"Let's say that AIDS was declared such a disease. Would any more private sector research money (by far the most research money spent) go into finding a cure or better treatment for AIDS? Would anyone be able to write a business case to get venture money to start a new bio-tech firm looking at AIDS treatment?"
Short answer: Yes.
They're not going to fold up and all go work at Mcdonalds. They won't like there profit margins being cut but you can bet that if they don't continue someone else will pick up where they left off.
There is no excuse for any country to let their people die because of some corportate fucktards.
"News.com reports that a small software developer plans to seek royalties from companies that use XML, the latest example of patent claims embroiling the tech industry."
Yet another bogus patent claim from a jerk who thinks he'll get rich quick. I just can't stand it anymore. Somebody get a rope.
As a developer I can tell you that some of the biggest problems with trying to develop for Linux is the LACK of standards. I never know what libraries I can count on being there. I can't be sure where they are located. Although it's getting better I still can't be sure that a new version of a library is backward compatible.
All of these things add up and make Linux development painful. If your goal is for Linux to be adopted by lots of third party software companies then you must provide a reliable platform for the building of products. That means standards.
Truly open standards will never be bad. Only the perversion of standards as a certain monopoly corporation does in its "embrace and extend" tactic is a bad thing.
I see a lot of post that go along the lines of: "Doom sayer nonsense" and "over rated, nothing is going to happen."
Well you people are missing the point. There will be a pandemic. Its as sure a thing as earthquakes and hurricanes. If not the avian flu then some other disease. It happens every 100 years or so.
The point is that there are things that we can and should do that may lessen the effects of the next major outbreak. We need monitoring procedures put into place that will give us early warning of possible outbreaks. We also need efficient methods of developing and distributing vaccines for potential outbreaks. There are other things also.
I read one person's post who made the point that even the 1918 our break only kill about 5% of the population. Like that in some way makes the 50 to 100 million who died a smaller number.
I'm afraid that I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about man's ability to survive. I think we're just smart enough to see the dog shit in the yard but to arrogant and self centered to walk around it rather that stepping into it.
I have never understood how anyone can patent the human genome. I mean does this mean that we'll need to get a license to have sex or risk patent infringement?
"Satellite is NOT the same as analog, you're right. It's of lesser quality than the capability of analog signals. Whether or not your favorite Tejano Rap station broadcasts at full strength is up to them, but FM has a far superior fidelity to XM or Sirius. 2600 had an article on this from last year."
I sense a flaw in your logic. Although it is technically correct that analog broadcasts can give higher fidelity than digital, it's not relevant. The difference between DVD quality and really being there too small for the human ear/brain to detect.
"Both companies are using a single broadcast signal to project all 100+ of those channels into your radio. Those channels are highly compressed. It's not as though the reciever sends a signal up to the master satellite requesting the "moldy oldies" station and then your radio gets a full on signal. Nope, not at all. You get all the quality it'll deliver all at once for all stations (pay channels included) Don't be fooled into thinking that just because it's satellite it's better."
I don't know if they compress the data stream or not. If they start with CD quality and do compress the data then the compression algorithm will determine if they lose any quality at all. It is not inconceivable that there won't be a loss.
That being said, I think the RIAA are corporate bastards and I hope that their unbridled greed bites them in their collective ass.
Yeah but this particular virus killed over 50 million people.... Not quite the same as playing around with a virus that will only give you the sniffles.
Human nature will destroy any chance of a Utopian world. There will always be the fucktards that need to feel superior to everyone else. And the rich and powerful will fight to prevent everyone from become their "equals."
We may indeed live to be 300 but you can bet we'll be forced into hard labor until we're at least 295.
True cooperation for the purpose of interoperability would be a very welcome change. The only question I have is: "Why is the hair on the back of my neck standing up?"
"So point is, this decision wasn't made based upon tech savvy. It was made based upon cost."
Hopefully moderators will mod your post down as WAY over rated. If you had listened to the mp3 they say straight out that cost is NOT a factor. If Microsoft supports the open standard it is likely that their products will still be used. The issue here is that public records belong to the public. I don't use Windows or Word but I am still entitled to any public record and should not be forced into buying a particular product to view those public records.
Another point is that those public records should be available to the public forever. With an open format, the encoding method is public so years from now if I really wanted to I or anyone else could write software to convert/view those public documents.
"It meets their goals. Whether it's available to free software projects is irrelavent."
No, it does NOT meet their goals and they stated so very clearly if you would bother to listen to the meeting.
The public records belong to the public and should not be encoded in a proprietary format. EVERY citizen has a right to public records and should not be forced to purchase software from one vendor in order to access those records.
Microsoft is free to support any open standard that they wish. This in no way locks Microsoft out. Microsoft on the other had wants to lock out everyone else and force citezens to use their software to access public records. That isn't right and thankfuly that won't happen.
Slashdot Mirror
" Windows lets users get away with that. Macs are great at it. Linux (so far) makes the users learn how it works."
That is total bullshit. Are you an astroturfer? You sure sound like it.
Installing Suse 10.0
1. Place DVD into DVD drive.
2. Boot
3. Accept all defaults
Usage:
1. Point
2. Click
It is no harder to install than Windows and is certainly no harder to use.
Try the newest Suse. Suse 10.0 is sweet and unless your hardware is REALLY odd you won't have any of the problems you just listed.
To say that linux isn't as easy to install/use as Windows is really bullshit.
"If you need to configure anything that isn't out of the box, like latest graphics card support or wireless, you're left out in the cold."
You mean as apposed to if you need to do the same thing on a Windows box?? Give me a break!
