Not only is there no such place, but the supreme court has ruled that the right to privacy does indeed exist.
Though the right to privacy is not expressly mentioned in the constitution, the ninth amendment states the the lack of the constitution to specifically enumerate a right doesn't mean we don't have it, and the court held this right(to privacy) as one of those we had that didn't get listed.
I've not read the steam eulas, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but they almost certainly say just the opposite, or at least say they can change at their whim.
Best not think you've actually bought anything with a service like steam, think more like a rental.
Probably beating a dead horse here, but all that's true right up to the point someone at valve decides otherwise. Or till something unexpected happens, some corp officer takes off with all the $$, or some disgruntled employee with the right skills damages/modifies something so you can't authorize your software anymore, etc.
Essentially you're at the whim of fate and valve to play a game you already paid for, essentially your renting it. If you don't mind it being a rental subject shutdown without warning or notice, then fine. But it's most certainly a 'rental' and not a 'purchase'.
Oddly enough I never had the horrible problems with ME everyone else seems to have had, I'm also doing fine on vista (ultimate-64bit) except for an odd item with ONE game (locks the vid drivers if a fairly specific view angle and distance is used when using a jump gate in eve).
Then again I've also NEVER had a good Ubuntu install (4 versions, both 64 bit and 32, on two different amd and one Intell based system), in fact I've only actually got it to install once (installers on all other version just lock-up or panic or worse at some point), and that install trashed my OTHER hd's boot sector and thought all files ending in.iso were mp3's!
I'm afraid to step into an apple store, the universe might implode or they might start shipping with two button mice.
There is more than one ciriut court, they don't write law, they don't always agree, and you're just plain wrong on copyright law concerning installing and running software.
(a) Making of Additional Copy or Adaptation by Owner of Copy. -- Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, it is not an infringement for the owner of a copy of a computer program to make or authorize the making of another copy or adaptation of that computer program provided:
(1) that such a new copy or adaptation is created as an essential step in the utilization of the computer program in conjunction with a machine and that it is used in no other manner, or
(2) that such new copy or adaptation is for archival purposes only and that all archival copies are destroyed in the event that continued possession of the computer program should cease to be rightful.
I'm not a lawyer(nor attempting anything other than a layman's discussion here, just to be clear). However the installing/running myth has been debunked so many times I'm amzed to see someone, fully warned, try and pull that bs again.
Then again I suspect you're just trolling given some of non-arguments and nonsense in your post. I suppose you'll pick on my spelling or grammar next.
Just in case your not trolling I'll point out that the offer and acceptance was money for the copy of the software, completed at the register. There is no actual contract that I can see (no exchange of consideration) in many eula's, they're just claims (and only that) that you agree to a bunch of restrictions after the sale (the actual exchange of consideration) is already complete.
Now if you wanted to make an argument that some eula's are conditions of recieving support and updates, etc. on the software then there is room to argue. In this case it could be argued that they get to limit you as the eula states and you get additional services in the form of updates, tech support, etc.
How can you be bound by a contract AFTER the sale is already done? I've already BOUGHT the software, money has been exchanged for goods.
Not exactly what fist sale says, if that's your point. But the supreme court has already shot down the concept of contracts after the fact, just a few idiot judges who think software is somehow different that music cd or book is all (or idiot attorneys who failed to argue the case properly, judges do have some restrictions).
Ohh good grief, one case and one law firm (who just might have a vested interest here).
The courts are very much NOT in agreement on this issue. Also the procd case involved the same guy repeatedly buying the same software with the same eula just to get the new database info for his use. The first time he had no way to know about the eula, but the second and third times you could argue he knew BEFORE (like in a real contract situation) the exchange what the agreement was intended to be on both sides.
The whole 'contract after the fact' idea got tossed by the supreme court some time ago and I would expect them to hold same ruling should they hear a case on eulas.
What would make an eula any different from buying a car and having it delivered to your house only to find in the glove compartment some officious looking document claiming that by buying brand x car you agree to only use brand y gas, or perhaps buying a book in shrink wrap and when you open it at home find on the inside of the cover a statement that you've somehow agreed to never re-sell it?
And no, having to click a button that says 'yes' or 'i agree' to install the software doesn't somehow magically make it valid.
Installing and running software are also allowed in copyright law so no special agreement or permission is required here to head off that nonsense.
Matrox has pretty good multi (not just dual) monitor support from what I hear. I just wish they were more mainstream.
But as you point out, indirectly, for each of us that have had nothing but crap result from one of the big two someone else has had as bad a run with the other.
