I didn't even read everything what you wrote, but people are doing it for the money. We all know if you sign with a label you'll be closer than the rest of us in becoming a millionaire. When buring your own CD or getting yourself on iTunes makes you a millionaire overnight, artists will then switch. In order to fight the RIAA, boycott their music (not easy, includes not buying / listning to the radio, mtv, or buying any CDs.) Once a few people make it big doing it the independant way, only then will the record companies have to succomb to the freedom of music.
It doesn't matter, the minute MICROSOFT is forced to allow PC Makers the option of selling without an O/S, Microsoft will relelase a dumb downed version of Windows and force everyone to Upgrade. Instead of selling much cheaper "normal" Windows machine, makers will be forced to sell using their license so they don't get left behind.
I currently reside in CT and this is my case too. As far as SBC DSL goes its been good to me and I'd rather give them my money than comcast cable. I am also a Directtv subscriber with tivo:-)
Why should corporate America care about you or me? They are in it to make a buck, if they made 10 million last yr they want to make 11 this yr. Just like you, if you make 50k last yr.. you hope to make a little bit more the yr after. Just because they make 5000 times more money don't mean they can afford a loss for the yr, it means they need to be successful and if that means canning you, then in their minds so be it.
IT day by day involves a mass of people who only have to get dumber to survive. Things are getting easier, automated, and cheap to replace. With this trend anyone from a trade school could program a computer.
Not to disagree with you, but Microsoft is still doing business as usual. In my mind they got a slap on the wrists, the equivalent of me getting a speeding ticket. Would you not trust me because I got a speeding ticket?
I had pretty much every episode last season tivo'd.. I was in a fraternity house at the time and people would wander into my room to watch some family guy. Basically I saw every episode last yr about 10 times each. GOD I love the Irish Muesuem.. that was simply amazing!
Bring back Family Guy Damnit. Simpsons had its time, but Family guy was by far the greates animation ever to be on my television!
Also, my fav episode is the treehouse of horrors when lisa makes her own race of people... hell it spawned a south park episode even...
Simpsons did it!
Very nice post. I compltely agree, and this is a good thing from the Linux perspective. People will begin to look for tools to get around limitations put by Microsoft, MPAA, RIAA, and whoever else wants to get in the mix.
Business used to be about identifying a need in the market place and filling it. Right now, and always, there is a need for entertainment. Music, movies, games, etc. The fact that we purchase these items like mad men, these companies want to control every aspect of it. They want to make a buck on every single thing associated with their product. So much that they influence government and manufacturers to do as they wish.
OSS allows us to do what we want with what we buy. MS is not catering to the user, just because they put happy baloons or a wierd visual in media player doesn't mean its any easier to use. And any nice to Joe Public. Its too bad, MS could have made some decent software, now they are trying to regulate how we use the software.
The minute the "people" speak, and companies not tied with MS on these evil practices will port some things to Linux or other platforms is when we will see eventual switch in the desktop computing area.
So far Apple has been sitting underneath the radar as well, but eventually if they choose to tie into agreements with companies they will go down the tubes as well. I say good luck to em.
Yeah its completely annoying to use Windows. Like the concept of multi user makes no sense to me in XP or any windows for that matter. If I install programs as an administrator, I'm not garunteed they will show up for each user in the start menu or the icons will be displayed or if they will even be setup to work like they are supposed to.
If I define a user as a regular user he has no ability to do anything, if I allow him to be a power user he can install things on my C drive. Comeone MS, does that make any sense?
Linux would make the PERFECT OS for schools, especially ones that need Web capabilities and Word processing. For those idiots that claim linux is not "real world" since when did schools invest in products that were in the real world?
Its a shame that they don't have a web authoring class or C++ in HS, these are basics in a Linux install.
I have been a good user of Linux for quiet some time. As an avid geek a computer hobbyist, Linux is the best platform for me to play with. While MS does have the applications, support, and user base that Linux does not, its the shady practices that are going to make people go to Linux.
