Why that was the last time an Intel CPU ever got into any of my servers, workstations or anything else. One would think that intel would want to get rid of master Microsoft and be able to build their own software again. Right now they are not able to because of their tight lockin to MS. If linux succed at a greater scale it could very well be the start of a move away from that hideous platform of x86 and possibly leave Intel behind. Linux is pretty easy to port compared to Windows.
"The "Sincere Choice" group (Bruce Perens et al) are pushing for greater adoption of Open Source. "Software Choice" is (as far as I can tell) pushing for, what appears to be, the best solution for the problem - irrespective of it's licence."
And by some strange reason Software Choice tends to skew things a hefty bit towards closed source proprearity. That is, all things is best if that terrible cancer of Linus is avoided at all cost and that no university, government or entity within the state use it or develop anything for it. You have blue eyes i presume?
"This, to me, seems to be the most sensible thing. You don't go and purchase a TV, Video or DVD system without doing the research and finding out what suits you. You look at the facts, you look at what you want and you pick what is best for the situation."
A government is suppossed to give the tax payers the most possible for their money. Cost should be a big part in the decision process, pick the thing that does the job at the least cost just like in other areas. They are as of today very poor at choosing anything else than Microsoft and they want to keep it that way.
"So, if a closed source solution is the best one, then hell why can't they go for it? I don't know many people who deliberately pick an inferior product unless they have very strong moral or cash-flow problems."
I cant see that closed source is the best in every case. Running a webserver on IIS seems to me as a sign that they DONT choose the best tool for the job. I know many times that inferior products have been choosen, call it stupidity moral or whatever but it happens all the time because "nobody get fired for buying Microsoft".
"Sure, people will point out that people should be using open file formats, the ability to look at the code and the freedom (as in speech) of it all."
This is a key element. I pay taxes right? I have the right to access material right? To force me to buy a proprearity product to enjoy my rights is very bad. Its favorism in its highest form and just as bad as if they would mandate linux everywhere. Open formats lets everybody use whatever they want. I cant see where this would hurt anybody but the monopoly.
"They are right. But even when you apply the ideals of Software Choice to Open Source - it should (unless it's really really appallingly bad) still come out smelling sweeter BECAUSE OF THESE VERY FREEDOMS THAT IT GIVES. "
The "freedom" it gives is status qou for MS. They are very happy in forcing upgrades down everybodys throat.
" I was always told, use the best tool for the job. If OSS advocates are getting worried about a group of companies advocating picking the best tool for the job, then I would like to know what they're worried about. OSS stuff should be able to stand up to this sort of criteria."
If governments start using theese tools they get a synergy effect that so far has never been seen. A sheriff in Idaho can take benefit from an application made in NY police office without double cost. What one entity make the others can benefit of without cost. The tools will be as good as they want them to be. OSS dont market themselves but rely on educated users that knows what they are doing. Thats hard when marketdroids is running rampant calling it cancer and warning about how it will destroy the country.
" If a product still looks crap (even after all the benefits that come with OSS licencing) against something closed and propriatory, then maybe it's time to realise that it quite well could be crap?"
Ofcourse it will still be crap! Crap is crap is crap, get my drift? They should though have the choice of building their own software, with the help of OSS community. Thats not what Software Choice wants. They want all software to be bought, preferable again and aganin every third year.
"(if of course, Software Choice have changed their tack - then feel free to mod me into oblivion)"
Nope, i still see a little Mini-gates on their shoulders, they havent changed.
But they are only undercutting those who switch to linux. Thats targeted as hell to me. If they would lower their prices overall i would cheer them since they got like 80% profit margins.
How can it be possible to undercut your competition if you have a monopoly like that? Sure one can hope that every living soul out there using Microsoft learns about this. That way they had to pay some. Still it sounds a bit to creapy to me.
I mean comon, its not like Linux is that much of threat right now. To go to such an extreme to twart any sign of competition even in the earliest stage possible shows that they wont settle for anything but total domination. Thay still do anything possible to stop anybody from competing no matter how small they might be. That judge wouldnt get a clue with Cluestick 2000(tm) up her but powered by a nuclear powerplant.
