It's close to what I asked for, but not quite. It still requires a Win2k server to host it, and doesn't work for older clients. It's a neat tool, but it still illustrates my point that MS is more interested in control [win2k server + cals + win2k+ clients] than in fixing the problems. All I want is a mirror server and method to get the patches saved without manually finding and downloading them all.
McAfee has a great tool for their AV. I set one PC [any PC with McAfee AV!] to "mirror" the files to a location daily, then point the updaters on the rest of the PCs to that location and they get what they need. Nice and simple--but no McAfee control over my sholder every time!
Why doesn't CmdrTaco & CO look into such a feature for slashdot? I'd be cool to converse directly with other users...turn/. boards into a seperate messenger.
Also, someone should release an RFC for a new TCP protocol for P2P/IM/X11/browser sharing! If such a protocol was modeled say, after the X windowing system it could be really interesting. The goal would be to create the protocol. something on a server network that collects information from the users and provides a single-soruce for other computers to see what's available for services. That would aggregate at each level of connections [department, network, ISP] in a tree type model rather than the flat DNS model. There's already TCP protocols for most of the stuff [i.e. finger, gopher, telnet, ftp], but there's not ones for the combinations we use NOW.
What would such a protocol look like? It would almost be X over the internet, but that's too fat & would need trimmed down to just the basics...50 commands tops all "dumb-network" like the rest of TCP. What 50 commands would allow IM, P2P, RPC [X], & shared browsing while being open and allowing anyone to create new types of clients based on it?
If you could get it into Linux and BSD, then into all the ISPs it just might take over! People not playing would still route the packets, allowing the nework to build from the outside in!
Linux, Mac, & BSD servers can still be carriers of the virus so they also have to scan for it. If you run one of the other boxes, you still need AV to keep your 5% of the population from reinfection the 95% MS! Typically, they can't run the code, but File servers have this anoying habit of copying things exactly like they come in [MS munging things it saves is really a feature!] meaning that a file with a virus is still a latent bug waiting for a windows computer to download it and start the fun all over again!
I have to deal with this with my IBM AS400. It can't run viruses or worms, but all my users store files on it. Thru the wonders of Mapped drives lovely worms still write their naughties to it and it happily accepts them. So you still have to clean it up with something or reinfect the whole shop again.
I would be really cool/horrible if someone could create a true cross-platform bug via tcp/http calls or maybe java, php, or perl that all the big unices have. Not that I'm for the virus writers, but from a purely academic POV it would be cool...but only just once.
i'd be nice to do that, but I keep most of my systems behind a firewall so they can't use Windows Update...Its also a bandwidth hog. I do have antivirus set to mirror daily to an internal server, the machines update against that at startup, but the latest viruses were just too close together. My 24-48 hour update window was to big for the AV company to keep up with recent defs...that's ridiclous! Fortunately, I didn't get killed. With the blaster worm I double-checked everything so when SoBig hit I was protected, but I also spent 12 hours verifying that all my PCs [40] were really patched.
This is nuts, but there's no way in heck I'm paying MS more money for management tools [patches, software "management", etc] to fix their security/business problem issues! I'm not paying another $2000 for M$ server and $100-$200 per PC to clean up their messes and "protect" me from their lawyers.
They need to release a FREE and FAIR tool that anyone with a network can use to clamp it down, watch for "piracy", prevent viruses, and store patches for ALL Windows software [not just MS]. Then add hooks so you can know a PCs patch state and ban it from the network until it's patched. And the server needs to have open protocols so it can run without patches and CALS on ANY server. These security breaches far exceed the $$ value of the MS software. They need to stop playing baratty/protection racket games and publish tools to fix the problems by the users. They lost any right to "profit" from the solution a long time ago!
P.S. I'm seriously looking at Knoppix Terminal server for my shop after this all I need is the basics: GUI, web, email, & a few custom programs. Knoppix can do all that with a little work and can stay on a bootable CD for 0 system maintenance because it just randomly tries to "fix" stuff...the hardware requirements to run the "patches" are too much for my boxes to handle. It's time to change. I'm even keen on rewriting custom in-house software to do it if I have too!
