machine are more clearly reflected on screen."
The KISS principle had a good impact.
---"Just because something is complex on the inside doesn't mean it has to be complex on the outside, too. A modern car is an exceedingly complex device, and it takes a lot of training to be able to repair one if it breaks... but pretty much any idiot can drive. (and, judging from what I see on the freeway every day, every idiot does.:-) ) "
---"Computers can be this way without sacrificing their power. But it's easy to blame the user and ignore the problem when the solution isn't easy. Look at my ext2 experience. Back then, it was my fault. Now that we have journaling filesystems, it's obvious that a well-designed filesystem doesn't need manual editing of the superblock after a power failure."
True, thank goodness for Reiser, XFS and others.
---"Likewise, we'll someday look back and realize that gadgets didn't have to be hard, we just made them that way. And it's nobody's fault but ours."
That "hardness" is what keeps geeks cool (heh). It's the whole "I can do it and YOU cant" attitude. That's one of the things that's boosting Linux up. It has the capibility of nearly everything. If you dont like component A, you can put component B in its place or make your own. That A and B hold true for GUI's, Graphic subsystems, text editors, web servers, (soon to be) kernels, filesystems, command lines..... anything. Once Linux becomes the standard (soo many numerous reasons which I will not state here), you'll see usability on Linux (for the average person) to go high.
Slashdot Mirror
What worries me about the amazon case is.... Why would a Texan register a domain 9-11.net , point it towards Amazon.com, and not request anything(ransom...).
Seems to me there's a lot behind that story... SImple whois'ing the domains shows that. If it's that of revenge, what happened to Michael Beck......
I'd be better than these clowns as an editor , but in no way better than most of the people at kuro5hin.org .
I've had all of my stories turned down too. I could care less about the karma... Still that's what it's taken when yu complain about unpublished stories...
1: Possible shenanigans at Amazon.com . Seems they registered 9-11.net and pointed it towards a search "september 11" at amazon.com (did 2, 1 anony/ 1 registered)
2: Gene Kan, co-author to Gnutella protocol dies
3: Congress OK's dumping of nuclear materials at Nevada.
Those are recent stories... ALL rejected. And I'm at 50 karma.
I could give a shit less about fucking staplers.
If I was everybody else,I'd stay away from threads like this. I assume that the editors feel insulted when you call "news" before they are ready to (ahem) report on it. Threads like these are great attractors for -1 Offtopic hits. Considering, at this time, he has 10 points of moderation against him. It will be more.
/. SUUUURE didn't give us better editors.
(Lauging) I guess that money all of us paid to
---"not really I suspect that they have a few tricks up their sleaves
what would really be fun would be to know what version of the compiler they are useing
win2k it was Visual C 6 I wonder if they changed for XP"---
It'd be kinda funny if MS compiled all their OS 'stuff' on their unix boxes with GCC.
---"Um. Most people aren't going to run out and buy all new hardware just to *try* a new OS."
;-) Haven't seen you in a while..
Actually, I did. AT the time, I bought a refurb computer from a company (back in the 300MHz days). A 350 was fairly new and sold for about 1300$ us. Well, I got a great deal on a return (Acer 333). I did a bit of gaming on it, however whenever I used the CPU too much, the modem died. Course, this is also the time when I bought a book that included RH 5.1 . Essentially, my modem was crap (WInBlodem). I then proceeded to fork over 50 bucks for a ISA hardware modem. Considering that I'm still using that, I see that it has paid for the investment.
Also, nice to see you posting again
---"I put the quotes in because I find it interesting that they are asserting rights over something they did not write, nor can claim any code for."
That's IP for you. They bought the IP for OpenGL rights that SGI owned.
---"It smells like they are submarining a patent they bought from SGI, who in turn probably filed the patent as a submarine as well."