It would be fun if they did this. At last some content instead of beefed up flash games and crappy stuff.
I have waited for someone to release old movies and music etc online that most people wouldnt dream of buying or renting. If it was cheap and had a fixed rate i'd go for it.
Lets face it, MSN is just a portal on steroids and not much more. Most of their content is bought from outsiders except the news and little else.
If AOL made such a bold decision they should have a huge pile of credit for it. No matter how evil they are percieved i think they deserve some if they do it.
You just made an excellent example of just how ignorant and smallminded most users really are.
Its not i who surf into these sites, its the users i help and look after. Even if i should block half the internet they still may get links by mail social engineering them to click. Someone might even pretend to be me.
No matter how you put it, users are stupid, will be stupid, forever stupid. You cant change that but you can change the way the computer works to better suit human behaviour.
Wy fight how humans work instead of adopting it?
If you claim to have a user friendly OS then make sure it is idiot friendly too. Note, thats not what i want out of linux, i see myself as a power user. I have the knowledge and capabilities to look after myself, most people dont.
Its just like with cars, entusiasts like do-it-yourself and common people want to put the key in and just drive. They arent excpected to know how the magic happen.
You miss the part about willingly install something. The users often doesnt have a faintest idea that something unwanted is about to be installed.
You can all kep on whining about stupid users but sooner or later a human approach has to be taken. Whatever you think should be a decent level of IQ most people doesnt have that. They are stupid, ignorant and lazy. They voted Bush into office didnt they?
Like air traffic has taken the approach that human errors, its just a matter of time x task at hand. Computing needs to treat humans as we really are, a bunch of talking apes with opposite thumbs. We may think we are smart but thats an illusion, why else would we so willingly destroy and pollute our own planet, a hidden agenda, aliens?
A stupid user is a normal user, plain and simple. To educate them is a far greater task than to educate the computers they use.
Well yes, its not like anyone of us have ever ran into a security breach or gotten a spyware installed because of IE. I suppose im just a lamer and a noob since i have had that problem at work even if i am 15 years + in PC computing. Everyone is stupid and Microsoft holds the grail of superior technology, security and moral.
" By common sense I mean NOT going to suspicious sites (you can usually tell by the URL.. something that has "geocities" or ends with ".cz" is probably going to be more dangerous than amazon.com for instance). "
Yea! Just stick to MSN and all is ok then? Get real, why should the user be concerned with where he surf? To stop surfing at "suspicious sites" should probably cut off most user made sites in existance. You sound like some big corporation that wants all internet users to stick to the shopping sites and subscription sites.
"This automatically forces the most stringent security settings (disabling activeX, scripting, etc.) "
Why not get rid of those security disasters once and for all instead? It sure seems stupid to have something thats so bad security wise in a browser.
Once other countries see that threating to use linux gives better prices it will become common. I find it hilarious that Microsoft has to pay some people to use their software. I really hope some western countries uses this extortion scheme too.
Considering that MS has an 80% profit margin i assume that many buisinesses will have a field day the next time licenses are discussed. Now they are certain about being screwed royally by the rim mastah.
No copy protection in the world works because of the impossibility to code analog signals. Lets say i have bought a Super Ultra MeGa Sony Copy Protected Unbreakable disc from my local shop. It wont play in my car or portable. I try and i find no way of breaking it.
What do i do then?
I take out my best soundcard and plug the device playing the friggin disc into it. Since most A/D cnverters today is of pretty good quality i can rip and crunch the disc into whatever format i like and not many will be able to tell the difference between the original and my digital copy. I have to do a lot of hassle to use the disc legally and the pirates wont even notice the so called copy protection. They just buy a nice little studio soundcard with S/N ratio of about 106 Db. No sane person will ever hear the difference of an mp3 made from analog source compared from one made from digital source.
Score.
