Royalties are things that get paid to organizations and institutions that have thieved royalties from human beings. The idea that royalties need to be there to "incentivize" creativity is pretty abstract these days.
What you get paid for is the delivery of service. If you're talking about services, it's best not to view what is being served as a form of property.
Wow, that has to be by far the most intelligent quote I've seen in a while on the state of IP. I don't necessarily agree with everything he said in the article but the above quote is dead-on target.
The following article talks about the supposed disadvantages of open source and makes an odd link between OS and Ralph Nader--as if it were some conspiracy. This is the most in-depth anti-OS piece I've ready. It's also quite amusing.
Buying or selling a home without the help of a knowledgeable real estate agent is like going through a divorce or other lawsuit without the representation of an attorney. The area of real estate is so over regulated (done to protect the consumer::cough::) that you need to work with someone that understands the ins and outs of the local real estate transaction laws and knows where to dot all the I's and cross all the T's. Otherwise you're setting yourself up to be screwed over.
Of course you have to pay a commission to this person but would you rather open yourself up to litigation by the people you bought a house from or sold your house to? I know I wouldn't. It doesn't mean I like the way the system works but you have to accept it.
Leaving legality aside for a moment, real estate agents have a huge amount of marketing power that the average smuck doesn't. They can get your house in the MLS and many publications that you don't have access to. They also have experience at selling houses. They know what it takes to transform a property into a something a buyer will walk in the door and want. You may like purple walls but to a potential buyer it could be enough of turn off to make them walk away.
I guess my point is, don't knock a whole profession because of a few bad apples. Of course there are bad realtors who charge too much and don't do enough but how would you feel if everyone judged the IT field by the actions of Microsoft? Ya, I thought so.
I'm an 18 year old senior in high school who has been home schooled from day one. And no, I'm not antisocial.
<boasting_type="full_strength">
I run two small internet businesses (website design and webhosting) that I am the sole operator of. I'm the Programmer, Marketing Director and Secretary all in one. I have constant contact with existing and potential clients that I communicate with through the internet, phone and meatspace.
I am a member of three local chambers of commerce (Sullivan, Fayetteville and Manlius) the meetings of which I attend regularly. I just finished serving a one year term on the board of directors of the Sullivan Area chamber.
I've been interviewed by all three local TV channels (WSTM, WIXT, WTVH), by the largest local newspaper (Post-Standard), and did a radio interview for a station I can't remember.
</boasting>
I could go on but I think I've made my point. Homeschooled students aren't necessarily antisocial. Look at the number of emotionally unstable, socially inept kids that have gone through preschool, kindergarten and gradeschool. Throwing a child in with the pack doesn't give them social skills. Someone still needs to be there to guide them.
But seriously... I'll watch the pilot out of curiosity but they had better get it right or I'm abandoning ship. Hey, after DS9 and Voyager could it get any worse?
I think these opening sentences sum up their views quite clearly:
The Internet and its supporting technologies have wrought a paradigm shift in the means of conducting trade. With its valuable potential for global product distribution at far lower transaction costs, electronic commerce has also created new business challenges, particularly for vendors of intellectual property.
To them the Internet is nothing more than a new distribution platform for commerce.
Think about it: we don't let anyone run a Television station nor do we allow anyone run a Radio station (reinforced recently by the veto of low power radio licenses). These are two mediums, distribution channels, owned and operated by Very Large Corporations. Suddenly the Internet comes along and allows anyone to speak their mind. Not only in text but in sound and video. What a scary thought.
What if someone makes a news site with fake information? The public would be mislead. What is someone makes an audio recording with hateful or vulgar speech? Can't let the children hear Bad Words. What if someone makes a video with naked boobies? Shock, horror and shame.
I believe the first part of the Internet to be regulated will be Medical Information. Doctors are already bitching when patients learn about alternative therapies. "We can't have them reading that voodoo. You have to help us Uncle Sam." It seems logical to me. You're dealing with Public Health which is an issue that tugs at emotions almost as well as "Save the Children."
The systematic destruction of Freespeech on the Internet has already begun. It's simply a matter of where the Government and Corporations will strike next.
Enter the software companies, who see a way to save us time, make them a little money, and increase security. It's the VA LInux model, start selling support incrementally instaed of a program in one fell swoop.
You're comparing apples and oranges.
First, this notion that subscription services will make computers more secure is unfounded. The key to security is control of access and I don't see how paying $19.95 a month for your software somehow makes it more secure. In order for that effect to manifest itself the software companies would have to do the following: a) offer security updates immediately upon availability (software would phone home regularly), b) update virus databases regularly, c) audit the security of the box (e.g. clear passwords, insecure daemons, etc.).
Why do you suddenly think that companies like MS are going to produce patches faster and audit the security of their customers boxes simply because they are now being paying a subscription fee? I certainly don't know the answer to that question and don't expect to see that scenario unfold.
