This just goes to show the creative bankruptcy at Microsoft. With their market dominance and incredible cash flow, you would think they'd be able to hire the best and brightest to develop irresistable products.
I suppose they're thinking this is a brilliant PR campaign, but they're going to get a hell of a lot of bad press if they capitalize on someone else's great idea and only give him/her $25k.
Just another example of incredible corporate stupidity.
This thing is brilliant. Just think, you will be able to browse pr0n in the bathroom, then print it out on the toilet paper, and when you're done, you can just flush everything! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm eagerly awaitng the IPO on this one- this is going to be big.
This is the way to go, but I have some other recommendations, too.
First, who says you have to give *accurate* information for your supermarket store discount cards, or to anyone else trolling for consumer data? Safeway has something similar to my real name and an address that isn't quite right.
Take every opportunity to fill out consumer surveys completely wrong. This can be entertaining if you try to make the data as contradictory as possible.
Third, and most importantly, when consumer goods are easily substitutable (think soda, soap, canned goods, shoes, and just about everything) do not EVER be brand loyal. After all, they're all about the same. Make your buying habits capricious and unpredictable; this completely negates all the marketing crap and destroys their predictions.
If the data becomes unrelaible, inaccurate and, more than anything, a big waste of time and money, they'll stop doing it.
The AG over there ought to know very well that this is going to be challenged, appealed and will probably make it all the way to the US Supreme Court.
No one here seems to realize that this could turn out to be a very good thing. As far as I know, there hasn't been a test case about whether a state can force an ISP to block content. If, as I suspect, this one goes all the way to the Supreme Court, it'll give every ISP (and state, for that matter) in the country a roadmap on how to handle these sorts of situations.
1. Considering the prevalent public opinion of open source projects, is SCO trying to prevent the development of such software, even if it was not the intended effect? If so, why?
2. Has this lawsuit affected the public perception of SCO? If it has, is this the result you anticipated? Is this something you want for your company?
3. Should SCO lose the lawsuit, what would be the future prospects for the company? Why would anyone want to buy SCO stock at this time?
4. Who made the decision to file this lawsuit? Was it approved by SCO's Board of Directors? Was there a vote among shareholders, or were any consulted in making this decision?
I don't expect these to get answered, but I'd sure like to know.
No, it's not whether or not the law is similar enough. Without having to go through the pain of law school (like I did,) rulings from other countries are absolutely not recognized here as a basis to form legal opionions on. There is only one exception to this, and that is pre-1776 British law. Believe it or not, where it hasn't been overruled, their old law is still binding here. This is because we picked up their common law system after the Revolution. Instead of starting from scratch, the Founders kept what already existed and our common law system extends from there. This is not be confused with recognizing foreign judgments in order to enforce them (such as suing someone from the US for money and needing to take it from his bank account) which, depending on the country and treaty, is possible.
What I'm trying to say is that the RIAA, or anyone else for that matter, cannot take a Norwegian judgment into court and argue that the US court MUST rule the same way because of that judgment. Just so you know, this is usually how it works with state and federal cases. Simply put, you find one that is similar to the case you're arguing from a court that has jurisdiction in the jurisdiction you're arguing in, and tell the judge (or jury) that it has to go your way because the case you're citing found the same thing. Of course, it's rarely this easy and it's not every day that you can find a case that is "on point" yours. So you get to cut and paste from a variety of cases and use that to form your argument.
I suppose the easiest way to put this is that the Norwegian court does not have any sort of jurisdiction in the US, and also vice versa. And because the Norwegian judgment is formed on Norwegian law and not US law, you can't use any part of it to form your argument in the US.
As someone not in the IT industry....
on
A Better Finder?
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· Score: 1
This really puts the finger on why I'm not all that comfortable using OS X. My field is pretty far away from tech, but computers are my hobby and I have several to fool with.
Though it's great fun to pick around with Linux and newer Mac OSes, when I want to get some serious work done and not worry about a damn thing, I turn to my old Mac IIfx, running System 6.0.8. Reliable,stable, and absolutely mindless ease of use. Not to mention the fact that it it runs System 6 blindingly fast- faster than any of my newer machines running newer OSes.
