Microsoft has an obligation to their shareholders to protect its trademark from dilution.
This may apply to sites that are similar in appearance or spelling. The MR site is slashdotted it seems so I can't check, but if he wasn't trying to make it look like Microsoft I think they're going to lose. Certainly they have a right to microsoft.xxx and sites that could perhaps easily be confused with belonging to the company. On a domain where the likelyhood of somebody actually mistakes it for MS (whom is going to hit mikerowesoft.com and think it is affiliated, I ask) I'd say they don't have much of a case nor a worry either in the first place.
Soft is very common for many companies. This is especially true if the kid is a software designer. Perhaps Mike wanted to put up demos of programs he has created.
The problem is with companies claiming ownership to everything under the sun even remotely related to their trademarks.
If the domain with micrasoft or something similar I'd say it's a scam. I highly doubt anybody would misstype microsoft as mikerowesoft and end up at the wrong site.
There's a catch-22 to this situation. Spammers, while their product/customer isn't always unknown, tend to hide behind false fronts and cracked servers, etc.
Now, if I am using a spamfilter with a copyrighted Haiku in it, a spammer has to identify him/herself in order to sue me. In doing so, he/she is open to legal retaliation for sending me unsolicited spam (assuming I'm on a Do-Not-Spam or similar legislation exists locally), as well as possibly more if they are using methods of deception, cracking, or other dubious activities.
So, they sue me for using the Haiku... likely at most I would have to remove it. Then, everbody who has been joe-jobbed, hacked, and illegally spammed has the ID of a spammer to go after.
Here's a reason why I see the linux desktop catching on:
Educational institutions have from hundreds to thousands of computers.
Many of these computers are getting a bit older. Maybe they have windows 98.
Many programs now will not run on 98.
Upgrading to XP for several thousand machines is expensive
Upgrading hardware of several thousand machines to run XP is worse
There is a decent array of educational software for linux. There's also good productivity/office software
It's cheap, if not free.
What kids learn on in school may very well help drive future market afterwards. Just as now people buy windows because it's used by a large portion of other people
Linux desktop market increases....
Along this train of thought, anyone know of a listing of Linux equivilents for programs. Like Office software (OpenOffice), Audio (XMMS), etc. What do you know is good?
Nono. You do the drugs, which somehow leads you up to buying windows XP. Then when you realize what's done, you jump off a cliff.
I'm not sure that jumping off a cliff is the right thing for XP purchasers... I wouldn't have too much a problem with it should certain companies which made said product decide to jump en masse off a cliff.
I could buy a good musical keyboard, and a good PC. Actually I could do so for less than this. Other than the "wow" factor is there any real advantage to this (other than perhaps musicians who really find it inconvenient to lug both keyboard and computer around).
Anyone here know why the high cost? Any particularly extra-special redeeming features that would make you buy it?
If you wanted to take advantage of the 64-bit CPU why would you be running windows anyways? I think to most people here it is a consideration for running linux.
I'll wait for somebody else to buy though, as I want to hear on the compatability of various components first.
Not that I'm sold on "desktop-replacement," being that I am still a gamer... but I only really count my "desktop" as my actual box and the components inside. Extern stuff such as a keyboard, mouse, and CRT can still be added to a laptop. Best with a good wireless keyboard/mouse, and you save on storage space.
So yes, you can still use your 21" CRT, but the 15" LCD attached to the laptop is much more convenient when travelling... the CRT tends to be a bit heavy on one's lap.
Well, if many other geeks are like me, it's not that I don't exercise ever, just not often as I'd like. Why? Because it's not interesting or stimulating. Weights go up, weights go down. Push-up, go-down. It's boring and not in any way stimulating.
In the summer, there's a lot more to do outdoors. Roller blading, biking, swimming etc are all good forms of exercise that can be relaxing and stimulating.
Walks work at most times of the year but I find are more interesting if done with somebody else (so you have somebody to talk to).
All the above work even better with music (except group walks).
One of the main problems in this season (N. America climate) is that there's not as much to do in winter on a budget. I would absolutely love to go skiing all weekend, but a season's pass is like $300-400.
