Technically it wouldn't be theft of NASA IP, since NASA is a government division and therefore "owned" by "the people". NASA has never restricted the use of its images for non-commercial purposes, and mostly not for commercial use either, provided that proper attribution to NASA is given in the materials. That's why there are all those wonderful CDs and DVDs of NASA material available.
In a lot of ways I think Best Buy is a pain in the butt. Let's start with rebates.
But at the same time, anyone who says "the customer is always right" has never worked retail. Contrary to popular belief, at least 90 percent of the time the customer is full of shit. In the past, businesses only let them *think* they were right. Most businesses had to take that line, because they had a limited number of customers in a given location, and they wanted to make everyone happy. Thanks to an era of retailers on every street corner and nationwide sales via the internet, those days are over. I will admit that there are a lot of instances where businesses are very guilty of poor practices and poor customer support. But there are just as many instances, if not more, where the "customer" should be told to go shove his head up his ass and shuffle it on out the door.
Lets start with customers who regularly come in to a store, tie up a sales person asking endless questions, then go home and buy the item on the internet from a mailorder business. And before anyone fires up a reply saying "well then, the store should lower its prices", no brick-and-mortar retailer will ever be able to match the price of a mail-order only business, and you are being totally unrealistic (and very ignorant of business) expecting them to do so.
This may not count as a true "disaster" since I was able to frantically get things cleaned up before any real damage was done, but...
My worst experience was in about 1984 or 1985 when I spilled a chocolate milkshake in to the top of a commercial grade high volume Xerox laser printer. This was a machine that was roughly 10 feet long, 4 feet high, and four feet deep. And cost approximately one million dollars. I *immediately* halted the job it was printing and frantically started stripping the rollers out of the machine in order to clean up the milkshake before any of it reached the polished and mirrored main belt, which would have been $100,000 US to replace. Fortunately for my ass and my job and a lifetime of bank accounts, all that was ruined was three $10 rollers.
Its nice to see AOL, Yahoo, and Hotmail working to eliminate spam. Especially since for years they allowed the majority of spamming to take place on their networks...
No offense intended, but this is just plain silly.
I rarely type words that have the letter "x" and almost never type words that have the letter "z". Does that mean no one else uses them and they should be removed from the keyboard? While we're at it, lets get rid of that damned "~" too.
Just because you don't use capslock doesn't mean no one else does, and just because programmers don't need it doesn't mean it should be removed for everyone. If you don't need it, do like others have an map it to another function.
I use my PDA (a Zire 71) as a portable music device. I do not like moving parts in standard players when I am also in motion. I'd love to be able to have 2 gig of tunes in my pocket with no hard drive or CD required.
The difference is that when a bug is found in the Linux kernel, its usually patched within a couple of weeks or so.
When a bug is found in Windows, it can take months for a patch to be released...if ever.
Anybody with an intelligence level higher than a rock will tell you there is no such thing as a bug-free OS. The difference is in how fast those bugs are fixed.
Microsoft quits releasing software that has so many fucking bugs and security holes.
Seriously, getting around Microsoft's restrictions on keys is so trivial even my mother could do it. Anyone who isn't already applying updates even on a pirated copy wouldn't apply them if they were openly allowed to anyway. Lazyness and apathy is more of a problem.
Every time I see a pop-up that defeats my pop-up blocking, first I'll for damned sure never buy that product. In addition, I will never go to the hosting website again. And I'll make damned sure they know why.
There is no topic on the internet that can be served by only one site.
I really do appreciate your answer and honesty, and will give RealPlayer another try. But I'll be honest and upfront and admit that my first new install will not be going on my main production machine. I'll try it on my "play" system first.
I was actually interested in this when I started reading the Slashdot intro...until they had to go and ruin it by using that word "RealPlayer". *Nothing* from a bunch of infectious spyware pumping whores like Real will come near my computer, much less be installed upon it.
If this law is ratified in the US, I will show my opinion by hence forth encrypting every single bit of email I send, even if its my mother's brownie recipe. And to steal another group's motto, the government can have my encryption keys when they pry them from my cold dead fingers.
First off, my exact phrase was "the EULA on a GPL application". That implies that I know the EULA is not a part of the GPL itself. Otherwise, I would have just said "a GPL application". Even if all the author of a piece of freeware says is "if you use this and it fucks up your computer don't come crying to me" that is still a EULA.
And second, you are not "purchasing" Gator. No money exchanged hands. Its as free (as in beer) as any other free (as in beer) software. And further, going back to my original reply, if one reads the EULA there is no deception. The last time I saw a Gator EULA, it very clearly spells out that its going to spy on you. If one decides not to read the EULA, it is not Gator's fault, no matter how much we dislike them or what a bunch of sneaks they are.