Personally, I'd very much like to see a return to the simplpicity and mindless ease of use found in the earlier Systems. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I see the endless customization of Linux and the quirks of newer systems as a hobby. It really is fun to plpay with, and yes, you can get some work done. This is in the same sense that you might keep one car around to tinker with, fix, upgrade, and so on. But anyone who does that almost always keeps a "beater" on hand that will keep running as long as there's gas in the tank. System 6 is my beater, and I'm not giving it up any time soon.
I think it's already been pointed out that this isn't double jeopardy, most specifically because this is being tried in Norway, not the United States. There are a couple of other important points that follow from that, too.
First, even IF he gets convicted, the case will have absolutely no bearing on any federal or state law in the United States. No court in this country will recognize Norwegian law.
Second, though I know little about the Norwegian court system, an appeal usually focuses primarily on whether or not the law was correctly applied in the previous case. If that's how things work over there, there's a good chance the ruling will uphold the judgment of the lower court.
Third, if my experiences in US Courts are any guide, foreign companies/corporations/groups tend not to fare so well against a local defendant.
I might be totally wrong about those last two points, but I hope everyone in the US doesn't freak out too much. It's not going to have any bearing on what happens here. And beside the point, the genie (DeCSS) is already out of the bottle. They're just trying to frighten people out of using it.
Somehow, beer and hot dogs are just not the same while sitting in front of the computer. And won't you feel like an idiot singing by yourself during the seventh inning stretch? Then again, at least my computer chair isn't sticky and parking is free at my house.
I can speak from personal experience on this one. The first time through I was an English major, and I only used Macs.
I continued to use a Mac through law school, and it worked great.
Things are a little more complex now that I've gone back to school to become a CPA; I have a small collection of Macs (old and new) a Sun running Aurora Linux/Gnome and even a Windows box, running 2000.
How do I feel about the various platforms? Well, I only bought the Windows box because there are certain applications I need for work that only run on Windows. I'd rather not deal with emulators, etc.; it's simpler just to have a dedicated machine. And no, I don't do a ritual purification after using Windows, either. I think Windows is OK. Not perfect, but usually gets the job done. I love Linux. It works great and is a lot of fun to play with. And I'm rabidly fanatical about my Macs.
My points are as follows:
1. You CAN get a liveral arts major to learn to use (and love) Linux.
2. There's a whole lot of work that can be done with a very simple machine. For instance, I could easily use my trusty Mac IIfx running System 6.0.7 and a laser printer to run a solo law practice. The only difference between that and a new machine is that the new machine would cost a lot more. Productivity would absolutely be the same. A simple machine, well made, with an exceptionally stable OS is all you really need to get most things done. That is as long as you don't work for a computer company or like gamezzzz stuffed full of eye candy. One of my (small) gripes about Slashdot is that the majority here seems to think that ultra-powerful, new solutions are needed to everything. Unfortunately, some of the older, proven stuff has only been marginally improved upon.
What I'd like to do is build a very small transmitter that broadcasts the same signals as the RFID tags. Then I could program it to show that I'm wearing 30,000 pairs of underwear.
I usually leave my computer at home when on the road. However, I do participate in a different kind of wireless that I enjoy every bit as much as the Internet- Amateur Radio. The Technician license is easy to get, you can get a mobile or handheld 2m radio for under $200, and there are never any access fees. Repeaters are everywhere and there are lots of people to talk to. Great fun, try it.
Patents do not last forever. They are only good for a set period of time. It is possible that the litigation will outlast the patents, so even IF SCO wins, the whole thing could be moot before the trial, appeals, et al. are complete. I think SCO is trying to find a purchaser or perhaps get a quick, cheap settlement in order to keep things afloat.
Ever notice that your alarm clock, microwave, stereo clock, etc. is never very accurate? The voltage and frequency do vary depending upon the load on the grid, the generation facility, usage in your home, and so on. Of course, major variations will screw things up and US voltage is pretty consistent, but it's the little variations that throw your bedside alarm off a few minutes every so often. Though slightly off topic, If you want accuracy, get a good (36,000+ vph) mechanical wristwatch, or even better, one of the old Bulova Accutrons. If you're not familiar with the Accutron, run a Google or eBay search for them; they were a HUGE hit with the geek crowd back in the Sixties. They were used as timing devices in the Apollo program and in satellites, too.
