Yeah, we've gone to hell in a handbasket to quote my grandmother.
I was thinking that Canada looks nice although it's only a matter of time before our fearless leader decides they need to be brought into line.
The consumer is only interested in getting the product they want (music that can be played wherever they want) at a reasonable price and convenience. Once this becomes too inconvenient, too costly or not what the consumer wants, then the consumer goes elsewhere for it. Copy protecting CDs will only increase the popularity of the file-sharing networks.
When people feel that they are being treated unfairly (consider everyone at work who listens to a CD on their computer or MP3 device while they work who are now out of luck), they will feel less guilty for "bending the law".
The RIAA is fucking itself over quite nicely.
The real problem with this is that it treats a problem halfway down the line. It's like banning hypodermic needles for illegal drug users. We already have laws for this sort of thing. It makes as much sense as requiring the phone companies to block illegal phone conversations (drug deals, terrorist communication).
Censorship is a slippery road and always goes downhill.
Yeah, I've seen people at work checking personal email, stock and sports scores and the news. This is probably more helpful than hurtful.
Here the line is drawn to exclude anything that uses significant bandwidth, anything that opens the company network up to the outside, and anything that is illegal or could get the company sued. Oh yeah, you still have to get your job done too.
I've also seen employees download literally gigs of music and video(until they were caught), people spending loads of time on instant messenger, 10 Meg video joke files getting forwarded to hundreds of people. Geez, people, use some common sense.
We live in a rural area too far for cable to reach. Perfect, I installed a 1 ft square antenna under the eaves and pointed it to my nearby wireless ISP service. If we wanted to get broadcast TV, we would just hook up the satellite dish that the previous owners left. Cell phones work fine for us(at least AT&T does). I think a community based ISP service using wireless technology is the future.
Another example of corporations shooting themselves in the foot...
Vote. Vote for those who will protect your constitutional rights, your freedom from government AND corporate intrusion and your right to due process regardless of the circumstance.
-M
Yeah, I had an eBook problem last year. Bought an eBook and then found out that it was only readable on MS Reader 2002 for the pocket PC. Well, Compaq(at the time) hadn't come up with the upgrade for the iPaq for this. So 6 months later I get the upgrade and am ready to go. Wrong! Apparently, if you don't download the eBook into your reader within a certain amount of time Amazon clears the link. Customer service finally got it to work but I could have read the book in the time I spent futzing with it.
What we really need is a supreme court case that settles the Fair Use Doctrine vs. DCMA vs. Copyright Law, etc.
I've also noticed that eBooks are getting scarcer and all the titles that I would like to buy aren't being published in eBook format. I refuse to lug around a hardcover book when I can have it on my iPaq. It's not the cost, it's the convenience. When are they going to figure this out?
The leveling treadmill is a feature of the "blue" servers, the ones without non-consenting PvP. Playing the game, against the game is only so much fun. Playing the game against other players is the real deal. If someone harasses you, you kill them. Simple. SZ (Sullon Zek server) is unlike any of the other servers. There are no rules. Kinda like the wild west. Oh, and just remember that this is like watching TV or football or any other time waster. Moderation is the key.
I actually think that Verant/Sony does a pretty damn good job of the game. Especially considering that a lot of the players are whinny little bitches that can't think for themselves. Muahahahaha!
No one wins? That's hillarious! Cyberspace is strewn with the dead bodies of RIAA advocates as a prelude to the total (an I'll use a euphemism here) restructuring of the music business.
They (the government) would pretty much have to shut down the internet to prevent filesharing and that ain't gonna happen.
The economy works this way: you get the consumer hooked on a technology and then you make money from this addiction. Unfortunately, by trying to hoard their precious copyrights, the entertainment industry left the door open for Napster, Kazaa, Morpheus, etc...
RIAA = Rest In Absolute Antiquity
...and you could probably grow some incredible hydroponic mutant pot. Sell that, tax the hell out of it and you'd have NASA's budget ten times over. Of course, they would have to change the name to the International Vice Station...
Sometimes the solution is right in front of you.
I have one word for you rural people...Wireless.
I too was without cable/DSL due to our mountaintop home, then as I was picking up the phone to order a satellite link I accidently heard of a wireless service that had just popped up. Works like a charm even though we're miles away from the transmitter. Look for this stuff to pop up in your neighborhood. It's 802.11a technology. Latency? I think a whopping 50ms.
This is just another case of the Bush administration catering to big business interests with zero regard for the individual taxpayer.
