A computer can be thought of as a series of 'boxes within a box'. By that, I mean from the Von Neuman machine running the assembly language instructions, all the way up to the operating system and applications running on it are all just virualizations - emulators of something more complex sitting on top of something simple.
At the lowest level is the microcode program that is hardcoded into the cpu itself. So, the 'CPU' instructions, as we think of them in an assembly program binary, are really virtualized by the microcode.
Given that, the idea of disassembling a binary and recompiling it in a more open higher level language is not 'complete garbage'. With an understanding of the hardware that the binary was writen for, the opcodes and registers not avialable can be emulated with ease (or if not easily, at least completely given enough time). You would write a disassembler/recompiler that takes this into account, and creates the right compiler instructions to emulate what the assembly instructions were trying to accomplish via modern graphics libraries that are hardware independent (openGL anyone?). At that point you would be able to distribute the application and compile it across multiple platforms.
While not easy, it is certainly interesting and useful (once you build the initial disassembler, all binaries for that architecture will be able to be disassembled by it - assuming you have a complete instruction set list). Definitely not 'garbage'.
My wife is one of those people who thinks of computers as appliances. She couldn't stand logging into her linux machine. She would pester me about access to verious things on her system: "why can't I access the 'services' gui?" - and I would tell her she didn't need to mess with it etc. After fighting with her for awhile, I gave up and got her a Windoze XP machine - she has no password on it and blisfully goes about her business unaware of all the details underneath the hood. I just filter the hell out of access to that machine via my firewall, and I back up her data to a secure linux server often.
So, I can see why Lindows chose to go the route they did vis-a-vis root access.
I think there will be a wide gulf between those who 'can' patent their software, and those who 'will'.
There is money involved in the patent process, money the little guy does not have. This will only benefit those with the money to file the patents, and the money to hire lawyers to protect those patents - which means big business.
This is a prime example of government and business running rough-shod over the little guy. There will be no room for independent contractors or small software shops - or open source as the screws are tightened...
I have a problem with your generalizations. The rich people I have come into contact with are not any smarter (or dumber for that matter) than anyone else I come into contact with. My point was, and still is: everyone has talents that makes them a genius next to others - and the aparent 'productivity' of the Suits is the result of thousands of very smart people below them that are willing to allow the business to benefit, to a larger degree, from their work. Their productivity would evaporate overnight, if everyone with a technical skill was to strike out on their own.
For example, I am a genius programmer, compared to the president of my company; however, she is a genius at accounting, compared to me. Now, which skill is more valuable? I would say they both are equally important, and we should get equivalent payment for those services we render. However, the presidents, and their constant side-kicks, the accountants, get to make the rules - and, in most cases, they ensure that the people at their level get considerably more than the 'unwashed masses' below them.
Is it right? No. Is anyone with the real power (geeks collectively) doing anything about it? No - because no one is willing to sacrifice their paycheck to turn the world upside down on its ear. To me that says the majority of the 'unrich' geeks buy-in to the supremacy of the Suits - and will continue to allow the Enrons of the business world happen, over and over again.
I started out playing around with ASPDB - but that was a pain in the butt - and not very intuitive for a programmer. Additionally, it was expensive and only ran on windoze.
I just recently found Zope, coinciding with the dipping of my toes into python (I'm a Perl/Java/C++/Lisp/Fortran kind of guy...) The thing I found most interesting about it was the ease, out of the box, with which you can get some working code up and running. No tweaking mysql tables; no cryptic ASP/PHP script; no windoze ODBC services to manage. Its clean and simple to use.
The sweet thing, imho, is the scalability. You have the option of using zcat objects to create dynamic large scale applications; or, you can integrate it with a relational database if you positively, absolutely, must use an RDBMS. I have yet to get to the point where I needed that extra sliver of performance an RDBMS provides.
I think alot of the issues surrounding holy wars are the result of people being used to doing things a certain way, from an architectural standpoint ("By God we must have an RDBMS or it isn't a real application!"). I think alot of people have a tendency to 'gold plate' every application - when that is absolutely NOT necessary. So, how should we determine what to use? I would recommend the following:
a) How much data, and what kind of data are we talking about? (lots of small records, a few blobs, lots of blobs etc...) b) What is the uptime needed on the data (be honest...can we be down for several hours, or must we be 24-7?) c) Can uptime be ensured with hardware (RAID, mirroring, network fail-over [HP Service Guard for example]), or will automated backups be enough? d) What tools will do the job well enough and cheap enough? Corallery to that: what do we know now, and what will we need to know to make new tools work?
