Included is my submission to the effort 8)
Corporations may be the noisiest and most money throwing lobbyests around, but please don't mistake that for the best interests of Americans. I've heard a lot of arguements that say anything that makes a large corporation more money is in the best interest of the 'economy'. Please don't let the 'economy' (ceo pocketbooks) supercede my basic rights to use the media I buy in legal ways. Please don't make me buy 5 different media players, each with their own license, to install in my car when one can be translated to and save me space and electricity.
Currently I have 3 different mediums in my living room. A computer to play recorded shows via an All-In-Wonder, a VCR deck to play old tapes, and an X-Box to play DVD's. The computer makes recording easier with the Guide+ software. If licensing on media wasn't so ludicrous I could archive my poor VHS collection to a computer format on cd and save these aging but precious copies that I rightfully paid for. I'm afraid that this will soon be illegal, and yes undo-able with new features that take macrovision and apply similar features to any copying media. It is a ploy to force consumers to re-buy their entire media library as the old one degrades past useability. Corporations will say the the interests of the 'economy' require this, but they are merely criminalizing the restoration and preservation of our own bought and paid for media.
And as well I have read and agree with the form letter which follows:
As a constituent and an ardent consumer of digital media, I write today to urge you to support a Consumer Technology Bill of Rights, and to express my concerns about the recent trend toward allowing one-sided copyright laws to eliminate my Fair Use rights.
Historically, our country has enjoyed a balance between the rights of copyright holders and the rights of citizens who legally acquire copyrighted works. Generally speaking, rights holders have the exclusive right to distribute and profit from artistic works. Consumers like me who legally acquire these works are free to use them in most noncommercial ways. Unfortunately, this balance has shifted dramatically in recent years, much to the detriment of consumers.
To prevent further erosion of my rights, I would like to add my voice to DigitalConsumer.org in calling for a "consumer technology bill of rights". It is simply an attempt to assert positively the public's personal use rights. These rights are not new; they are historic rights granted in previous legislation and court rulings that have over the last four years been whittled away.
Under the guise of "preventing illegal copying" I believe Hollywood is vilifying their customers - people like me - and using the legislative process to create new lines of business at my expense. Their goal is to create a legal system that takes away my long-cherished personal use rights and then to charge me an additional fee to regain those rights!
Copy protection, especially to prevent overseas piracy for illicit sale, is an important issue. But before Congress considers yet another change in the law at the behest of the copyright holders, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to protect my Fair Use rights.
Thank you very much for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely, Justin Mahn
Society has not abdicated its ruling rights to corporations. American society has simply fallen victim to the shortsightedness of unchecked capitalism. The very fact that corporations have more lobbying power than ANY individual concerned with basic rights is causing America to be run almost exclusively by self-interested corporations. America's laws follow suit. The only check that corporations have right now is lawsuit liability. Thank God for the Bill of Rights!
Raskin's ideas are good for companies that use throw-away employees. These people don't stay in one position long enough to maintain their own preferences and become customized AND efficient, so if every interface is identical, then there are less problems learning the UI. Positions that aren't disposable tend to customize much more while retaining efficiency because they have the time, the skill, the intelligence, AND the permission to do so.
People that are less healthy need more sleep?
Oh oh I got another one!
Since cats sleep a lot they don't live as long as humans?
Too much sleep = Freddy's coming to get you!
Slashdot Mirror
Included is my submission to the effort 8) Corporations may be the noisiest and most money throwing lobbyests around, but please don't mistake that for the best interests of Americans. I've heard a lot of arguements that say anything that makes a large corporation more money is in the best interest of the 'economy'. Please don't let the 'economy' (ceo pocketbooks) supercede my basic rights to use the media I buy in legal ways. Please don't make me buy 5 different media players, each with their own license, to install in my car when one can be translated to and save me space and electricity. Currently I have 3 different mediums in my living room. A computer to play recorded shows via an All-In-Wonder, a VCR deck to play old tapes, and an X-Box to play DVD's. The computer makes recording easier with the Guide+ software. If licensing on media wasn't so ludicrous I could archive my poor VHS collection to a computer format on cd and save these aging but precious copies that I rightfully paid for. I'm afraid that this will soon be illegal, and yes undo-able with new features that take macrovision and apply similar features to any copying media. It is a ploy to force consumers to re-buy their entire media library as the old one degrades past useability. Corporations will say the the interests of the 'economy' require this, but they are merely criminalizing the restoration and preservation of our own bought and paid for media. And as well I have read and agree with the form letter which follows: As a constituent and an ardent consumer of digital media, I write today to urge you to support a Consumer Technology Bill of Rights, and to express my concerns about the recent trend toward allowing one-sided copyright laws to eliminate my Fair Use rights. Historically, our country has enjoyed a balance between the rights of copyright holders and the rights of citizens who legally acquire copyrighted works. Generally speaking, rights holders have the exclusive right to distribute and profit from artistic works. Consumers like me who legally acquire these works are free to use them in most noncommercial ways. Unfortunately, this balance has shifted dramatically in recent years, much to the detriment of consumers. To prevent further erosion of my rights, I would like to add my voice to DigitalConsumer.org in calling for a "consumer technology bill of rights". It is simply an attempt to assert positively the public's personal use rights. These rights are not new; they are historic rights granted in previous legislation and court rulings that have over the last four years been whittled away. Under the guise of "preventing illegal copying" I believe Hollywood is vilifying their customers - people like me - and using the legislative process to create new lines of business at my expense. Their goal is to create a legal system that takes away my long-cherished personal use rights and then to charge me an additional fee to regain those rights! Copy protection, especially to prevent overseas piracy for illicit sale, is an important issue. But before Congress considers yet another change in the law at the behest of the copyright holders, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to protect my Fair Use rights. Thank you very much for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, Justin Mahn
if this is the cure for living room computer needs, then does it support Direct3D 5.1 audio through S/PDIF?
Society has not abdicated its ruling rights to corporations. American society has simply fallen victim to the shortsightedness of unchecked capitalism. The very fact that corporations have more lobbying power than ANY individual concerned with basic rights is causing America to be run almost exclusively by self-interested corporations. America's laws follow suit. The only check that corporations have right now is lawsuit liability. Thank God for the Bill of Rights!
Raskin's ideas are good for companies that use throw-away employees. These people don't stay in one position long enough to maintain their own preferences and become customized AND efficient, so if every interface is identical, then there are less problems learning the UI. Positions that aren't disposable tend to customize much more while retaining efficiency because they have the time, the skill, the intelligence, AND the permission to do so.
People that are less healthy need more sleep? Oh oh I got another one! Since cats sleep a lot they don't live as long as humans? Too much sleep = Freddy's coming to get you!