Me (the pirate) 0 Sony (the idiots) 0 Pirates (the aRRRRR) 1
To me i can only see that Sonys customers get screwed and the pirates, well they wont notice. As stated many times before (Sony, get this into your thick skulls) PIRATING is a SOCIAL problem!
Something is wrong between you and your customers, fix it damnit.
Depending on what level of security you strive for ofcourse. There will always be back entryways into your network. A firewall that stops incoming traffic on let say port 137-139 doesnt stop all attacks. Someone might aswell succed in hacking something else on another port and then go on to the samba server from the internal network.
I also strongly suggest you not to trust inhouse staff completely. Most hackings that really hurts are insiders that rarely gets discovered.
This exploit should be known if they have fixed it in XP as another reader stated. Are Microsoft hiding vulns until they are found by others to keep the numbers on bygtraq etc. down? Heck, i understand them if they have a hard time getting less vulnerabilities than the biggest linux dists, together and with some vulns counted multiple times. Not to mention that a typical linux dist includes a couple of thousand applications more than windows.
I have a hunch that Microsoft is actively trying to downplay vulnerabilities. They probably knows about many more than they tell just to keep their numbers down.
The audit that took place at the launch of their Trusted Computer initiative hasnt made any impact. It hasnt resulted in new bugs found in any significant number. I would think that it points towards:
a) They did a crappy job and didnt find any new bugs. b) Windows hasn't got any more vulns left (not bloody likely) c) They found a bunch but to release them would show that windows is a schwiss cheese of code so they only aknowledge the ones found by outsiders. They hope they go unoticed until Net is ready.
Personally i vote for c since they should have found a bunch if they really did audit the code.
"India will continue to pirate as long as Microsoft leads everywhere else, though having the governor officially reject capitalism is a good step for socialism."
He did NOT reject capitalism, it was the freedom he didnt want to give up. Thats a very big difference.
That movie would have had car explosions and Arnold Shwarzenegger as Frodo if shot in hollywood.
Lord of the Rings was not in any way a hollywood crap'o'movie.
Hollywoods biggest enemy is their scripts. Why the hell do they throw hundreds of millions on a terrible script like Lethal Weapon 3 ?? Most people watch the good movies in the theater and the sloppy ones at home when out of things to do.
With few exception hollywood has again and again made safe bets and delivers only variations on the same script the last 10 years.
The good stuff is made by pixar, dreamworks and other smaller players that has the gut to take some chances.
I think your suggestion was the smartest thing i have read in years. A PC is easily modified and programmable and thus always breakable. A sealed custom made system would be much harder to break. Your solution is the best one ever. If you dont want something pirated, dont ever put it on a PC!
Microsoft:"We trust you not to tell anyone about our security holes if you find them"
To hide an exploit doesnt remove it. Damnit, it was there from the first day the software was realesed! Just because script kiddies havent found it doesnt mean its not in the wild. And when someone find out WHERE there is a hole you will have pretty much people poking into that hole to find out how to use it. The vendor must be quicker than the kiddies. Today it seems that no exploit is fixed until somebody scream "blody murder" and releases an exploit.
I think it is because MS wants to keep their official exploit numbers at a minimum. If its not official they just shut up and hopes that no one will discover it.
Sure, its annoying but i dont think its going to stop e-mail. Heck i even watch tv and they have chopped the damn shows up into small bits. Im more annoyed by popups and banners that any spam ive ever received.
Im not against it, its just a joke. I am one of those that believes that humor is the only thing that keeps mankind from collectively commit suicide. In my point of view humor cant ever be wrong.
Im sorry if you are offended but i wont change because it offends you. I have to live with people saying things that i dont like all day. Thats part of life outside a totalitarian state.
I would like a copyright protected P2P network!
on
Gnutella2 Specs - Part 1
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Dont get me wrong its not to help the RIAA or anything. I just would like a peer network where you could exchange only free uncopyrighed stuff. Today such things drown in britney Spears and porno and goes unoticed. A browsable peer network filled with only free stuff would lift it up and give legitimacy to peer networks. Today people trying to distribute free or new music etc. dissapears totally from the surface under a big pile of copyrighted crap. Pirating is actually in essence hurting unsigned and struggling musicians.
