Slashdot user #1: The actions of the MPAA in trying to restrict free speech and stifle scientific research are unconscionable. Let's hit them where it hurts - in the wallet - and refuse to buy their products until they respect their consumers!
While it often piggybacks itself on other popular programs, and doesn't bring up a "now installing Gator" screen, it does, in all cases that I've seen, give the user an option to not install it. There'll be a screen with an "install Gator" checkbox, which is checked by default. The user can leave it checked and click "OK," thus installing Gator, or the user may uncheck it, thus preventing Gator from being installed. The option is sometimes (but not always) even accompanied with an explanation of what Gator is, and how it's this wonderful program that is free and saves your passwords for you and blah blah blah.
It's clearly not a virus - it would have to propogate itself to be a virus, which it does not (which is also why it cannot be considered a worm). To call it a virus is simply ludicrous, and belies a complete ignorance of the subject being discussed.
A trojan horse is the most it could possibly be - a program that masquerades or hides inside of something else to take action without your knowledge. Gator could be considered a trojan horse if it does indeed get installed without permission (as you claim), but all instances of Gator bundling I've seen do not fall into this category. Invariably there is an option to "install Gator," which while checked by default can easily be unchecked. When someone clearly sees an "install Gator" checkbox, and clicks OK while leaving that box checked, I'd hardly call that "without permission."
Re:Linux game development, or lack thereof..
on
Kohan for Linux
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· Score: 2
So how long until VA Linux tries to either buy or outdo this site?
I was agreeing with you until I saw the sig. "Progressive New Wave" - what the hell type of hippie shit are the kids coming up with these days? Old-timer my ass!
If you truly are an NT server admin than I pity you. While you spend half your day researching and applying patches to your servers, BSD and Linux admins get to play around with the really fun stuff.
Hrm, I seem to recall the Morris worm exploiting a Sendmail vulnerability. Patching sendmail hardly seems like "play[ing] around with the reall fun stuff." Not to mention the recent BIND hole...
I still think it's better than nothing - many people simply *won't* wipe and reinstall, especially if it's not a corporate server, but just a small personal website in which security isn't exactly the number one concern. At least this tool will do a more thorough job than the manual attempts to clean up that would've happened otherwise.
Now, if you're implying that Taco and company downgrade themselves messages that criticizes them, that's another thing entirely.
This does undoubtedly happen. It's referred to as the "bitchslap," and consists of an editor automatically moving a comment to -1, no matter what its previous rating. I remember this happening a long time ago with pb's "Will the Real Bruce Perens Please Stand Up" post - it was rated up to 5, Funny, bitchslapped by an editor down to -1, and then rated back up to 4, Funny, where it was left.
They also often downrate posts that criticize their editorial practices - for example, the first draft of the Slashdot story on the OSDN router outage contained a comment by CmdrTaco about how they waited for knowledgeable support to show up, and "when she did, she was much less knowledgeable than we had hoped," or something to that effect. This was quickly removed from the story, and when people in the comments reposted the original text of CmdrTaco's story, noting what had been removed, all those comments were immediately rated down to -1; much faster than any users could have done.
So it's pretty clear that the Slashdot editorship rates down comments themselves, and are not up-front about it.
Ask yourself - does the world really need a global DMCA?
I hate to point this out, but the DMCA *is* global, and did not originate in the United States. It was passed to comply with the WIPO treaty that the United States and nearly all (all?) European countries have signed, so if European countries don't yet have a DMCA-clone law in their countries, it's only because they haven't yet gotten around to implementing the WIPO treaty.
So it's more accurate to view the DMCA as simply the US-specific portion of the WIPO than to speak of a "global DMCA."
there's actually a few useful features
on
Netscape 6.1
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· Score: 1, Redundant
There's a few features not available in Mozilla:
Ability to read AOL email. This is probably not of interest to most people here, but it might be to a great many other people. AOL uses a proprietary system for its email, and as far as I know, Netscape 6.x is the first piece of software other than the AOL software itself to be able to interface with the mail system. And since the Netscape email client isn't bad, this could be useful to AOL users, of whom there are many.
Built-in AIM client. This is convenient for some people, though I personally prefer the Win32 stand-alone client. But for the Linux users, it's a working official AIM client that will never be blocked, so if nothing else is useful as a last resort for when GAIM/Jabber/etc. are blocked.
A dictionary. Sure, there's dictionary.com, dict.org, etc., but a built-in dictionary sure is handy, especially for modem users.