And while you see no similarity in the situations I describe, I see no difference between one free (as in beer) application and another. If you are going to require free (as in beer) spyware to have something other than a click-through EULA, then why should any other free (as in beer) software be exempt? "Because we don't like Gator" is not a valid reason.
What about the value of what the software on the surface claims it does? The programs aren't just spyware, otherwise no one would ever download them. They all at least claim to do something useful. I know many (sick, twisted, and misguided) people who like the functionality of things like Gator Wallet and don't mind the spyware or at least feel like it is a fair price to pay.
"Value" is in the eye of the beholder. It is not the purpose of government to define what software has "value" and what doesn't. This is the same as the government defining what is "art" and what isn't.
As for "destroying computers in the process", I've had many a system hosed by Linux applications and Windows applications alike. Does that mean they should be regulated too? If the EULA on a GPL application absolves the author of being held responsible for any damages that his program causes, how is that any different from a Microsoft or Gator EULA that says the same thing? You are going to find that opening this can of worms releases a sword that cuts both ways.
Even when Baystar first announced they wanted their money back, a child of 5 could see that Baystar wasn't doing it because they have suddenly become our friend.
I can't believe I am about to defend spyware companies, but I'll swallow my pride and here goes...
That shouldn't be possible. That shouldn't be considered an acceptance of the license.
Why should spyware companies be treated differently than anyone else when it comes to agreements?
When I bought my house, I was handed a stack of papers connected with the mortgage, asked to read them, and then sign. The banker did not hold my hand and explicitly tell me anything bad that could happen. It was entirely my responsibility to sit and read those papers.
Likewise when I bought a car, signed on for the utilities for my house, started using a credit card, etc etc so on and so forth. I did not have to prove I really read the papers, not did the companies involved have to explicitly point out bad things to me anywhere other than in those agreements. No one stood over me to make sure I really read the things, and no one forced the companies to read them to me.
While I think spyware companies like Gator (and yes, I'll call 'em "spyware" straight up, and Gator can kiss my ass if they don't like being called spyware) are the lowest form of pond scum on the earth, I also do not believe in subjecting them to tighter requirements than other businesses.
If you don't read the EULA, you have no one to blame but yourself.
And yes, as a matter of fact, I did/do read through all of the agreements I used as examples above, and I sit and read the EULA for every piece of software that gets installed on my machine.
Ah, thanks for refreshing my memory on VTOC. They say that loss of memory is one of the three main signs of old age. I never can remember the other two...
Seriously, while the terminology may be slightly different, the basic ideas of FAT are identical to VTOC. Only the acronyms have changed. Microsoft's patent should be squashed like a bug.
I remember file systems based around the ideas of FAT at least back to the Apple II+. And if I'm not mistaken, Apple's literature referred to it as "FAT" (I wish now I hadn't given all that old stuff away a few years ago).
I don't see how this patent could possibly be held valid...well...wait a minute...this is the US Patent Office we're talking about here. We should be afraid.
I've seen several people have posted messages with the common idea of "educate the public about the evils of monopolies". Which, on the surface, is a good idea.
But in the end, I don't think the general public really gives a damn. Radio, newspapers, TV, the music industry, etc, are all run by a handfull of companies with the same morals as Microsoft. And I sure don't see any public outcry against it.
At that price, its going to have to have a hell of a lot more going for it than the fact that it runs Linux. Regardless of what I think of Linux, it takes more than just that to make me buy a particular PDA. I'll be sticking with my Zire 71.
My objection to sofware patents depends on how they are executed.
In every other industry, to patent something you can't just gee-whiz-lets-try-to-cover-everything. You've got to actually draw out your idea and show how it works, and show why its original.
If a company creates an original piece of software, I'm all for them being able to patent it, copyright it, sell it, make money, etc, for their specific implementation.
But I do not believe in patents that only cover general ideas or algorithms.
When a mechanical engineer develops some neat new part for a bridge, does he also gain rights to the screws and steel that he used to make it with?
Software patents and business method patents are the only two areas I am aware of where our fearless leaders will let someone patent the f**king obvious.
I own a server, and it has subdomains on it. In fact, I think I'll go create a few dozen more subdomains. And this is my personal and public invitation for Ideaflood to suck my big fat wingy-wang.
I've said it before (mostly about SCO) and I'll say it again...
Those who can, innovate. Those who can't, litigate.
Slashdot Mirror
Technically it wouldn't be theft of NASA IP, since NASA is a government division and therefore "owned" by "the people". NASA has never restricted the use of its images for non-commercial purposes, and mostly not for commercial use either, provided that proper attribution to NASA is given in the materials. That's why there are all those wonderful CDs and DVDs of NASA material available.