Maybe im the only one in the whole world who doesnt like to pirate, i dunno.
In the US its ok to use and abuse a monopoly if it doesnt hurt the comsumer. The law doesnt take other companies in account that may be killed off by abusive monopolies.
Eu law in the other hand is all about keeping a level playing field among the companies themselves. Microsoft has more to fear from that law. Many European companies have been slapped with very big fines for much smaller offences than MS have made.
Then again i dont know if we should worry. All MS can succed in if they continue alienating their customers and locking people into Windows etc. is a total fork of the internet. Geeks on one side on open systems and Windows users locked into MSN and NET servers. I dont know if that should be so bad. I could live with it but could MS?
MS spends pocket money on localization. The only thing i have ever found different besides the language, time and currency is that non english versions are even worse and more buggy than english versions. Countries using linux WONT spend much money since the basis is already there. Only the localisation is left to carry out. Money spent in your country is a better trade balance and that is worth a hell of a lot to countries like Japan. Choosing another product isnt the same as subsidizing either.
Even if it can seem to a ignorant american that everybody is like them doesnt in any way mean that it is the case. The differences in behaviour and values is very big indeed even if people tries to meet on common ground in business. To expect that everybody should adapt and behaive like us western have lost companies many contracts in foreign countries.
I am one of those that think computers should eventually adopt how we humans work. To make a human work as a computer is impossible.
Working the same way everywhere, thats something that really sounds like communism to me. People are different so lets accept that and move on. Who wants to live in a world full of faceless clones?
Slashdot Mirror
Why that was the last time an Intel CPU ever got into any of my servers, workstations or anything else. One would think that intel would want to get rid of master Microsoft and be able to build their own software again. Right now they are not able to because of their tight lockin to MS. If linux succed at a greater scale it could very well be the start of a move away from that hideous platform of x86 and possibly leave Intel behind. Linux is pretty easy to port compared to Windows.
"The "Sincere Choice" group (Bruce Perens et al) are pushing for greater adoption of Open Source. "Software Choice" is (as far as I can tell) pushing for, what appears to be, the best solution for the problem - irrespective of it's licence."
And by some strange reason Software Choice tends to skew things a hefty bit towards closed source proprearity. That is, all things is best if that terrible cancer of Linus is avoided at all cost and that no university, government or entity within the state use it or develop anything for it. You have blue eyes i presume?
"This, to me, seems to be the most sensible thing. You don't go and purchase a TV, Video or DVD system without doing the research and finding out what suits you. You look at the facts, you look at what you want and you pick what is best for the situation."
A government is suppossed to give the tax payers the most possible for their money. Cost should be a big part in the decision process, pick the thing that does the job at the least cost just like in other areas. They are as of today very poor at choosing anything else than Microsoft and they want to keep it that way.
"So, if a closed source solution is the best one, then hell why can't they go for it? I don't know many people who deliberately pick an inferior product unless they have very strong moral or cash-flow problems."
I cant see that closed source is the best in every case. Running a webserver on IIS seems to me as a sign that they DONT choose the best tool for the job. I know many times that inferior products have been choosen, call it stupidity moral or whatever but it happens all the time because "nobody get fired for buying Microsoft".
"Sure, people will point out that people should be using open file formats, the ability to look at the code and the freedom (as in speech) of it all."
This is a key element. I pay taxes right? I have the right to access material right? To force me to buy a proprearity product to enjoy my rights is very bad. Its favorism in its highest form and just as bad as if they would mandate linux everywhere. Open formats lets everybody use whatever they want. I cant see where this would hurt anybody but the monopoly.
"They are right. But even when you apply the ideals of Software Choice to Open Source - it should (unless it's really really appallingly bad) still come out smelling sweeter BECAUSE OF THESE VERY FREEDOMS THAT IT GIVES. "
The "freedom" it gives is status qou for MS. They are very happy in forcing upgrades down everybodys throat.
