Sounds like they design with the consumer in mind.
Delivering products that have the consumer in mind, and having corporate policies that also have the consumer in mind are two entirely different things! I'm sorry, Apple fans, but Apple is just as hognoxious as Microsoft in many respects. Better quality products? Sure, I suppose. Less bloodthirsty management? Nope.
So when the government starts freaking out and censoring things left and right, you can bet that there's something important contained in the leaked files.
Precisely. Keep in mind that we're talking a bank here, not a military research laboratory or something else of strategic importance. A bank, in fact, whose proper management (or otherwise) is of significant importance to the lives of millions of ordinary people.
This is all about money, and when the government "starts freaking out" in a situation such as this (and I mean any government, not just the one to which us unfortunate Americans are subject) it is invariably due to criminal behavior on the part of government officials. Corruption, in other words. In such cases "national security" means making that information public so that the bastards can be rooted out and put in prison where they belong. It's not in the best interests of the citizens of any country that national security be synonymous with coverup. That's what usually happens when government types go too far, and by burying any and all evidence against them under the seal of "national security" they not only escape prosecution for their crimes but get to keep their jobs.
So, coverup. Let me tell you, that is exactly what this affair smells like to this unfortunate American (we get a lot of those here.) If the Icelanders play this smart, they won't do what we've done here in with our recent government bailout of the private sector. That is, allow the people responsible for this disaster to remain in control and prosper after all the damage they've caused.
Only the decision of a court superior to the one making the decision is binding on it.
Still, won't the fact that the case was lost (and lost so ignominiously) impact other cases simply by the RIAA making other jurisdictions aware of this decision?
Also it indicates he did follow the path of Lincoln somewhat in that he worked his way through night school at a law firm, which might have a bit to do with his choosing that handle.
That may very well be true, but Lincoln was taller.
As to 'knowing what you're doing', my experience has been that this correlates neither to what law school one went to, nor to one's grades in law school.
Well, as a engineer I can say that it's not much different in my field. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that "knowing what you're doing" correlates most closely with the quality of experience received after finishing school. At best, schooling offers a starting point, a knowledge base and some useful ways of thinking: it is experience that teaches how to use those mental tools effectively. Like engineering, the law is a big pasture, and a few years in school can teach only so much.
So far as such things go, I can say that most of the defense attorneys involved in RIAA proceedings may indeed have all the tools... but seem to have lost the handles!
I will buy a product over pirating it if the price is reasonable and it's equal quality (IE, no DRM)
100% agreed. I use Amazon's music store on my T-Mobile G1 all the time (the client app came with the phone.) Works well, the only limitation is that you have to be using WiFi not 3G when you download: I guess T-Mobile wanted to keep network using down. I can live with that... I have a WAP at home and hotspots are all over the place anyway.
The best way to get the population levels down is to have a better life standard. Just look at the birth rates in Europe and North America.
Actually, America's population is increasing, but you're right: it's not because Americans are breeding more Americans. But yeah, I understand that Germany is suffering a severe population decline. That's too bad: they still make the bulk of the world's precision machine tools.
Let me put it this way: you leave me a voice mail that's over ten seconds long and I"ll be pressing that skip button. Personally, I don't have time to waste listening to long-winded voicemails that almost invariably could be condensed to about five seconds of actual useful content. But hey, if someone wants to blow their precious airtime with an oral dissertation that's fine by me, but I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to it. Say what you have to say, and then hang up and get on with your life.
Apple know what's best for it's customers. They shound't, and they won't allow the likes of Google to undermine their customers' experience with the iPhone using shoddy, poorly designed applications.
You, sir, are the biggest idiot I have ever met online.
Well they're the ones who issued Microsoft certificates to a fraudster. And the ones who implemented Site Finder. They also did a bit of securities fraud (options backdating).
Wonderful company.
I think the GP was attempting a (401c) Expression of Subtle Irony.
Anyways, what the hell do they even produce now that is worth watching?
Yeah, you've pretty much nailed it. Now, in the past they've been responsible for some pretty awesome productions, I admit. Sliders was one of my all-time favorite series (in spite of Bonnie Hammer's depredations, and as for that Peckinpah asshole... well) and Stargate was arguably one of the highest-quality science fiction series in television history (sorry Galactica and Dr. Who fans... SG-1 for the win.) Ran for a long time too, which should have told those idiots something.