In a lot of ways I think Best Buy is a pain in the butt. Let's start with rebates.
But at the same time, anyone who says "the customer is always right" has never worked retail. Contrary to popular belief, at least 90 percent of the time the customer is full of shit. In the past, businesses only let them *think* they were right. Most businesses had to take that line, because they had a limited number of customers in a given location, and they wanted to make everyone happy. Thanks to an era of retailers on every street corner and nationwide sales via the internet, those days are over. I will admit that there are a lot of instances where businesses are very guilty of poor practices and poor customer support. But there are just as many instances, if not more, where the "customer" should be told to go shove his head up his ass and shuffle it on out the door.
Lets start with customers who regularly come in to a store, tie up a sales person asking endless questions, then go home and buy the item on the internet from a mailorder business. And before anyone fires up a reply saying "well then, the store should lower its prices", no brick-and-mortar retailer will ever be able to match the price of a mail-order only business, and you are being totally unrealistic (and very ignorant of business) expecting them to do so.
This may not count as a true "disaster" since I was able to frantically get things cleaned up before any real damage was done, but...
My worst experience was in about 1984 or 1985 when I spilled a chocolate milkshake in to the top of a commercial grade high volume Xerox laser printer. This was a machine that was roughly 10 feet long, 4 feet high, and four feet deep. And cost approximately one million dollars. I *immediately* halted the job it was printing and frantically started stripping the rollers out of the machine in order to clean up the milkshake before any of it reached the polished and mirrored main belt, which would have been $100,000 US to replace. Fortunately for my ass and my job and a lifetime of bank accounts, all that was ruined was three $10 rollers.
Its nice to see AOL, Yahoo, and Hotmail working to eliminate spam. Especially since for years they allowed the majority of spamming to take place on their networks...
This is what happens when you rely totally on a free service and do not keep backups of your own data.
A single tear rolls down my cheek...not.
No offense intended, but this is just plain silly.
I rarely type words that have the letter "x" and almost never type words that have the letter "z". Does that mean no one else uses them and they should be removed from the keyboard? While we're at it, lets get rid of that damned "~" too.
Just because you don't use capslock doesn't mean no one else does, and just because programmers don't need it doesn't mean it should be removed for everyone. If you don't need it, do like others have an map it to another function.
Does anyone need 2GB of memory for their PDA?
Actually, yes, as a matter of fact I do.
I use my PDA (a Zire 71) as a portable music device. I do not like moving parts in standard players when I am also in motion. I'd love to be able to have 2 gig of tunes in my pocket with no hard drive or CD required.
Any organization that would can Call For Help and Leo but keep Unscrewed with Martin the Dork obviously has no concept of what they are doing.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
The difference is that when a bug is found in the Linux kernel, its usually patched within a couple of weeks or so.
When a bug is found in Windows, it can take months for a patch to be released...if ever.
Anybody with an intelligence level higher than a rock will tell you there is no such thing as a bug-free OS. The difference is in how fast those bugs are fixed.
Actually there is a third option...
Microsoft quits releasing software that has so many fucking bugs and security holes.
Seriously, getting around Microsoft's restrictions on keys is so trivial even my mother could do it. Anyone who isn't already applying updates even on a pirated copy wouldn't apply them if they were openly allowed to anyway. Lazyness and apathy is more of a problem.
I have an easy way to defeat their technology.
Every time I see a pop-up that defeats my pop-up blocking, first I'll for damned sure never buy that product. In addition, I will never go to the hosting website again. And I'll make damned sure they know why.
There is no topic on the internet that can be served by only one site.
I really do appreciate your answer and honesty, and will give RealPlayer another try. But I'll be honest and upfront and admit that my first new install will not be going on my main production machine. I'll try it on my "play" system first.
Thanks again for your response!
I was actually interested in this when I started reading the Slashdot intro...until they had to go and ruin it by using that word "RealPlayer". *Nothing* from a bunch of infectious spyware pumping whores like Real will come near my computer, much less be installed upon it.
If this law is ratified in the US, I will show my opinion by hence forth encrypting every single bit of email I send, even if its my mother's brownie recipe. And to steal another group's motto, the government can have my encryption keys when they pry them from my cold dead fingers.
First off, my exact phrase was "the EULA on a GPL application". That implies that I know the EULA is not a part of the GPL itself. Otherwise, I would have just said "a GPL application". Even if all the author of a piece of freeware says is "if you use this and it fucks up your computer don't come crying to me" that is still a EULA.
And second, you are not "purchasing" Gator. No money exchanged hands. Its as free (as in beer) as any other free (as in beer) software. And further, going back to my original reply, if one reads the EULA there is no deception. The last time I saw a Gator EULA, it very clearly spells out that its going to spy on you. If one decides not to read the EULA, it is not Gator's fault, no matter how much we dislike them or what a bunch of sneaks they are.