You damn right they are. If I was Billy, I'd buy up every rendering engine to force everybody to use _MINE_. And that's exactly they plan to do. For example, if you're running WinXP, go download GLTron and play it. WHOOPS! MS didn't include OpenGL drivers.
Simply, this is IE vs. Netscape all over again. Just a different terrain.
---"Yes, I like gnome a lot. I might even donate money, but the problem with this link is they they don't offer any specific details about what happens with this money? Does it go to administration? How so? To major coders? which? Who qualifies? Bandwidth? Why does the Gnome Foundation do that requires our financial support?"
I know where its gonna go.....
It's gonna pay for the slashdotting we gave 'em. heh
I just love the quote that ol' billG said.... here it is.
"The so-called (Free Software Foundation)... says that these other countries other than the US should devote R&D dollars in the so-called open approach, that means you can never commercialise that software," said Gates.
Well, umm, no shit BillG. As a government, would you spend your miney on a company in another country for proprietary software for internal matters, or put the money in developing better GPL/FSF type of software (where there is already base). So yes, the GPL keeps money (and code) out of your pocket.
By the way billy, nice job on the DeToqueville (whatever) essay. You didnt pay much for it, did you?
---"I used to work for the second largest Visa issuer."
OK. Prove it.
---" We tracked every thing a cardholder did. We knew your spending habits and what you liked to buy. We knew when you were on vacation"
Seems OK. You had to know by way of the UPC's what goods you were paying for.
---"and when you fooled around on your wife."
You just lost your point right there. Saying that's just plain dumb.
---"We sold this information to advertisers and gave it to other ventures within our corporation."
Is that supposed to scare us? Hell, even the US post office does that. Cuts the bills on us consumers indirectly.
---"Sometimes we'd even turn it over to the Secret Service."
Damn straight. I know if I was in charge of a business, I'd hand over a sizable amount of records to take heat off. There would be a limit though.
---"Every cardholder had an agreement similar to a EULA. We changed it all the time, raising rates and fees to our benefit. By using the card you were bound to the agreement."
Wonder how far that would have lasted if you were sued over license disputes? Not very long. Still, it doesnt seem to be that bad of a license.
---"Essentially we did the same thing you say Microsoft does, and maybe even a little more, yet you trust Visa over Microsoft. Interesting."
Wrong. If there's a bill dispute, all I have to do is call my Visa office and say something about fraud/non-payment . They then kill off billing till it's resolved. That's one BIG point "for" credit cards. Essentially, you get 'protection' for the extra money spent. (then again, doesnt that sound like another 'agency?)
Movies, series, whatever all ends. Well, the way Star Wars is going, it's going into the shitter. Overall, people dont like ep 1, and they hate ep2. ANd if you were around back then, you oughtta remember why Star Wars was popular. Hint: It wasnt the plot (try special fx). They just created more shows for revenue. They were just hooks to continue the first one.
Jump ahead a few years. Now we have 2 new movies which are crap. The director, along with most of your standard directors stink. They make mush of a movie that the "public will like".
Well, at least 3 of the shows were decent. Quit while you're ahead.
I'll know I'm gonna get flamebait from some fanboy. Go ahead. I know it's the truth though.
Uhhhh, I do. It was on that free network, Gnutella.... I could download it the day of showing, so uhh yeah. It was free.
;-)
Oh wait. That's against the law? WHOOPS
---microsoft rules old mpaa rocks crap lunix suxxx0rz, then I lose points.
Correct. However if you make it Micro$oft Sux0rz, MPAA sux my scholng and Linux rox0rs the w0rld, you get mod points. Also hiding goatse links in liew of good material get's tricked mods to "Mod YOU UP"
That's Ether, not darkness... you dunce ;P
---" "The day I move to Linux as my desktop machine is getting closer and closer"
I've been hearing this for over five years now yet I have yet to meet anyone who uses Linux as a desktop machine."
I do. I figured that knowing Linux is an essential part of computer science in general, and a lot of interesting apps never make their way over to windows. Be aware that I still use Windows (games only). Everything else is done by Linux and linux programs.