Back in the day, computer users like me were power users. You can compare us to the car afficionado, but to Joe Blow, a computer is a tool that helps him browse websites, instant message, MP3s, porn, whatever. Back in the day I enjoyed BBSing and posting in forums thru my 9600 baud modem, back then Joe Blow didn't have a computer.
What I have noticed throughout all this is people use certain things as tools, once they can't do what they want to do, they will find another way. With the advent of XP, windows hasn't become easier to use. I have a hard time figuring out how to do what. Desktop sharing? WHat a joke that is. What about Media PLayer 9, all that drm crap is going to make things HARDER on people. MS is not making the computer experience any friendlier, they are siding with the corprorations that are against the people anyways. THIS is what will lead people to Linux, software that people want, not corporations.
MS is becoming desperate because they KNOW they made bad choices and OSS is going to bite em back. Not today, not tomorrow, but SOMEDAY. THem lowering the price make no difference, ultimatly its going to be what the people decide they want and not be told what they have to have.
Don't worry, ReactOS won't become popular. As much as I support Open Source, there are about 100 other OS projects out with better future that aren't adopted yet so why this.
Did you see that screenshot also? Comeone, winnt looks better than that.
I see a lot of posts talking about how libral arts is way too different to grade than engineering/tech majors. Thats just not true, the same way a math problem needs formulas and all the work shown. Anaysis of a case study or literary work needs citings, close inspection of the reading and facts to support your claim. While in math that may lead you to one answer, when analyzing say a case study, you need to put everything in order before you give out an answer. I would say those problem solving skills that i learned in my management classes helped me in my technical classes to achieve better grades.
Absolutely none, but thats also because these school systems don't know any better. Hopefully in the future as newer teachers enter the classrooms they will understand computers better than the ones I had.
The thing is MS is a business and as a business it is doing great. To many their methods seem monopolistic and evil, but we aren't the ones who make or enforce the laws, so I think we should be getting mad at politicians for that. The other goal the MS has is to take the computer away from the user and make it yet another tool we all use. While there are many car enthusiasts who know the ins and outs of cars, there is still a place for mechanics and how Joe Public utilizes these people. While I know some basic things about my car, I mainly use it as a tool to get from point A to point B, when it brakes I call someone to fix it. How the internals are neccesarily working don't concern me as much as whether I get to work on time. This exact anology is why people choose windows, and when Linux caters to these people, only then will they use that too. Unfortunatly many people in the geek community I fear would abandon Linux as "commercial" by that point and move on to some other new thing.
I think what people are forgetting is Windows is what people are using. Of all the troubles an OS gives, the biggest is not working with what everyone else has. Computers nowadays are all about information, sharing, figuring out, and being compatable. If you have mastered using Office tools or photoshop on Windows at work or at your school, your going to want/need to use it at home.
I am an avid Linux user and have been using Slackware for a few years now. I do have a second boot for Win2k, but have been barely using it. Lately I spent a week in China setting up computers for my father and choose to install windows mainly because I knew it would work for him. He needed quick made forms for his business so I used access, he needed access to the internet for idiots, so there's IE. He needed something for finances so I used quickbooks and he needed video confrencing over the net with a firewall in place so we used Yahoo messanger. Not all free, but all setup along with many other things in under a week.
Windows may not be the best Operating System for a computer, but I even got his chinese employees using the system I set up and I don't speak chinese and they don't speak english. Linux may do things better, but when it comes down to it, things need to get done before they can get better.
When I was in school at a career fair I remember the NSA having a booth. I stopped and spoke with them and the representative told me about how the NSA finds bugs in Windows and then lets MS know about them way later. He was very condesending and said, "Where do you think all those bugfixes come from?" When I think government, I NEVER think effecient or quick fixing.
Everyone here knows how dumb it is to trust anyone on the internet. P2P file sharing in itself is dangerous is you participate. Is it a great way to trade music, hell yeah, but the RIAA doesn't think so, and *technically* it is illegal.
On the other hand do I think huge multi-billion dollar organizations should amount to kiddie style file corrupting/hacking in order to prove their point like whiny babies, no. It goes to show you who the real professionals are, oh yeah and I wouldn't put it past them.