Too bad there isn't a system to test a PC for patched or not before allowing it network access? Then the network could protect itself by firewalling all access except to the patch! When new patches come out the firewall would force everyone to update the first time they plug in. It could be very cool, your own mini-windows update on each uni/corperate network.
Of course, why would anyone do that. It would require cross-platform server abilities, no CALS, and MS to "push" the security updates rather than leaving users and admins wasting time hunting for them. It would reduce MS POWER & CONTROL what bill's buying with his $$$. MS won't release such a monster for FREE to clean up THEIR mess, and the OSS people could care less because it makes MS look even worse--why help them out!
The license form is all you need to be compliant. I've read several MS EULAs and they never mention the reciept. The license is the piece of paper with the rights that you buy at the store. I see no reason a court wouldn't consider that "paper" to have standard rights of property ownership...you bought it at retail! If you posses the paper, you posess the license, unless THEY can prove otherwise. That's the common law meaning of ownership...
Otherwise every time you go to the mall, they could accuse you of shoplifting for the clothes on your back [or how about the contents of your MP3 player!]...which EXACTLY what the BSA is doing...its unconstutional. But you can't fight it without paying their legal fees. Sure, he could have gotten his "fine" down to something reasonable by the courts, but then been stuck with 10x the legal fees for the hyper-inflated lawyers and end up paying more for "justice". That's barraty, blackmail, racketeering, which ever fits & probablly a combination of several.
Under 1980 rules he would have been OK. Computers were being taken from engineering [think CAD, CAM, Adobe, etc] and when the new Dell came, the software was installed and the old computer icons were wiped and the computer given to sally secertary. The problem...BSA audits search all the hard drives of every computer for installed EXEs and other components! The ONLY way to be in compliance would be to wipe every hard drive after moving it to another station...per BSA rules and MO, even uninstalling wouldn't entirely clear your PC!
Of course, his IT guy responsible for this was the one who reported him...after leaving. But of course, the BSA knew this and REFUSED to take that into consideration!
It wasn't just the fine, the fine was like 65k and the "lawyer fees" 35K and he didn't even fight it! All he did was contact his lawyers for what to do...they advised him that fighting it would cost 250K + 250K for their side when he lost. That obsence, boarderline racketeering. There was no attempt to be amicable..[reducing the lawyer fees?] He wasn't against paying "a" fine, but they made no attempt to negotiate with "good faith" at all.
On top of that it was someone it his own IT department that reported him...who's job it was to maintain compliance! Again, "good faith" would have see a potential set-up here and worked with the guy.
This is a very cool idea until MS marketing gets it and decides to "embrace & extend" (tm)(MS) the Usenet so it doesn't work without MS.
The idea is really cool. Imagine being able to troll just slashdot for answers and what you could do with that. Frankly, CmdrTaco would be a fool if he wasn't banging code just like that out right now...it's the future of the net. With simple tracking of the DB of slashdot posts, one could figure out which posters are knowlageable about which subjects, and "pre-mod" up the posts thru the noise. Better yet, hidden gems of posters could be found...people that post very little but with great answers. This would also help for "newbie" posts; newbies with common questions could be answered by the bot first and given a choice of answers without tons of searching...also saving time and energy of the pros for the really hard stuff.
The joke I find is that the very best uses of this tech are for OSS purposes. Who wouldn't want a bot trolling the Linux newbie forums...with the ability to forward the hard questions to people with answers! It would be a killer-app for bug tracking also. Many people could post and get simple, cheap answers without bothering the devs, and if the devs needed answers, they could also troll for the most common questions and bugs reported!
The very best use for this would be in conjunction with something like Gentoo. Allowing newsgroup users to ask questions [pumping for more info as necessary] but with some access to the code, would also allow developers to squash bugs quicker and respond to user needs faster. If 30,000 people ask for a spell checker, there could be a reward posted for it..or just a simple change to a text editor that bugs everyone. Coupled with a compiled-source distro like Gentoo, advancements could happen in days or weeks, not months---making OSS even more competitive, and utterly squashing a slow big company like MS.
Seriously, the coders here should be looking into this and learning as much as they can. Slashdot has really usefull information from a group that repersents a fairly even cross-section of the population bottled up on it's servers. [I'd trust slashdot more than ZDnet or Cnet responders] They could start a whole new business with that kind of tech applied here.