One other thing: How do you learn something insie and out? You use the hardest product and 'grind yoru teeth' with it. My Linux distro is Slackware 8.0
Well, what I've pulled from websites and the RFC:
/etc/protocols . The protocol specification is in the header of the 20 byte beginning part of the IPv4 datagram. It's a 8 bit field.
1:It's a protocol. In IP speak, It's under the same secion that TCP(6), UDP(17), ICMP(1), and others fit under. On unix boxen, it can be found in
2: It was created specifically for voice transfers, along with "telephone emulation" (just the way you interface with the tele). I believe that many, if not all, webphones use this IP protocol. I also think that GSM and US telephones(that use IP networks) use this protocol to transfer voice data.
Some were asking how this could flood your system.... Well, what's the difference TCP and UDP? Or how about ping floods??? Well, it's all data being sent to you. Doesnt matter what 8 bit field is switched... It's still garbage data (if you didnt request it). It fills up your receving connection.
Hopefully I've explained what this is. I'll probably be modded redundant as somebody probably wrote a better "explanation" while I wrote mine. Oh well.
There's more than enough incongruities with the "article", but that's not what bugged me the most. That whole site was just a big ad. Ads were upon ads. And you then have that "News" block at the bottom. I started to think it was a porno ad or "viatamin" ad. It had that "Buy Now" type of lettering.
Point: Dont know if I quite trust these people for "news sources". Looks more like ad hell.
Kinda funnu that we end up with the same ideas.... There's only 2 minutes between our posts, and we have similar thoughts.
;-)
1 22c174928....
1: You host untrusted music(not essentially bad media).
2: People who downloaded it either sign or not.
3: When you download(or see file), you can see signees.
4: All clients have a ratings system.
0- Untested
1-Public Enemy
2-Mostly Corrupt
3-Average
4-good
5-Friend
(maybe a little overdramatic
I could also see how the data is put together....
name_of_media=blablablabla.mdeia
MD5_sum=123h1
quality_of_media=good/bad
---"That's the problem with running a service that's (for the most part) black market...when someone starts fucking it all up with counter-attacks, there's really not a lot of recourse."
Yeah there is. You fight back. No holes barred type of fighting too. If you can catch him in the act, do shit , like ping floods. It's effective in cutting bandwidth 1 way.
---"I was thinking that a moderation system would work, if it's implemented correctly."
---"For instance, once a person has been sharing X GB of files for, say, 2 weeks, they start getting moderation points....they can use these points to flag a file as being a dummy. (or just a shitty rip) If a user gets too many files modded down, he becomes unable to gain moderation points for a certain period."
Already incorrect implementation. I'd simply have a writable part of the P2P fs that allows you to GPG sign a file. You sign the MD5 sum to your 'nick'. If it's good, you sign. If bad, you dont. Now if some idiot is signing bad shit, you can assign trustworthiness to 0. You could also apply 'trusted' user signs to other known good MD5 sums (from untrusted users).
This system creates a "Web of Trust" that cannot be spoofed. No moderation point system will ever cut it (since it relies on a server-no reason to)
---"The sharing requirements will make it undesirable for RIAA droids to pollute the moderation system, since they'll have to be sharing material of their own. (and any dummy files they have will hopefully be moderated down...and if they ARE sharing valid material, well, cool, they're contributing to their own demise)"
First, even 1 screech is enough to 'kill' a file. For example, in Cool Edit plugins, they inset a bell after 30 seconds. Very effective. Also, might I remend you that it's legal for the RIAA to warez these files. Who's gonna pick on them?
Please, nitpick at this suggestion, I'd like to see if it's feasible or not.
---" Although I'll happily diss the corps, I'd much rather see this than a new law or something. They're fighting technology with technology - fair enough."