A lot of people on Slashdot want to eat their cake and have it too.
No, a lot of people on Slashdot (me for one) would like content distributors to stop diluting their product and making it virtually unwatchable in their endless quest for more advertising dollars. There's a balance that needs to be struck here: people have accepted broadcast TV advertising for decades as the price to be paid for enjoying said television. The old-line networks, for a long time, respected that and didn't make the commercial burden too onerous, but that has been changing. Take the Sci-Fi channel (pardon me..."SyFy" channel, whatever the fuck that means.) They not only have a ridiculous amount of commercial interruption but also genlock enormous ads right over the actual programming that I'm already paying for with my subscription. No doubt they do that so even if you commercial skip you're still stuck watching some advertising.
You want advertising dollars? Fine... but don't devalue the content you're delivering in the process, thereby making commercial-skipping that much more appealing. In fact, make sure you actually have content worth watching. That helps. In any event, I feel no guilt whatsoever in skipping all of the aforementioned "SyFy" channel's advertising that I possibly can, just as a matter of principle. Not that I watch them much anymore: they've successfully screwed themselves out of a once-loyal viewer.
It's no accident that the minimalist Google is the leader in online advertising. They somehow manage to make money selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising without alienating their users. People will tolerate ads to a certain degree, but after that you'll start losing eyeballs. You can make money selling ads and you can have loyal customers. You just have to accept that there's level beyond which you will thoroughly piss people off.
Small registrars can suck just as much as the big ones.
Yes, they can, but if you are a cyber-criminal and want to hack an e-commerce site to get credit card details, given two sites riddled with security flaws and assuming a non-zero amount of effort to crack them, do you crack the one that does 10000 transactions a day or the one that does 100?
It's a risk no matter what you do. I had a friend who had a couple domains at JumpDomain. So far as he knows, there was no security breach... but they screwed him over in a number of other ways, including turning off his domains and refusing to transfer them for several months (something about the owner "being out of town." WTF?) My point is that you have to look at the whole picture and make decisions based upon your own needs. What I want out of a registrar may not be what you want. The big boys do fuck up on security (rather frequently, given the crap I've had to deal with from both my credit card issue and the bank that holds my mortgage), but are generally better about procedure. Little guys may (may, I say) be better on security, but often have other unprofessional attributes. Like I said, it all comes down to reputation, and that takes time to acquire. Don't just pick the first registrar you come across in your search engine of choice.
And no matter where you go, don't pay for your domains with a debit card.
Oh I agree that the people in power want to stay that way, and that ultimately the same mindset still exists to this very day. But there are at least some limits on what they can do to you with that information, sans actual criminal behavior on your part.
When you get right down to it, much of the Constitution was designed to keep government from criminalizing such things. If that document falls entirely into disfavor I don't think people realize how bad it could get in this country.
This is exactly why you dont go with the *HUGE* companies. Theres a huge possibility that someone somewhere will target it and get around their security. It just takes one hack and all customers are affected. Security by obscurity is not always such a bad idea; go with the small ones who also can do their shit, and aren't such a big target.
Small registrars can suck just as much as the big ones. All you can do is go by reputation: unfortunately, by the time a company has gotten popular enough to gain a good reputation, it probably has begun to start thinking more about money than quality.
Slashdot Mirror
Sorry, only someone who is an MS fan, or ignorant of what MS has done to the entire industry would compare the too.
I'm neither. But I'm also not willing to give Apple a free pass just because they're less evil. Apple does not play nice.
or is there anything that can be done to hinder companies from adding advertisements retroactively, without the customer's prior knowledge?
1. Pass another law.
2. Let the market decide.
3. Boil the bastards in oil.
Sounds like they design with the consumer in mind.
Delivering products that have the consumer in mind, and having corporate policies that also have the consumer in mind are two entirely different things! I'm sorry, Apple fans, but Apple is just as hognoxious as Microsoft in many respects. Better quality products? Sure, I suppose. Less bloodthirsty management? Nope.
An article about an industry that is dying, published by an industry that is dying. Both are being killed by the same new technology.
Any bets on which one goes belly-up first?
We'll be providing blow-by-blow coverage.