So much for the Internet.. Remember the good ole days when web addresses were http://www.server3.umystate.edu/~dude/web/computer.html
Maybe we should just forget ICANN, and start our own.root..
If you want to go back to those days, what's the need for a new.root? Just have one person register one domain name (www.generic-domain.com or something) and then give everyone ~directories under it.
That's exactly what I would say to the thousands of sysadmins who still insist on running Sendmail and BIND. Code Red on IIS reminds me a lot of the Morris Worm on Sendmail...
Re:It is only Medium DAMAGE!
on
Code Redux
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· Score: 2
Just look at the information - if after the infection your mp3s and Word files are still there, and still seem the same as they were before, you have little damage. Sure, you might have to wipe and reinstall the OS, but your _data_ wasn't damaged, and you can pretty easily verify that.
timothy is encoding his own CDs as Ogg files and wondering if he's the only one avoiding the mp3 format.
Apparently you have difficulty reading. What timothy was wondering is whether he's the only one who never got into mp3 in the first place, and went straight to Ogg Vorbis, rather than using mp3 (as it was the only thing available at the time) and now moving to Ogg Vorbis.
And I was informing him that yes, he's the only one.
I'm not the only one slow on the MP3 curve, basically starting from scratch with Vorbis, am I?
Yes, you are. Even all my non-computer-literate friends figured out what Napster was and how to use it to get mp3s about 1 1/2 years ago, and even my mom has been downloading mp3s for the past 6 months. I'm afraid you're the last one.
Except that MPAA v. 2600 set the precedent that says that TELLING someone how to FIND a tool that will let you circumvent methods designed to control access or duplication to a copyrighted work, is also illegal under this code.
Actually the ruling said the opposite - merely telling them is ok, but SHOWING them is not. Which is why 2600 changed the link (infringing) into a plain-text non-clickable URL (non-infringing).
The DMCA may outlaw a lot of things, but the US courts know how to deal with printed text and spoken speech, and I don't think anything in this case rises to the gravity that'd be required to form an exception to the 1st amendment (i.e. the "fire in a crowded theater" or "clear and present danger" exceptions).
Standard OpenGL will work fine sure, but his point was that without using non-standard extensions, there's no way OpenGL can be as flexible and fast as late versions of DirectX. And when you start using non-standard extensions, it doesn't work fine everywhere anymore.
Slashdot Mirror
He had a semi-publicized "I'm leaving slashdot" episode, and now posts somewhat regularly at kuro5hin.org.
So use Opera. It takes fewer system resources than any other browser I know of, and has the useful features spoken of above.
Slashdot user #1: The actions of the MPAA in trying to restrict free speech and stifle scientific research are unconscionable. Let's hit them where it hurts - in the wallet - and refuse to buy their products until they respect their consumers!
Slashdot user #2: ooh look, a new Star Trek DVD!!
While it often piggybacks itself on other popular programs, and doesn't bring up a "now installing Gator" screen, it does, in all cases that I've seen, give the user an option to not install it. There'll be a screen with an "install Gator" checkbox, which is checked by default. The user can leave it checked and click "OK," thus installing Gator, or the user may uncheck it, thus preventing Gator from being installed. The option is sometimes (but not always) even accompanied with an explanation of what Gator is, and how it's this wonderful program that is free and saves your passwords for you and blah blah blah.
It's clearly not a virus - it would have to propogate itself to be a virus, which it does not (which is also why it cannot be considered a worm). To call it a virus is simply ludicrous, and belies a complete ignorance of the subject being discussed.
A trojan horse is the most it could possibly be - a program that masquerades or hides inside of something else to take action without your knowledge. Gator could be considered a trojan horse if it does indeed get installed without permission (as you claim), but all instances of Gator bundling I've seen do not fall into this category. Invariably there is an option to "install Gator," which while checked by default can easily be unchecked. When someone clearly sees an "install Gator" checkbox, and clicks OK while leaving that box checked, I'd hardly call that "without permission."
So how long until VA Linux tries to either buy or outdo this site?
I was agreeing with you until I saw the sig. "Progressive New Wave" - what the hell type of hippie shit are the kids coming up with these days? Old-timer my ass!
Why did you pick the US as an example? From those maps, it looks like Europe's lights are far brigher and denser...
If you truly are an NT server admin than I pity you. While you spend half your day researching and applying patches to your servers, BSD and Linux admins get to play around with the really fun stuff.
Hrm, I seem to recall the Morris worm exploiting a Sendmail vulnerability. Patching sendmail hardly seems like "play[ing] around with the reall fun stuff." Not to mention the recent BIND hole...
