One of the worst ways to do things is this "scatter gun prosecution" mode that the RIAA runs in. And the RIAA should check its facts before it goes after people without knowing with a reasonable certainty that they have the right party.
However, in this instance, there is something I don't understand. The basic argument seems to be that it was her children, and not her, that were sharing the songs, thus she shouldn't be the one that is sued.
But at the same time, in the US one is responsible for the actions of their children up to a certain age...so therefore, if her children were in fact sharing copyrighted material, (standard anti-RIAA arguments aside) why shouldn't she be sued? They are her children, and she should be aware of what they are doing online. Further, when she signed up for internet access from her provider, I'm sure she also agreed to the standard "what happens on your account is your responsibility, even if its someone else in your household" blurbs.
This is one of those cases where I can argue both sides are wrong, and both sides are right. And I really hate that when one side is the RIAA.
Looking at your number, you're apparently fairly new here. So let me help you.
One of the basic rules in the Slashdot community is its not a crime unless someone has violated the GPL. Anyone who violates the GPL should be boiled in oil, burned at the stake, and then hanged, in that order.
Its okay to violate any other laws, so long as you think you did it for a good reason. And its especially cool to rip off the IP of large corporations (unless the corporation is Apple), although that doesn't apply in this particular case. Anyone who violates laws that do not involve the GPL should be set free immediately so that we can make them in to a hero.
Maybe if SCO had spent has much time developing their product as they do/did filing baseless lawsuits and trying to serve groundless subpoenas, they might have been able to create a product that was relevant. Instead, they have a product that has never been anything more than a footnote in the world of Unix.
I take that back...SCO is serving a useful purpose. This will be used as a lesson in all business and law schools. "How to fuck your business, destroy your company, and piss off your stock holders 101".
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Those who can, innovate. Those who can't, litigate. Wash, rinse, repeat.
There's another thing one can learn from reading these replies, or the replies in any Vista related thread.
Although there are exceptions here and there, in general, the more a poster downs Vista, the less likely it is that he has actually used Vista for more than a day.
I'm glad April 1st is on Sunday this year. That way we don't have to worry about real news getting ignored and overlooked because Slashdot editors are too busy thinking up an entire day of bullshit stories.
They shouldn't have waffled. They should have given the answer this deserves...how the hell is this Microsoft's problem to correct?
Vista was in beta forever and a day. Beta 3 was out and the API was locked down for at least several months before RTM. In cases where any third party software does not now work under Vista, it is *entirely* the fault of that software company. Holding Microsoft responsible to any degree here is just plain stupid.
Unless the Linux world comes up with a way to give Dell all the kickbacks and payoffs that the Windows world does, I don't see how Dell could possibly offer a Linux machine for less than, or even the same price as, a Windows machine. I hope Dell can prove me wrong, but I ain't holding my breath for it.
If in fact "no specific time frame was given", then how the fuck can "the countdown begins today"? Counting down to an undetermined date is like counting up to inifinity. And I have a feeling Dell knows this. This way they can talk the talk without having to actually walk the walk and either lose money or anger Microsoft.
I dislike the RIAA as much as anyone, and think they are abusing the legal system and need to be reined in.
But ultimately, these people who are settling would not be having this problem if they weren't abusing copyright to start with. Even though this isn't a "crime" as such, the point of it still works...if you can't do the time (or pay the fine), don't do the crime.
The RIAA sucks and all that, but in the end, those on the receiving end of the threat letters have no one to blame but themselves. Maybe next time they'll buy the CD or download from iTunes and keep it all legal.
In another reply I saw someone suggest ISPs sending automated snail mail notices to users who's machines have been owned.
I'll go one better. Cut the fucking thing off the net until the user fixes the problem.
I fail to see why it seems to hard to detect these things. When an ISP sees a machine go from sending out 4 or 5 emails a day to spitting out thousands of emails every hour, it should be obvious there's a problem.
Also, close the damn mail ports off. If a customer wants to host their own email server at home, fine...but make them call in and request that the port be opened. And make it clear that if their machine gets owned, they get cut off and fined before access will be reconnected.
And finally, spam has been a problem for years...how come the MTAs haven't been rewritten to not allow header forging, etc, in all that time? Isn't this supposed to be one of the big advantages of open source and open protocols?