Some time should be spent learning new tools and deciding for yourself if one or more is right for you. I would urge you to do this, because it will make a big difference in your performance over time. Having a well stocked tool box is no different than knowing the strengths and limitations of various tools.
Unfortunately, we can't 'know it all' - but we can make informed decisions based on experiences with a wide variety of ways and means of doing things. If a shell script will suffice - by all means, write a shell script. Don't be stuck writing a full blown java RDBMS application, when all you need is 'grep'.
Just to echo what others have said, you are an inspiration to us all - even those of us not directly involved with the European Union (from Texas here -:)
Bravo - well done!
I am afraid it will take the man in the street getting hit by a two-by-four in the forehead before real grass roots pressure can be brought to bear on these issues. Unfortunately, by then, the internet and software development as we have known it may have gone the way of the Dodo...
Sure, corporate CEOs and super rich are much more productive than the average person.... - ShooterNeo
Now, hold on one minute! I take issue with this premise. Corporate CEOs and Rich folks are no more or less productive than anyone else - they just have the resources of thousands of workers to actualize their ideas. More often than not, they only enable the ideas of others to advance or not, based on their own business agenda (which mostly means 'what can make the most money in the shortest time with the least resources').
You hight the nail on the head, when you said, "In some cases, the money was stolen from fortunes made by the ideas and productive results of employees of the company". However, I would amend that to say, "In most cases..."
I am afraid you, sir, are wrong. We have a plethora of ignorance in this millenium, as well. Just look at the RIAA, Microsoft, and the government, to name a few...
Government, Corporations, and other groups are using the September 11th attacks to further their agendas to restrict freedom. What of the now empty talk about Americans not changing - to continue doing what we would normally do? I guess the freedom to 'innovate' only applies to Corporations - only acceptable in ways that maintain the status-quo.
The most disturbing thing about this is that government and corporations, while removing freedoms for the masses, are retaining those same freedoms for themselves. The reason there hasn't been a strong backlash against it is that people, in general, don't really understand what is at stake - the once open internet is being re-made as a broadcast medium based upon old 'programming' based paradigms.
When networks are outlawed, only outlaws will have networks...
I sense a need for a return to the gold standard..
on
Windows ATMs by 2005
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Hmmm - this doesn't make me want to run out and translate all of my electronic funds into cash or gold bars, that I methodically hide in deep holes around my property and under the mattress...(nudge-nudge, wink-wink!)
For the tin-hat wearers out there (and you know who you are):
Does anyone find it interesting that the leading ATM company, Diebold, is going into online voting, while Microsoft, a company known for its dirty dealings, is going into ATMs?
I run slackware and redhat - and much prefer slackware, as well.
If I had the time, I would build my own distribution; given that I don't have the time (spending that time, instead, raising my level of slack), slackware comes closest to what I would build for myself (lean, mean, and full of slack).
Plus, you have the added benefit of COTSG propaganda infusing every release with subgenius goodness...:)
I first loaded RedHat at version 5.1 - and it was very good, on a par with most distros of the time. Now it has drifted away from its roots (I hate the new Redhat desktop themes - not enough slack).
Unfortunately, I think alot of businesses go with Redhat because of the support options not present in other distributions. Businesses have to have a frigging support contract on everything (even though we end up supporting ourselves because vendors never meet our expectations or the intimate knowledge of our systems that we have). I think its just wasted money that a streamlined system tailored to our needs would better serve - such as a tweaked slackware distro.
I prefer my current docking station, and full size monitor and keyboard (I am using a Microsoft Natural Keyboard - one of the few microsoft products I buy simply because no one else makes one like it, and I find it indespensible for relieving carple-tunnel syndrome, which I was starting to get with the standard keyboards; been using one at work and one at home for the past 2 years and can touch type all day without a twinge).
My concern with this technology, particularly the removable keyboard using bluetooth, is will I be locked into a particular keyboard/monitor? Will I lose the option of connecting full size equipment to it?
"Extending", as defined in these conversations, means that you have added proprietary features to the products that are using these standards" - javelinco
Actually, your definition of 'extend' is only half true with regard to Microsoft. When Microsoft 'extends' java by elimentating a major chunk of standard libraries, and then puts their own proprietary implementations (ActiveX support for example) in its place - and says "we have the right to define what the standard is for our implementation of java - and furthermore, we don't recognize Sun's standard", I think it is plain what their agenda is.
