With all the versions of Win NT/2000/XP/whatever's next..., one thing which hasn't changed that usually seems to help, is to ALWAYS make sure that you are logged in as the local Administrator when you install or configure software, and that you then test it by logging in as a mere mortal (i.e., a user). Ok. Network Admin mode is fine too, but local Admin mode (this is the first account that is setup when the OS was installed) is the one to use - it's the most relevant in a non-networked installation (most typical residential setups). This gives the best chance of ensuring that the program is installed properly, with proper security permissions applied throughout all program files, directories, and temporary workspace paths. So, although it doesn't give clueless developers a 'get out of jail free card' if they overly complicate a simple install with byzantine logic, it will usually make your life easier if you are grappling with a difficult to diagnose program installation issue. BTW... this strategy assumes that software is installed as an Admin, and run as a User (Yes it's true- I am a dreamer).
So to recap: Install Word as an Admin, and select the "Run all programs from this computer" option. If it still doesn't satisfy the 'auto-feature-install thingy', then login (again!) as an Admin and do the same thing to trigger the feature installation routine. You shouldn't have to keep re-installing this crap every time Word tries to use the feature.
Ok. If all of this fails, you might have to a) login as Admin & add the user to the Local Administrator's group (temporarily). Then logout and back in as the User, & then let the feature install thing run one last time. But that should be it. Then remove the user from the LA group.
You find the possibility that people might be prone to exhibit this particular psychological behavior, as incredible as the plausibility of aliens landing eh? Gee, that's not over the top at all.
Thanks for the concern but there's no need. In order be insulted, I would actually have to care whether or not you believed me. Luckily for me, I don't! Like almost everyone else here, I'm simply voicing my opinion, much of which is based on my experiences. And since I find your responses to be as consistently close minded as you find mine to be implausible, it's clear to me that there's no point in carrying on this inane thread. We're done here.
No, I am not assuming that some people would act this way - I have actually observed this behavior. I don't know why they would do it - I only know that some of them will do it. The only debate at this point is how many people would behave in this manner.
IMO , the poll results being secret has nothing to do with the psychological desire of mainstream America, to 'fit in', hence, to be a member of the winning team. I believe that forecasting the winner does, has, and will continue to influence some voters.
I never said that I cared if *I* was on the "winning team". Wild horses with guns couldn't get me to change my mind once I've made my mind up. But I was referring to the behavior of others whom I have observed doing exactly what I described. Granted, it may not be as prevalent as the picture I painted, but I don't believe for a moment that it would have the exact opposite effect (as you put it).
I can, however, see the outcome you described as also being probable. I just don't see it as the only possible outcome. I think it's fair to say that we both have a point.
I agree with your comments along the lines of people being too lazy, apathetic, complacent, uninformed, etc. If all capable and qualified voters would simply get out and vote, I believe that the status quo would be very likely to change so greatly, that it would be hard to believe what we were seeing. What would be a great aid in this process, would be if all elements of easy prognostication, could be completely eradicated from the voting ritual.
Not much pisses me off more than to hear the talking media heads all flapping their useless pieholes about the predicted results, long before everyone has voted. Truth is that w-a-y too many people who even make the effort to vote, vote like lemmings -- they all want to be on the winning team, so when they hear how their chosen candidate is supposed to lose, they either change their vote or they simply give up and don't even bother to go, because 'it doesn't matter anyway'.
There oughta be a law!
OK, but what about those who are confined to their homes or caregiving wards, by some physical disability? Doesn't their vote count as much as anyone else's? And more importantly, isn't it required to give them convenient and equal access to the election process?
Granted it would be a huge PITA to provide a secure electronic voting mechanism for the relatively small number of folks who would probably qualify under this criteria, but after all is said and done, isn't that just 'the right thing to do'?
Just like alternative energy sources, this is something that our society needs to get seriously working on, so that someday, we might have a system that actually works. That will never happen if all arguments start off with the words "It can't..." or "That won't".
Personally, I am thrilled to see Diebold getting their ass handed back to them on a platter. They deserve it. Maybe now, the committees and politicians who make these technical decisions, will pay closer attention to the howls of discontent from those who know what they are talking about. And perhaps there will be a renewed chance for engineering firms with more integrity and a sense of duty, who can get in on the development process.
REAP WHAT YOU SOW...
INSTANT KHARMA...
CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST...
OK enough already. I guess I just want to say, that this is the kind of news that puts a BIG ol' grin on my face. Don't get me wrong - I don't believe in stealing copyrighted material and screwing the artist (besides, as most of us know, the record companies already do a fine job in this respect).