The third thing we need to keep in mind is that every IT setup is different. What may be cheapest for your situation may not be cheapest for my situation. OSes are like a collection of tools in a tool box. Contrary to popular belief, not every problem can be perfectly solved with a hammer. Sometimes you need a screwdriver or a saw. Likewise, there is no such thing as one perfect OS that is good for everything. There are situations where Linux is best, and situations where Windows is best, and situations where OS X would be the better choice. Part of being good at this is knowing which to chose when, and accepting that there may be better choices than the one you'd prefer to use. Otherwise, a "Ubuntu can do it all!!!11111oneoneone" zealot is just as annoying, and wrong, as a "Windows Rules!!!!" fanboy.
Anyone who thinks the decision to keep the US on DST, or increase the time it is on DST, has anything at all to do with energy savings is woefully naive at best. The US increased DST because of commercial interests involved in outdoor entertainment and business. And those commercial interests bought congresscritters to do their bidding.
Any other government explanation is a lie. No exceptions.
In the popular Linux magazines like "Linux Journal", I see a number of dealers who sell boxes with various versions of Linux preloaded. If there is a high demand for such boxes, why are people not buying from these guys and making them the next Dell?
Having worked in the customer support arena, I can say that your scenario also ignores one other point...no matter how many times people see that paragraph that says "Dell only supports the Windows installation", 95 out of every 100 customers will *still* expect Dell to support the Linux install as well..."You guys sold it to me, you guys should support it!!!1111oneoneoneone". Offering Linux but with no support would be *far and away* a bigger PR nightmare for Dell than not offering Linux at all.
Given the chance, people, especially the computer buying public, will be stupid. Its a basic instinct of human nature.
Back in the 80s and 90s when it came to light that some of the legislators had sold their votes for as little as $400, my biggest disappointment was to find out too late that they were that cheap. Had I known sooner, I would have bought me a few legislators too:-)
The legislature may be considering them, but as a former Kentucky resident, and even though I don't gamble, in this case I'd be willing to bet that the bills never pass. These bills simply make too much sense. Kentucky is the home of the $400 legislator bribe...bills that are intelligent never get passed.
I used to shop at CompUSA extensively, spent thousands a year for both myself and clients, had a CompUSA credit account, yadda yadda yadda.
I stopped shopping there mainly because of their damned rebates.
I live in a small town. To shop at CompUSA, I had to drive about 125 miles round trip. I can drive a few miles further and shop at a Fry's and get both better prices and (usually) not have to deal with a fucking rebate to get it.
When I shop at a brick and mortar store, I want the best price when I walk through the door. Not 8 to 12 weeks later. And if you want my business, then you're going to offer your best price when I walk through the door.
No, that isn't it. The average Joe likes Verizon Wireless because he wants a network that works. It doesn't matter how much your phone is unlocked if the damned thing can't reliably make a phone call. If you want a phone with bling and that's all you care about, you go somewhere else. But if you want a phone that you can depend on and a reliable network most everywhere you go, especially if you're outside a major metro area, you go with Verizon Wireless.
Besides, anyone reading slashdot who's worth a damn also knowns how to unlock Verizon's crippling;-)
My mother (and it is mother, not granny), will be the first to admit she is largely computer illiterate, and has used the word "stupid" herself numerous times. And she will also tell you that if its not an icon on her desktop or a link on a webpage, she usually does not know how to deal with it. She also does not care about the fact that Linux does a lot of things better than Windows, nor is she always desiring or installing new software. She simply wants her computer to work for email, web surfing, and letter writing, and do it the way she wants. And for that, Windows XP suits her fine (in fact, for her use Windows 98 was fine, but I upgraded her machine when Windows 98 security support was dropped). As I stated in another reply above, she knows how to update Windows and her virus software, and in 15 years of using a PC has never had a virus or spyware on her machine.
Slashdot Mirror
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I can sleep better now knowing I'm not defending the RIAA :-)
Ah, thankyou. I understand now.
One of the worst ways to do things is this "scatter gun prosecution" mode that the RIAA runs in. And the RIAA should check its facts before it goes after people without knowing with a reasonable certainty that they have the right party.