The problem is that the current systems being pimped to the EMS teams are all-digital to get around the "scanner" crowd. Those end up being just like the nextel phones....useless for users without the centeral tower in working order!
This is a test of the Slashdot Smackdown system. The SCO talking heads have released this just as more proof for FUD. While the press should report:
"SCO CLAIM REFUTED IN 780.345 SECONDS BY LINUX COMMUNITY"
they are right now working on a spin PR piece:
"SLASHER HACKER SITE HAS SCO SOURCE!"
Frankly, they'll use this in court as proof that the community is out to get them and do them harm. Their claim that SCO IP is "trade secret" is rubish if they claim we all have it! They really only have to say what lines in Linux need removed, not show their actual source. Although once they tell what lines in Linux "infringe", we can contract third parties with valid access to SCO source to do proper comparison with lawyers and notaries etc. Hopefully judges will see thru the spin that the community knows it's stuff--and is willing and able to correct itself if given the chance.
Why hasen't MS gotten the ISPs involved with patching and preventing viruses?
Part of the problem is that they want to sell a big fat Win2k3 server to everyone so they can "maintenance" their PCs [nevermind just fixing the problems]. They need to put all their patches in the same place/structure for all the products. Then create a tool runable by any windows box That can act like a mini-update for the PCs on your network. The patch lists should be pushed to the ISPs and users so that everyone can be aware of them...not stashed on some obscure part of the site. Also, the update notification should be in generic email, useable by anyone [not just windows PCs] i.e. my ISP running BSD should be able to mirror the patches.
The net result would be that ISPs with "first contact" to the network could then firewall you off until you patch the approved updates. It's a bit harsh, but would be greatly effective. Also, ISP bandwidth would be saved by mirroring the patches "off the internet" rather than all that traffic going thru to MS...[they wouldn't have to meter for it]
Of course this will never happen in such a neat and clean manor because MS wants control..and if you won't give it up they want you to suffer the concequences. It's not about stuff just working...or this would have been done a long time ago!
We need a results section for these "Ask Slashdot" type things.
1.) modded up result for the most "correct" answer.
2.) modded up results for the most "ridiclous" humorus answer.
3.) modded up seperate [but related] discusions.
I'd also like to see mod comments for "Intresting links", "technically correct" answers, etc.. I'd be cool to allow users to pre-mod their own posts so users looking for a specific fact can find it quickly. [ie. humor, links, information, etc]
Everyone seems to be missing the point that this is outside the US and therefore just fine.
Of course the congresscritters will tell you it's not fine, but if they don't like it, they should legislate to have ISPs block said sites, and Credit Card compainies report offenders. Unless the sites are dealing with US soil, their not breaking the law...even if they are communicating on US soil, the customer is breaking the law, not them.
For a republican govt to threaten this is stupid..after all, these are just business men, trying to make money. After all, we allow US businesses like Tyco to move offshore to avoid taxes, we allow all the toy companies to move to China [and import the product here for profit]...do you think they follow US labor laws there...Ha!
For the record, I'm against most gambling..particularly state lotteries and anything electronic. But the fact of the matter is that the US govt's approach to Offshore internet gambling is unconstitutional..particularly some of the particular instances...It's more proof that Americans need to get back control of their leaders, because they are "applying" US law only for big business interest [morality is about control...business doesn't like immoral employees off the clock either] and not when it really does good [look at "free trade" with china]
yep! Willing to do whatever for the MS Monster.
And I really like my 9500Pro too!
Hopefully, we'll see some Nvidia open-source drivers real-soon-now huh!
IE hasn't been updated in years...all the cool new stuff is in MSN [tabbed browsing, shared browsing, etc.] Now they're going after OE too. Like alot of other posters, I love OE. It does lots of things better than Outlook [except Exchange mail...but who cares] it's a classic example of MS developers' skill when unleashed...and MS marketing's having to put a stop to it! [developing too good a product..other than viruses]
Once Win98SE and Win2K fall off the chart there will be no more of these pesky "free" programs left to support. They served their purpose to kill off the competition and are now keeping people from spending money on MS software.
