...as ultimately flawed as any other analogy. The universe isn't a computer, it's a universe. Analogies like this can be useful in understanding some aspects of the universe, but I doubt it's a "be all, end all" view of things.
The technical term for that is barratry , and it is cause for major countersuit. I think they should countersue, asking for treble the amount the Dallas Daily News wants.
I'd agree - and I'm enough of a hard-head to do it. However, most people faced with that sort of decision will back down. (IMO, from what I know about people and the commonplace illogical fear of lawyers.)
To me, this is a disturbing trend in our over-litigious society - he who has the most lawyers wins, by grinding you down, or scaring you off.
DallasNews.com doesn't like it's advertising being bypassed, and it's trying to set a precedent.
Not a legal (per se) precedent, but a financial one: Deep link to our site, and we'll sic our lawyers on you, which we can afford and you can't. We know what your doing has already been upheld as legal in court, but we still don't want anyone doing it, so we're going to attempt to bully you.
Intimidation, pure and simple - it has nothing to to with legality or technology. Notice no suit has been brought - there's merely the threat, which is enough to get most people to stop.
...being the bastion of ridiculous conservitivism that it is, actually allows you to have an artificially generated DL number instead of your SSN. You have to request it, though - which I strongly urge Virginians to do, and you can even do it over the DMV's website for a nominal fee.
As for bars building a database, is anyone really surprised? I'm not - profiling your customers without their knowledge (or with minimal indication) is fast becoming the Great American Pastime.
If you're going to throw around regulations, why not do something with some teeth, like preventing most average people from having access to broadband connections, so they can't clog up instant messaging for the really important governmental types in Congress, who need to make sure they're standing in the right place for the photo op when the sh*t hits the fan...
...is not that the spammers might be getting it rammed to them in court.
It's that the company buying from them has the nerve to act like it was some kind of surprise. "An email list company collecting addresses without permission? I'm stunned..."
Ya gotta love it when companies that rely on buying marketing lists - always a little shady to begin with - start questioning ethics. Maybe I should show them the "Junk Mail" folder for my Hotmail account...
Slashdot Mirror
Seriously, isn't this whole idea pretty much useless without handwriting recognition? I've seen nothing to suggest that anyone has that working yet...
Then again, I'm hardly a cosmologist, so YMMV.
Mike
The technical term for that is barratry , and it is cause for major countersuit. I think they should countersue, asking for treble the amount the Dallas Daily News wants.
I'd agree - and I'm enough of a hard-head to do it. However, most people faced with that sort of decision will back down. (IMO, from what I know about people and the commonplace illogical fear of lawyers.)
To me, this is a disturbing trend in our over-litigious society - he who has the most lawyers wins, by grinding you down, or scaring you off.
DallasNews.com doesn't like it's advertising being bypassed, and it's trying to set a precedent.
Not a legal (per se) precedent, but a financial one: Deep link to our site, and we'll sic our lawyers on you, which we can afford and you can't. We know what your doing has already been upheld as legal in court, but we still don't want anyone doing it, so we're going to attempt to bully you.
Intimidation, pure and simple - it has nothing to to with legality or technology. Notice no suit has been brought - there's merely the threat, which is enough to get most people to stop.
VA DMV Website
As for bars building a database, is anyone really surprised? I'm not - profiling your customers without their knowledge (or with minimal indication) is fast becoming the Great American Pastime.
Privacy Be Damned, When There's Profit Potential!
Dubya forgot to mention one member of his "Axis of Evil".
It's that the company buying from them has the nerve to act like it was some kind of surprise. "An email list company collecting addresses without permission? I'm stunned..."
Ya gotta love it when companies that rely on buying marketing lists - always a little shady to begin with - start questioning ethics. Maybe I should show them the "Junk Mail" folder for my Hotmail account...