It's just nice to see occasionally, that bullshit legislation can blow-up in the face of the almighty lobbylists and greed mongers.
Let's pray that this is the final straw that boots the record inductry off the cliff, and maybe even takes along the RIAA!!
Let's hope for the UA admin's sake, that no disgruntled UA students, who are remotely computer literate, have read this and done the math (in about.0002 ns) and realized what it means.
- students may NOT opt out of paying for internet connectivity, regardless of their desire to use or not
- merely connecting to a Kazaa node activates the enforcement action (i.e., no downloading of illegal content is required)
- previously collected internet connectivity fees are NOT refunded on a pro-rated basis, for services that will never be delivered
- RIAA propaganda is force-fed to those whom this *ahem*... system has determined as violaters (are they bound to a comfy chair, with eyes propped wide open also?)
Makes you wonder if there are any lawyers actually practicing in Florida. I don't support illegal content downloading in general, but this UF solution is a huge load of crap, atop a heaping stinkpile of entrapment. Why the fsck don't they simply block Kazaa at the firewall? Doesn't their Kung Fu Master of Network Coordination (Rob Bird) understand how to configure a firewall? Guess not.
Who's really doing the stealing and profiteering here folks? Preying on a captive audience of ignorant youth who are not-so-worldly in a legal and business sense, shouldn't result in mass adulation and butt kisses? Where's the outrage???
These are the kinds of spineless wimps who (I pray) are whining passengers on that busload of RIAA scum, that fateful day when the lynch mob corners them on a cul de sac.
Ok... a little over the top perhaps. But I truly am praying for that day, when some smart and courageous kid figures out that they too, can have their very own ass-reaming lawyer.
"Q. Mainstream support for Exchange 5.5 was scheduled to end on December 31, 2003. Why are you providing the first year of extended support for no charge?
A. Customers gave us feedback that they would like more time to migrate from Exchange 5.5. Based on this feedback, we are offering the first year of extended support at no charge. Extended support (pay-per-incident and security hotfix support) is still scheduled to end on December 31, 2005. We also invested in new deployment and migration tools to ease and facilitate your migration to Exchange Server 2003."
Mel Karmazin has an amazing track record. Even his critics have to agree (begrudgingly) that he usually delivers on what he sets his sights on.
And that is what worries me.
With FCC Chairman Michael Powell (son of Secy. of St. Colin Powell) doing his best to drive the FCC into Orwellian territory, the last thing the American people need is another father-son leadership challenged puppet show.
To date 'we the people' have been extraordinarily lucky, given that many of Mr. Powell's attempts to deliver our constitutionally protected fair rights priveleges, have been rebuffed by our elected representatives. It seems fairly clear though, that the arrogance of executives like Karmazin is not likely to change anytime soon. Especially if 'we the people' continue to sit on our duffs and merely observe the proceedings.
WHAT TO DO? Hell, who really knows? Certainly not I. But I'd like to think that it never hurts to write to your congressional representative whenever necessary. Perhaps more effective is a sustained and highly publicized boycott of everything the offending corporations have to offer a consumer:
- don't purchase a new HDTV
- don't watch any of their TV broadcasts
- in particular, don't watch the NFL
- don't listen to their radio broadcasts
- write to them and let them know what you are doing and why
- write to your congressional representatives
- talk to others and explain briefly why all of this is important
This is our country. Fair usage rights are constitutionally protected (whatever that means today). Let's take back what has been stolen, and not continue to subsidize big business's continued campaign to steal whatever is left.
David & Goliath? You bet.
The opportunity to produce skid marks in boardrooms across this great nation? PRICELESS
What "electric company that gave power to houses" would that have been? You aren't by chance referring to the Edison Electric Company are you? As history recalls, Edison's company promoted DC power versus AC power (which was the platform that Tesla endeavored in). As we all know... DC lost.
Westinghouse is the company that brought power to peoples houses, via the nations first power generation station at Niagara Falls. Tesla himself oversaw the installation of the generators based on his design.
what if I haven't fallen down yet, and if I did, I could get up on my own?
Sure, we the people, could choose not to use this technology. But I would imagine that not too long after it creeps into everything technological in our lives, refusing to use it would be in effect like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
How many services would simply not be available to those who choose to take the road less traveled? There are already examples of this kind of insiduously malignant thinking taking place as we live and breathe:
- a Patriot Act which contained specific 'sunset clauses', now being attempted to be made permanent by Sen. Orin Hatch
- an incumbent administration which insists on erasing the lines that should clearly be drawn between church and state relationships
- anything related to the DMCA, UCITA, CDA, P2P, etc.