Couldn't the puplic file a class action antitrust suit...after all, MS said that IE and OE were needed by users and they should be able to add them. Why are they taking them away NOW when all the competition is gone....or were they lying before?
If it's the case that you are responsible for your PC contents, then shouldn't programs like the famous Gator be considered illegal. It stands as the best example of a program that is downloaded to your computer under false pretenses and basicly "hacks" windows without the user's ability to easily turn it off. Downloading countless AntiVirus and AdWare software isn't the answer...someone's always finding a way around it.
With the wild DAs making accusations, perhaps it is time to finally delcare any software that acts without the user's knowlage to be illegal hacking...whether it be Windows "phone-homes", Gator advertizing, or of course malicious virii!
Of course I wouldn't condone hacking Gator to put inapproperate pictures on unsuspecting users' computers in any way...
These look strangely like BeOS replicants. Small programs that can sit on a desktop. Only the BeOS versions could "front" as monitors for larger programs and pass information between eachother without extra programming.
The government shouldn't support museums or fund artist either? Not!
What you are arguing is that the govt should put the rights of corporations above the rights of individuals. A small group of people have choosen to create Free Software. Why should that group not be encouraged and supported. Why must government only encourage greed?
I do think that the original example it too biased toward Free Software. [I have a post below] I do think that free projects should be given some support, with equal access to the code for free and corporate interests. Although, I would encourage sponsorship of projects too eccentric or narrow to be of commercial interest. I would like to see and analog to PBS or NEA where already successful projects can get "help" for improvement, or where independant minds can develop ideas and give them to the public outright.
The govenment has already stuck it's nose into the "free" market by allowing monopolies of copyright and patent. What about the huge tax credits for developing "accessable" software and "healthcare" software..the benificaries are huge corps, not hte little people. What about defence contractors paid to develop stuff. Then paid again to build it...and again with patents? Why can't little people be paid to just create stuff he wants to give away to everyone? Why only mega-corps that take our tax money and then outsource the production overseas?
It's called copyrights and patents! Those things are just as artifically constructed as the GPL is socialist. "Idea Protection" is not a right. You can't keep anybody from excersizing their accumulated knowlage without drastic GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION.
So this isn't about whether the government should act or not, but rather whether they should stick a pinky finger on the vastly tipped scales to compliment what the GNU and FSF have ALREADY started, and the people have wished to have.
Rather than "USA Linux" how about starting with government protection of Free Software similar to public television or NPR?
The Feds don't start up stations, communities do that, but can petition as a Public Broadcaster for some Federal Funds and special programs that help them stay in business while providing services that may go unfufilled in the commercial sector. Take Sesame Street for an example. It's part of Children's television workshop...a non-profit org. They obviously have to get money from PBS to pay workers and actors to make the show...until recently [early 90's], they were the only game in town. Should they have been instantly privatized just because? Of course not...They set the standard for children's televison, and many people have imitated them. They created the Kids TV market when the corperate stuges overlooked it as unprofitable. Why couldn't a similar setup be created for software--actually it is, it would be nice for the Govt. to recognize that it does make a contribution to society at large. Perhaps help pick up the tab on some of SourceForge's bandwidth type things.
Alternately, the Govt. could set up an NEA [national endowment for the arts] type project. DARPA is nice, but they don't really commit to projects without lots of strings attached. They also tend to be a bit fickle. Most of their tech is defence related. That turns some people off, and eliminates other people from contributing. An National Endowment for Software Arts might be just the ticket. It would allow little people to get funds for interesting or critical projects that may not get much attention, or for just plain research. Perhaps there could be a system of voting via SourceForge and other sites so that top rated projects that can't seem to find corperate sponserships can get monies for bandwith and programming expenses to complete/ perfect technologies.
This isn't really unprecedented. The govt gives the large software corps all sorts of tax breaks, incentives, and gravy contracts to develop stuff that remains locked up under copyrights by some already mega-corp. It's just the idea that the Govt should support little people in the quest for software and also support the communities that have already built Free Software projects...rather than leaving them to the corperate dogs of war.
Slashdot Mirror
McAfee has a great tool for their AV. I set one PC [any PC with McAfee AV!] to "mirror" the files to a location daily, then point the updaters on the rest of the PCs to that location and they get what they need. Nice and simple--but no McAfee control over my sholder every time!