This reminds me of the Negativland album "Escape From Noise." The first track on the record is a parody of a radio announcement telling you that the next track you will hear has been scientifically tested and engineered to be a big hit. I guess this shows how parody often becomes reality. Spooky. Great album, by the way, if you haven't experienced Negativland yet.
As an attorney myself, I think that letter was downright friendly. All they want is an acknowledgment that it is a trademark, and ANY good lexicographer should include the etymology (e.g. a trademark that is working its way into general usage) of a new word. Also, including it in his list does not infringe on trademark rights, so there really isn't a problem here. Google just wants a little recognition, and I think they deserve it.
Barry:
I don't believe that legal or technical solutions will ever be able to stop spam. Spam remains profitable because the only people who respond to it are interested buyers. Someone has to be buying.
Here's what I do: every time I get spam, I forward it to a fake e-mail account I have just for spam. I spend an hour or two each week responding to it, requesting more information, or asking them to send literature, etc. to fake, but realistic, addresses. I believe that if several million people did the same it would absolutely cripple the spam industry. They would not be able to tell genuine buyers from fake ones and become instantly unprofitable. The only reason they are profitable at this time is because uninterested buyers simply delete or filter their messages. If you kill the profit, you kill the spam. What do you think of this low-tech assault on spam?
Yes, small claims cases DO get appealed. Here's how it works:
Small claims (in most jurisdictions) is sort of a subset of the local county (circuit, etc.) court. In some states, a small claims matter can be turned into a jury trial at the county level. In smaller jurisdictions, you often have the same judges hearing small claims and and county cases.
A judgment in small claims is every bit as binding as a judgment in another court. They are (usually) appealed to a lower level appellate court, depending on the state.
Now, here's the interesting part. Personally, I do not think many spammers are going to appeal the cases. And they are not going to appeal because of the cost, or anything of the sort. The reason they are not going to appeal many is to make sure that precedent is NOT set. Because if there's a local appellate decision against them, it will open a floodgate of claims and possible class action cases.
Hey, whatever happened to that Clipper Chip? What about that V Chip that was supposed to go in your telvision and prevent certain content from being watched? If anyone is paying attention to history, this kind of crap is usually stillborn or shot down early in its production. Linux and the Mac will still be around, as will plenty of other options, such as older Sun and SGI workstations. Believe me, once consumers find out what Palladium *really* does, microsoft will be in a heap of trouble. Personally, I hope they pour billions and billions and billions onto Palladium only for it to fall flat in the marketplace (which it undoubtedly will) and give up marketshare to everyone else. Just sit back, watch it fail dramatically and enjoy.
Slashdot Mirror
I suppose they're thinking this is a brilliant PR campaign, but they're going to get a hell of a lot of bad press if they capitalize on someone else's great idea and only give him/her $25k.
Just another example of incredible corporate stupidity.
This thing is brilliant. Just think, you will be able to browse pr0n in the bathroom, then print it out on the toilet paper, and when you're done, you can just flush everything! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm eagerly awaitng the IPO on this one- this is going to be big.
First, who says you have to give *accurate* information for your supermarket store discount cards, or to anyone else trolling for consumer data? Safeway has something similar to my real name and an address that isn't quite right.
Take every opportunity to fill out consumer surveys completely wrong. This can be entertaining if you try to make the data as contradictory as possible.
Third, and most importantly, when consumer goods are easily substitutable (think soda, soap, canned goods, shoes, and just about everything) do not EVER be brand loyal. After all, they're all about the same. Make your buying habits capricious and unpredictable; this completely negates all the marketing crap and destroys their predictions.
If the data becomes unrelaible, inaccurate and, more than anything, a big waste of time and money, they'll stop doing it.
No one here seems to realize that this could turn out to be a very good thing. As far as I know, there hasn't been a test case about whether a state can force an ISP to block content. If, as I suspect, this one goes all the way to the Supreme Court, it'll give every ISP (and state, for that matter) in the country a roadmap on how to handle these sorts of situations.
This is not necessarily a bad thing.
2. Has this lawsuit affected the public perception of SCO? If it has, is this the result you anticipated? Is this something you want for your company?