Wasn't that kid from vietnam or something that made some malicious code that exploited Outlook? I heard the US busted in there and took him and prosecuted him, I am imagining for a very long time.
The thing is with the widespread of software and the internet and technology in general always brings in a high punishment. I think it comes down to you doing whats right. Now I am guessing if most of you see a car with the keys in the ignition you aren't going to hop in and steal it, but if you saw a website with a big vunrability more of you may be inclined to take advantage of the situation. I think the point that doesn't come home to a lot of people is computers are a part of everyone's lives now, and if we don't respect them, we will be punished.
But in general, technologists have always been risky with the law. If I created a nuclear device for the sake of doing it, even though I have good intentions and no feelings of using it, I would probably be jailed for a LONG time.
Yes I do, I don't know why people complain though. Its called business. Microsoft is in the business of making money, the fact that they are trying to make a scheme in making more money is not an evil plan, that is in fact thier business plan.
While I do disagree with monopolistic practices, don't be mad at them for trying to make huge profits, its the nature of the beast.
Our jobs as the technical elits is to show and educate people on what ways work. When I say educate that DOES NOT mean criticize management for bad decisions, it means to become and expert and present the material the way it should be presented.
Well assuming companies find Microsoft Multimedia technology to be cheaper to use, they will opt for that instead of some standard. Imagine I just purchased Windows XP, and a new MS certified digital camcorder. I plug it in, its auto detected and Windows Media is being transfered from the camera to my PC. Now with this special windows media file I can add sounds, transitions, effect, etc. etc. easier (because MS made it that way) and send it to my friends because of small file sizes, it will become what I use and it will become what people will want with a camera.
Not saying I approve of this, personally I do most of my video editing stuff in Linux. But with this MS advent, many DVD players of the future may be able to play windows media no problem just like VCDs play in a dvd player, but knowing MS, they will give consumers this power in their next version of Windows, people will want it and it will become a new "standard"
This is all experience from my own video editing/vcd creation under Linux and its a bitch to figure out and a lot to read, but if MS can do this in one swoop... they will win a lot of the market.
A lot of people are saying a free solution would make both of these companies pretty upset. I just wanted to say that is a completely wrong statement. No one ever got fired for choosing Microsoft, they know they spent money on a product that claimed to do X from a company as big as Microsoft, they know that this huge company will support and make sure that product does in fact do function X.
What open source doesn't do is equate support or industry standard into the major players mind. When your taking care of a deal regarding millions of potential dollars you will choose a solution from someone who says I will take care of you if you hire me. This is what I feel most open source advocates don't realize.
A solution to this "standards" debate would be to have a group such as apache be formed which takes care of these things. Within that group there needs to be corporate sponsership to get things done, with the source being free. This would be like R&D, and it would help small and big companies all together. Each sponser would pay the same small amount so no influence is throws around. I guess this is my ideal soltution, but as long as "typical" managers and bosses drive business, they will want everything to be on their own turf.
My question is if a peice of software or something of that nature chooses to put real easy protection like some no brainer security scheme, is cracking that a violation of DMCA?
If I protect something with say the codeword "secret" and you decide to break it by figuring out my codeword can I sue you with the power DMCA? Whats the point of encryption/security models then?
Slashdot Mirror
I didn't even read everything what you wrote, but people are doing it for the money. We all know if you sign with a label you'll be closer than the rest of us in becoming a millionaire. When buring your own CD or getting yourself on iTunes makes you a millionaire overnight, artists will then switch. In order to fight the RIAA, boycott their music (not easy, includes not buying / listning to the radio, mtv, or buying any CDs.) Once a few people make it big doing it the independant way, only then will the record companies have to succomb to the freedom of music.
It doesn't matter, the minute MICROSOFT is forced to allow PC Makers the option of selling without an O/S, Microsoft will relelase a dumb downed version of Windows and force everyone to Upgrade. Instead of selling much cheaper "normal" Windows machine, makers will be forced to sell using their license so they don't get left behind.