However, in this instance, there is something I don't understand. The basic argument seems to be that it was her children, and not her, that were sharing the songs, thus she shouldn't be the one that is sued.
But at the same time, in the US one is responsible for the actions of their children up to a certain age...so therefore, if her children were in fact sharing copyrighted material, (standard anti-RIAA arguments aside) why shouldn't she be sued? They are her children, and she should be aware of what they are doing online. Further, when she signed up for internet access from her provider, I'm sure she also agreed to the standard "what happens on your account is your responsibility, even if its someone else in your household" blurbs.
This is one of those cases where I can argue both sides are wrong, and both sides are right. And I really hate that when one side is the RIAA.
Looking at your number, you're apparently fairly new here. So let me help you.
One of the basic rules in the Slashdot community is its not a crime unless someone has violated the GPL. Anyone who violates the GPL should be boiled in oil, burned at the stake, and then hanged, in that order.
Its okay to violate any other laws, so long as you think you did it for a good reason. And its especially cool to rip off the IP of large corporations (unless the corporation is Apple), although that doesn't apply in this particular case. Anyone who violates laws that do not involve the GPL should be set free immediately so that we can make them in to a hero.
Maybe if SCO had spent has much time developing their product as they do/did filing baseless lawsuits and trying to serve groundless subpoenas, they might have been able to create a product that was relevant. Instead, they have a product that has never been anything more than a footnote in the world of Unix.
I take that back...SCO is serving a useful purpose. This will be used as a lesson in all business and law schools. "How to fuck your business, destroy your company, and piss off your stock holders 101".
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Those who can, innovate. Those who can't, litigate. Wash, rinse, repeat.
There's another thing one can learn from reading these replies, or the replies in any Vista related thread.
Although there are exceptions here and there, in general, the more a poster downs Vista, the less likely it is that he has actually used Vista for more than a day.
I'm glad April 1st is on Sunday this year. That way we don't have to worry about real news getting ignored and overlooked because Slashdot editors are too busy thinking up an entire day of bullshit stories.
When asked why, Microsoft ... waffled.
They shouldn't have waffled. They should have given the answer this deserves...how the hell is this Microsoft's problem to correct?
Vista was in beta forever and a day. Beta 3 was out and the API was locked down for at least several months before RTM. In cases where any third party software does not now work under Vista, it is *entirely* the fault of that software company. Holding Microsoft responsible to any degree here is just plain stupid.
Unless the Linux world comes up with a way to give Dell all the kickbacks and payoffs that the Windows world does, I don't see how Dell could possibly offer a Linux machine for less than, or even the same price as, a Windows machine. I hope Dell can prove me wrong, but I ain't holding my breath for it.
If in fact "no specific time frame was given", then how the fuck can "the countdown begins today"? Counting down to an undetermined date is like counting up to inifinity. And I have a feeling Dell knows this. This way they can talk the talk without having to actually walk the walk and either lose money or anger Microsoft.
Is Microsoft having worries about selling Vista already?
Yeh, sure...Microsoft is crying all the way to the bank.
Is this that slow of a news day?
I dislike the RIAA as much as anyone, and think they are abusing the legal system and need to be reined in.
But ultimately, these people who are settling would not be having this problem if they weren't abusing copyright to start with. Even though this isn't a "crime" as such, the point of it still works...if you can't do the time (or pay the fine), don't do the crime.
The RIAA sucks and all that, but in the end, those on the receiving end of the threat letters have no one to blame but themselves. Maybe next time they'll buy the CD or download from iTunes and keep it all legal.
In another reply I saw someone suggest ISPs sending automated snail mail notices to users who's machines have been owned.
I'll go one better. Cut the fucking thing off the net until the user fixes the problem.
I fail to see why it seems to hard to detect these things. When an ISP sees a machine go from sending out 4 or 5 emails a day to spitting out thousands of emails every hour, it should be obvious there's a problem.
Also, close the damn mail ports off. If a customer wants to host their own email server at home, fine...but make them call in and request that the port be opened. And make it clear that if their machine gets owned, they get cut off and fined before access will be reconnected.
And finally, spam has been a problem for years...how come the MTAs haven't been rewritten to not allow header forging, etc, in all that time? Isn't this supposed to be one of the big advantages of open source and open protocols?