I can't think of any other company that has methodically broken more standards to pull market share away from competitors. Extending a standard is alright - as long as you are backwards compatible with the standard, which is the key point to my argument. Don't whitewash Microsoft's evil by misstating the true situation - unless you have some reason you can't or won't face the truth...
"...lots of employees don't share the intent to harm the competitor..." - myg
"I was only following orders" is not an ethical answer to the question of responsibility for known dirty dealings. Going along to get along in the face of immoral activity is wrong, plain and simple. Unfortunately, it seems paychecks and stock options get in the way of common sense.
What about all the thousands of bytes spread about your disk of empty space? Depending on the file system in use, blocks vary in size. If your block size for a partition is 1024 bytes, and you want to write a 500 byte file, then you just wasted 524 bytes - or over 50% of the size of the file. Multiply this times the thousands of files on your system, and you are losing a good chunk (maybe 20% of the space used) of the disk anyway - particularly if you have alot of small files.
On a 20GB drive, we are talking about 3.6 Gigabytes... give or take.
There are plenty of vertical services already - that don't have anything to do with DRM. I know you are barking up the wrong tree on this.
Customers want flexible flat rate menu pricing. They don't go for 'per use' fees except in very limited applications - which are a drop in the bucket compared to the wider network applications out there.
I know my telco will not be forcing anyone to 'upgrade' to the systems you propose because the vast majority of people won't do it - therefore it won't be profitable.
While I can agree with some of what you say, I have to disagree about your 'extra bandwidth' costs. Right now DSL fees are flat for a set amount of bandwidth, and when we get gigabit HDSL in the future, I don't see any reason why this flat rate cost would not remain. You would not be paying any more whether you use the bandwidth or not.
Additionally, who is to say that DSL providers will use DRM? They don't have an economic interest in it.
Microsoft 'extending' Java - making existing code non-interoperable between Sun and Microsoft's versions.
Embrace and extend (and by 'extend' they mean extend in ways that will strengthen Microsoft proprietary lock-in) is something we have seen Microsoft do over and over again with various standards.
Are you people blind? As much as Microsoft trys to brush these things under the rug, THEY EXIST! They have left a slimey trail of misconduct going back for years.
How in the world can you consider standing next to Microsoft? How can you consider anything they say as truthful and honest? I can't, in good faith, applaud Gate's words; his actions speak louder.
Microsoft has said this before, and the results have always been bad for developers and consumers (for example the Java and XML debacle).
I don't mind Microsoft using existing standards; I do violently oppose them guiding the course of standards, because they have been shown to be a bad steward for any public standard they get their hands on.
I would be so bold as to argue that it is not out of hubris that they are as they are, as much as from greed.
Hello - you don't have to load the browser plugin or use the home website of the service if you don't want to. Just enter the correct DSL and DHCP settings in your firewall/router, and surf away...
I think you are overlooking the current DSL providers. Once they have gigabit into the home, all bets are off. Providers will give people what they want as a price-counterpoint to more controlling architectures used by the cable providers.
The government will step in and regulate it if there is enough abuse from the DRM side (which there will be). The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
I am glad I don't watch TV all that much - its not really an issue for me. What would piss me off, though, is if manufacturers forced me to install their systems because of forced obsolescense of previous standards (for example, if all online games were forced into proprietary DRM standards, not workable on standard PCs). I can see gradual loss of the ability to use certain hardware due to the limitations of technology. I can not see the loss due to greed on the part of corporations.
Didn't you read OSC's essay? If you did, you would have seen that from an insider's standpoint, sharing does not hurt the artists - in fact it drives sales by 'spreading the word' about popular works that otherwise would not see the light of day. By shutting down this aspect (that has always been part of the music landscape as long as I can remember - sharing 8 tracks, cassettes and records back in the 80s with friends).
He also painted a picture of the publishers and record companies for what they are: greedy corporations, intent on keeping the massive profit margins flowing regardless of the economic reality that the current market slump has imposed on the buying public.
Why do record companies refuse to sell individual tracks cheaply? Why do record companies, in the guise of the RIAA, attempt to scare us from ripping and sharing music? Why would publishers attempt to get writers to sign contracts making their months and years of work be considered 'work for hire' rather than copyright material?
One word: greed.
The cash cow is getting a clue, and has decided to leave the barn...
Slashdot Mirror
A computer can be thought of as a series of 'boxes within a box'. By that, I mean from the Von Neuman machine running the assembly language instructions, all the way up to the operating system and applications running on it are all just virualizations - emulators of something more complex sitting on top of something simple.