I currently reside in CT and this is my case too. As far as SBC DSL goes its been good to me and I'd rather give them my money than comcast cable. I am also a Directtv subscriber with tivo :-)
IT day by day involves a mass of people who only have to get dumber to survive. Things are getting easier, automated, and cheap to replace. With this trend anyone from a trade school could program a computer.
Not to disagree with you, but Microsoft is still doing business as usual. In my mind they got a slap on the wrists, the equivalent of me getting a speeding ticket. Would you not trust me because I got a speeding ticket?
I had pretty much every episode last season tivo'd.. I was in a fraternity house at the time and people would wander into my room to watch some family guy. Basically I saw every episode last yr about 10 times each. GOD I love the Irish Muesuem.. that was simply amazing!
Bring back Family Guy Damnit. Simpsons had its time, but Family guy was by far the greates animation ever to be on my television! Also, my fav episode is the treehouse of horrors when lisa makes her own race of people... hell it spawned a south park episode even... Simpsons did it!
Business used to be about identifying a need in the market place and filling it. Right now, and always, there is a need for entertainment. Music, movies, games, etc. The fact that we purchase these items like mad men, these companies want to control every aspect of it. They want to make a buck on every single thing associated with their product. So much that they influence government and manufacturers to do as they wish.
OSS allows us to do what we want with what we buy. MS is not catering to the user, just because they put happy baloons or a wierd visual in media player doesn't mean its any easier to use. And any nice to Joe Public. Its too bad, MS could have made some decent software, now they are trying to regulate how we use the software.
The minute the "people" speak, and companies not tied with MS on these evil practices will port some things to Linux or other platforms is when we will see eventual switch in the desktop computing area.
So far Apple has been sitting underneath the radar as well, but eventually if they choose to tie into agreements with companies they will go down the tubes as well. I say good luck to em.
Wow, worse than the media. How about a repost of some intresting articles.
Whats next? I can see a future /. article, "Linux on My Dog" - Fido Distro .
Comeone guys, install linux where its useful, not "neat"
If I define a user as a regular user he has no ability to do anything, if I allow him to be a power user he can install things on my C drive. Comeone MS, does that make any sense?
Linux would make the PERFECT OS for schools, especially ones that need Web capabilities and Word processing. For those idiots that claim linux is not "real world" since when did schools invest in products that were in the real world?
Its a shame that they don't have a web authoring class or C++ in HS, these are basics in a Linux install.
Back in the day, computer users like me were power users. You can compare us to the car afficionado, but to Joe Blow, a computer is a tool that helps him browse websites, instant message, MP3s, porn, whatever. Back in the day I enjoyed BBSing and posting in forums thru my 9600 baud modem, back then Joe Blow didn't have a computer.
What I have noticed throughout all this is people use certain things as tools, once they can't do what they want to do, they will find another way. With the advent of XP, windows hasn't become easier to use. I have a hard time figuring out how to do what. Desktop sharing? WHat a joke that is. What about Media PLayer 9, all that drm crap is going to make things HARDER on people. MS is not making the computer experience any friendlier, they are siding with the corprorations that are against the people anyways. THIS is what will lead people to Linux, software that people want, not corporations.
MS is becoming desperate because they KNOW they made bad choices and OSS is going to bite em back. Not today, not tomorrow, but SOMEDAY. THem lowering the price make no difference, ultimatly its going to be what the people decide they want and not be told what they have to have.
Did you see that screenshot also? Comeone, winnt looks better than that.
I see a lot of posts talking about how libral arts is way too different to grade than engineering/tech majors. Thats just not true, the same way a math problem needs formulas and all the work shown. Anaysis of a case study or literary work needs citings, close inspection of the reading and facts to support your claim. While in math that may lead you to one answer, when analyzing say a case study, you need to put everything in order before you give out an answer. I would say those problem solving skills that i learned in my management classes helped me in my technical classes to achieve better grades.