Everyone write your congressperson and senator NOW! It only takes a minute and will tell them to give us back that which we rightfully have paid for through our taxes.
Marc
I would agree that there are some(minor) similarities between VC firms and record labels. But think about it, VC firms invest money in return for stock which they then unload as quick as they can to make a decent profit on it.
The recording industry is all about control. An analogy to the VC system would be this:
You have a great idea and want to start a company but don't have the money.
Someone comes along and gives you enough money to get your idea on the market plus some more for you to live on. Once you've done this, they now own the company and you're contractually liable to them for the next X years of product development.
Would you want to start a company for someone else to own?
I have no sympathy for the RIAA.
M
I am totally unsurprised that the non-free eBook market is languishing. The other day I go to Amazon to look for a new book. The hardcover edition was on sale for $18. The digital eBook was $21. This kind of greed (eBooks are arguably less expensive to distribute and have almost no chance of being re-read in a secondary market) is why the established publishers are in for a hard lesson in reality. Same goes with music, etc, etc...
I've always understood that you bid exactly what you are willing to pay for an item. With the Ebay system, the winning bid is only enough to beat the next lower bid, not your maximum bid.
Unfortunately, I see people constantly upping their bids as they watch the price go higher. If a shill bidder wins, then the seller is either forced to pay Ebay's commission(I doubt they would) or contact the next lower (non-shill) bidder and try to make a deal. If this happens to you, your last bid is non-binding and you can negotiate whatever you like. It's all a psychological game and it sounds like people are crying over spilt milk. I personally figure out what I'm going to pay and then use a sniping service. This cuts down on the bidding wars.
Re:It just turns the CD into a dongle
on
CD Copy Stopper
·
· Score: 1
Yeah, and the one advantage of the dongle...the ability to daisy chain them...is lost with the smart CD gizmo. Or do I need a bunch of CD-ROM drives to run multiple applications???
Oy!
Hehe, I bought my fiance a diamond ring. She took it back and exchanged it for a sapphire that was about half the price...and NO you can't have her, she's mine!
Ha!
Why not remove the ability to generate "good" karma and simply blacklist the servers that hammer or report false positive matches. Allowing a server to compensate for bad behavior is an open door to abuse. It will happen.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, we've gone to hell in a handbasket to quote my grandmother. I was thinking that Canada looks nice although it's only a matter of time before our fearless leader decides they need to be brought into line.
The consumer is only interested in getting the product they want (music that can be played wherever they want) at a reasonable price and convenience. Once this becomes too inconvenient, too costly or not what the consumer wants, then the consumer goes elsewhere for it. Copy protecting CDs will only increase the popularity of the file-sharing networks. When people feel that they are being treated unfairly (consider everyone at work who listens to a CD on their computer or MP3 device while they work who are now out of luck), they will feel less guilty for "bending the law". The RIAA is fucking itself over quite nicely.
The real problem with this is that it treats a problem halfway down the line. It's like banning hypodermic needles for illegal drug users. We already have laws for this sort of thing. It makes as much sense as requiring the phone companies to block illegal phone conversations (drug deals, terrorist communication). Censorship is a slippery road and always goes downhill.
Yeah, I've seen people at work checking personal email, stock and sports scores and the news. This is probably more helpful than hurtful. Here the line is drawn to exclude anything that uses significant bandwidth, anything that opens the company network up to the outside, and anything that is illegal or could get the company sued. Oh yeah, you still have to get your job done too. I've also seen employees download literally gigs of music and video(until they were caught), people spending loads of time on instant messenger, 10 Meg video joke files getting forwarded to hundreds of people. Geez, people, use some common sense.
We live in a rural area too far for cable to reach. Perfect, I installed a 1 ft square antenna under the eaves and pointed it to my nearby wireless ISP service. If we wanted to get broadcast TV, we would just hook up the satellite dish that the previous owners left. Cell phones work fine for us(at least AT&T does). I think a community based ISP service using wireless technology is the future. Another example of corporations shooting themselves in the foot...
Vote. Vote for those who will protect your constitutional rights, your freedom from government AND corporate intrusion and your right to due process regardless of the circumstance. -M
Yeah, I had an eBook problem last year. Bought an eBook and then found out that it was only readable on MS Reader 2002 for the pocket PC. Well, Compaq(at the time) hadn't come up with the upgrade for the iPaq for this. So 6 months later I get the upgrade and am ready to go. Wrong! Apparently, if you don't download the eBook into your reader within a certain amount of time Amazon clears the link. Customer service finally got it to work but I could have read the book in the time I spent futzing with it.