I still think it's better than nothing - many people simply *won't* wipe and reinstall, especially if it's not a corporate server, but just a small personal website in which security isn't exactly the number one concern. At least this tool will do a more thorough job than the manual attempts to clean up that would've happened otherwise.
I subscribe to RoadRunner, and my port 80 http server is still accessible to the outside world...
That's not entirely the case. See my explanation in another thread in this story.
Now, if you're implying that Taco and company downgrade themselves messages that criticizes them, that's another thing entirely.
This does undoubtedly happen. It's referred to as the "bitchslap," and consists of an editor automatically moving a comment to -1, no matter what its previous rating. I remember this happening a long time ago with pb's "Will the Real Bruce Perens Please Stand Up" post - it was rated up to 5, Funny, bitchslapped by an editor down to -1, and then rated back up to 4, Funny, where it was left.
They also often downrate posts that criticize their editorial practices - for example, the first draft of the Slashdot story on the OSDN router outage contained a comment by CmdrTaco about how they waited for knowledgeable support to show up, and "when she did, she was much less knowledgeable than we had hoped," or something to that effect. This was quickly removed from the story, and when people in the comments reposted the original text of CmdrTaco's story, noting what had been removed, all those comments were immediately rated down to -1; much faster than any users could have done.
So it's pretty clear that the Slashdot editorship rates down comments themselves, and are not up-front about it.
Ask yourself - does the world really need a global DMCA?
I hate to point this out, but the DMCA *is* global, and did not originate in the United States. It was passed to comply with the WIPO treaty that the United States and nearly all (all?) European countries have signed, so if European countries don't yet have a DMCA-clone law in their countries, it's only because they haven't yet gotten around to implementing the WIPO treaty.
So it's more accurate to view the DMCA as simply the US-specific portion of the WIPO than to speak of a "global DMCA."
So much for the Internet.. Remember the good ole days when web addresses were http://www.server3.umystate.edu/~dude/web/computer .html
.root..
.root? Just have one person register one domain name (www.generic-domain.com or something) and then give everyone ~directories under it.
Maybe we should just forget ICANN, and start our own
If you want to go back to those days, what's the need for a new
Except the Pope in control of neither Spain nor Portugal when those two countries made their territorial claims.
What's "fraudulent" is that people and companies are claiming to own trademarks on words that they do not in fact own trademarks on.
That's exactly what I would say to the thousands of sysadmins who still insist on running Sendmail and BIND. Code Red on IIS reminds me a lot of the Morris Worm on Sendmail...
Just look at the information - if after the infection your mp3s and Word files are still there, and still seem the same as they were before, you have little damage. Sure, you might have to wipe and reinstall the OS, but your _data_ wasn't damaged, and you can pretty easily verify that.
Also, the idea of promoting it through a consortium is rather old-fashioned.
I always thought there was a reason the X windowing system seemed a bit old-fashioned...
timothy is encoding his own CDs as Ogg files and wondering if he's the only one avoiding the mp3 format.
Apparently you have difficulty reading. What timothy was wondering is whether he's the only one who never got into mp3 in the first place, and went straight to Ogg Vorbis, rather than using mp3 (as it was the only thing available at the time) and now moving to Ogg Vorbis.
And I was informing him that yes, he's the only one.
I'm not the only one slow on the MP3 curve, basically starting from scratch with Vorbis, am I?
Yes, you are. Even all my non-computer-literate friends figured out what Napster was and how to use it to get mp3s about 1 1/2 years ago, and even my mom has been downloading mp3s for the past 6 months. I'm afraid you're the last one.
Except that MPAA v. 2600 set the precedent that says that TELLING someone how to FIND a tool that will let you circumvent methods designed to control access or duplication to a copyrighted work, is also illegal under this code.
Actually the ruling said the opposite - merely telling them is ok, but SHOWING them is not. Which is why 2600 changed the link (infringing) into a plain-text non-clickable URL (non-infringing).
The DMCA may outlaw a lot of things, but the US courts know how to deal with printed text and spoken speech, and I don't think anything in this case rises to the gravity that'd be required to form an exception to the 1st amendment (i.e. the "fire in a crowded theater" or "clear and present danger" exceptions).
Standard OpenGL will work fine sure, but his point was that without using non-standard extensions, there's no way OpenGL can be as flexible and fast as late versions of DirectX. And when you start using non-standard extensions, it doesn't work fine everywhere anymore.