Making exercise into a game is not just about making it cute, it's about making it interesting.
It's called pr0n. It's been around for a very long time, and geeks have been exercising their arms with it since near the beginning. Modern versions included usage of such tools as "edonkey" or "newgroups"
Why not? Installation isn't particularly hard. The worst parts are:
Partitioning your drive. But then, if you can't do this, you probably shouldn't be running a server or you would redo it after time with another distro anyways. With desktops, swap and root are all you really need (I prefer swap, boot, root) - maybe a seperate var/home.
Hardware: If you know what hardware you have, it still isn't much of a problem. Realtek, Nek2k-pci, 3com, Eepro100. That handles most the network cards I deal with. Other hardware should be easier to spot.
After the initial install... typing apt-get install X, or dpkg --install package.deb... not hard
Seriously, it's only really bad for people who are afraid of a little text and CLI.
I'm sure they'll protect against the greatest threats. Maybe some default security to protect microsoft?
Site blocking
-----------------
RedHat.com Block [x]
Debian.org Block [x]
Suse.com Block [x]
Slashdot.org Block [x]
Microsoft.com Block --unavailable--
I'm joking of course, but anyone remember how after installing certain updates/software from Microsoft at one time netscape would begin crashing horribly afterwards? He who controls the default firewalling settings could control a lot... he who controls a popular closed-source OS could do as lot worse
Actually, JA might make a better TV series than movies. How about some shorts, divided into episodes? Think something like Star-trek (before it sucked too badly)
I myself was first diagnosed as dyslexic (reading disorder). I don't read backwords, english ended up being one of my best subjects, and my Chapters card saves me up to $30-40/year+ (think 10% discount and you'll get the idea of how many books I buy).
Around grades 6-7 I was diagnosed in a way that almost indefinately would be labelled ADHD. I was put on ritalin and my grades went down the toilet because I ended up napping through my classes (couldn't stay awake). Stopped taking pills on my own and things perked up. The discovery of computers sometime afterwards took up my free time and solved that problem.
Even at work, my habits might be described as having an "attention deficit." I am a working multitasker. I can have several things being worked on at once, at times I've enter data/documents into a computer whilst simultaneously talking to a colleage (it freaks me out that I do this because I'm not sure how). A consequence as of recent has been very poor sleeping habits (brain won't wind down), but I'm working on solutions to that.
Remember, one man's genius is another's "F-grade" math student.
Indeed, I've seen both ends of this fence, however. Actually, there are 4 sides.
a) The child does have ADHD, and is properly medicated which has some effect
b) The child has some other problem, but is being incorrectly diagnosed/medicated for ADHD.
c) Has ADHD but is improperly medicated (maybe diagnosed with something else).
d) Doesn't have ADHD, or mild enough to not be a major concern, but is medicated.
(I suppose a fifth side would be your happy "normal" - and I use that term broadly - child).
So here we have a few issues:
One is that there are a lot of physicians and to them everyone is a patient. If you think there may be a problem, many doctors will go out of their way to find one. We're not labelling people as "witches" anymore, but we have a huge mass of sydromes, conditions, and general issues for people to be diagnosed with. It's a problem of overanalysis, where anyone who isn't "normal" must have some condition, either known or unknown. The problem is that normal isn't really defined and varies from person to person.
The second problem is medication or treatment. Many doctors love to prescribe even more than they like to diagnose. Some of you in the medical profession may be offended by this but some may also agree. Not all doctors, but many, believe in the "magic pill theory."
Different doctors can prescribe many different things to similar/same symptoms, and some follow the "pill-of-the-day." Pill-of-the-day is something to the extent where the doctor will actually try to match symptoms to the cure, rather than the opposite. Often precedence is given to newer drugs/therapies etc on the grounds that "it is helping a lot of people" - making us into human guinea-pigs.
Again, this doesn't apply to all doctors, but it does apply to many. It comes with looking for problems instead of solutions, or looking for a "cure" instead of looking deep at the person in question.