What we really need is a supreme court case that settles the Fair Use Doctrine vs. DCMA vs. Copyright Law, etc. I've also noticed that eBooks are getting scarcer and all the titles that I would like to buy aren't being published in eBook format. I refuse to lug around a hardcover book when I can have it on my iPaq. It's not the cost, it's the convenience. When are they going to figure this out?
The leveling treadmill is a feature of the "blue" servers, the ones without non-consenting PvP. Playing the game, against the game is only so much fun. Playing the game against other players is the real deal. If someone harasses you, you kill them. Simple. SZ (Sullon Zek server) is unlike any of the other servers. There are no rules. Kinda like the wild west. Oh, and just remember that this is like watching TV or football or any other time waster. Moderation is the key. I actually think that Verant/Sony does a pretty damn good job of the game. Especially considering that a lot of the players are whinny little bitches that can't think for themselves. Muahahahaha!
No one wins? That's hillarious! Cyberspace is strewn with the dead bodies of RIAA advocates as a prelude to the total (an I'll use a euphemism here) restructuring of the music business. They (the government) would pretty much have to shut down the internet to prevent filesharing and that ain't gonna happen. The economy works this way: you get the consumer hooked on a technology and then you make money from this addiction. Unfortunately, by trying to hoard their precious copyrights, the entertainment industry left the door open for Napster, Kazaa, Morpheus, etc... RIAA = Rest In Absolute Antiquity
...and you could probably grow some incredible hydroponic mutant pot. Sell that, tax the hell out of it and you'd have NASA's budget ten times over. Of course, they would have to change the name to the International Vice Station... Sometimes the solution is right in front of you.
I have one word for you rural people...Wireless. I too was without cable/DSL due to our mountaintop home, then as I was picking up the phone to order a satellite link I accidently heard of a wireless service that had just popped up. Works like a charm even though we're miles away from the transmitter. Look for this stuff to pop up in your neighborhood. It's 802.11a technology. Latency? I think a whopping 50ms.
This is just another case of the Bush administration catering to big business interests with zero regard for the individual taxpayer. Everyone write your congressperson and senator NOW! It only takes a minute and will tell them to give us back that which we rightfully have paid for through our taxes. Marc
Jeez, if this type of creative thinking could be put to positive use the world would be a better place.
I would agree that there are some(minor) similarities between VC firms and record labels. But think about it, VC firms invest money in return for stock which they then unload as quick as they can to make a decent profit on it. The recording industry is all about control. An analogy to the VC system would be this: You have a great idea and want to start a company but don't have the money. Someone comes along and gives you enough money to get your idea on the market plus some more for you to live on. Once you've done this, they now own the company and you're contractually liable to them for the next X years of product development. Would you want to start a company for someone else to own? I have no sympathy for the RIAA. M
I am totally unsurprised that the non-free eBook market is languishing. The other day I go to Amazon to look for a new book. The hardcover edition was on sale for $18. The digital eBook was $21. This kind of greed (eBooks are arguably less expensive to distribute and have almost no chance of being re-read in a secondary market) is why the established publishers are in for a hard lesson in reality. Same goes with music, etc, etc...
Congress represents the will of the people only in theory. In reality they represent the will of those who fill their coffers the most.
I've always understood that you bid exactly what you are willing to pay for an item. With the Ebay system, the winning bid is only enough to beat the next lower bid, not your maximum bid. Unfortunately, I see people constantly upping their bids as they watch the price go higher. If a shill bidder wins, then the seller is either forced to pay Ebay's commission(I doubt they would) or contact the next lower (non-shill) bidder and try to make a deal. If this happens to you, your last bid is non-binding and you can negotiate whatever you like. It's all a psychological game and it sounds like people are crying over spilt milk. I personally figure out what I'm going to pay and then use a sniping service. This cuts down on the bidding wars.
Yeah, and the one advantage of the dongle...the ability to daisy chain them...is lost with the smart CD gizmo. Or do I need a bunch of CD-ROM drives to run multiple applications??? Oy!
Hehe, I bought my fiance a diamond ring. She took it back and exchanged it for a sapphire that was about half the price...and NO you can't have her, she's mine! Ha!
Why not remove the ability to generate "good" karma and simply blacklist the servers that hammer or report false positive matches. Allowing a server to compensate for bad behavior is an open door to abuse. It will happen.