Its hard to put much respect into this news when previous articles at the bottom are...
See Also
10-20GHz Intel Nehalem slated for 2005
Pentium 8 spotted on the wibbly web
Intel Tejas pictures up on web
More Tejas pictures, Grantsdale mobo make it to web
Intel's Tejas to have eight new instructions
Anyone who thinks Canada has a dense population near the US border compared to the US high density has obviously never been here. Canada is sparse, and when you get further from the border, it's extremely sparse.
This is NOT like the Microsoft situation with office products. Apple doesn't hide API's from developers or use proprietary standards that are purposefully designed to keep competition out. Apple plays nice with others, making freely available all the same tools that they have access to for application developement. Don't think this parellels Microshaft.
If patents only lasted for 10-20 years and then became public domain. Widgets and sprockets could be produced by anyone, crushing monopolies and allowing new technologies to be created from the combining of previously uncombinable ideas.
One company does not need to control ALL of anyone's information. Credit card companies can continue to hold your credit card number, banks can continue to hold you bank numbers, your phone company can continue to hold your phone number and address, etc. With the help of a central company, one can link much of this information together with a single password, but still having information stored and protected by these original organizations. One profit driven (or even not for profit, motive hidden) organization cannot possibly handle the amount of trust that would be required to have all of this information together centrally controlled, both for technical and trust issues.
No alternatives exist because this is a being implimented by a monopoly which will do everything required (not justified) to fulfill their task of remaining at the top in their current fields and new ones. Everyone with a computer that has anything recent M$aft based are already being flooded with reminders to register for this so called optional service that has an agreement over 4 pages long. Someone already mentioned you can't de-list from some of their email lists without a passport, what happened to the law that required prompt removal from unwanted email lists without the need for personal information? They are already breaking the law. Where does this leave the future when undoubtedly all M$aft based computers will require passport to even turn on to it's rent-a-software scheme?
It's a grim future for computing and personal privacy if something is not done.
Slashdot Mirror
Its hard to put much respect into this news when previous articles at the bottom are...
See Also
10-20GHz Intel Nehalem slated for 2005
Pentium 8 spotted on the wibbly web
Intel Tejas pictures up on web
More Tejas pictures, Grantsdale mobo make it to web
Intel's Tejas to have eight new instructions
Anyone who thinks Canada has a dense population near the US border compared to the US high density has obviously never been here. Canada is sparse, and when you get further from the border, it's extremely sparse.
Just wait, those with parania can't get at this link now. New crop of theories just created.
This is NOT like the Microsoft situation with office products. Apple doesn't hide API's from developers or use proprietary standards that are purposefully designed to keep competition out. Apple plays nice with others, making freely available all the same tools that they have access to for application developement. Don't think this parellels Microshaft.
...the /. crowd help!
This is sick though, why should scientific research be dependant on if the polical leaders can agree or not. Didn't anyone watch 2001/2010?
Speaking of vague... Shouldn't the leader of one of the worlds most influencial companies be able to portray his thoughts a more clearly?
If patents only lasted for 10-20 years and then became public domain. Widgets and sprockets could be produced by anyone, crushing monopolies and allowing new technologies to be created from the combining of previously uncombinable ideas.
One company does not need to control ALL of anyone's information. Credit card companies can continue to hold your credit card number, banks can continue to hold you bank numbers, your phone company can continue to hold your phone number and address, etc. With the help of a central company, one can link much of this information together with a single password, but still having information stored and protected by these original organizations. One profit driven (or even not for profit, motive hidden) organization cannot possibly handle the amount of trust that would be required to have all of this information together centrally controlled, both for technical and trust issues. No alternatives exist because this is a being implimented by a monopoly which will do everything required (not justified) to fulfill their task of remaining at the top in their current fields and new ones. Everyone with a computer that has anything recent M$aft based are already being flooded with reminders to register for this so called optional service that has an agreement over 4 pages long. Someone already mentioned you can't de-list from some of their email lists without a passport, what happened to the law that required prompt removal from unwanted email lists without the need for personal information? They are already breaking the law. Where does this leave the future when undoubtedly all M$aft based computers will require passport to even turn on to it's rent-a-software scheme? It's a grim future for computing and personal privacy if something is not done.