Be careful with new "solutions" or pills. I think the best cure is one that doesn't muffle the problem, but rather redirects the problem into something productive. As mentioned in the parent, sometimes "doesn't fit in" is not because somebody is of low intelligence, but simply because they're overqualified and thus bored. Also, when looking at academic solutions, don't forgot the social ones... it's great to have a kid who becomes a intellectual but not if he later ends up attached to bottle or some other disaster due to no social life.
Indeed, I think that many companies will probably be offering big bucks to contract with Pixar after they're done with Disney. If not, perhaps they'll fill the gap on their own. Even if Disney offered them a significantly higher deal, they may not accept it due to the bad blood between the two companies.
Seems to me that Disney is somewhat like the MS or RIAA of the cartoon world. If you go against them they try to cut you off, if you're with them they try to bleed you dry of usefulness until you're drained dry.
This, by the way, brings me to a question: how long (how many films left) does Pixar have left before they're no longer beholden to a contract with Disney?
And once pixar's contracts with disney expire... does disney think that they are readying to replace the gap currently filled by pixar? What happens when they invest in 3d only to find that their movies still suck - not to lack of flashy graphics - but comparatively lower talent.
I mentioned this in the previous article, but how about currency listings? Maybe I want to print out which currencies belong to specific countries. Maybe I want my employees to know what a real (insert X denomination) bill looks like.
Both are not as uncommon as one might think, and perfectly legitimate uses.
Any measure which blocks a vast array of legitimate uses in order to hamper a small group performing illigitimate use it stupid. How many times will we pay for somebody else's money-copying/piracy/etc/etc
Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft has an obligation to their shareholders to protect its trademark from dilution.
This may apply to sites that are similar in appearance or spelling. The MR site is slashdotted it seems so I can't check, but if he wasn't trying to make it look like Microsoft I think they're going to lose. Certainly they have a right to microsoft.xxx and sites that could perhaps easily be confused with belonging to the company. On a domain where the likelyhood of somebody actually mistakes it for MS (whom is going to hit mikerowesoft.com and think it is affiliated, I ask) I'd say they don't have much of a case nor a worry either in the first place.
Soft is very common for many companies. This is especially true if the kid is a software designer. Perhaps Mike wanted to put up demos of programs he has created.
The problem is with companies claiming ownership to everything under the sun even remotely related to their trademarks.
If the domain with micrasoft or something similar I'd say it's a scam. I highly doubt anybody would misstype microsoft as mikerowesoft and end up at the wrong site.
There's a catch-22 to this situation. Spammers, while their product/customer isn't always unknown, tend to hide behind false fronts and cracked servers, etc.
Now, if I am using a spamfilter with a copyrighted Haiku in it, a spammer has to identify him/herself in order to sue me. In doing so, he/she is open to legal retaliation for sending me unsolicited spam (assuming I'm on a Do-Not-Spam or similar legislation exists locally), as well as possibly more if they are using methods of deception, cracking, or other dubious activities.
So, they sue me for using the Haiku... likely at most I would have to remove it. Then, everbody who has been joe-jobbed, hacked, and illegally spammed has the ID of a spammer to go after.
No, I don't think this will work.
Without the AC vs registered accounts, and without the moderation system.
Freedom is grand, anarchy ain't.
Here's a reason why I see the linux desktop catching on:
Educational institutions have from hundreds to thousands of computers.
Many of these computers are getting a bit older. Maybe they have windows 98.
Many programs now will not run on 98.
Upgrading to XP for several thousand machines is expensive
Upgrading hardware of several thousand machines to run XP is worse
There is a decent array of educational software for linux. There's also good productivity/office software
It's cheap, if not free.
What kids learn on in school may very well help drive future market afterwards. Just as now people buy windows because it's used by a large portion of other people
Linux desktop market increases....
Along this train of thought, anyone know of a listing of Linux equivilents for programs. Like Office software (OpenOffice), Audio (XMMS), etc. What do you know is good?
Nono. You do the drugs, which somehow leads you up to buying windows XP. Then when you realize what's done, you jump off a cliff.
