Legal isn't the same as moral. Just because there's no law against something doesn't make it morally acceptable.
There are laws against extortion rackets. They're just not being enforced. I'm sure there are anti-competition laws being violated also.
Saaay, I have some patents on the words you used in your posting. You'd better pay me some licensing fees. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to it.
but it DOES affect our national debt AND poor people (I'll bet they get smaller GST cheques now).
The theory of the GST rebate is to compensate poor people for having to pay the tax. If the tax is reduced, then so is the amount they spend on it, and so is the amount the deserve to be compensated.
Most bleeding hearts say that consumption taxes unfairly target the poor people because they need to spend most of their income on consumable items (of course, rent doesn't have GST). It seems odd that you would criticize the government for reducing consumption taxes. Personally, I would prefer that all taxes be consumption-based, since I live well within my means. It's the middle class that is taxed unfairly.
You don't seem to get it. The core of the GPL is the protection that you cannot take GPLed code, modify it, and redistribute it with your own imposed restrictions. This prevents unscrupulous characters from taking the code that other people have contributed and co-opting it in a way that benefits only the unscrupulous characters. I.e., it prevents this code from being "embraced and extended". Copyright law gives most of the power to accomplish this, but there is a particular weakness when it comes to patents.
An unscrupulous character could take GPLed code and add his own code to it which implements a patented method and release it under the GPL license with a promise to sue anyone who uses it without paying him patent royalties. This is a couple steps removed from what Novell has done (since they are Microsoft patents, it hasn't released code, and it hasn't identified any patents). These unscrupulous characters harm those who have contributed GPLed code in good faith.
All these things done as part of a prank likely to be prosecuted with vigor? Not necessarily.
These guys weren't doing this as any kind of prank; it was an advertising campaign. They should receive the same fine as anyone else who taped up paper advertisements at the same locations. These guys can't be held liable for the local residents and politicians being paranoid imbeciles. Imbeciles are too hard to predict.
This group is obviously a legitimate religion as much as any religion can be according to any objective definition that I can come up with*.
All of the "legitimate" religions started because the original "prophet" suffered a psychotic break from reality and found an audience for his deranged rantings. OTOH, L. Ron was lucid when concocting his cynical scheme to fleece losers of their meager funds.
In fact, there's really just a take on the golden rule: "Love your neighbors as you love yourself"
I prefer the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they do unto you. (I.e., treat people according to their own standards.) Jack needs to be persecuted into bankruptcy.
That's funny; I don't recall using or even implying the words "Arab" or "Muslim" at all. Certainly there are other kinds of terrorists. I'm not so sure I would call a computer hacker a terrorist. To me, it normally involves killing people or plotting to do so. Running a spam-bot net just makes one an ordinary criminal. If the hippies don't plan to or manage to kill anyone, that makes them ordinary criminals in my mind, too.
a lot of people in power want people to think that everyone is out to get them. It is a lot easier to tighten the screws on a populace that is afraid of some ill-defined enemy because they'll give up rights so you can "protect" them.
I think this incident just makes those in power look foolish and suggests that their hysteria has gone too far. I think you need to put your conspiracy theory aside until next time.
by jumping at shadows or taking away freedom, we aren't going to make any progress and will probably just create more terrorists.
Plus, you'll create more pranksters who shut down an entire city for shits and giggles. Maybe real terrorists should try this; it certainly causes lots of disruption.
Slashdot Mirror
There are laws against extortion rackets. They're just not being enforced. I'm sure there are anti-competition laws being violated also.
Saaay, I have some patents on the words you used in your posting. You'd better pay me some licensing fees. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to it.
Inventing Ethernet took every last drop of intelligence Metcalfe had... and didn't give it back.
We should be able to get rid of the Mars mission, too.
OTOH, it sounds like you might benefit from not being able to put food on the table.
Say, those WALK signs are electronic gadgets that the pedestrians are using....
The theory of the GST rebate is to compensate poor people for having to pay the tax. If the tax is reduced, then so is the amount they spend on it, and so is the amount the deserve to be compensated.
Most bleeding hearts say that consumption taxes unfairly target the poor people because they need to spend most of their income on consumable items (of course, rent doesn't have GST). It seems odd that you would criticize the government for reducing consumption taxes. Personally, I would prefer that all taxes be consumption-based, since I live well within my means. It's the middle class that is taxed unfairly.
"The less fortunate get all the breaks!"—Fry
You don't seem to get it. The core of the GPL is the protection that you cannot take GPLed code, modify it, and redistribute it with your own imposed restrictions. This prevents unscrupulous characters from taking the code that other people have contributed and co-opting it in a way that benefits only the unscrupulous characters. I.e., it prevents this code from being "embraced and extended". Copyright law gives most of the power to accomplish this, but there is a particular weakness when it comes to patents.
An unscrupulous character could take GPLed code and add his own code to it which implements a patented method and release it under the GPL license with a promise to sue anyone who uses it without paying him patent royalties. This is a couple steps removed from what Novell has done (since they are Microsoft patents, it hasn't released code, and it hasn't identified any patents). These unscrupulous characters harm those who have contributed GPLed code in good faith.
These guys weren't doing this as any kind of prank; it was an advertising campaign. They should receive the same fine as anyone else who taped up paper advertisements at the same locations. These guys can't be held liable for the local residents and politicians being paranoid imbeciles. Imbeciles are too hard to predict.
All of the "legitimate" religions started because the original "prophet" suffered a psychotic break from reality and found an audience for his deranged rantings. OTOH, L. Ron was lucid when concocting his cynical scheme to fleece losers of their meager funds.
I prefer the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they do unto you. (I.e., treat people according to their own standards.) Jack needs to be persecuted into bankruptcy.
Slashdot: Because even nerds have nerds.
Meanwhile, Pfizer has expressed interest in commercializing the new material.
Yeah, but your car could just be hosed down and put on a used-car lot instead of the junk yard.
Now imagine if every single weld was a unique, custom job that had never been done before, and if any of them are imprefect, the car crashes.
... because, now that the report has been released, everyone is going to drive his car to the junk yard tonight and start walking everywhere tomorrow.
I take it that you aren't employed as a PR coordinator.
Ah, so Zoloft treats depression. That's one down and 19 other drug commercials to find out what they do.
Are there any legitimate businesses that have a 30% profit margin?
You're seeing Dr. House?
That's funny; I don't recall using or even implying the words "Arab" or "Muslim" at all. Certainly there are other kinds of terrorists. I'm not so sure I would call a computer hacker a terrorist. To me, it normally involves killing people or plotting to do so. Running a spam-bot net just makes one an ordinary criminal. If the hippies don't plan to or manage to kill anyone, that makes them ordinary criminals in my mind, too.
I think this incident just makes those in power look foolish and suggests that their hysteria has gone too far. I think you need to put your conspiracy theory aside until next time.
Plus, you'll create more pranksters who shut down an entire city for shits and giggles. Maybe real terrorists should try this; it certainly causes lots of disruption.
How prevalent are disk-free PCs? These would offer most of the benefits of thin clients but give you full, dedicated PC power for each user.
No, stop, relax, you're both right. There is a mission planned for 2008 but it will never happen.
Indeed, I have a larger closet in my apartment!