- Enron, Tyco, RIAA, MPAA, executive compensation, golden parachutes, and numerous other examples of obscenely piggish & unrepentant favoritism towards all things big business
- a constant succession of legal decisions favoring the white collar criminals who masquerade
as upstanding corporate citizens of our communities
Why don't they simply make it a legal requirement to ask for and receive anyone's express permission to distribute their personal information? And then make it a felony to fsck with us if we don't sign on the dotted line. Oh yeah, I forgot: because it would be too much of an inconvenience for those who want to abuse our personal information.
As much as I'd want people to help me out if I were in the same position, I don't think paying the fine for these guys is a good idea. First off, they didn't have to settle. If they had just stonewalled and let the RIAA get all puffed up, then it would have gone to trial at some point. Then maybe the RIAA could have had their asses handed to them, along with that waste of human space Hilary. Second, by paying the fine the RIAA gets their extortion money, just that much quicker. As many have pointed out here, perhaps this could really be the start of a new revenue stream for them.
I own appx. 4000 vinyl lp's, hundreds of tapes, & mostly used CD's, and I have dozens of hours of my own music to wade through. I stopped buying new CD's when I realized what it cost to produce them as compared to their ridiculous retail price. It didn't help to understand also how the artist's almost always get screwed too. OK, maybe every once in a while I just have to have the new Steve Morse, Duke Robillard or Elvis (Costello), or maybe something from an independant label but generally speaking, the 'music industry' has lost my thousands of discretionary entertainment dollars. Forever.
So if you can live without most of the crap that passes for innovative music these days, simply don't buy their product. It's that easy. Fsck them and their greedy pinhead lawyers. It's a simple war of attrition. HEY - and pick up an instrument. Learn how to make your own damn music. Why buy the milk when you can own the cow? That'd really piss em' off heh heh.
And don't listen to the radio either. Clear Channel and it's cult mentality sucks worse than rehashed disco.
So KM was stupid enough to get caught, unlike many white hatters. Most of what he did falls into the button pushing category, rather than the illicit profit & malicious damage category. And as history has shown over & over, prosecutors really like to stack up the charges and inflate the cost of any estimated damages - especially when there's a cracker involved in a high profile exploit. Hell, I don't think the damage Mitnick inflicted even begins to approach that of the average virus distributor. And it certainly doesn't fall into the scum sucking Ken Lay, Scott Sullivan (and other executive practioneers of corporate malfeasance fraud) that seem as common as everyday breaches of our constitutional rights. Yet these are the people that society likes to hold up as pillars of their communities, and respected businessmen... of course until they get caught screwing the retirement fund pooch. Then all of a sudden (or for at least 2 weeks anyway) everybody's focused on the problem, until the next ET cover story on who's screwing who in la la land.
Mitnick's already served more than anyone's reasonable assessment of a fair penance for his transgressions (has everyone forgotten the manner in which he was illegally held for years before being sentenced). If he is sincere about reforming and can truly prove it given a fair chance, WHY NOT consider allowing him to earn a living at what he is best at? Seems to me that time & time again, society refuses to recognize that a person who breaks the law, gets caught, is sentenced by the court, and then serves their time, has to be given an opportunity to build a new life by demonstrating that they have learned something positive from being imprisoned. Look, I ain't no bleeding heart. Pedophiles, true sex offenders, and sociopathic killers do not qualify in any way, ever, for a second chance. But by refusing to differentiate between shades of gray when being judgemental, isn't society making it all the more probable that people cannot earn a respectful living using the skills they already posses (and I don't mean to include safe cracking, counterfeiting, etc)? If they can't make ends meet eventually, they may be overly tempted at some point to use their experience to again break the law... except this time in a more competent and disingenious manner? The classic progression of a hardened criminal.
And hey - if he screws up a second chance, we can always just take him out back and shoot him. Probably be legal by then anyway.
Hey - I don't work for any of these companies or own their stock. But I do own several vintage Fender & Marshall amps, tons of discrete audio processing gear, and have a nice home studio. I have to say that my Line6 AxSys 212 amp, coupled with Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge 6 audio software, allows me to tap into an incredible array of sonic possibilities that would be very time consuming and expensive using non-digital technology. Sure, there are some disadvantages (such as the learning curve - digital is very different than analog, but that shouldn't be much of a problem for the./ crowd) but overall the quality can be amazing. For example, I compared a master tape recording, utilizing a 65' Fender Deluxe Black Panel amp, Sennheiser 421 mics, and multi-track analog tape, against the equivalent Line6 patch (seasoned to taste of course) direct to disk. I could not tell the guitar tracks apart (and yes you can get feedback at low volumes if that's your cup o' tea)! Coupled with the enhanced productivity and relatively low cost, digital modeling is an attractive alternative to the old school way of processing a signal chain. Not to mention that you can do all of this in the privacy of your headphones, or your apartment, or with the baby sleeping, etc. Very high bang for yer' buck ratio, in my opinion.