I've only run into one of your problems, the one with some driver versions not getting along with certain apps. The one issue I have had is with the AIW cards that 'honor' macrovision crap. One of the reasons I bought AIW's in the first place was to be able to watch some of my movies on tape. Imagine my suprise when I get what looks like the old school way of scrambling cable channels.
No warning on the box or anything. So yeah maybe Matrox needs to make a comeback in the mainstream consumer end.
At least with an ATI card I know it will work, have only had ONE of the last four nvidia based cards I've tried work, and then ONLY reasonably with direct-x on the main monitor. try anything opengl based and it got sluggish, on the second monitor it would drop to 4 or 5 fps with the drivers, yet switching to software emulation for opengl would give me fairly smooth fps unless I way overloaded the scene with objects.
Not saying ATI is perfect, but at least I've never taken one back because moving the mouse with ANY level of acceleration than none would lock it up instantly (with no accel it would take almost a full minute to lock the card).
4 cards, two different makers and three different base chipsets on two different boxes. one doa and one all but and one could just barely be coaxed in to surviving 2d only with riva tuner to underclock about 25-30% and one that could be outperformed by x800-xt AIW it was replacing (8600gt). Three of these cards were used in an NVIDIA motherboard.
All anectedotal of course, but after that many failures in a row I'm not interested in trying again anytime soon.
Celestia.org is a dead domain. Just list of 'searches' based on the word celestia and an offer to sell the domain name. perhaps you meant http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ ?
At least following the first google link there looks like the right page, and links to a sourceforge project named celestia.
Friendly nit-pick: the C64 ran on a 6510, CBM's clone of the 6502. The main distinction was a bunch of 'hidden' op-codes that weren't part of the official set that eventually got used in copy protection schemes (Any one remember geos?)
Though the 1541 floppy did use an actual 6502 IIRC, and had 2k of ram. That got used in all sorts of creative ways, including reprogramming the drive so you could turn two of them into auto duplicator that didn't require the C64 at all after the initial programming.
Many that voted the other way (than you) believe they're equally informed. The point behind the electoral college was to have people who could devote the time, and who have understanding to use, thorough research of the candidates and choose wisely.
The problem with 'popular' vote is that when the voters realize they can vote in bread and circuses, most will.
If you (or anyone) wanted a direct say in who the president is then become an elector. Even with the laws the states now have the electors could still decide on any legitimate candidate (even some guy who only got 4 popular votes). True they might face fines and or jail time or whatever the state laws allow (might result in an interesting supreme court case), but the option is still theirs.
More than a few despots and tyrants have been elected leaders, swept into office on high acclaim with the passion of the moment providing impetus. A. Hitler most famously.
The purpose of the Electoral college has nothing to do with tabulating votes. It's there so that 'mob mentality' doesn't rule. The original intent was for us to elect the members of the college on merit of for THEM to elect the president. The concept of direct vote was specifically being avoided. This is designed to prevent some brief hot-button issue.
We need to RESTORE the electoral college by getting rid of the state laws the force the members of the college to pick whomever gets the most votes, and instead focus on picking the people to be in the college and let them actually do their job and maybe we'll stop getting whichever charming sound-bite expert the media likes as president.
This of course assumes we get decent, smart people into the college.
My big problem with this is some people on these lists were convicted and sentenced BEFORE these lists or the laws concerning them existed (I thin some were even done with their sentence). I don't see how this isn't ex-post-facto.
It'd be like someone was sentenced to two years, serves them, then a new law get passed making the minimum penalty four years so they go grab him and stick him back in for at least two more.
I mostly agree with your point of view, just would add that working to get like minded people elected isn't a waste, just not as direct or quick in results.
I know voting Libertarian is not likely to get the candidate I voted for in office on any scale larger than a small town, and even then I'd probably have to help with the campaign and so on, but if enough people vote for guy expressing their own view on government then the guy/gal who actually does win will see what the people really want rather than what they'll settle for and if he/she has any desire for re-election will have to consider these things.
I hate to tell you this, but if you say you never agreed to be ruled they're at best going force to see a shrink, not check to see if you ever registered to vote before deciding whether or not you have to follow the laws our elected leaders passed.
As a purely intellectual argument it might make some sense, but in the real world you either participate and work to improve things (and yes this includes political participation), or least slow the slide downward, or you live with the results of those who did.