That's EXACTLY the same thing I say about spammers. Fight tech with tech. Gub'ment just brings in inefficenty and money-wasting skills. And they have no clue about technology.
In spite of this article, there's already a bunch of good files (I didnt say good music....) carried by legit people. I just follow my own rules when I download stuff from P2P networks. Be aware that I search for j-(group) type music, so mine's much harder to find files...
1: If I get a good turnout on search, I look at most of files, bitrates, and times. I download what seems to be the mode of the similar type of files.
2: I tend to stick with files that many users have (eg: 7 people have file with size 4,032,112 and 1 person with size 4,129,326). I can resume easier with "popular one". I do the same thing with movies (anime mostly)
3: While I download, I play it with Winamp/Xmms. If there are errors/not what I expected/fake files , I can easily cancel the download and blacklist the user.
4: If I get corrupt movies, I use virtualdub to determine where in the file is the error. Then I use a snip tool and "cut" the file into N parts. I can then use resume on the P2P services and possibly fix the file. However, some files, like Serial Experiments Lain (AVI sub), 1 episode has a "divx freeze frame". That error'ed file has propigated on WInMX, Kazaa, Gnutella, and Nap-clones.
5: Even with my modem, I download "weird" files in hopes of getting unreleased/changed song. You occaisionally see stuff like this when you search for a popular song. Then you see a "somewhat changed name" but usually longer. I usually get them. If they're bad, I can find out in the first minute(remember, I play as I download).
I figure that this wont be as much helpful... It's just my skills I use in getting the "goods".
---"I mean, are you saying that the Space Program should be the no 1 responsibility of the US government? That we should have taxed the nation for billions of dollars for the sole purpose sending people into space?"
>>>It should be a responsibility. Welfare (and other national programs that micro-manage local governments) should have never been allowed by reason of the 10'th amendment. Course, it doesn't mean anything now.....
Still, now that I think of "taxed the nation for billions of dollars" is a good thing if we could set up a colony on the moon. Biggest key here is to have the colony self-suistaning. Get a foundry, living quarters and food production are your biggies. Since we know what the composition of the moon soil is, it isn't hard to simulate plant life in it.
---"Are you saying that sending people to the moon is more important then feeding starving Americans?"
DAMN straight. NASA is a national governmental program. Welfare should have NEVER been a national program because it deals with local issues. Essentially, this is a bunch of pork-fed idiots holed up in some domed building when some bum in (name your state)'an is homeless. The city/state government should have made their own local programs. Bringing in national government is the biggest waste of time.
---"I mean, are you saying that the Space Program should be the no 1 responsibility of the US government? That we should have taxed the nation for billions of dollars for the sole purpose sending people into space?"
It should be a responsibility. Welfare (and other national programs that micro-manage local governments) should have never been allowed by reason of the 10'th amendment. Course, it doesn't mean anything now.....
Actually, people like you are what makes Slashdot successful. There's so much group-think on this site yet some aren't willing to succumb. I know I don't, and I get modded to hell for it sometimes.
:-) ) "
---"This is really NOT the forum in which you want to post this kind of question. It feels like you had already drawn a conclusion "users are dumb!" and you wanted support in that conclusion. You'll get plenty of it here, but I don't think it will be very useful advice.
"Well, if you don't use the command-line ONLY, you're a lamer".... Yeah. Guess I'm a lamer.
---"A quick example... about three years ago, I commented that you should always use a UPS on a Linux box, because the ext2 filesystem was fragile. (there was much more to this, but in the interest of brevity I'll omit it.)"
I thought the same thing. "Windows sux" yet can survive resets like that. With the ext2fs, you had to wait for a fsck. Then you wait for the filesystem to fsck you.
---"So what did I get in reply? "You're a moron, you should be manually editing your filesystem when it's corrupted and using backups of the superblock." And other posters appeared to agree with him. I don't think I got even a single reply in support of my stance... that I shouldn't have to, that a properly designed fileystem wouldn't have these problems. I'll not repeat the whole argument. Either you will understand why this was a ridiculous thing to say or you won't. But the blame-the-user mindset was firmly in place... it was MY fault because I didn't know enough, not the fault of the designer(s)."