Also, someone should release an RFC for a new TCP protocol for P2P/IM/X11/browser sharing! If such a protocol was modeled say, after the X windowing system it could be really interesting. The goal would be to create the protocol. something on a server network that collects information from the users and provides a single-soruce for other computers to see what's available for services. That would aggregate at each level of connections [department, network, ISP] in a tree type model rather than the flat DNS model. There's already TCP protocols for most of the stuff [i.e. finger, gopher, telnet, ftp], but there's not ones for the combinations we use NOW.
What would such a protocol look like? It would almost be X over the internet, but that's too fat & would need trimmed down to just the basics...50 commands tops all "dumb-network" like the rest of TCP. What 50 commands would allow IM, P2P, RPC [X], & shared browsing while being open and allowing anyone to create new types of clients based on it?
If you could get it into Linux and BSD, then into all the ISPs it just might take over! People not playing would still route the packets, allowing the nework to build from the outside in!
I have to deal with this with my IBM AS400. It can't run viruses or worms, but all my users store files on it. Thru the wonders of Mapped drives lovely worms still write their naughties to it and it happily accepts them. So you still have to clean it up with something or reinfect the whole shop again.
I would be really cool/horrible if someone could create a true cross-platform bug via tcp/http calls or maybe java, php, or perl that all the big unices have. Not that I'm for the virus writers, but from a purely academic POV it would be cool...but only just once.
This is nuts, but there's no way in heck I'm paying MS more money for management tools [patches, software "management", etc] to fix their security/business problem issues! I'm not paying another $2000 for M$ server and $100-$200 per PC to clean up their messes and "protect" me from their lawyers.
They need to release a FREE and FAIR tool that anyone with a network can use to clamp it down, watch for "piracy", prevent viruses, and store patches for ALL Windows software [not just MS]. Then add hooks so you can know a PCs patch state and ban it from the network until it's patched. And the server needs to have open protocols so it can run without patches and CALS on ANY server. These security breaches far exceed the $$ value of the MS software. They need to stop playing baratty/protection racket games and publish tools to fix the problems by the users. They lost any right to "profit" from the solution a long time ago!
P.S. I'm seriously looking at Knoppix Terminal server for my shop after this all I need is the basics: GUI, web, email, & a few custom programs. Knoppix can do all that with a little work and can stay on a bootable CD for 0 system maintenance because it just randomly tries to "fix" stuff ...the hardware requirements to run the "patches" are too much for my boxes to handle. It's time to change. I'm even keen on rewriting custom in-house software to do it if I have too!
Of course, why would anyone do that. It would require cross-platform server abilities, no CALS, and MS to "push" the security updates rather than leaving users and admins wasting time hunting for them. It would reduce MS POWER & CONTROL what bill's buying with his $$$. MS won't release such a monster for FREE to clean up THEIR mess, and the OSS people could care less because it makes MS look even worse--why help them out!
Sux don't it!
Otherwise every time you go to the mall, they could accuse you of shoplifting for the clothes on your back [or how about the contents of your MP3 player!]...which EXACTLY what the BSA is doing...its unconstutional. But you can't fight it without paying their legal fees. Sure, he could have gotten his "fine" down to something reasonable by the courts, but then been stuck with 10x the legal fees for the hyper-inflated lawyers and end up paying more for "justice". That's barraty, blackmail, racketeering, which ever fits & probablly a combination of several.
Of course, his IT guy responsible for this was the one who reported him...after leaving. But of course, the BSA knew this and REFUSED to take that into consideration!
On top of that it was someone it his own IT department that reported him...who's job it was to maintain compliance! Again, "good faith" would have see a potential set-up here and worked with the guy.
The idea is really cool. Imagine being able to troll just slashdot for answers and what you could do with that. Frankly, CmdrTaco would be a fool if he wasn't banging code just like that out right now...it's the future of the net. With simple tracking of the DB of slashdot posts, one could figure out which posters are knowlageable about which subjects, and "pre-mod" up the posts thru the noise. Better yet, hidden gems of posters could be found...people that post very little but with great answers. This would also help for "newbie" posts; newbies with common questions could be answered by the bot first and given a choice of answers without tons of searching...also saving time and energy of the pros for the really hard stuff.