" I was always told, use the best tool for the job. If OSS advocates are getting worried about a group of companies advocating picking the best tool for the job, then I would like to know what they're worried about. OSS stuff should be able to stand up to this sort of criteria."
If governments start using theese tools they get a synergy effect that so far has never been seen. A sheriff in Idaho can take benefit from an application made in NY police office without double cost. What one entity make the others can benefit of without cost. The tools will be as good as they want them to be. OSS dont market themselves but rely on educated users that knows what they are doing. Thats hard when marketdroids is running rampant calling it cancer and warning about how it will destroy the country.
" If a product still looks crap (even after all the benefits that come with OSS licencing) against something closed and propriatory, then maybe it's time to realise that it quite well could be crap?"
Ofcourse it will still be crap! Crap is crap is crap, get my drift? They should though have the choice of building their own software, with the help of OSS community. Thats not what Software Choice wants. They want all software to be bought, preferable again and aganin every third year.
"(if of course, Software Choice have changed their tack - then feel free to mod me into oblivion)"
Nope, i still see a little Mini-gates on their shoulders, they havent changed.
Soaring trough the web at warp speed 5.
"Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)"
Soar Soar, v. i. (A"eronautics)
To fly by wind power; to glide indefinitely without loss of
altitude.
But they are only undercutting those who switch to linux. Thats targeted as hell to me. If they would lower their prices overall i would cheer them since they got like 80% profit margins.
How can it be possible to undercut your competition if you have a monopoly like that? Sure one can hope that every living soul out there using Microsoft learns about this. That way they had to pay some. Still it sounds a bit to creapy to me.
I mean comon, its not like Linux is that much of threat right now. To go to such an extreme to twart any sign of competition even in the earliest stage possible shows that they wont settle for anything but total domination. Thay still do anything possible to stop anybody from competing no matter how small they might be. That judge wouldnt get a clue with Cluestick 2000(tm) up her but powered by a nuclear powerplant.
It would be fun if they did this. At last some content instead of beefed up flash games and crappy stuff.
I have waited for someone to release old movies and music etc online that most people wouldnt dream of buying or renting. If it was cheap and had a fixed rate i'd go for it.
Lets face it, MSN is just a portal on steroids and not much more. Most of their content is bought from outsiders except the news and little else.
If AOL made such a bold decision they should have a huge pile of credit for it. No matter how evil they are percieved i think they deserve some if they do it.
You just made an excellent example of just how ignorant and smallminded most users really are.
Its not i who surf into these sites, its the users i help and look after. Even if i should block half the internet they still may get links by mail social engineering them to click. Someone might even pretend to be me.
No matter how you put it, users are stupid, will be stupid, forever stupid. You cant change that but you can change the way the computer works to better suit human behaviour.
Wy fight how humans work instead of adopting it?
If you claim to have a user friendly OS then make sure it is idiot friendly too. Note, thats not what i want out of linux, i see myself as a power user. I have the knowledge and capabilities to look after myself, most people dont.
Its just like with cars, entusiasts like do-it-yourself and common people want to put the key in and just drive. They arent excpected to know how the magic happen.
You miss the part about willingly install something. The users often doesnt have a faintest idea that something unwanted is about to be installed.
You can all kep on whining about stupid users but sooner or later a human approach has to be taken. Whatever you think should be a decent level of IQ most people doesnt have that. They are stupid, ignorant and lazy. They voted Bush into office didnt they?
Like air traffic has taken the approach that human errors, its just a matter of time x task at hand. Computing needs to treat humans as we really are, a bunch of talking apes with opposite thumbs. We may think we are smart but thats an illusion, why else would we so willingly destroy and pollute our own planet, a hidden agenda, aliens?
A stupid user is a normal user, plain and simple. To educate them is a far greater task than to educate the computers they use.