The thing is MS is a business and as a business it is doing great. To many their methods seem monopolistic and evil, but we aren't the ones who make or enforce the laws, so I think we should be getting mad at politicians for that. The other goal the MS has is to take the computer away from the user and make it yet another tool we all use. While there are many car enthusiasts who know the ins and outs of cars, there is still a place for mechanics and how Joe Public utilizes these people. While I know some basic things about my car, I mainly use it as a tool to get from point A to point B, when it brakes I call someone to fix it. How the internals are neccesarily working don't concern me as much as whether I get to work on time. This exact anology is why people choose windows, and when Linux caters to these people, only then will they use that too. Unfortunatly many people in the geek community I fear would abandon Linux as "commercial" by that point and move on to some other new thing.
I am an avid Linux user and have been using Slackware for a few years now. I do have a second boot for Win2k, but have been barely using it. Lately I spent a week in China setting up computers for my father and choose to install windows mainly because I knew it would work for him. He needed quick made forms for his business so I used access, he needed access to the internet for idiots, so there's IE. He needed something for finances so I used quickbooks and he needed video confrencing over the net with a firewall in place so we used Yahoo messanger. Not all free, but all setup along with many other things in under a week.
Windows may not be the best Operating System for a computer, but I even got his chinese employees using the system I set up and I don't speak chinese and they don't speak english. Linux may do things better, but when it comes down to it, things need to get done before they can get better.
When I was in school at a career fair I remember the NSA having a booth. I stopped and spoke with them and the representative told me about how the NSA finds bugs in Windows and then lets MS know about them way later. He was very condesending and said, "Where do you think all those bugfixes come from?" When I think government, I NEVER think effecient or quick fixing.
On the other hand do I think huge multi-billion dollar organizations should amount to kiddie style file corrupting/hacking in order to prove their point like whiny babies, no. It goes to show you who the real professionals are, oh yeah and I wouldn't put it past them.
The thing is with the widespread of software and the internet and technology in general always brings in a high punishment. I think it comes down to you doing whats right. Now I am guessing if most of you see a car with the keys in the ignition you aren't going to hop in and steal it, but if you saw a website with a big vunrability more of you may be inclined to take advantage of the situation. I think the point that doesn't come home to a lot of people is computers are a part of everyone's lives now, and if we don't respect them, we will be punished.
But in general, technologists have always been risky with the law. If I created a nuclear device for the sake of doing it, even though I have good intentions and no feelings of using it, I would probably be jailed for a LONG time.
While I do disagree with monopolistic practices, don't be mad at them for trying to make huge profits, its the nature of the beast.
Our jobs as the technical elits is to show and educate people on what ways work. When I say educate that DOES NOT mean criticize management for bad decisions, it means to become and expert and present the material the way it should be presented.
Not saying I approve of this, personally I do most of my video editing stuff in Linux. But with this MS advent, many DVD players of the future may be able to play windows media no problem just like VCDs play in a dvd player, but knowing MS, they will give consumers this power in their next version of Windows, people will want it and it will become a new "standard"
This is all experience from my own video editing/vcd creation under Linux and its a bitch to figure out and a lot to read, but if MS can do this in one swoop... they will win a lot of the market.
What open source doesn't do is equate support or industry standard into the major players mind. When your taking care of a deal regarding millions of potential dollars you will choose a solution from someone who says I will take care of you if you hire me. This is what I feel most open source advocates don't realize.
A solution to this "standards" debate would be to have a group such as apache be formed which takes care of these things. Within that group there needs to be corporate sponsership to get things done, with the source being free. This would be like R&D, and it would help small and big companies all together. Each sponser would pay the same small amount so no influence is throws around. I guess this is my ideal soltution, but as long as "typical" managers and bosses drive business, they will want everything to be on their own turf.
Don't you know most countries that don't speak english don't use toilets?! :-)
Kind of off topic, but if I borrow my friends DVD and watch it and return it back to him have I violated any laws?
If I protect something with say the codeword "secret" and you decide to break it by figuring out my codeword can I sue you with the power DMCA? Whats the point of encryption/security models then?