The joke I find is that the very best uses of this tech are for OSS purposes. Who wouldn't want a bot trolling the Linux newbie forums...with the ability to forward the hard questions to people with answers! It would be a killer-app for bug tracking also. Many people could post and get simple, cheap answers without bothering the devs, and if the devs needed answers, they could also troll for the most common questions and bugs reported!
The very best use for this would be in conjunction with something like Gentoo. Allowing newsgroup users to ask questions [pumping for more info as necessary] but with some access to the code, would also allow developers to squash bugs quicker and respond to user needs faster. If 30,000 people ask for a spell checker, there could be a reward posted for it..or just a simple change to a text editor that bugs everyone. Coupled with a compiled-source distro like Gentoo, advancements could happen in days or weeks, not months---making OSS even more competitive, and utterly squashing a slow big company like MS.
Seriously, the coders here should be looking into this and learning as much as they can. Slashdot has really usefull information from a group that repersents a fairly even cross-section of the population bottled up on it's servers. [I'd trust slashdot more than ZDnet or Cnet responders] They could start a whole new business with that kind of tech applied here.
but the principles still allow you to build your own from scratch....it's allowed and encouraged!
The problem is that the current systems being pimped to the EMS teams are all-digital to get around the "scanner" crowd. Those end up being just like the nextel phones....useless for users without the centeral tower in working order!
as long as they'd [overpaid C*o's] stop calling RMS a red commie for his "wistful" thinking!
Frankly, they'll use this in court as proof that the community is out to get them and do them harm. Their claim that SCO IP is "trade secret" is rubish if they claim we all have it! They really only have to say what lines in Linux need removed, not show their actual source. Although once they tell what lines in Linux "infringe", we can contract third parties with valid access to SCO source to do proper comparison with lawyers and notaries etc. Hopefully judges will see thru the spin that the community knows it's stuff--and is willing and able to correct itself if given the chance.
Part of the problem is that they want to sell a big fat Win2k3 server to everyone so they can "maintenance" their PCs [nevermind just fixing the problems]. They need to put all their patches in the same place/structure for all the products. Then create a tool runable by any windows box That can act like a mini-update for the PCs on your network. The patch lists should be pushed to the ISPs and users so that everyone can be aware of them...not stashed on some obscure part of the site. Also, the update notification should be in generic email, useable by anyone [not just windows PCs] i.e. my ISP running BSD should be able to mirror the patches.
The net result would be that ISPs with "first contact" to the network could then firewall you off until you patch the approved updates. It's a bit harsh, but would be greatly effective. Also, ISP bandwidth would be saved by mirroring the patches "off the internet" rather than all that traffic going thru to MS...[they wouldn't have to meter for it]
Of course this will never happen in such a neat and clean manor because MS wants control..and if you won't give it up they want you to suffer the concequences. It's not about stuff just working...or this would have been done a long time ago!
1.) modded up result for the most "correct" answer.
2.) modded up results for the most "ridiclous" humorus answer.
3.) modded up seperate [but related] discusions.
I'd also like to see mod comments for "Intresting links", "technically correct" answers, etc.. I'd be cool to allow users to pre-mod their own posts so users looking for a specific fact can find it quickly. [ie. humor, links, information, etc]
Of course the congresscritters will tell you it's not fine, but if they don't like it, they should legislate to have ISPs block said sites, and Credit Card compainies report offenders. Unless the sites are dealing with US soil, their not breaking the law...even if they are communicating on US soil, the customer is breaking the law, not them.
For a republican govt to threaten this is stupid..after all, these are just business men, trying to make money. After all, we allow US businesses like Tyco to move offshore to avoid taxes, we allow all the toy companies to move to China [and import the product here for profit]...do you think they follow US labor laws there...Ha!
For the record, I'm against most gambling..particularly state lotteries and anything electronic. But the fact of the matter is that the US govt's approach to Offshore internet gambling is unconstitutional..particularly some of the particular instances...It's more proof that Americans need to get back control of their leaders, because they are "applying" US law only for big business interest [morality is about control...business doesn't like immoral employees off the clock either] and not when it really does good [look at "free trade" with china]
yep! Willing to do whatever for the MS Monster. And I really like my 9500Pro too! Hopefully, we'll see some Nvidia open-source drivers real-soon-now huh!