The "VA Linux" model (I would have used Red Hat as an example, but whatever) of providing support for software that is Free can't be compared to a closed source software package being sold as a subscription. If you cancel your support subscription with Red Hat you can continue using your software; you just don't get help when you break something. If you stop subscribing to Windows you won't be able to run Windows any more. Big difference.
It is ironic that the software company poised to make money selling service and support is MS, not RedHat.
The first ten years the Internet was mainstream (1990-2000) were the golden years. Information flowed freely without much worry about being sued by a Mega International Corporation for violating their rights or being harassed by Governments for not following the party line of Right Wing Freaks or Left Wing Freaks (the freaks on either end of the spectrum are always more vocal and active).
The next ten years will be the time we fight. We will be fighting Corporations that want the Internet to be turned into the perfect medium for delivering demographically tailored marketing to Consumers and the Governments from preventing us from "being culturally subversive."
In ten years we'll know what happened. Will the Internet be a tool for individuals to share information or a tool for Corporations and Governments to spread Propaganda and enforce the Status Quo?
The Japanese love making devices shaped like little cute animals. You can't get any cuter than a little Tux phone. I bet it would be really easy to tux in your pocket (get it? tuck?:-).
Am I the only one who has noticed there has been no mention of digital distribution of SDMI music? All I have seen talk of was about making SDMI compliant CDs:
SDMI's solution was to propose a watermarking system that would be built into future CDs and read by software and hardware devices. Anyone who downloaded a pirated MP3, for example, would find that his SDMI-compliant software wouldn't read that watermark and would refuse to play the song.
The only reference to downloaded music is that which was "pirated." How the hell does this watermark bridge the gap between physical distribution and online distribution? From what I can see, all this format does is attempted to prevent you from distributing it digitally.
And in related news, Microsoft has announced today that they will be submitting a proposal to the government that will outline a plan to quote "replace all those nasty, old 20th century *nix systems with state of the art 21st century Windows 2000 servers."
The company spokesperson went on to say that "organizations can not take full advantage of all the innovations(TM) in Microsoft software until viruses like Linux are purged from the network."
"Although it is a challenge to keep up with hackers who attempt to undermine filtering software, the result in the long run is a better product," SurfControl vice president Kelly Haggerty said in a statement. "We will investigate this and other hacking claims as they arise."
Those damn Hackers just won't stop Hacking and Pirating Copyright Protected Intellectual Property that Endangers the Safety of America's Children(tm). For God sake, you could poke your eye out!
I swear these PR people carry around a Buzzword Bible.
On the issue of network gateways, I have a used 486DX (66mhz, two NICs, 12mb, 400mb hd) that serves up Road Runner to three workstations on my home LAN (sshhh, told tell!). It works flawlessly. I made sure to take the time to shut down all the unneeded services (everything) so that a portscan actually comes up completely empty.
The point being, a 486 is more than adequate for a network gateway.
Freedoms are being eroded, but...
on
Copyrant
·
· Score: 1
What the hell do we do about it? Seriously, I'm asking an honest question.
I've seen the Geek masses that congregate on SlashDot rant, flame, vent and make some absolutely brilliant points about the current state of the commercial software industry, copyright law, and the overall fight that is currently taking place between Big Corp. bottom lines and individual freedoms. Every time a new story shows up the same pattern is repeated. Geeks and clueful computer users alike express their disgust for the erosion of freedom. But.... I ask again, what the fuck should we do?
Continuing to preach to the choir isn't going to rewrite laws, educate politicians, or make Big Software Corps think twice about crossing The Line. We need a group of people to look up to and scream HELP! And not only that, but we need to know that they are doing to listen and put their heart and soul into combating this steady erosion.
The problem that I perceive with many Geeks (I won't say most), and I hold my hand high to be counted in this group, is that we don't seem to have quit enough ambition to fight on foreign soil. Meaning, taking on the Big Corps on their ground in the legal system and the the halls of government. Transplant us from hacking deep in the bowels of software and set us down in the twisted mess that is politics in the late 20th century and we curl up in a ball in the corner.
Well, that's just not good enough. We need to start organizing lobbying efforts. We need to start putting some real effort into fighting fire with fire to preserve the industry that many of us hold so closely to our hearts.
I kept White Zombie spinning as I hopped over to./ for a Nerd News update. I've also been known to listen to Live, Static-X, Godsmack, AIC, REM, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Black Sabbath, Janis Joplin, among others.
--
Scott Brady
Thank God we didn't loose him too...
on
Hemos is Homeless
·
· Score: 1
My thoughts will be with you, Hemos, as you recover from this very sad event. Godspeed in putting this terrible event behind you and moving on with your life. Once again, I wish you the best of luck.