That's great! Just don't forget the hookers.
So when the government starts freaking out and censoring things left and right, you can bet that there's something important contained in the leaked files.
Precisely. Keep in mind that we're talking a bank here, not a military research laboratory or something else of strategic importance. A bank, in fact, whose proper management (or otherwise) is of significant importance to the lives of millions of ordinary people.
This is all about money, and when the government "starts freaking out" in a situation such as this (and I mean any government, not just the one to which us unfortunate Americans are subject) it is invariably due to criminal behavior on the part of government officials. Corruption, in other words. In such cases "national security" means making that information public so that the bastards can be rooted out and put in prison where they belong. It's not in the best interests of the citizens of any country that national security be synonymous with coverup. That's what usually happens when government types go too far, and by burying any and all evidence against them under the seal of "national security" they not only escape prosecution for their crimes but get to keep their jobs.
So, coverup. Let me tell you, that is exactly what this affair smells like to this unfortunate American (we get a lot of those here.) If the Icelanders play this smart, they won't do what we've done here in with our recent government bailout of the private sector. That is, allow the people responsible for this disaster to remain in control and prosper after all the damage they've caused.
Only the decision of a court superior to the one making the decision is binding on it.
Still, won't the fact that the case was lost (and lost so ignominiously) impact other cases simply by the RIAA making other jurisdictions aware of this decision?
Individuals are reaping fines designed for companies.
Actually, it's the RIAA that's reaping the fines but otherwise I agree with you.
However, I read this in England, and neither of those points are valid defences here.
In that case, CmdrTaco had best never set foot in Heathrow Airport.
Also it indicates he did follow the path of Lincoln somewhat in that he worked his way through night school at a law firm, which might have a bit to do with his choosing that handle.
That may very well be true, but Lincoln was taller.
I mean, it takes a special, special brand of stupid to plead guilty in circumstances like these.
Don't let his counsel off the hook either: seems to me he should have been much better prepared before giving any testimony.
As to 'knowing what you're doing', my experience has been that this correlates neither to what law school one went to, nor to one's grades in law school.
Well, as a engineer I can say that it's not much different in my field. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that "knowing what you're doing" correlates most closely with the quality of experience received after finishing school. At best, schooling offers a starting point, a knowledge base and some useful ways of thinking: it is experience that teaches how to use those mental tools effectively. Like engineering, the law is a big pasture, and a few years in school can teach only so much.
... but seem to have lost the handles!
So far as such things go, I can say that most of the defense attorneys involved in RIAA proceedings may indeed have all the tools
I will buy a product over pirating it if the price is reasonable and it's equal quality (IE, no DRM)
100% agreed. I use Amazon's music store on my T-Mobile G1 all the time (the client app came with the phone.) Works well, the only limitation is that you have to be using WiFi not 3G when you download: I guess T-Mobile wanted to keep network using down. I can live with that ... I have a WAP at home and hotspots are all over the place anyway.
The best way to get the population levels down is to have a better life standard. Just look at the birth rates in Europe and North America.
Actually, America's population is increasing, but you're right: it's not because Americans are breeding more Americans. But yeah, I understand that Germany is suffering a severe population decline. That's too bad: they still make the bulk of the world's precision machine tools.
Well, if your voicemail was intended to be 1:55
Let me put it this way: you leave me a voice mail that's over ten seconds long and I"ll be pressing that skip button. Personally, I don't have time to waste listening to long-winded voicemails that almost invariably could be condensed to about five seconds of actual useful content. But hey, if someone wants to blow their precious airtime with an oral dissertation that's fine by me, but I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to it. Say what you have to say, and then hang up and get on with your life.
I will switch to the first carrier that kills the answering machine lady.
Nah, just replace her with a voice with a nice, sexy Slavic accent, "Please to press 'one' for the English."
Why is it inferior? Because it has the Microsoft name attached to it?
Yep.
Apple know what's best for it's customers. They shound't, and they won't allow the likes of Google to undermine their customers' experience with the iPhone using shoddy, poorly designed applications.
You, sir, are the biggest idiot I have ever met online.
Satire.
Well they're the ones who issued Microsoft certificates to a fraudster. And the ones who implemented Site Finder. They also did a bit of securities fraud (options backdating).
