Oh they do provide a valuable service, and they often do get unfair criticism, but that doesn't excuse trying to regulate the entire internet to shield themselves from criticism, review or public discourse. Their endeavours in this matter are utterly overblown and hysterical.
It almost sounds like you're supportive of their attempts to censor any criticism of them. Are you?
I heard a teacher from the Uk talking about the UK version of the site, calling for the government to regulate it or shut it down.
His argument was that, he had a series of ten comments about him, eight of which were glowing - utterly positive - but because the other two were a little negative - and not abusive or defamatory, mind - the whole thing was an outrage, and Something Should Be Done(TM).
This guy wasn't just any old teacher either, he was the head of some teacher's union, speaking in an official capacity.
Maybe it's the result of having a constant work environment where the principle relationship with people is one of authority and, perhaps, a lack of firm grounding in that authority, that results in such hypersensitivity to criticism. Whatever the reason, they should get a bleedin' grip.
>"Don't get me wrong, I don't care much for the packaging either, but calling it progress to pay extra for the lack of something is quite bizarre.
They should label it "ORGANIC" - seems to be working out for that.:)
Apparently if you peel off some of the stickers on the very first Vista boxes off the production line, underneath 'The Wow Starts Now' it says 'Mission Accomplished'.
(if you would) - it's the only post in this thread (so far) that's actually referenced consumer law - which is the issue at hand - and given some background.
I've come accross login screens like this before - what they've said was 'Log in to this site using your Yahoo/Gmail/AOL account'- the implication is that they're partnered with these sites, and you use your 'account' to log in to them. That the logos of these sites is right there besides the login fields adds to the illusion that they're 'official' and that you're actually logging into your AOL/Yahoo/Gmail account when you fill in your username & password.
Whenever I've been invited to use such a site via an e-mail, I've reproted the e-mail and the site as what it is: PHISHING
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments in the ablove posts, but I really feel it's important that we drop the figleaf that is the term that is the 'RIAA'.
The people whose actions so many of us detest, who sue disabled pensioners and little girls who don't even own computers, who whine and bitch and claim the sky is falling every time some new technology comes along, who engage in price fixing, who rip off the artists they claim to represent while simultaneously saying that they're engaging in anti-piracy activity for their benefit (all the time without missing a beat and smiling, smiling, smiling), who LIE to the media and inflate and invent the losses they say they're cost by the eeeeevil pirates...
It has to be news, it has to keep being mentioned, and mentioned and mentioned, because the vast majority of people just don't realise how sinister the moves being made by the ruling classes are. People are still slumbering. People still haven't been roused, still haven't put all the pieces of the jigsaw together (I dare say, neither have I) and as a result we are being herded into our pens, stamped and tagged and the fences and barbed wire are being erected around us.
So few of us look up from our grazing and question what's going on.
If we are under the constant surveillance of an all powerful state, we are not free.
When the linch-pin of the surveillance state (the roll-out of the National Identity Registration Number)is finally enacted we will not be free citizens who elect people to serve us, we will be livestock participating in our own containment and monitoring.
It's almost like Microsoft, sick and tired of all the complaints about poor security in their operating systems, said, "RIGHT! If you want security, we'll GIVE you security!" and then handed it out as a punishment.
Biometric ID, and the ID databases are all about having a stream of data about the various activities of people ('securely linked to each person, hence biometric) so that that data can be trawled for patterns that will reveal suspicious activity.
>Going in armed is typical of this type of operation to shut down bootleggers. They do it to try to send a message of fear to other people who might be involved in the same thing.
You're referring to the LEGAL definition of entrapment. "Entrapment" is also a word that exists outside the world of law, meaning to ensnare; to catch as if in a trap - which seems to be quite apt. No?
Maybe the solution to HD's Too Much Reality(TM) will be virtual porn, with the (cough) 'actors' (cough) 'acting' and then a HD computer image of an ideal sexual persona superimposed, ala Gollum?
(Please note, I AM NOT, advocating Gollum porn. That is not what I'm saying. Yes, it is probably already out there. And no, I don't want to click on your link, illustrating that fact.)
>what we want is pansexual swingers in a nonstop orgy...
I agree. The English sent all their puritans to the new continent, and look how that turned out. The least we can do is try the opposite with a new planet. (It might even guard against a future invasion!)
Slashdot Mirror
Personally, I thought it'd be pretty neat to encrypt something using the text of a DMCA takedown notice as a key.
Oh they do provide a valuable service, and they often do get unfair criticism, but that doesn't excuse trying to regulate the entire internet to shield themselves from criticism, review or public discourse. Their endeavours in this matter are utterly overblown and hysterical. It almost sounds like you're supportive of their attempts to censor any criticism of them. Are you?
dicks, sometimes.