I'm not sure that jumping off a cliff is the right thing for XP purchasers... I wouldn't have too much a problem with it should certain companies which made said product decide to jump en masse off a cliff.
I could buy a good musical keyboard, and a good PC. Actually I could do so for less than this. Other than the "wow" factor is there any real advantage to this (other than perhaps musicians who really find it inconvenient to lug both keyboard and computer around).
Anyone here know why the high cost? Any particularly extra-special redeeming features that would make you buy it?
If you wanted to take advantage of the 64-bit CPU why would you be running windows anyways? I think to most people here it is a consideration for running linux.
I'll wait for somebody else to buy though, as I want to hear on the compatability of various components first.
Not that I'm sold on "desktop-replacement," being that I am still a gamer... but I only really count my "desktop" as my actual box and the components inside. Extern stuff such as a keyboard, mouse, and CRT can still be added to a laptop. Best with a good wireless keyboard/mouse, and you save on storage space.
So yes, you can still use your 21" CRT, but the 15" LCD attached to the laptop is much more convenient when travelling... the CRT tends to be a bit heavy on one's lap.
Well, if many other geeks are like me, it's not that I don't exercise ever, just not often as I'd like. Why? Because it's not interesting or stimulating. Weights go up, weights go down. Push-up, go-down. It's boring and not in any way stimulating.
In the summer, there's a lot more to do outdoors. Roller blading, biking, swimming etc are all good forms of exercise that can be relaxing and stimulating.
Walks work at most times of the year but I find are more interesting if done with somebody else (so you have somebody to talk to).
All the above work even better with music (except group walks).
One of the main problems in this season (N. America climate) is that there's not as much to do in winter on a budget. I would absolutely love to go skiing all weekend, but a season's pass is like $300-400.
Making exercise into a game is not just about making it cute, it's about making it interesting.
It's called pr0n. It's been around for a very long time, and geeks have been exercising their arms with it since near the beginning. Modern versions included usage of such tools as "edonkey" or "newgroups"
One of the things that has really annoyed me about debian is when I can't get a good source/deb package but there is an RPM.
Then one of my coworkers discovered this...
apt-get install alien
It seems to handle RPM's quite nicely...installed several pieces of software that wouldn't go from source (including Gimp2) and others.
Oh, the other thing that gets me is dselect. You can do a little better:
apt-get install aptitude
Why not? Installation isn't particularly hard. The worst parts are:
Partitioning your drive. But then, if you can't do this, you probably shouldn't be running a server or you would redo it after time with another distro anyways. With desktops, swap and root are all you really need (I prefer swap, boot, root) - maybe a seperate var/home.
Hardware: If you know what hardware you have, it still isn't much of a problem. Realtek, Nek2k-pci, 3com, Eepro100. That handles most the network cards I deal with. Other hardware should be easier to spot.
After the initial install... typing apt-get install X, or dpkg --install package.deb... not hard
Seriously, it's only really bad for people who are afraid of a little text and CLI.
Good question. I'm not sure on the answer though, why not try it?
I think that really, this is all the proof we need that Darl is injecting it directly.
I'm sure they'll protect against the greatest threats. Maybe some default security to protect microsoft?
Site blocking
-----------------
RedHat.com Block [x]
Debian.org Block [x]
Suse.com Block [x]
Slashdot.org Block [x]
Microsoft.com Block --unavailable--
I'm joking of course, but anyone remember how after installing certain updates/software from Microsoft at one time netscape would begin crashing horribly afterwards? He who controls the default firewalling settings could control a lot... he who controls a popular closed-source OS could do as lot worse
Control Panel --> System --> Advanced --> Visual effects --> Adjust for best performance
(or tweak as desired).
Or you could install "Hot girl voyeur XXX 3.0" when she's not around and watch that while she's not around.
Actually, JA might make a better TV series than movies. How about some shorts, divided into episodes? Think something like Star-trek (before it sucked too badly)
How many of us here have been misdiagnosed?
I myself was first diagnosed as dyslexic (reading disorder). I don't read backwords, english ended up being one of my best subjects, and my Chapters card saves me up to $30-40/year+ (think 10% discount and you'll get the idea of how many books I buy).
