I have had my eye on one since before they came out back earlier this year. They do have professional systems based on Linux as well as a developement kit in Python for all you OSS critters. There just isn't as large a market of people with Linux laptops as there are with windows. Frankly, It looks like a good first step to Usable hobby configurable robots. This thing just need to grow up a little -- and release a Linux version.
But by their logic you are licensing the right to play the game not the physical disk. They should replace disks for reduced charge--actually ask. Many do in the PC world! That's why I just got 2 Sims CDs my kids wrecked replaced by EA for far less than the cost of the game.
Let's turn the logic around for a moment. When a work is distributed, performed, or broadcast it is broadcast to the public. One usually produces works to effect a change in people's attitudes or behaviors (i.e. to call attention to a political cause, inform a person of scientific data, ect.) This causes the work to enter the public domain, the public already has it! The Constitution provides a limited-time bounty for those who produce works to reward them for their efforts.
I place emphisis on a bounty for the work rather than a right. The work was already presented to the public, entered into their domain, and the public already chose to reward an author for a set period. Changing this is like asking one's boss for a retroactive raise for work already performed!
The term of copy right must eventually be limited. The court has even limited life imprisonment at 120 years. Technically, one could get out if one lived long enough--forever has already been struck down as an option for passing laws. In other limits, this approaches the constitutional ban on Congress granting titles of nobilty. The Corporations would like nothing more than to do just that: create a Lord of Disney, and a Archduke of Universal. What's worse is that these rights are being extended not to people but to legal constructs that pretend to be people, but only when it suits them.
It fits the terms of middleware (as agreed by MS and Court) and is automaticlly installed along with a necessary OS patch of routine fixes.
They said they couldn't fufill their contractual oblgation to Sun (they signed a legal contract to provide java with windows, then basiclly renigged. SUN even offed their own because MS refused to write a proper one!) by providing a proper java VM by download, yet they insert their own compteting application environment runtime in a neccessary patch for the OS.
Same old MS tactics to me!
This is an honest problem with Linux credibility.
The way I see it Linux needs to get on a serious business/seasonal calander. They need to provide 1 ultra-stable release per year and 1 continuous development release per year. Also provide a compatibility suite for each level of the OS. One for the Kernel, one for X11, one for KDE/Gnome,and one for apps. These would be key programs that all sub versions of the stable even-numbered release must be able to run!
The best desired system would be a Gentoo style system merged with cvs controls, bug reporting, and problem handling forums that additionally could be used by developers to concurently get the latest code and stamp out bugs faster before actual release. Linux will only grow by leveraging the real power of the internet of mass concurrency of code and extend to automated forums and distributions that take care of themselves without user intervention.
There's nothing 'high and mighty' about it. It's my job to secure the network and force compliance with established policy. Most policies are exclusive--if it's not listed or in you job description then you are responsible to ask permission. Frankly, someone else was lax in keeping up, allowing the users to do whatever they wanted. My experience is that the management is typically older and dosen't really know about the network and how it works. There is usually a policy somewhere detailing net usage and they don't like to hear that it is not being followed right now. All it causes is making your boss or yourself to look bad by telling them that someone else didn't do what the administration thought was done.
As far as turning off network access you can't usually go wrong. Doing a casual survey of the classrooms using the net will give you a good idea of what's really going on. The vast majority of the time Administration is not going to get mad if a few people have problems if you just admit you are "reviewing the network security".
If you act quickly to fix the few legitimate users, they will respect you.
I work for a small company as a Sys Admin. My advice is to just look at the polices in place and implement them as you can. Just mention it to your boss that you discovered a new feature.
My experience so far with management is that they will create a bigger problem--at the least they will want you to lock the system down, right now, with no more money, and you make the boss look bad; at worst they want names and info for a witchhunt (neither of which you have time for)
Deal with it on the squeeky wheel basis. Send out a reminder email of the policies. Start turning the most blatent violations off and force them to tell you why they need it back on. Don't look to see who they are, just do it without prejudice and keep it low-key. Most users know the rules and know they are breaking them. Most consider themselves lucky not to get called in the office for it. (most TOU policies allow termination for violations of policy)
I have a three year old. Rather than tell him to type some list of letters, I grab a picture from his favorite cartoon and he picks three favorite animals. You have more than enough data here and great ease of use for normal people are viaual creatures. You have data from the picture to use as the base of your encryption key. You have randomness of the orders of the points picked. Also remember, you don't have to pick a "point" you could pick a region or as things like MPEG 7 (moving sprites) catch on, an actual object in the picture (or representation thereof) rather than just the bits. You could make the behind scenes as elaborate as you want and the end user wouldn't be bothered with it.
Take a big fine and then force MS to give every dime of it's retained earnings +10% to its stock holders. Watch how fast they shrivel! They are overextended like some many other large companies. They will then do themselves in by increasing restrictions, becoming more parinoid (like IBM did in the 80's) until noone cares. They will come back, the top brass will be forced out and they will be a good contributor again!