"This article has a hint of FUD"
Well yes, its not like anyone of us have ever ran into a security breach or gotten a spyware installed because of IE. I suppose im just a lamer and a noob since i have had that problem at work even if i am 15 years + in PC computing. Everyone is stupid and Microsoft holds the grail of superior technology, security and moral.
" By common sense I mean NOT going to suspicious sites (you can usually tell by the URL.. something that has "geocities" or ends with ".cz" is probably going to be more dangerous than amazon.com for instance). "
Yea! Just stick to MSN and all is ok then? Get real, why should the user be concerned with where he surf? To stop surfing at "suspicious sites" should probably cut off most user made sites in existance. You sound like some big corporation that wants all internet users to stick to the shopping sites and subscription sites.
"This automatically forces the most stringent security settings (disabling activeX, scripting, etc.) "
Why not get rid of those security disasters once and for all instead? It sure seems stupid to have something thats so bad security wise in a browser.
"
Once other countries see that threating to use linux gives better prices it will become common. I find it hilarious that Microsoft has to pay some people to use their software. I really hope some western countries uses this extortion scheme too.
Considering that MS has an 80% profit margin i assume that many buisinesses will have a field day the next time licenses are discussed. Now they are certain about being screwed royally by the rim mastah.
If you cant contend the post, just complain about the grammar!
You need to realize that many of us talk english from 3 years in school. Thats is.
I really would like to hear you talk french or german.
=)
Ahrrr matey!!
No copy protection in the world works because of the impossibility to code analog signals. Lets say i have bought a Super Ultra MeGa Sony Copy Protected Unbreakable disc from my local shop. It wont play in my car or portable. I try and i find no way of breaking it.
What do i do then?
I take out my best soundcard and plug the device playing the friggin disc into it. Since most A/D cnverters today is of pretty good quality i can rip and crunch the disc into whatever format i like and not many will be able to tell the difference between the original and my digital copy. I have to do a lot of hassle to use the disc legally and the pirates wont even notice the so called copy protection. They just buy a nice little studio soundcard with S/N ratio of about 106 Db. No sane person will ever hear the difference of an mp3 made from analog source compared from one made from digital source.
Score.
Me (the pirate) 0
Sony (the idiots) 0
Pirates (the aRRRRR) 1
To me i can only see that Sonys customers get screwed and the pirates, well they wont notice. As stated many times before (Sony, get this into your thick skulls) PIRATING is a SOCIAL problem!
Something is wrong between you and your customers, fix it damnit.
Hey man, ever seen office space?
Depending on what level of security you strive for ofcourse. There will always be back entryways into your network. A firewall that stops incoming traffic on let say port 137-139 doesnt stop all attacks. Someone might aswell succed in hacking something else on another port and then go on to the samba server from the internal network.
I also strongly suggest you not to trust inhouse staff completely. Most hackings that really hurts are insiders that rarely gets discovered.
This exploit should be known if they have fixed it in XP as another reader stated. Are Microsoft hiding vulns until they are found by others to keep the numbers on bygtraq etc. down? Heck, i understand them if they have a hard time getting less vulnerabilities than the biggest linux dists, together and with some vulns counted multiple times. Not to mention that a typical linux dist includes a couple of thousand applications more than windows.
I have a hunch that Microsoft is actively trying to downplay vulnerabilities. They probably knows about many more than they tell just to keep their numbers down.
The audit that took place at the launch of their Trusted Computer initiative hasnt made any impact. It hasnt resulted in new bugs found in any significant number. I would think that it points towards:
a) They did a crappy job and didnt find any new bugs.
b) Windows hasn't got any more vulns left (not bloody likely)
c) They found a bunch but to release them would show that windows is a schwiss cheese of code so they only aknowledge the ones found by outsiders. They hope they go unoticed until Net is ready.
Personally i vote for c since they should have found a bunch if they really did audit the code.
"India will continue to pirate as long as Microsoft leads everywhere else, though having the governor officially reject capitalism is a good step for socialism."
He did NOT reject capitalism, it was the freedom he didnt want to give up. Thats a very big difference.
Lord of the Rings, from hollywood??