My point was that the idea that NOT voting had more effect than voting was non-sense in the US. It doesn't reduce legitimacy of the rulers, it doesn't increase any odds except the odds that you WONT get someone you like (or at least hate the least) in office. Usually it's people in their early twenties who get the juvenile notion that not voting and otherwise ignoring the political system somehow makes a difference or otherwise has any positive effect greater than making them feel good. This usually follows seeing the candidate they were all hyped up about loose or win and turn out to be a lot less than the saving angel they expected them to be.
At best it just saves your the minimal effort of voting to spend more time on something else. True voting in and of itself does very little in the individual case and the big parties have enough grasp of mob dynamics to manipulate the hell out the results.
From your statement I would guess (pretty weak guess on feeble evidence I admit, but it's true of so many I'll throw this out anyway) that you were trapped in thinking the current two parties were the only choices (or only 'realistic' choices) and didn't realize they are actually only one party with two sets of bs. The sad thing is this is only true as long as most believe it so.
Your best bet is in local politics up to county size in many cases, and state level with sufficient effort. though voting is still a minority effort compared to actively working for the desired result or campaigning for the candidate of your choice. Enough people get involved locally and work their way up from there and THEN there's a chance of running the current to parties out of the system or transforming them into something worthwhile.
I'm well aware of the truth that without constant and vigorous pressure of the people, no government long works to the well being of the people more than necessary to insure it's own power. Over time all governments tend to become more for the benefit of the governors than the governed.
OOPS, strike president and replace with congressman, the electoral college elects the president, not the people(though state laws obfuscate this fact).
The equivalent to leaving the room is leaving the country. You can either help choose your politicians, let others do all the choosing, or leave for another system (or die).
NOT voting does NOT 'fire' any politicians. If only 7 people voted for president in the USA then whoever got the most votes is IT, even if there are 2 votes for one candidate and 5 others just got one, the guy with 2 is IT.
Would make any recounts easier at least.
Except someone will be elected, your choices are help choose, or let others choose for you. In your analogy there is five bottles in front of you, you can pick one or request something else, but you are drinking something soon.
They came out in 128k as well, it was the same as the 256k model, but with only half the sockets for ram populated.
I recall that one because that's the one I rigged to take up to two megs. not that I had enough money to actually buy such a huge amount of ram.
Slashdot Mirror
Not only is there no such place, but the supreme court has ruled that the right to privacy does indeed exist.
Though the right to privacy is not expressly mentioned in the constitution, the ninth amendment states the the lack of the constitution to specifically enumerate a right doesn't mean we don't have it, and the court held this right(to privacy) as one of those we had that didn't get listed.
Mycroft (IANAL and related disclaimers apply)
If that was in the US the officer failing to show means NO case (no accuser). You do have the right to face your accuser in the US.
Mycroft
I've not read the steam eulas, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but they almost certainly say just the opposite, or at least say they can change at their whim.
Best not think you've actually bought anything with a service like steam, think more like a rental.
Mcyroft
Probably beating a dead horse here, but all that's true right up to the point someone at valve decides otherwise. Or till something unexpected happens, some corp officer takes off with all the $$, or some disgruntled employee with the right skills damages/modifies something so you can't authorize your software anymore, etc.
Essentially you're at the whim of fate and valve to play a game you already paid for, essentially your renting it. If you don't mind it being a rental subject shutdown without warning or notice, then fine. But it's most certainly a 'rental' and not a 'purchase'.
Mycroft
Oddly enough I never had the horrible problems with ME everyone else seems to have had, I'm also doing fine on vista (ultimate-64bit) except for an odd item with ONE game (locks the vid drivers if a fairly specific view angle and distance is used when using a jump gate in eve). .iso were mp3's!
Then again I've also NEVER had a good Ubuntu install (4 versions, both 64 bit and 32, on two different amd and one Intell based system), in fact I've only actually got it to install once (installers on all other version just lock-up or panic or worse at some point), and that install trashed my OTHER hd's boot sector and thought all files ending in
I'm afraid to step into an apple store, the universe might implode or they might start shipping with two button mice.
Mcyroft
I'd be guessing the .15% is Wind9x or NT (or perhaps bob, but that's just too scary).
Mycroft
There is more than one ciriut court, they don't write law, they don't always agree, and you're just plain wrong on copyright law concerning installing and running software.
The following is copied from: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#117
117. Limitations on exclusive rights: Computer programs53
I'm not a lawyer(nor attempting anything other than a layman's discussion here, just to be clear). However the installing/running myth has been debunked so many times I'm amzed to see someone, fully warned, try and pull that bs again.
Then again I suspect you're just trolling given some of non-arguments and nonsense in your post. I suppose you'll pick on my spelling or grammar next.