Slashdot Mirror
With all the versions of Win NT/2000/XP/whatever's next..., one thing which hasn't changed that usually seems to help, is to ALWAYS make sure that you are logged in as the local Administrator when you install or configure software, and that you then test it by logging in as a mere mortal (i.e., a user). Ok. Network Admin mode is fine too, but local Admin mode (this is the first account that is setup when the OS was installed) is the one to use - it's the most relevant in a non-networked installation (most typical residential setups). This gives the best chance of ensuring that the program is installed properly, with proper security permissions applied throughout all program files, directories, and temporary workspace paths. So, although it doesn't give clueless developers a 'get out of jail free card' if they overly complicate a simple install with byzantine logic, it will usually make your life easier if you are grappling with a difficult to diagnose program installation issue. BTW... this strategy assumes that software is installed as an Admin, and run as a User (Yes it's true- I am a dreamer).
So to recap: Install Word as an Admin, and select the "Run all programs from this computer" option. If it still doesn't satisfy the 'auto-feature-install thingy', then login (again!) as an Admin and do the same thing to trigger the feature installation routine. You shouldn't have to keep re-installing this crap every time Word tries to use the feature.
Ok. If all of this fails, you might have to a) login as Admin & add the user to the Local Administrator's group (temporarily). Then logout and back in as the User, & then let the feature install thing run one last time. But that should be it. Then remove the user from the LA group.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a big Word or Microsoft fan!
You find the possibility that people might be prone to exhibit this particular psychological behavior, as incredible as the plausibility of aliens landing eh? Gee, that's not over the top at all.
Thanks for the concern but there's no need. In order be insulted, I would actually have to care whether or not you believed me. Luckily for me, I don't! Like almost everyone else here, I'm simply voicing my opinion, much of which is based on my experiences. And since I find your responses to be as consistently close minded as you find mine to be implausible, it's clear to me that there's no point in carrying on this inane thread. We're done here.
No, I am not assuming that some people would act this way - I have actually observed this behavior. I don't know why they would do it - I only know that some of them will do it. The only debate at this point is how many people would behave in this manner.
IMO , the poll results being secret has nothing to do with the psychological desire of mainstream America, to 'fit in', hence, to be a member of the winning team. I believe that forecasting the winner does, has, and will continue to influence some voters.
I never said that I cared if *I* was on the "winning team". Wild horses with guns couldn't get me to change my mind once I've made my mind up. But I was referring to the behavior of others whom I have observed doing exactly what I described. Granted, it may not be as prevalent as the picture I painted, but I don't believe for a moment that it would have the exact opposite effect (as you put it).
I can, however, see the outcome you described as also being probable. I just don't see it as the only possible outcome. I think it's fair to say that we both have a point.
I agree with your comments along the lines of people being too lazy, apathetic, complacent, uninformed, etc. If all capable and qualified voters would simply get out and vote, I believe that the status quo would be very likely to change so greatly, that it would be hard to believe what we were seeing. What would be a great aid in this process, would be if all elements of easy prognostication, could be completely eradicated from the voting ritual.
Not much pisses me off more than to hear the talking media heads all flapping their useless pieholes about the predicted results, long before everyone has voted. Truth is that w-a-y too many people who even make the effort to vote, vote like lemmings -- they all want to be on the winning team, so when they hear how their chosen candidate is supposed to lose, they either change their vote or they simply give up and don't even bother to go, because 'it doesn't matter anyway'.
There oughta be a law!
OK, but what about those who are confined to their homes or caregiving wards, by some physical disability? Doesn't their vote count as much as anyone else's? And more importantly, isn't it required to give them convenient and equal access to the election process?
Granted it would be a huge PITA to provide a secure electronic voting mechanism for the relatively small number of folks who would probably qualify under this criteria, but after all is said and done, isn't that just 'the right thing to do'?
Just like alternative energy sources, this is something that our society needs to get seriously working on, so that someday, we might have a system that actually works. That will never happen if all arguments start off with the words "It can't..." or "That won't".