Wonderful company.
I think the GP was attempting a (401c) Expression of Subtle Irony.
yet it still seems to be one of the most popular free scanners, if not the most. I don't get it
I think you answered your own question.
Anyways, what the hell do they even produce now that is worth watching?
Yeah, you've pretty much nailed it. Now, in the past they've been responsible for some pretty awesome productions, I admit. Sliders was one of my all-time favorite series (in spite of Bonnie Hammer's depredations, and as for that Peckinpah asshole ... well) and Stargate was arguably one of the highest-quality science fiction series in television history (sorry Galactica and Dr. Who fans ... SG-1 for the win.) Ran for a long time too, which should have told those idiots something.
Ah well. How the mighty have fallen.
A lot of people on Slashdot want to eat their cake and have it too.
No, a lot of people on Slashdot (me for one) would like content distributors to stop diluting their product and making it virtually unwatchable in their endless quest for more advertising dollars. There's a balance that needs to be struck here: people have accepted broadcast TV advertising for decades as the price to be paid for enjoying said television. The old-line networks, for a long time, respected that and didn't make the commercial burden too onerous, but that has been changing. Take the Sci-Fi channel (pardon me ..."SyFy" channel, whatever the fuck that means.) They not only have a ridiculous amount of commercial interruption but also genlock enormous ads right over the actual programming that I'm already paying for with my subscription. No doubt they do that so even if you commercial skip you're still stuck watching some advertising.
... but don't devalue the content you're delivering in the process, thereby making commercial-skipping that much more appealing. In fact, make sure you actually have content worth watching. That helps. In any event, I feel no guilt whatsoever in skipping all of the aforementioned "SyFy" channel's advertising that I possibly can, just as a matter of principle. Not that I watch them much anymore: they've successfully screwed themselves out of a once-loyal viewer.
You want advertising dollars? Fine
It's no accident that the minimalist Google is the leader in online advertising. They somehow manage to make money selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising without alienating their users. People will tolerate ads to a certain degree, but after that you'll start losing eyeballs. You can make money selling ads and you can have loyal customers. You just have to accept that there's level beyond which you will thoroughly piss people off.
Small registrars can suck just as much as the big ones.
Yes, they can, but if you are a cyber-criminal and want to hack an e-commerce site to get credit card details, given two sites riddled with security flaws and assuming a non-zero amount of effort to crack them, do you crack the one that does 10000 transactions a day or the one that does 100?
It's a risk no matter what you do. I had a friend who had a couple domains at JumpDomain. So far as he knows, there was no security breach ... but they screwed him over in a number of other ways, including turning off his domains and refusing to transfer them for several months (something about the owner "being out of town." WTF?) My point is that you have to look at the whole picture and make decisions based upon your own needs. What I want out of a registrar may not be what you want. The big boys do fuck up on security (rather frequently, given the crap I've had to deal with from both my credit card issue and the bank that holds my mortgage), but are generally better about procedure. Little guys may (may, I say) be better on security, but often have other unprofessional attributes. Like I said, it all comes down to reputation, and that takes time to acquire. Don't just pick the first registrar you come across in your search engine of choice.
And no matter where you go, don't pay for your domains with a debit card.
Try reading the Missouri "MIAC report", Missouri Information Analysis Center, a "fusion center" for DHS and local agencies They do seem to like 'presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr" supporters :)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13290698/The-Modern-Militia-MovementMissouri-MIAC-Strategic-Report-20Feb09-
Oh I agree that the people in power want to stay that way, and that ultimately the same mindset still exists to this very day. But there are at least some limits on what they can do to you with that information, sans actual criminal behavior on your part.
When you get right down to it, much of the Constitution was designed to keep government from criminalizing such things. If that document falls entirely into disfavor I don't think people realize how bad it could get in this country.
This is exactly why you dont go with the *HUGE* companies. Theres a huge possibility that someone somewhere will target it and get around their security. It just takes one hack and all customers are affected. Security by obscurity is not always such a bad idea; go with the small ones who also can do their shit, and aren't such a big target.
Small registrars can suck just as much as the big ones. All you can do is go by reputation: unfortunately, by the time a company has gotten popular enough to gain a good reputation, it probably has begun to start thinking more about money than quality.