Just in case your not trolling I'll point out that the offer and acceptance was money for the copy of the software, completed at the register. There is no actual contract that I can see (no exchange of consideration) in many eula's, they're just claims (and only that) that you agree to a bunch of restrictions after the sale (the actual exchange of consideration) is already complete.
Now if you wanted to make an argument that some eula's are conditions of recieving support and updates, etc. on the software then there is room to argue. In this case it could be argued that they get to limit you as the eula states and you get additional services in the form of updates, tech support, etc.
Mycroft
How can you be bound by a contract AFTER the sale is already done?
I've already BOUGHT the software, money has been exchanged for goods.
Not exactly what fist sale says, if that's your point. But the supreme court has already shot down the concept of contracts after the fact, just a few idiot judges who think software is somehow different that music cd or book is all (or idiot attorneys who failed to argue the case properly, judges do have some restrictions).
Mycroft
Ohh good grief, one case and one law firm (who just might have a vested interest here).
The courts are very much NOT in agreement on this issue.
Also the procd case involved the same guy repeatedly buying the same software with the same eula just to get the new database info for his use. The first time he had no way to know about the eula, but the second and third times you could argue he knew BEFORE (like in a real contract situation) the exchange what the agreement was intended to be on both sides.
The whole 'contract after the fact' idea got tossed by the supreme court some time ago and I would expect them to hold same ruling should they hear a case on eulas.
What would make an eula any different from buying a car and having it delivered to your house only to find in the glove compartment some officious looking document claiming that by buying brand x car you agree to only use brand y gas, or perhaps buying a book in shrink wrap and when you open it at home find on the inside of the cover a statement that you've somehow agreed to never re-sell it?
And no, having to click a button that says 'yes' or 'i agree' to install the software doesn't somehow magically make it valid.
Installing and running software are also allowed in copyright law so no special agreement or permission is required here to head off that nonsense.
Mycroft
Matrox has pretty good multi (not just dual) monitor support from what I hear. I just wish they were more mainstream.
But as you point out, indirectly, for each of us that have had nothing but crap result from one of the big two someone else has had as bad a run with the other.
I've only run into one of your problems, the one with some driver versions not getting along with certain apps.
The one issue I have had is with the AIW cards that 'honor' macrovision crap. One of the reasons I bought AIW's in the first place was to be able to watch some of my movies on tape. Imagine my suprise when I get what looks like the old school way of scrambling cable channels.
No warning on the box or anything.
So yeah maybe Matrox needs to make a comeback in the mainstream consumer end.
Mycroft
At least with an ATI card I know it will work, have only had ONE of the last four nvidia based cards I've tried work, and then ONLY reasonably with direct-x on the main monitor. try anything opengl based and it got sluggish, on the second monitor it would drop to 4 or 5 fps with the drivers, yet switching to software emulation for opengl would give me fairly smooth fps unless I way overloaded the scene with objects.
Not saying ATI is perfect, but at least I've never taken one back because moving the mouse with ANY level of acceleration than none would lock it up instantly (with no accel it would take almost a full minute to lock the card).
4 cards, two different makers and three different base chipsets on two different boxes. one doa and one all but and one could just barely be coaxed in to surviving 2d only with riva tuner to underclock about 25-30% and one that could be outperformed by x800-xt AIW it was replacing (8600gt). Three of these cards were used in an NVIDIA motherboard.
All anectedotal of course, but after that many failures in a row I'm not interested in trying again anytime soon.
Mycroft
Celestia.org is a dead domain. Just list of 'searches' based on the word celestia and an offer to sell the domain name.
perhaps you meant http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ ?
At least following the first google link there looks like the right page, and links to a sourceforge project named celestia.
Mycroft
Friendly nit-pick: the C64 ran on a 6510, CBM's clone of the 6502. The main distinction was a bunch of 'hidden' op-codes that weren't part of the official set that eventually got used in copy protection schemes (Any one remember geos?)
Though the 1541 floppy did use an actual 6502 IIRC, and had 2k of ram. That got used in all sorts of creative ways, including reprogramming the drive so you could turn two of them into auto duplicator that didn't require the C64 at all after the initial programming.
Mycroft
Many that voted the other way (than you) believe they're equally informed.
The point behind the electoral college was to have people who could devote the time,
and who have understanding to use, thorough research of the candidates and choose
wisely.
The problem with 'popular' vote is that when the voters realize they can vote
in bread and circuses, most will.
If you (or anyone) wanted a direct say in who the president is then become an elector.
Even with the laws the states now have the electors could still decide on any legitimate
candidate (even some guy who only got 4 popular votes). True they might face fines and or
jail time or whatever the state laws allow (might result in an interesting supreme court
case), but the option is still theirs.