3. Should SCO lose the lawsuit, what would be the future prospects for the company? Why would anyone want to buy SCO stock at this time?
4. Who made the decision to file this lawsuit? Was it approved by SCO's Board of Directors? Was there a vote among shareholders, or were any consulted in making this decision?
I don't expect these to get answered, but I'd sure like to know.
If Acacia goes after Goatse, I'm going down there myself to teach them a thing or two.
What I'm trying to say is that the RIAA, or anyone else for that matter, cannot take a Norwegian judgment into court and argue that the US court MUST rule the same way because of that judgment. Just so you know, this is usually how it works with state and federal cases. Simply put, you find one that is similar to the case you're arguing from a court that has jurisdiction in the jurisdiction you're arguing in, and tell the judge (or jury) that it has to go your way because the case you're citing found the same thing. Of course, it's rarely this easy and it's not every day that you can find a case that is "on point" yours. So you get to cut and paste from a variety of cases and use that to form your argument.
I suppose the easiest way to put this is that the Norwegian court does not have any sort of jurisdiction in the US, and also vice versa. And because the Norwegian judgment is formed on Norwegian law and not US law, you can't use any part of it to form your argument in the US.
Though it's great fun to pick around with Linux and newer Mac OSes, when I want to get some serious work done and not worry about a damn thing, I turn to my old Mac IIfx, running System 6.0.8. Reliable,stable, and absolutely mindless ease of use. Not to mention the fact that it it runs System 6 blindingly fast- faster than any of my newer machines running newer OSes.
Personally, I'd very much like to see a return to the simplpicity and mindless ease of use found in the earlier Systems. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I see the endless customization of Linux and the quirks of newer systems as a hobby. It really is fun to plpay with, and yes, you can get some work done. This is in the same sense that you might keep one car around to tinker with, fix, upgrade, and so on. But anyone who does that almost always keeps a "beater" on hand that will keep running as long as there's gas in the tank. System 6 is my beater, and I'm not giving it up any time soon.
First, even IF he gets convicted, the case will have absolutely no bearing on any federal or state law in the United States. No court in this country will recognize Norwegian law.
Second, though I know little about the Norwegian court system, an appeal usually focuses primarily on whether or not the law was correctly applied in the previous case. If that's how things work over there, there's a good chance the ruling will uphold the judgment of the lower court.
Third, if my experiences in US Courts are any guide, foreign companies/corporations/groups tend not to fare so well against a local defendant.
I might be totally wrong about those last two points, but I hope everyone in the US doesn't freak out too much. It's not going to have any bearing on what happens here. And beside the point, the genie (DeCSS) is already out of the bottle. They're just trying to frighten people out of using it.
Somehow, beer and hot dogs are just not the same while sitting in front of the computer. And won't you feel like an idiot singing by yourself during the seventh inning stretch? Then again, at least my computer chair isn't sticky and parking is free at my house.
I continued to use a Mac through law school, and it worked great.
Things are a little more complex now that I've gone back to school to become a CPA; I have a small collection of Macs (old and new) a Sun running Aurora Linux/Gnome and even a Windows box, running 2000.
How do I feel about the various platforms? Well, I only bought the Windows box because there are certain applications I need for work that only run on Windows. I'd rather not deal with emulators, etc.; it's simpler just to have a dedicated machine. And no, I don't do a ritual purification after using Windows, either. I think Windows is OK. Not perfect, but usually gets the job done. I love Linux. It works great and is a lot of fun to play with. And I'm rabidly fanatical about my Macs.
My points are as follows:
1. You CAN get a liveral arts major to learn to use (and love) Linux.
2. There's a whole lot of work that can be done with a very simple machine. For instance, I could easily use my trusty Mac IIfx running System 6.0.7 and a laser printer to run a solo law practice. The only difference between that and a new machine is that the new machine would cost a lot more. Productivity would absolutely be the same. A simple machine, well made, with an exceptionally stable OS is all you really need to get most things done. That is as long as you don't work for a computer company or like gamezzzz stuffed full of eye candy. One of my (small) gripes about Slashdot is that the majority here seems to think that ultra-powerful, new solutions are needed to everything. Unfortunately, some of the older, proven stuff has only been marginally improved upon.