Yup, checking the whois data is the second thing (after looking at the actual site) I did too.
I won't believe this is really Microsoft until Balmer or Gates says it is.
The third thing we need to keep in mind is that every IT setup is different. What may be cheapest for your situation may not be cheapest for my situation. OSes are like a collection of tools in a tool box. Contrary to popular belief, not every problem can be perfectly solved with a hammer. Sometimes you need a screwdriver or a saw. Likewise, there is no such thing as one perfect OS that is good for everything. There are situations where Linux is best, and situations where Windows is best, and situations where OS X would be the better choice. Part of being good at this is knowing which to chose when, and accepting that there may be better choices than the one you'd prefer to use. Otherwise, a "Ubuntu can do it all!!!11111oneoneone" zealot is just as annoying, and wrong, as a "Windows Rules!!!!" fanboy.
Anyone who thinks the decision to keep the US on DST, or increase the time it is on DST, has anything at all to do with energy savings is woefully naive at best. The US increased DST because of commercial interests involved in outdoor entertainment and business. And those commercial interests bought congresscritters to do their bidding.
Any other government explanation is a lie. No exceptions.
In the popular Linux magazines like "Linux Journal", I see a number of dealers who sell boxes with various versions of Linux preloaded. If there is a high demand for such boxes, why are people not buying from these guys and making them the next Dell?
Having worked in the customer support arena, I can say that your scenario also ignores one other point...no matter how many times people see that paragraph that says "Dell only supports the Windows installation", 95 out of every 100 customers will *still* expect Dell to support the Linux install as well..."You guys sold it to me, you guys should support it!!!1111oneoneoneone". Offering Linux but with no support would be *far and away* a bigger PR nightmare for Dell than not offering Linux at all.
Given the chance, people, especially the computer buying public, will be stupid. Its a basic instinct of human nature.
Heh!
:-)
Back in the 80s and 90s when it came to light that some of the legislators had sold their votes for as little as $400, my biggest disappointment was to find out too late that they were that cheap. Had I known sooner, I would have bought me a few legislators too
The legislature may be considering them, but as a former Kentucky resident, and even though I don't gamble, in this case I'd be willing to bet that the bills never pass. These bills simply make too much sense. Kentucky is the home of the $400 legislator bribe...bills that are intelligent never get passed.
I used to shop at CompUSA extensively, spent thousands a year for both myself and clients, had a CompUSA credit account, yadda yadda yadda.
I stopped shopping there mainly because of their damned rebates.
I live in a small town. To shop at CompUSA, I had to drive about 125 miles round trip. I can drive a few miles further and shop at a Fry's and get both better prices and (usually) not have to deal with a fucking rebate to get it.
When I shop at a brick and mortar store, I want the best price when I walk through the door. Not 8 to 12 weeks later. And if you want my business, then you're going to offer your best price when I walk through the door.
No, that isn't it. The average Joe likes Verizon Wireless because he wants a network that works. It doesn't matter how much your phone is unlocked if the damned thing can't reliably make a phone call. If you want a phone with bling and that's all you care about, you go somewhere else. But if you want a phone that you can depend on and a reliable network most everywhere you go, especially if you're outside a major metro area, you go with Verizon Wireless.
;-)
Besides, anyone reading slashdot who's worth a damn also knowns how to unlock Verizon's crippling
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.
:-)
Maybe its because I'm one of the few nerds here that has actually had girlfriends and sex? Therefore, to the majority its "informative"?
she was inscrutible, unpredictable, and dangerous
This pretty much describes most of the female population...
My mother (and it is mother, not granny), will be the first to admit she is largely computer illiterate, and has used the word "stupid" herself numerous times. And she will also tell you that if its not an icon on her desktop or a link on a webpage, she usually does not know how to deal with it. She also does not care about the fact that Linux does a lot of things better than Windows, nor is she always desiring or installing new software. She simply wants her computer to work for email, web surfing, and letter writing, and do it the way she wants. And for that, Windows XP suits her fine (in fact, for her use Windows 98 was fine, but I upgraded her machine when Windows 98 security support was dropped). As I stated in another reply above, she knows how to update Windows and her virus software, and in 15 years of using a PC has never had a virus or spyware on her machine.