More than a few despots and tyrants have been elected leaders, swept into office on
high acclaim with the passion of the moment providing impetus. A. Hitler most famously.
Mycroft
The purpose of the Electoral college has nothing to do with tabulating votes. It's there so that 'mob mentality' doesn't rule.
The original intent was for us to elect the members of the college on merit of for THEM to elect the president. The concept of direct vote was specifically being avoided. This is designed to prevent some brief hot-button issue.
We need to RESTORE the electoral college by getting rid of the state laws the force the members of the college to pick whomever gets the most votes, and instead focus on picking the people to be in the college and let them actually do their job and maybe we'll stop getting whichever charming sound-bite expert the media likes as president.
This of course assumes we get decent, smart people into the college.
Mycroft
My big problem with this is some people on these lists were convicted and sentenced BEFORE these lists or the laws concerning them existed (I thin some were even done with their sentence). I don't see how this isn't ex-post-facto.
It'd be like someone was sentenced to two years, serves them, then a new law get passed making the minimum penalty four years so they go grab him and stick him back in for at least two more.
Mycroft
I mostly agree with your point of view, just would add that working to get like minded people elected isn't a waste, just not as direct or quick in results.
I know voting Libertarian is not likely to get the candidate I voted for in office on any scale larger than a small town, and even then I'd probably have to help with the campaign and so on, but if enough people vote for guy expressing their own view on government then the guy/gal who actually does win will see what the people really want rather than what they'll settle for and if he/she has any desire for re-election will have to consider these things.
Mycroft
I hate to tell you this, but if you say you never agreed to be ruled they're at best going force to see a shrink, not check to see if you ever registered to vote before deciding whether or not you have to follow the laws our elected leaders passed.
As a purely intellectual argument it might make some sense, but in the real world you either participate and work to improve things (and yes this includes political participation), or least slow the slide downward, or you live with the results of those who did.
Mycroft
My point was that the idea that NOT voting had more effect than voting was non-sense in the US. It doesn't reduce legitimacy of the rulers, it doesn't increase any odds except the odds that you WONT get someone you like (or at least hate the least) in office. Usually it's people in their early twenties who get the juvenile notion that not voting and otherwise ignoring the political system somehow makes a difference or otherwise has any positive effect greater than making them feel good. This usually follows seeing the candidate they were all hyped up about loose or win and turn out to be a lot less than the saving angel they expected them to be.
At best it just saves your the minimal effort of voting to spend more time on something else.
True voting in and of itself does very little in the individual case and the big parties have enough grasp of mob dynamics to manipulate the hell out the results.
From your statement I would guess (pretty weak guess on feeble evidence I admit, but it's true of so many I'll throw this out anyway) that you were trapped in thinking the current two parties were the only choices (or only 'realistic' choices) and didn't realize they are actually only one party with two sets of bs. The sad thing is this is only true as long as most believe it so.
Your best bet is in local politics up to county size in many cases, and state level with sufficient effort. though voting is still a minority effort compared to actively working for the desired result or campaigning for the candidate of your choice. Enough people get involved locally and work their way up from there and THEN there's a chance of running the current to parties out of the system or transforming them into something worthwhile.
I'm well aware of the truth that without constant and vigorous pressure of the people, no government long works to the well being of the people more than necessary to insure it's own power. Over time all governments tend to become more for the benefit of the governors than the governed.
Mycroft
OOPS, strike president and replace with congressman, the electoral college elects the president, not the people(though state laws obfuscate this fact).
Mycroft
The equivalent to leaving the room is leaving the country.
You can either help choose your politicians, let others do all the choosing, or leave for another system (or die).
NOT voting does NOT 'fire' any politicians. If only 7 people voted for president in the USA then whoever got
the most votes is IT, even if there are 2 votes for one candidate and 5 others just got one, the guy with 2 is IT.
Would make any recounts easier at least.
Mycroft
I thought it was "When in doubt run in circles, scream and shout"
Mycroft
FWIW the junk fax law seems to be getting ignored more and more these days, where I work there's usually two or three on the machine every morning.
Mycroft
Except someone will be elected, your choices are help choose, or let others choose for you.
In your analogy there is five bottles in front of you, you can pick one or request something else, but you are drinking something soon.
Mycroft
They came out in 128k as well, it was the same as the 256k model, but with only half the sockets for ram populated.
I recall that one because that's the one I rigged to take up to two megs. not that I had enough money to actually buy such a huge amount of ram.
Mycroft