Slashdot Mirror
Royalties are things that get paid to organizations and institutions that have thieved royalties from human beings. The idea that royalties need to be there to "incentivize" creativity is pretty abstract these days.
What you get paid for is the delivery of service. If you're talking about services, it's best not to view what is being served as a form of property.
Wow, that has to be by far the most intelligent quote I've seen in a while on the state of IP. I don't necessarily agree with everything he said in the article but the above quote is dead-on target.
Don't forget 1984 by Orwell for the depiction of an un-blinking eye of surveillance controlled by the government.
::cough:: carnivore, echelon, face recognition ::cough::
The following article talks about the supposed disadvantages of open source and makes an odd link between OS and Ralph Nader--as if it were some conspiracy. This is the most in-depth anti-OS piece I've ready. It's also quite amusing.
Buying or selling a home without the help of a knowledgeable real estate agent is like going through a divorce or other lawsuit without the representation of an attorney. The area of real estate is so over regulated (done to protect the consumer
Of course you have to pay a commission to this person but would you rather open yourself up to litigation by the people you bought a house from or sold your house to? I know I wouldn't. It doesn't mean I like the way the system works but you have to accept it.
Leaving legality aside for a moment, real estate agents have a huge amount of marketing power that the average smuck doesn't. They can get your house in the MLS and many publications that you don't have access to. They also have experience at selling houses. They know what it takes to transform a property into a something a buyer will walk in the door and want. You may like purple walls but to a potential buyer it could be enough of turn off to make them walk away.
I guess my point is, don't knock a whole profession because of a few bad apples. Of course there are bad realtors who charge too much and don't do enough but how would you feel if everyone judged the IT field by the actions of Microsoft? Ya, I thought so.
--
Before you get all wet about the prospects of electronic paper you might want to take a glance at all the patents E Ink holds.
"This revolution will be patented."
--
<boasting_type="full_strength">
I run two small internet businesses (website design and webhosting) that I am the sole operator of. I'm the Programmer, Marketing Director and Secretary all in one. I have constant contact with existing and potential clients that I communicate with through the internet, phone and meatspace.
I am a member of three local chambers of commerce (Sullivan, Fayetteville and Manlius) the meetings of which I attend regularly. I just finished serving a one year term on the board of directors of the Sullivan Area chamber.
I've been interviewed by all three local TV channels (WSTM, WIXT, WTVH), by the largest local newspaper (Post-Standard), and did a radio interview for a station I can't remember.
</boasting>
I could go on but I think I've made my point. Homeschooled students aren't necessarily antisocial. Look at the number of emotionally unstable, socially inept kids that have gone through preschool, kindergarten and gradeschool. Throwing a child in with the pack doesn't give them social skills. Someone still needs to be there to guide them.
I can just see it now:
C:\> CD C:\MUSIC
C:\MUSIC> COPY
**** WARNING ****
Leet Hackering Detected!
Piracy Counter-measures Activated!
"DEL C:\MUSIC" Completed.
Incident Report Filed with the DMCA Task Force... the Patty Wagon is on it's way.
Hey, it could happen...
Here's my run down of the Enterprise crew:
But seriously... I'll watch the pilot out of curiosity but they had better get it right or I'm abandoning ship. Hey, after DS9 and Voyager could it get any worse?
I sure hope not...
I think these opening sentences sum up their views quite clearly:
To them the Internet is nothing more than a new distribution platform for commerce.
Think about it: we don't let anyone run a Television station nor do we allow anyone run a Radio station (reinforced recently by the veto of low power radio licenses). These are two mediums, distribution channels, owned and operated by Very Large Corporations. Suddenly the Internet comes along and allows anyone to speak their mind. Not only in text but in sound and video. What a scary thought.
What if someone makes a news site with fake information? The public would be mislead. What is someone makes an audio recording with hateful or vulgar speech? Can't let the children hear Bad Words. What if someone makes a video with naked boobies? Shock, horror and shame.
I believe the first part of the Internet to be regulated will be Medical Information. Doctors are already bitching when patients learn about alternative therapies. "We can't have them reading that voodoo. You have to help us Uncle Sam." It seems logical to me. You're dealing with Public Health which is an issue that tugs at emotions almost as well as "Save the Children."
The systematic destruction of Freespeech on the Internet has already begun. It's simply a matter of where the Government and Corporations will strike next.
You're comparing apples and oranges.
First, this notion that subscription services will make computers more secure is unfounded. The key to security is control of access and I don't see how paying $19.95 a month for your software somehow makes it more secure. In order for that effect to manifest itself the software companies would have to do the following: a) offer security updates immediately upon availability (software would phone home regularly), b) update virus databases regularly, c) audit the security of the box (e.g. clear passwords, insecure daemons, etc.).