At the lowest level is the microcode program that is hardcoded into the cpu itself. So, the 'CPU' instructions, as we think of them in an assembly program binary, are really virtualized by the microcode.
Given that, the idea of disassembling a binary and recompiling it in a more open higher level language is not 'complete garbage'. With an understanding of the hardware that the binary was writen for, the opcodes and registers not avialable can be emulated with ease (or if not easily, at least completely given enough time). You would write a disassembler/recompiler that takes this into account, and creates the right compiler instructions to emulate what the assembly instructions were trying to accomplish via modern graphics libraries that are hardware independent (openGL anyone?). At that point you would be able to distribute the application and compile it across multiple platforms.
While not easy, it is certainly interesting and useful (once you build the initial disassembler, all binaries for that architecture will be able to be disassembled by it - assuming you have a complete instruction set list). Definitely not 'garbage'.
My wife is one of those people who thinks of computers as appliances. She couldn't stand logging into her linux machine. She would pester me about access to verious things on her system: "why can't I access the 'services' gui?" - and I would tell her she didn't need to mess with it etc. After fighting with her for awhile, I gave up and got her a Windoze XP machine - she has no password on it and blisfully goes about her business unaware of all the details underneath the hood. I just filter the hell out of access to that machine via my firewall, and I back up her data to a secure linux server often.
So, I can see why Lindows chose to go the route they did vis-a-vis root access.
I think there will be a wide gulf between those who 'can' patent their software, and those who 'will'.
There is money involved in the patent process, money the little guy does not have. This will only benefit those with the money to file the patents, and the money to hire lawyers to protect those patents - which means big business.
This is a prime example of government and business running rough-shod over the little guy. There will be no room for independent contractors or small software shops - or open source as the screws are tightened...
I have a problem with your generalizations. The rich people I have come into contact with are not any smarter (or dumber for that matter) than anyone else I come into contact with. My point was, and still is: everyone has talents that makes them a genius next to others - and the aparent 'productivity' of the Suits is the result of thousands of very smart people below them that are willing to allow the business to benefit, to a larger degree, from their work. Their productivity would evaporate overnight, if everyone with a technical skill was to strike out on their own.
For example, I am a genius programmer, compared to the president of my company; however, she is a genius at accounting, compared to me. Now, which skill is more valuable? I would say they both are equally important, and we should get equivalent payment for those services we render. However, the presidents, and their constant side-kicks, the accountants, get to make the rules - and, in most cases, they ensure that the people at their level get considerably more than the 'unwashed masses' below them.
Is it right? No. Is anyone with the real power (geeks collectively) doing anything about it? No - because no one is willing to sacrifice their paycheck to turn the world upside down on its ear. To me that says the majority of the 'unrich' geeks buy-in to the supremacy of the Suits - and will continue to allow the Enrons of the business world happen, over and over again.
I started out playing around with ASPDB - but that was a pain in the butt - and not very intuitive for a programmer. Additionally, it was expensive and only ran on windoze.
I just recently found Zope, coinciding with the dipping of my toes into python (I'm a Perl/Java/C++/Lisp/Fortran kind of guy...) The thing I found most interesting about it was the ease, out of the box, with which you can get some working code up and running. No tweaking mysql tables; no cryptic ASP/PHP script; no windoze ODBC services to manage. Its clean and simple to use.
The sweet thing, imho, is the scalability. You have the option of using zcat objects to create dynamic large scale applications; or, you can integrate it with a relational database if you positively, absolutely, must use an RDBMS. I have yet to get to the point where I needed that extra sliver of performance an RDBMS provides.
I think alot of the issues surrounding holy wars are the result of people being used to doing things a certain way, from an architectural standpoint ("By God we must have an RDBMS or it isn't a real application!"). I think alot of people have a tendency to 'gold plate' every application - when that is absolutely NOT necessary. So, how should we determine what to use? I would recommend the following:
a) How much data, and what kind of data are we talking about? (lots of small records, a few blobs, lots of blobs etc...)
b) What is the uptime needed on the data (be honest...can we be down for several hours, or must we be 24-7?)
c) Can uptime be ensured with hardware (RAID, mirroring, network fail-over [HP Service Guard for example]), or will automated backups be enough?
d) What tools will do the job well enough and cheap enough? Corallery to that: what do we know now, and what will we need to know to make new tools work?