IE hasn't been updated in years...all the cool new stuff is in MSN [tabbed browsing, shared browsing, etc.] Now they're going after OE too. Like alot of other posters, I love OE. It does lots of things better than Outlook [except Exchange mail...but who cares] it's a classic example of MS developers' skill when unleashed...and MS marketing's having to put a stop to it! [developing too good a product..other than viruses]
Once Win98SE and Win2K fall off the chart there will be no more of these pesky "free" programs left to support. They served their purpose to kill off the competition and are now keeping people from spending money on MS software.
Couldn't the puplic file a class action antitrust suit...after all, MS said that IE and OE were needed by users and they should be able to add them. Why are they taking them away NOW when all the competition is gone....or were they lying before?
The approve other pesky "electronic" things like heart monitors, pulmonary relectrocution units, and artifical hearts too...get the idea...
With the wild DAs making accusations, perhaps it is time to finally delcare any software that acts without the user's knowlage to be illegal hacking...whether it be Windows "phone-homes", Gator advertizing, or of course malicious virii!
Of course I wouldn't condone hacking Gator to put inapproperate pictures on unsuspecting users' computers in any way...
These look strangely like BeOS replicants. Small programs that can sit on a desktop. Only the BeOS versions could "front" as monitors for larger programs and pass information between eachother without extra programming.
What you are arguing is that the govt should put the rights of corporations above the rights of individuals. A small group of people have choosen to create Free Software. Why should that group not be encouraged and supported. Why must government only encourage greed?
I do think that the original example it too biased toward Free Software. [I have a post below] I do think that free projects should be given some support, with equal access to the code for free and corporate interests. Although, I would encourage sponsorship of projects too eccentric or narrow to be of commercial interest. I would like to see and analog to PBS or NEA where already successful projects can get "help" for improvement, or where independant minds can develop ideas and give them to the public outright.
The govenment has already stuck it's nose into the "free" market by allowing monopolies of copyright and patent. What about the huge tax credits for developing "accessable" software and "healthcare" software..the benificaries are huge corps, not hte little people. What about defence contractors paid to develop stuff. Then paid again to build it...and again with patents? Why can't little people be paid to just create stuff he wants to give away to everyone? Why only mega-corps that take our tax money and then outsource the production overseas?
So this isn't about whether the government should act or not, but rather whether they should stick a pinky finger on the vastly tipped scales to compliment what the GNU and FSF have ALREADY started, and the people have wished to have.
The Feds don't start up stations, communities do that, but can petition as a Public Broadcaster for some Federal Funds and special programs that help them stay in business while providing services that may go unfufilled in the commercial sector. Take Sesame Street for an example. It's part of Children's television workshop...a non-profit org. They obviously have to get money from PBS to pay workers and actors to make the show...until recently [early 90's], they were the only game in town. Should they have been instantly privatized just because? Of course not...They set the standard for children's televison, and many people have imitated them. They created the Kids TV market when the corperate stuges overlooked it as unprofitable. Why couldn't a similar setup be created for software--actually it is, it would be nice for the Govt. to recognize that it does make a contribution to society at large. Perhaps help pick up the tab on some of SourceForge's bandwidth type things.
Alternately, the Govt. could set up an NEA [national endowment for the arts] type project. DARPA is nice, but they don't really commit to projects without lots of strings attached. They also tend to be a bit fickle. Most of their tech is defence related. That turns some people off, and eliminates other people from contributing. An National Endowment for Software Arts might be just the ticket. It would allow little people to get funds for interesting or critical projects that may not get much attention, or for just plain research. Perhaps there could be a system of voting via SourceForge and other sites so that top rated projects that can't seem to find corperate sponserships can get monies for bandwith and programming expenses to complete/ perfect technologies.
This isn't really unprecedented. The govt gives the large software corps all sorts of tax breaks, incentives, and gravy contracts to develop stuff that remains locked up under copyrights by some already mega-corp. It's just the idea that the Govt should support little people in the quest for software and also support the communities that have already built Free Software projects...rather than leaving them to the corperate dogs of war.