Around grades 6-7 I was diagnosed in a way that almost indefinately would be labelled ADHD. I was put on ritalin and my grades went down the toilet because I ended up napping through my classes (couldn't stay awake). Stopped taking pills on my own and things perked up. The discovery of computers sometime afterwards took up my free time and solved that problem.
Even at work, my habits might be described as having an "attention deficit." I am a working multitasker. I can have several things being worked on at once, at times I've enter data/documents into a computer whilst simultaneously talking to a colleage (it freaks me out that I do this because I'm not sure how). A consequence as of recent has been very poor sleeping habits (brain won't wind down), but I'm working on solutions to that.
Remember, one man's genius is another's "F-grade" math student.
Indeed, I've seen both ends of this fence, however. Actually, there are 4 sides.
a) The child does have ADHD, and is properly medicated which has some effect
b) The child has some other problem, but is being incorrectly diagnosed/medicated for ADHD.
c) Has ADHD but is improperly medicated (maybe diagnosed with something else).
d) Doesn't have ADHD, or mild enough to not be a major concern, but is medicated.
(I suppose a fifth side would be your happy "normal" - and I use that term broadly - child).
So here we have a few issues:
One is that there are a lot of physicians and to them everyone is a patient. If you think there may be a problem, many doctors will go out of their way to find one. We're not labelling people as "witches" anymore, but we have a huge mass of sydromes, conditions, and general issues for people to be diagnosed with. It's a problem of overanalysis, where anyone who isn't "normal" must have some condition, either known or unknown. The problem is that normal isn't really defined and varies from person to person.
The second problem is medication or treatment. Many doctors love to prescribe even more than they like to diagnose. Some of you in the medical profession may be offended by this but some may also agree. Not all doctors, but many, believe in the "magic pill theory."
Different doctors can prescribe many different things to similar/same symptoms, and some follow the "pill-of-the-day." Pill-of-the-day is something to the extent where the doctor will actually try to match symptoms to the cure, rather than the opposite. Often precedence is given to newer drugs/therapies etc on the grounds that "it is helping a lot of people" - making us into human guinea-pigs.
Again, this doesn't apply to all doctors, but it does apply to many. It comes with looking for problems instead of solutions, or looking for a "cure" instead of looking deep at the person in question.
Be careful with new "solutions" or pills. I think the best cure is one that doesn't muffle the problem, but rather redirects the problem into something productive. As mentioned in the parent, sometimes "doesn't fit in" is not because somebody is of low intelligence, but simply because they're overqualified and thus bored. Also, when looking at academic solutions, don't forgot the social ones... it's great to have a kid who becomes a intellectual but not if he later ends up attached to bottle or some other disaster due to no social life.
Right now they're getting screwed by Disney
Indeed, I think that many companies will probably be offering big bucks to contract with Pixar after they're done with Disney. If not, perhaps they'll fill the gap on their own. Even if Disney offered them a significantly higher deal, they may not accept it due to the bad blood between the two companies.
Seems to me that Disney is somewhat like the MS or RIAA of the cartoon world. If you go against them they try to cut you off, if you're with them they try to bleed you dry of usefulness until you're drained dry.
This, by the way, brings me to a question: how long (how many films left) does Pixar have left before they're no longer beholden to a contract with Disney?
In many cases, the criminals are better off than the customers. Of course, in these cases the criminals are also known as "executives"
And once pixar's contracts with disney expire... does disney think that they are readying to replace the gap currently filled by pixar? What happens when they invest in 3d only to find that their movies still suck - not to lack of flashy graphics - but comparatively lower talent.
Will they try to hire their animators back?
I mentioned this in the previous article, but how about currency listings? Maybe I want to print out which currencies belong to specific countries. Maybe I want my employees to know what a real (insert X denomination) bill looks like.
Both are not as uncommon as one might think, and perfectly legitimate uses.
Any measure which blocks a vast array of legitimate uses in order to hamper a small group performing illigitimate use it stupid. How many times will we pay for somebody else's money-copying/piracy/etc/etc