This could help a lot of people. However, one pressing question remains. Can you port Linux to it?
What I'd like to do is build a very small transmitter that broadcasts the same signals as the RFID tags. Then I could program it to show that I'm wearing 30,000 pairs of underwear.
All you need to do is put away a few stiff drinks and everything will be rotating just fine.
I usually leave my computer at home when on the road. However, I do participate in a different kind of wireless that I enjoy every bit as much as the Internet- Amateur Radio. The Technician license is easy to get, you can get a mobile or handheld 2m radio for under $200, and there are never any access fees. Repeaters are everywhere and there are lots of people to talk to. Great fun, try it.
I always thought Michael Jackson pioneered this technique years ago.
NO GIRLS ALLOWED! Kind of like Slashdot, come to think of it....
Patents do not last forever. They are only good for a set period of time. It is possible that the litigation will outlast the patents, so even IF SCO wins, the whole thing could be moot before the trial, appeals, et al. are complete. I think SCO is trying to find a purchaser or perhaps get a quick, cheap settlement in order to keep things afloat.
Ever notice that your alarm clock, microwave, stereo clock, etc. is never very accurate? The voltage and frequency do vary depending upon the load on the grid, the generation facility, usage in your home, and so on. Of course, major variations will screw things up and US voltage is pretty consistent, but it's the little variations that throw your bedside alarm off a few minutes every so often. Though slightly off topic, If you want accuracy, get a good (36,000+ vph) mechanical wristwatch, or even better, one of the old Bulova Accutrons. If you're not familiar with the Accutron, run a Google or eBay search for them; they were a HUGE hit with the geek crowd back in the Sixties. They were used as timing devices in the Apollo program and in satellites, too.
This reminds me of the Negativland album "Escape From Noise." The first track on the record is a parody of a radio announcement telling you that the next track you will hear has been scientifically tested and engineered to be a big hit. I guess this shows how parody often becomes reality. Spooky. Great album, by the way, if you haven't experienced Negativland yet.
As an attorney myself, I think that letter was downright friendly. All they want is an acknowledgment that it is a trademark, and ANY good lexicographer should include the etymology (e.g. a trademark that is working its way into general usage) of a new word. Also, including it in his list does not infringe on trademark rights, so there really isn't a problem here. Google just wants a little recognition, and I think they deserve it.
Here's what I do: every time I get spam, I forward it to a fake e-mail account I have just for spam. I spend an hour or two each week responding to it, requesting more information, or asking them to send literature, etc. to fake, but realistic, addresses. I believe that if several million people did the same it would absolutely cripple the spam industry. They would not be able to tell genuine buyers from fake ones and become instantly unprofitable. The only reason they are profitable at this time is because uninterested buyers simply delete or filter their messages. If you kill the profit, you kill the spam. What do you think of this low-tech assault on spam?
Small claims (in most jurisdictions) is sort of a subset of the local county (circuit, etc.) court. In some states, a small claims matter can be turned into a jury trial at the county level. In smaller jurisdictions, you often have the same judges hearing small claims and and county cases.
A judgment in small claims is every bit as binding as a judgment in another court. They are (usually) appealed to a lower level appellate court, depending on the state.
Now, here's the interesting part. Personally, I do not think many spammers are going to appeal the cases. And they are not going to appeal because of the cost, or anything of the sort. The reason they are not going to appeal many is to make sure that precedent is NOT set. Because if there's a local appellate decision against them, it will open a floodgate of claims and possible class action cases.
Will this improve my Minesweeper score?
Hey, whatever happened to that Clipper Chip? What about that V Chip that was supposed to go in your telvision and prevent certain content from being watched? If anyone is paying attention to history, this kind of crap is usually stillborn or shot down early in its production. Linux and the Mac will still be around, as will plenty of other options, such as older Sun and SGI workstations. Believe me, once consumers find out what Palladium *really* does, microsoft will be in a heap of trouble. Personally, I hope they pour billions and billions and billions onto Palladium only for it to fall flat in the marketplace (which it undoubtedly will) and give up marketshare to everyone else. Just sit back, watch it fail dramatically and enjoy.