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I have had my eye on one since before they came out back earlier this year. They do have professional systems based on Linux as well as a developement kit in Python for all you OSS critters. There just isn't as large a market of people with Linux laptops as there are with windows. Frankly, It looks like a good first step to Usable hobby configurable robots. This thing just need to grow up a little -- and release a Linux version.
But by their logic you are licensing the right to play the game not the physical disk. They should replace disks for reduced charge--actually ask. Many do in the PC world!
That's why I just got 2 Sims CDs my kids wrecked replaced by EA for far less than the cost of the game.
Let's turn the logic around for a moment. When a work is distributed, performed, or broadcast it is broadcast to the public. One usually produces works to effect a change in people's attitudes or behaviors (i.e. to call attention to a political cause, inform a person of scientific data, ect.) This causes the work to enter the public domain, the public already has it! The Constitution provides a limited-time bounty for those who produce works to reward them for their efforts. I place emphisis on a bounty for the work rather than a right. The work was already presented to the public, entered into their domain, and the public already chose to reward an author for a set period. Changing this is like asking one's boss for a retroactive raise for work already performed! The term of copy right must eventually be limited. The court has even limited life imprisonment at 120 years. Technically, one could get out if one lived long enough--forever has already been struck down as an option for passing laws. In other limits, this approaches the constitutional ban on Congress granting titles of nobilty. The Corporations would like nothing more than to do just that: create a Lord of Disney, and a Archduke of Universal. What's worse is that these rights are being extended not to people but to legal constructs that pretend to be people, but only when it suits them.
It fits the terms of middleware (as agreed by MS and Court) and is automaticlly installed along with a necessary OS patch of routine fixes. They said they couldn't fufill their contractual oblgation to Sun (they signed a legal contract to provide java with windows, then basiclly renigged. SUN even offed their own because MS refused to write a proper one!) by providing a proper java VM by download, yet they insert their own compteting application environment runtime in a neccessary patch for the OS. Same old MS tactics to me!
This is an honest problem with Linux credibility. The way I see it Linux needs to get on a serious business/seasonal calander. They need to provide 1 ultra-stable release per year and 1 continuous development release per year. Also provide a compatibility suite for each level of the OS. One for the Kernel, one for X11, one for KDE/Gnome,and one for apps. These would be key programs that all sub versions of the stable even-numbered release must be able to run! The best desired system would be a Gentoo style system merged with cvs controls, bug reporting, and problem handling forums that additionally could be used by developers to concurently get the latest code and stamp out bugs faster before actual release. Linux will only grow by leveraging the real power of the internet of mass concurrency of code and extend to automated forums and distributions that take care of themselves without user intervention.
There's nothing 'high and mighty' about it. It's my job to secure the network and force compliance with established policy. Most policies are exclusive--if it's not listed or in you job description then you are responsible to ask permission. Frankly, someone else was lax in keeping up, allowing the users to do whatever they wanted. My experience is that the management is typically older and dosen't really know about the network and how it works. There is usually a policy somewhere detailing net usage and they don't like to hear that it is not being followed right now. All it causes is making your boss or yourself to look bad by telling them that someone else didn't do what the administration thought was done. As far as turning off network access you can't usually go wrong. Doing a casual survey of the classrooms using the net will give you a good idea of what's really going on. The vast majority of the time Administration is not going to get mad if a few people have problems if you just admit you are "reviewing the network security". If you act quickly to fix the few legitimate users, they will respect you.
I work for a small company as a Sys Admin. My advice is to just look at the polices in place and implement them as you can. Just mention it to your boss that you discovered a new feature. My experience so far with management is that they will create a bigger problem--at the least they will want you to lock the system down, right now, with no more money, and you make the boss look bad; at worst they want names and info for a witchhunt (neither of which you have time for) Deal with it on the squeeky wheel basis. Send out a reminder email of the policies. Start turning the most blatent violations off and force them to tell you why they need it back on. Don't look to see who they are, just do it without prejudice and keep it low-key. Most users know the rules and know they are breaking them. Most consider themselves lucky not to get called in the office for it. (most TOU policies allow termination for violations of policy)
I have a three year old. Rather than tell him to type some list of letters, I grab a picture from his favorite cartoon and he picks three favorite animals. You have more than enough data here and great ease of use for normal people are viaual creatures. You have data from the picture to use as the base of your encryption key. You have randomness of the orders of the points picked. Also remember, you don't have to pick a "point" you could pick a region or as things like MPEG 7 (moving sprites) catch on, an actual object in the picture (or representation thereof) rather than just the bits. You could make the behind scenes as elaborate as you want and the end user wouldn't be bothered with it.
Take a big fine and then force MS to give every dime of it's retained earnings +10% to its stock holders. Watch how fast they shrivel! They are overextended like some many other large companies. They will then do themselves in by increasing restrictions, becoming more parinoid (like IBM did in the 80's) until noone cares. They will come back, the top brass will be forced out and they will be a good contributor again!