Some time should be spent learning new tools and deciding for yourself if one or more is right for you. I would urge you to do this, because it will make a big difference in your performance over time. Having a well stocked tool box is no different than knowing the strengths and limitations of various tools.
Unfortunately, we can't 'know it all' - but we can make informed decisions based on experiences with a wide variety of ways and means of doing things. If a shell script will suffice - by all means, write a shell script. Don't be stuck writing a full blown java RDBMS application, when all you need is 'grep'.
Just to echo what others have said, you are an inspiration to us all - even those of us not directly involved with the European Union (from Texas here - :)
Bravo - well done!
I am afraid it will take the man in the street getting hit by a two-by-four in the forehead before real grass roots pressure can be brought to bear on these issues. Unfortunately, by then, the internet and software development as we have known it may have gone the way of the Dodo...
Sure, corporate CEOs and super rich are much more productive than the average person.... - ShooterNeo
Now, hold on one minute! I take issue with this premise. Corporate CEOs and Rich folks are no more or less productive than anyone else - they just have the resources of thousands of workers to actualize their ideas. More often than not, they only enable the ideas of others to advance or not, based on their own business agenda (which mostly means 'what can make the most money in the shortest time with the least resources').
You hight the nail on the head, when you said, "In some cases, the money was stolen from fortunes made by the ideas and productive results of employees of the company". However, I would amend that to say, "In most cases..."
I am afraid you, sir, are wrong. We have a plethora of ignorance in this millenium, as well. Just look at the RIAA, Microsoft, and the government, to name a few...
The Microsoft octopus wraps its tentacles around another victim...
Government, Corporations, and other groups are using the September 11th attacks to further their agendas to restrict freedom. What of the now empty talk about Americans not changing - to continue doing what we would normally do? I guess the freedom to 'innovate' only applies to Corporations - only acceptable in ways that maintain the status-quo.
The most disturbing thing about this is that government and corporations, while removing freedoms for the masses, are retaining those same freedoms for themselves. The reason there hasn't been a strong backlash against it is that people, in general, don't really understand what is at stake - the once open internet is being re-made as a broadcast medium based upon old 'programming' based paradigms.
When networks are outlawed, only outlaws will have networks...
Hmmm - this doesn't make me want to run out and translate all of my electronic funds into cash or gold bars, that I methodically hide in deep holes around my property and under the mattress...(nudge-nudge, wink-wink!)
For the tin-hat wearers out there (and you know who you are):
Does anyone find it interesting that the leading ATM company, Diebold, is going into online voting, while Microsoft, a company known for its dirty dealings, is going into ATMs?
I run slackware and redhat - and much prefer slackware, as well.
:)
If I had the time, I would build my own distribution; given that I don't have the time (spending that time, instead, raising my level of slack), slackware comes closest to what I would build for myself (lean, mean, and full of slack).
Plus, you have the added benefit of COTSG propaganda infusing every release with subgenius goodness...
I first loaded RedHat at version 5.1 - and it was very good, on a par with most distros of the time. Now it has drifted away from its roots (I hate the new Redhat desktop themes - not enough slack).
Unfortunately, I think alot of businesses go with Redhat because of the support options not present in other distributions. Businesses have to have a frigging support contract on everything (even though we end up supporting ourselves because vendors never meet our expectations or the intimate knowledge of our systems that we have). I think its just wasted money that a streamlined system tailored to our needs would better serve - such as a tweaked slackware distro.
Got Slack?
I prefer my current docking station, and full size monitor and keyboard (I am using a Microsoft Natural Keyboard - one of the few microsoft products I buy simply because no one else makes one like it, and I find it indespensible for relieving carple-tunnel syndrome, which I was starting to get with the standard keyboards; been using one at work and one at home for the past 2 years and can touch type all day without a twinge).
My concern with this technology, particularly the removable keyboard using bluetooth, is will I be locked into a particular keyboard/monitor? Will I lose the option of connecting full size equipment to it?
"Extending", as defined in these conversations, means that you have added proprietary features to the products that are using these standards" - javelinco
Actually, your definition of 'extend' is only half true with regard to Microsoft. When Microsoft 'extends' java by elimentating a major chunk of standard libraries, and then puts their own proprietary implementations (ActiveX support for example) in its place - and says "we have the right to define what the standard is for our implementation of java - and furthermore, we don't recognize Sun's standard", I think it is plain what their agenda is.