That movie would have had car explosions and Arnold Shwarzenegger as Frodo if shot in hollywood.
Lord of the Rings was not in any way a hollywood crap'o'movie.
Hollywoods biggest enemy is their scripts. Why the hell do they throw hundreds of millions on a terrible script like Lethal Weapon 3 ?? Most people watch the good movies in the theater and the sloppy ones at home when out of things to do.
With few exception hollywood has again and again made safe bets and delivers only variations on the same script the last 10 years.
The good stuff is made by pixar, dreamworks and other smaller players that has the gut to take some chances.
I think your suggestion was the smartest thing i have read in years. A PC is easily modified and programmable and thus always breakable. A sealed custom made system would be much harder to break. Your solution is the best one ever. If you dont want something pirated, dont ever put it on a PC!
Damn smart, im impressed!
Microsoft:"We trust you not to tell anyone about our security holes if you find them"
To hide an exploit doesnt remove it. Damnit, it was there from the first day the software was realesed! Just because script kiddies havent found it doesnt mean its not in the wild. And when someone find out WHERE there is a hole you will have pretty much people poking into that hole to find out how to use it. The vendor must be quicker than the kiddies. Today it seems that no exploit is fixed until somebody scream "blody murder" and releases an exploit.
I think it is because MS wants to keep their official exploit numbers at a minimum. If its not official they just shut up and hopes that no one will discover it.
Dont shoot the messenger.
Sure, its annoying but i dont think its going to stop e-mail. Heck i even watch tv and they have chopped the damn shows up into small bits. Im more annoyed by popups and banners that any spam ive ever received.
Hey man!
Im not against it, its just a joke. I am one of those that believes that humor is the only thing that keeps mankind from collectively commit suicide. In my point of view humor cant ever be wrong.
Im sorry if you are offended but i wont change because it offends you. I have to live with people saying things that i dont like all day. Thats part of life outside a totalitarian state.
Dont get me wrong its not to help the RIAA or anything. I just would like a peer network where you could exchange only free uncopyrighed stuff. Today such things drown in britney Spears and porno and goes unoticed. A browsable peer network filled with only free stuff would lift it up and give legitimacy to peer networks. Today people trying to distribute free or new music etc. dissapears totally from the surface under a big pile of copyrighted crap. Pirating is actually in essence hurting unsigned and struggling musicians.
Maybe im the only one in the whole world who doesnt like to pirate, i dunno.
1 NEC Earth-Simulator 35860.00
2 Hewlett-Packard 7727.00 Los Alamos
The distance from the first to the second is pretty impressive. What on earth did NEC really do over there?
In the US its ok to use and abuse a monopoly if it doesnt hurt the comsumer. The law doesnt take other companies in account that may be killed off by abusive monopolies.
Eu law in the other hand is all about keeping a level playing field among the companies themselves. Microsoft has more to fear from that law. Many European companies have been slapped with very big fines for much smaller offences than MS have made.
Then again i dont know if we should worry. All MS can succed in if they continue alienating their customers and locking people into Windows etc. is a total fork of the internet. Geeks on one side on open systems and Windows users locked into MSN and NET servers. I dont know if that should be so bad. I could live with it but could MS?
MS spends pocket money on localization. The only thing i have ever found different besides the language, time and currency is that non english versions are even worse and more buggy than english versions. Countries using linux WONT spend much money since the basis is already there. Only the localisation is left to carry out. Money spent in your country is a better trade balance and that is worth a hell of a lot to countries like Japan. Choosing another product isnt the same as subsidizing either.
Even if it can seem to a ignorant american that everybody is like them doesnt in any way mean that it is the case. The differences in behaviour and values is very big indeed even if people tries to meet on common ground in business. To expect that everybody should adapt and behaive like us western have lost companies many contracts in foreign countries.
I am one of those that think computers should eventually adopt how we humans work. To make a human work as a computer is impossible.
Working the same way everywhere, thats something that really sounds like communism to me. People are different so lets accept that and move on. Who wants to live in a world full of faceless clones?