"Let's say that AIDS was declared such a disease. Would any more private sector research money (by far the most research money spent) go into finding a cure or better treatment for AIDS? Would anyone be able to write a business case to get venture money to start a new bio-tech firm looking at AIDS treatment?"
Short answer: Yes.
They're not going to fold up and all go work at Mcdonalds. They won't like there profit margins being cut but you can bet that if they don't continue someone else will pick up where they left off.
There is no excuse for any country to let their people die because of some corportate fucktards.
"The software maker will compete 'the good old-fashioned way, with innovation,' he said"
It's good to know that Microsoft is willing to try new things.
"News.com reports that a small software developer plans to seek royalties from companies that use XML, the latest example of patent claims embroiling the tech industry."
Yet another bogus patent claim from a jerk who thinks he'll get rich quick. I just can't stand it anymore. Somebody get a rope.
"This is really a wolf in sheep's clothing."
You're joking. Right?
As a developer I can tell you that some of the biggest problems with trying to develop for Linux is the LACK of standards. I never know what libraries I can count on being there. I can't be sure where they are located. Although it's getting better I still can't be sure that a new version of a library is backward compatible.
All of these things add up and make Linux development painful. If your goal is for Linux to be adopted by lots of third party software companies then you must provide a reliable platform for the building of products. That means standards.
Truly open standards will never be bad. Only the perversion of standards as a certain monopoly corporation does in its "embrace and extend" tactic is a bad thing.
"'The day I come in front of the Gartner audience and say we have a better Unix than Linux, that'll be a good day.'"
I'll start knitting the caps and sweaters... What's the address to hell again?
...and Balmer vows to kill Eclipse and its little dog toto too.
I see a lot of post that go along the lines of: "Doom sayer nonsense" and "over rated, nothing is going to happen."
Well you people are missing the point. There will be a pandemic. Its as sure a thing as earthquakes and hurricanes. If not the avian flu then some other disease. It happens every 100 years or so.
The point is that there are things that we can and should do that may lessen the effects of the next major outbreak. We need monitoring procedures put into place that will give us early warning of possible outbreaks. We also need efficient methods of developing and distributing vaccines for potential outbreaks. There are other things also.
I read one person's post who made the point that even the 1918 our break only kill about 5% of the population. Like that in some way makes the 50 to 100 million who died a smaller number.
I'm afraid that I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about man's ability to survive. I think we're just smart enough to see the dog shit in the yard but to arrogant and self centered to walk around it rather that stepping into it.
Microsoft: We'll help you fight scammers. After all it takes one to know one. BTW, have you seen our "Get the Facts" website?
I have never understood how anyone can patent the human genome. I mean does this mean that we'll need to get a license to have sex or risk patent infringement?
I've got to play Devil's advocate here.
"Satellite is NOT the same as analog, you're right. It's of lesser quality than the capability of analog signals. Whether or not your favorite Tejano Rap station broadcasts at full strength is up to them, but FM has a far superior fidelity to XM or Sirius. 2600 had an article on this from last year."
I sense a flaw in your logic. Although it is technically correct that analog broadcasts can give higher fidelity than digital, it's not relevant. The difference between DVD quality and really being there too small for the human ear/brain to detect.
"Both companies are using a single broadcast signal to project all 100+ of those channels into your radio. Those channels are highly compressed. It's not as though the reciever sends a signal up to the master satellite requesting the "moldy oldies" station and then your radio gets a full on signal. Nope, not at all. You get all the quality it'll deliver all at once for all stations (pay channels included) Don't be fooled into thinking that just because it's satellite it's better."
I don't know if they compress the data stream or not. If they start with CD quality and do compress the data then the compression algorithm will determine if they lose any quality at all. It is not inconceivable that there won't be a loss.
That being said, I think the RIAA are corporate bastards and I hope that their unbridled greed bites them in their collective ass.
Subject says it all.
Right... It could never happen...
"You can make this argument about any virus."
Yeah but this particular virus killed over 50 million people.... Not quite the same as playing around with a virus that will only give you the sniffles.
for our land fills. When will people learn...
Human nature will destroy any chance of a Utopian world. There will always be the fucktards that need to feel superior to everyone else. And the rich and powerful will fight to prevent everyone from become their "equals."
We may indeed live to be 300 but you can bet we'll be forced into hard labor until we're at least 295.
Give each country there own giant NAT box and be done with it!
...might be a hint that they want off of your f***ing list. Ya think?
...might be taken as a hint that they want off of your list. Ya think?
True cooperation for the purpose of interoperability would be a very welcome change. The only question I have is: "Why is the hair on the back of my neck standing up?"
I thinik that being able to tack on unrelated riders to other bills is the real problem.
"So point is, this decision wasn't made based upon tech savvy. It was made based upon cost."
Hopefully moderators will mod your post down as WAY over rated. If you had listened to the mp3 they say straight out that cost is NOT a factor. If Microsoft supports the open standard it is likely that their products will still be used. The issue here is that public records belong to the public. I don't use Windows or Word but I am still entitled to any public record and should not be forced into buying a particular product to view those public records.
Another point is that those public records should be available to the public forever. With an open format, the encoding method is public so years from now if I really wanted to I or anyone else could write software to convert/view those public documents.
"It meets their goals. Whether it's available to free software projects is irrelavent."
No, it does NOT meet their goals and they stated so very clearly if you would bother to listen to the meeting.
The public records belong to the public and should not be encoded in a proprietary format. EVERY citizen has a right to public records and should not be forced to purchase software from one vendor in order to access those records.
Microsoft is free to support any open standard that they wish. This in no way locks Microsoft out. Microsoft on the other had wants to lock out everyone else and force citezens to use their software to access public records. That isn't right and thankfuly that won't happen.