And while you see no similarity in the situations I describe, I see no difference between one free (as in beer) application and another. If you are going to require free (as in beer) spyware to have something other than a click-through EULA, then why should any other free (as in beer) software be exempt? "Because we don't like Gator" is not a valid reason.
What about the value of what the software on the surface claims it does? The programs aren't just spyware, otherwise no one would ever download them. They all at least claim to do something useful. I know many (sick, twisted, and misguided) people who like the functionality of things like Gator Wallet and don't mind the spyware or at least feel like it is a fair price to pay.
"Value" is in the eye of the beholder. It is not the purpose of government to define what software has "value" and what doesn't. This is the same as the government defining what is "art" and what isn't.
As for "destroying computers in the process", I've had many a system hosed by Linux applications and Windows applications alike. Does that mean they should be regulated too? If the EULA on a GPL application absolves the author of being held responsible for any damages that his program causes, how is that any different from a Microsoft or Gator EULA that says the same thing? You are going to find that opening this can of worms releases a sword that cuts both ways.
Even when Baystar first announced they wanted their money back, a child of 5 could see that Baystar wasn't doing it because they have suddenly become our friend.
I can't believe I am about to defend spyware companies, but I'll swallow my pride and here goes...
That shouldn't be possible. That shouldn't be considered an acceptance of the license.
Why should spyware companies be treated differently than anyone else when it comes to agreements?
When I bought my house, I was handed a stack of papers connected with the mortgage, asked to read them, and then sign. The banker did not hold my hand and explicitly tell me anything bad that could happen. It was entirely my responsibility to sit and read those papers.
Likewise when I bought a car, signed on for the utilities for my house, started using a credit card, etc etc so on and so forth. I did not have to prove I really read the papers, not did the companies involved have to explicitly point out bad things to me anywhere other than in those agreements. No one stood over me to make sure I really read the things, and no one forced the companies to read them to me.
While I think spyware companies like Gator (and yes, I'll call 'em "spyware" straight up, and Gator can kiss my ass if they don't like being called spyware) are the lowest form of pond scum on the earth, I also do not believe in subjecting them to tighter requirements than other businesses.
If you don't read the EULA, you have no one to blame but yourself.
And yes, as a matter of fact, I did/do read through all of the agreements I used as examples above, and I sit and read the EULA for every piece of software that gets installed on my machine.
Ah, thanks for refreshing my memory on VTOC. They say that loss of memory is one of the three main signs of old age. I never can remember the other two...
Seriously, while the terminology may be slightly different, the basic ideas of FAT are identical to VTOC. Only the acronyms have changed. Microsoft's patent should be squashed like a bug.
I remember file systems based around the ideas of FAT at least back to the Apple II+. And if I'm not mistaken, Apple's literature referred to it as "FAT" (I wish now I hadn't given all that old stuff away a few years ago).
I don't see how this patent could possibly be held valid...well...wait a minute...this is the US Patent Office we're talking about here. We should be afraid.
I've seen several people have posted messages with the common idea of "educate the public about the evils of monopolies". Which, on the surface, is a good idea.
But in the end, I don't think the general public really gives a damn. Radio, newspapers, TV, the music industry, etc, are all run by a handfull of companies with the same morals as Microsoft. And I sure don't see any public outcry against it.
At that price, its going to have to have a hell of a lot more going for it than the fact that it runs Linux. Regardless of what I think of Linux, it takes more than just that to make me buy a particular PDA. I'll be sticking with my Zire 71.
In some ways I do agree with you.
My objection to sofware patents depends on how they are executed.
In every other industry, to patent something you can't just gee-whiz-lets-try-to-cover-everything. You've got to actually draw out your idea and show how it works, and show why its original.
If a company creates an original piece of software, I'm all for them being able to patent it, copyright it, sell it, make money, etc, for their specific implementation.
But I do not believe in patents that only cover general ideas or algorithms.
When a mechanical engineer develops some neat new part for a bridge, does he also gain rights to the screws and steel that he used to make it with?
Software patents and business method patents are the only two areas I am aware of where our fearless leaders will let someone patent the f**king obvious.
I own a server, and it has subdomains on it. In fact, I think I'll go create a few dozen more subdomains. And this is my personal and public invitation for Ideaflood to suck my big fat wingy-wang.
I've said it before (mostly about SCO) and I'll say it again...
Those who can, innovate.
Those who can't, litigate.
Iraq abuses human rights and we bomb the hell out of them.
China abuses human rights and we give them "Most Favored Nation" trading partner status.
Am I the only one that sees a double standard here?