Why do you suddenly think that companies like MS are going to produce patches faster and audit the security of their customers boxes simply because they are now being paying a subscription fee? I certainly don't know the answer to that question and don't expect to see that scenario unfold.
The "VA Linux" model (I would have used Red Hat as an example, but whatever) of providing support for software that is Free can't be compared to a closed source software package being sold as a subscription. If you cancel your support subscription with Red Hat you can continue using your software; you just don't get help when you break something. If you stop subscribing to Windows you won't be able to run Windows any more. Big difference.
It is ironic that the software company poised to make money selling service and support is MS, not RedHat.
It's not "ironic." It's called Marketing.
The next ten years will be the time we fight. We will be fighting Corporations that want the Internet to be turned into the perfect medium for delivering demographically tailored marketing to Consumers and the Governments from preventing us from "being culturally subversive."
In ten years we'll know what happened. Will the Internet be a tool for individuals to share information or a tool for Corporations and Governments to spread Propaganda and enforce the Status Quo?
I'll see you in ten years.
The Japanese love making devices shaped like little cute animals. You can't get any cuter than a little Tux phone. I bet it would be really easy to tux in your pocket (get it? tuck? :-).
Sigh. Some day...
Am I the only one who has noticed there has been no mention of digital distribution of SDMI music? All I have seen talk of was about making SDMI compliant CDs:
SDMI's solution was to propose a watermarking system that would be built into future CDs and read by software and hardware devices. Anyone who downloaded a pirated MP3, for example, would find that his SDMI-compliant software wouldn't read that watermark and would refuse to play the song.
The only reference to downloaded music is that which was "pirated." How the hell does this watermark bridge the gap between physical distribution and online distribution? From what I can see, all this format does is attempted to prevent you from distributing it digitally.
Someone, please tell me I'm wrong.
And in related news, Microsoft has announced today that they will be submitting a proposal to the government that will outline a plan to quote "replace all those nasty, old 20th century *nix systems with state of the art 21st century Windows 2000 servers."
The company spokesperson went on to say that "organizations can not take full advantage of all the innovations(TM) in Microsoft software until viruses like Linux are purged from the network."
Linus Torvalds was not available for comment.
Can you say mobile home?
I can just see it now:
"Yee Haw Billy Bob Joe! Now we all can buy a double wide!"
I can't wait for "Silicon Valley Hillbillies"...
"Although it is a challenge to keep up with hackers who attempt to undermine filtering software, the result in the long run is a better product," SurfControl vice president Kelly Haggerty said in a statement. "We will investigate this and other hacking claims as they arise."
Those damn Hackers just won't stop Hacking and Pirating Copyright Protected Intellectual Property that Endangers the Safety of America's Children(tm). For God sake, you could poke your eye out!
I swear these PR people carry around a Buzzword Bible.
The point being, a 486 is more than adequate for a network gateway.
What the hell do we do about it? Seriously, I'm asking an honest question.
I've seen the Geek masses that congregate on SlashDot rant, flame, vent and make some absolutely brilliant points about the current state of the commercial software industry, copyright law, and the overall fight that is currently taking place between Big Corp. bottom lines and individual freedoms. Every time a new story shows up the same pattern is repeated. Geeks and clueful computer users alike express their disgust for the erosion of freedom. But.... I ask again, what the fuck should we do?
Continuing to preach to the choir isn't going to rewrite laws, educate politicians, or make Big Software Corps think twice about crossing The Line. We need a group of people to look up to and scream HELP! And not only that, but we need to know that they are doing to listen and put their heart and soul into combating this steady erosion.
The problem that I perceive with many Geeks (I won't say most), and I hold my hand high to be counted in this group, is that we don't seem to have quit enough ambition to fight on foreign soil. Meaning, taking on the Big Corps on their ground in the legal system and the the halls of government. Transplant us from hacking deep in the bowels of software and set us down in the twisted mess that is politics in the late 20th century and we curl up in a ball in the corner.
Well, that's just not good enough. We need to start organizing lobbying efforts. We need to start putting some real effort into fighting fire with fire to preserve the industry that many of us hold so closely to our hearts.
So, who will it be? All of us? Or none of us?
I kept White Zombie spinning as I hopped over to ./ for a Nerd News update. I've also been known to listen to Live, Static-X, Godsmack, AIC, REM, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Black Sabbath, Janis Joplin, among others.
--
Scott Brady
My thoughts will be with you, Hemos, as you recover from this very sad event. Godspeed in putting this terrible event behind you and moving on with your life. Once again, I wish you the best of luck.
--
Scott Brady
If a wooden computer isn't enough, it looks like you can accessorize with wooden mice, keyboards and LCDs.
http://www.woodcomputers.com/
This is really cool... I never knew you could buy this stuff!
--
"A stable operating system is a no-Win situation"