I can't think of any other company that has methodically broken more standards to pull market share away from competitors. Extending a standard is alright - as long as you are backwards compatible with the standard, which is the key point to my argument. Don't whitewash Microsoft's evil by misstating the true situation - unless you have some reason you can't or won't face the truth...
"...lots of employees don't share the intent to harm the competitor..." - myg
"I was only following orders" is not an ethical answer to the question of responsibility for known dirty dealings. Going along to get along in the face of immoral activity is wrong, plain and simple. Unfortunately, it seems paychecks and stock options get in the way of common sense.
I was just being facetious to illustrate how ridiculous this lawsuit is.
/. collegues may benefit from.
On the other hand, some good points have been brought up that our less technically proficient
What about all the thousands of bytes spread about your disk of empty space? Depending on the file system in use, blocks vary in size. If your block size for a partition is 1024 bytes, and you want to write a 500 byte file, then you just wasted 524 bytes - or over 50% of the size of the file. Multiply this times the thousands of files on your system, and you are losing a good chunk (maybe 20% of the space used) of the disk anyway - particularly if you have alot of small files.
On a 20GB drive, we are talking about 3.6 Gigabytes... give or take.
There are plenty of vertical services already - that don't have anything to do with DRM. I know you are barking up the wrong tree on this.
Customers want flexible flat rate menu pricing. They don't go for 'per use' fees except in very limited applications - which are a drop in the bucket compared to the wider network applications out there.
I know my telco will not be forcing anyone to 'upgrade' to the systems you propose because the vast majority of people won't do it - therefore it won't be profitable.
While I can agree with some of what you say, I have to disagree about your 'extra bandwidth' costs. Right now DSL fees are flat for a set amount of bandwidth, and when we get gigabit HDSL in the future, I don't see any reason why this flat rate cost would not remain. You would not be paying any more whether you use the bandwidth or not.
Additionally, who is to say that DSL providers will use DRM? They don't have an economic interest in it.
Microsoft 'extending' Java - making existing code non-interoperable between Sun and Microsoft's versions.
Embrace and extend (and by 'extend' they mean extend in ways that will strengthen Microsoft proprietary lock-in) is something we have seen Microsoft do over and over again with various standards.
Are you people blind? As much as Microsoft trys to brush these things under the rug, THEY EXIST! They have left a slimey trail of misconduct going back for years.
How in the world can you consider standing next to Microsoft? How can you consider anything they say as truthful and honest? I can't, in good faith, applaud Gate's words; his actions speak louder.
I know this redundant. But, I have to say it:
Microsoft has said this before, and the results have always been bad for developers and consumers (for example the Java and XML debacle).
I don't mind Microsoft using existing standards; I do violently oppose them guiding the course of standards, because they have been shown to be a bad steward for any public standard they get their hands on.
I would be so bold as to argue that it is not out of hubris that they are as they are, as much as from greed.
Don't forget the Java fiasco...
Hello - you don't have to load the browser plugin or use the home website of the service if you don't want to. Just enter the correct DSL and DHCP settings in your firewall/router, and surf away...
I think you are overlooking the current DSL providers. Once they have gigabit into the home, all bets are off. Providers will give people what they want as a price-counterpoint to more controlling architectures used by the cable providers.
The government will step in and regulate it if there is enough abuse from the DRM side (which there will be). The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
I am glad I don't watch TV all that much - its not really an issue for me. What would piss me off, though, is if manufacturers forced me to install their systems because of forced obsolescense of previous standards (for example, if all online games were forced into proprietary DRM standards, not workable on standard PCs). I can see gradual loss of the ability to use certain hardware due to the limitations of technology. I can not see the loss due to greed on the part of corporations.
Overly Critical Guy,
Didn't you read OSC's essay? If you did, you would have seen that from an insider's standpoint, sharing does not hurt the artists - in fact it drives sales by 'spreading the word' about popular works that otherwise would not see the light of day. By shutting down this aspect (that has always been part of the music landscape as long as I can remember - sharing 8 tracks, cassettes and records back in the 80s with friends).
He also painted a picture of the publishers and record companies for what they are: greedy corporations, intent on keeping the massive profit margins flowing regardless of the economic reality that the current market slump has imposed on the buying public.
Why do record companies refuse to sell individual tracks cheaply? Why do record companies, in the guise of the RIAA, attempt to scare us from ripping and sharing music? Why would publishers attempt to get writers to sign contracts making their months and years of work be considered 'work for hire' rather than copyright material?
One word: greed.
The cash cow is getting a clue, and has decided to leave the barn...