In a very few instances, you should do as such. If you're investigating a crime (where logfiles were deleted), you use the Coroner's tookit. Other than that, it should be AS EASY as the fat32 partition type. Instead, they made it horridly fragile.
---"Read the book "The Design of Everyday Things". It is a great set of examples of how badly real-life things can be designed... and how a properly designed real-life thing should automatically guide the user into using it correctly. A door that pushes, for example, should NOT have a handle, it should have a push plate... and maybe a handle for the other side, because it pulls on that side."
I remember a web-site that covered the worst software UI's. I cant remember (or find) the site. It covered Quicktime, some IBM software and others.
---"According to research, there are two basic ways that humans organize data and navigate through the world: "knowledge in the head" and "knowledge in the world". People who use the former are Slashdotters... they use their memory as their primary navigation device. They tend to trust their own memories over things like street signs and maps."
---"The other type of thinker uses the world around him/herself to keep them organized. WHERE the piece of paper is tells them WHAT it is. They'll trust a street sign over their memory every time. They don't try to store the entire world in their head, and (this is the crucial part) they get confused when input isn't consistently mappable to output."
---"A car is easy to drive for everyone because inputs translate to outputs in a simple, direct way. There are only a few states and only about five main inputs. Anyone tall enough to see over the dashboard can successfully move a car with an automatic transmission."
---"For 'in the world' thinkers, however, a computer is a deep mystery. Inputs don't translate into outputs. In a car, if you push the accelerator, the engine revs up, and the car usually goes faster. On a computer, if you click the mouse, a zillion different things could happen, depending on where the pointer was, what mouse button you pressed, what program was running, or what the time of day was, or what have you. This means computers are HARD for 'in the world' types."
Command line is somewhat different. Yeah, the commands are a bear to remember, but input and output are simple. In a way, this is what makes Linux really nice, but also excruciatingly hard. You can simply pipe the outputs from 1 program into another program. However, this type of thoughts are usually held by very logical people. Your average person doesn't fall into this category.
---"That is part of what was so successful about the Macintosh. One button. Short menus. It's still complex, but the inputs map more closely to the outputs, and the onscreen cues make it easier for externally-organized people. The internal states of the machine are more clearly reflected on screen."
The KISS principle had a good impact.
---"Just because something is complex on the inside doesn't mean it has to be complex on the outside, too. A modern car is an exceedingly complex device, and it takes a lot of training to be able to repair one if it breaks... but pretty much any idiot can drive. (and, judging from what I see on the freeway every day, every idiot does.
---"Computers can be this way without sacrificing their power. But it's easy to blame the user and ignore the problem when the solution isn't easy. Look at my ext2 experience. Back then, it was my fault. Now that we have journaling filesystems, it's obvious that a well-designed filesystem doesn't need manual editing of the superblock after a power failure."
True, thank goodness for Reiser, XFS and others.
---"Likewise, we'll someday look back and realize that gadgets didn't have to be hard, we just made them that way. And it's nobody's fault but ours."
That "hardness" is what keeps geeks cool (heh). It's the whole "I can do it and YOU cant" attitude. That's one of the things that's boosting Linux up. It has the capibility of nearly everything. If you dont like component A, you can put component B in its place or make your own. That A and B hold true for GUI's, Graphic subsystems, text editors, web servers, (soon to be) kernels, filesystems, command lines..... anything. Once Linux becomes the standard (soo many numerous reasons which I will not state here), you'll see usability on Linux (for the average person) to go high.
And there's 6 billion people to show you that there's a better interface than that....(COUGH)
--- Uh... by that definition, ditto win9x.
Correct also. What is the best OS for games? Windows. Games are just really interactive toys, nothing more.