I heard a teacher from the Uk talking about the UK version of the site, calling for the government to regulate it or shut it down.
His argument was that, he had a series of ten comments about him, eight of which were glowing - utterly positive - but because the other two were a little negative - and not abusive or defamatory, mind - the whole thing was an outrage, and Something Should Be Done(TM).
This guy wasn't just any old teacher either, he was the head of some teacher's union, speaking in an official capacity.
Maybe it's the result of having a constant work environment where the principle relationship with people is one of authority and, perhaps, a lack of firm grounding in that authority, that results in such hypersensitivity to criticism. Whatever the reason, they should get a bleedin' grip.
>"Don't get me wrong, I don't care much for the packaging either, but calling it progress to pay extra for the lack of something is quite bizarre. They should label it "ORGANIC" - seems to be working out for that. :)
Well, I've looked around their uk site, and if you buy via small business, they give you the choice of either xp or vista.
Apparently if you peel off some of the stickers on the very first Vista boxes off the production line, underneath 'The Wow Starts Now' it says 'Mission Accomplished'.
(if you would) - it's the only post in this thread (so far) that's actually referenced consumer law - which is the issue at hand - and given some background.
You call it "hassling"; some might call it "terrorism".
Whenever I've been invited to use such a site via an e-mail, I've reproted the e-mail and the site as what it is: PHISHING
The people whose actions so many of us detest, who sue disabled pensioners and little girls who don't even own computers, who whine and bitch and claim the sky is falling every time some new technology comes along, who engage in price fixing, who rip off the artists they claim to represent while simultaneously saying that they're engaging in anti-piracy activity for their benefit (all the time without missing a beat and smiling, smiling, smiling), who LIE to the media and inflate and invent the losses they say they're cost by the eeeeevil pirates...
THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT THE RIAA.
THEY ARE THE 'MAJOR' RECORD COMPANIES.
(And their number is legion)
Doesn't support DivX?
So, it's like an iPod that doesn't play MP3s?
On the other hand, it'll make a nice looking paperweight.
>"Shouldn't that be "alumnus" or "alumna"?" And when you graduate from Robot University - "aluminum".
>"Yes, you pirates. You need to find another way to make money by leeching off the honest work of others."
Set up a record company??
Interesting. From her copyright page:
"Copyright 1996- 2007, Suzanne Shell
The content if this web site is intended to generate income [...]"
But from her contact us page, her PGP signature:
"Here is our public key for encrypting messages to us.
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: PGP 8.1 - not licensed for commercial use: www.pgp.com [snip]"
"This is news?" you ask?
It is news.
It has to be news, it has to keep being mentioned, and mentioned and mentioned, because the vast majority of people just don't realise how sinister the moves being made by the ruling classes are. People are still slumbering. People still haven't been roused, still haven't put all the pieces of the jigsaw together (I dare say, neither have I) and as a result we are being herded into our pens, stamped and tagged and the fences and barbed wire are being erected around us.
So few of us look up from our grazing and question what's going on.
If we are under the constant surveillance of an all powerful state, we are not free.
When the linch-pin of the surveillance state (the roll-out of the National Identity Registration Number)is finally enacted we will not be free citizens who elect people to serve us, we will be livestock participating in our own containment and monitoring.
We will be a Nation of Suspects, watched.
Accurate representation of reality == truth.
*mindblown*Submitter was trying to steer well clear of any conceivable infringement of the one-click patent.
It's almost like Microsoft, sick and tired of all the complaints about poor security in their operating systems, said, "RIGHT! If you want security, we'll GIVE you security!" and then handed it out as a punishment.
Biometric ID, and the ID databases are all about having a stream of data about the various activities of people ('securely linked to each person, hence biometric) so that that data can be trawled for patterns that will reveal suspicious activity.
And that's exactly why I didn't sign the petition. They did the same thing the last time they asked people to 'consult' on ID cards.
So you're saying they're ... terrorists?
You're referring to the LEGAL definition of entrapment. "Entrapment" is also a word that exists outside the world of law, meaning to ensnare; to catch as if in a trap - which seems to be quite apt. No?
>I hear the Zune switches modes from squirt to suck.
Well, if that's the case, the Zune has at least one thing going for it.
(Please note, I AM NOT, advocating Gollum porn. That is not what I'm saying. Yes, it is probably already out there. And no, I don't want to click on your link, illustrating that fact.)
I agree. The English sent all their puritans to the new continent, and look how that turned out. The least we can do is try the opposite with a new planet. (It might even guard against a future invasion!)