Personally, I am thrilled to see Diebold getting their ass handed back to them on a platter. They deserve it. Maybe now, the committees and politicians who make these technical decisions, will pay closer attention to the howls of discontent from those who know what they are talking about. And perhaps there will be a renewed chance for engineering firms with more integrity and a sense of duty, who can get in on the development process.
REAP WHAT YOU SOW... INSTANT KHARMA... CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST...
OK enough already. I guess I just want to say, that this is the kind of news that puts a BIG ol' grin on my face. Don't get me wrong - I don't believe in stealing copyrighted material and screwing the artist (besides, as most of us know, the record companies already do a fine job in this respect).
It's just nice to see occasionally, that bullshit legislation can blow-up in the face of the almighty lobbylists and greed mongers.
Let's pray that this is the final straw that boots the record inductry off the cliff, and maybe even takes along the RIAA!!
No proper firewalls? Really??
.0002 ns) and realized what it means.
Let's hope for the UA admin's sake, that no disgruntled UA students, who are remotely computer literate, have read this and done the math (in about
If I understand this correctly...
- students may NOT opt out of paying for internet connectivity, regardless of their desire to use or not
- merely connecting to a Kazaa node activates the enforcement action (i.e., no downloading of illegal content is required)
- previously collected internet connectivity fees are NOT refunded on a pro-rated basis, for services that will never be delivered
- RIAA propaganda is force-fed to those whom this *ahem*... system has determined as violaters (are they bound to a comfy chair, with eyes propped wide open also?)
Makes you wonder if there are any lawyers actually practicing in Florida. I don't support illegal content downloading in general, but this UF solution is a huge load of crap, atop a heaping stinkpile of entrapment. Why the fsck don't they simply block Kazaa at the firewall? Doesn't their Kung Fu Master of Network Coordination (Rob Bird) understand how to configure a firewall? Guess not.
Who's really doing the stealing and profiteering here folks? Preying on a captive audience of ignorant youth who are not-so-worldly in a legal and business sense, shouldn't result in mass adulation and butt kisses? Where's the outrage???
These are the kinds of spineless wimps who (I pray) are whining passengers on that busload of RIAA scum, that fateful day when the lynch mob corners them on a cul de sac.
Ok... a little over the top perhaps. But I truly am praying for that day, when some smart and courageous kid figures out that they too, can have their very own ass-reaming lawyer.
Not exactly. Directly from the horse's mouth...
l e/55faq.asp
"Q. Mainstream support for Exchange 5.5 was scheduled to end on December 31, 2003. Why are you providing the first year of extended support for no charge?
A. Customers gave us feedback that they would like more time to migrate from Exchange 5.5. Based on this feedback, we are offering the first year of extended support at no charge. Extended support (pay-per-incident and security hotfix support) is still scheduled to end on December 31, 2005. We also invested in new deployment and migration tools to ease and facilitate your migration to Exchange Server 2003."
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/support/lifecyc
Mel Karmazin has an amazing track record. Even his critics have to agree (begrudgingly) that he usually delivers on what he sets his sights on.
And that is what worries me.
With FCC Chairman Michael Powell (son of Secy. of St. Colin Powell) doing his best to drive the FCC into Orwellian territory, the last thing the American people need is another father-son leadership challenged puppet show.
To date 'we the people' have been extraordinarily lucky, given that many of Mr. Powell's attempts to deliver our constitutionally protected fair rights priveleges, have been rebuffed by our elected representatives. It seems fairly clear though, that the arrogance of executives like Karmazin is not likely to change anytime soon. Especially if 'we the people' continue to sit on our duffs and merely observe the proceedings.
WHAT TO DO? Hell, who really knows? Certainly not I. But I'd like to think that it never hurts to write to your congressional representative whenever necessary. Perhaps more effective is a sustained and highly publicized boycott of everything the offending corporations have to offer a consumer:
- don't purchase a new HDTV
- don't watch any of their TV broadcasts
- in particular, don't watch the NFL
- don't listen to their radio broadcasts
- write to them and let them know what you are doing and why
- write to your congressional representatives
- talk to others and explain briefly why all of this is important
This is our country. Fair usage rights are constitutionally protected (whatever that means today). Let's take back what has been stolen, and not continue to subsidize big business's continued campaign to steal whatever is left.
David & Goliath? You bet.
The opportunity to produce skid marks in boardrooms across this great nation? PRICELESS
What "electric company that gave power to houses" would that have been? You aren't by chance referring to the Edison Electric Company are you? As history recalls, Edison's company promoted DC power versus AC power (which was the platform that Tesla endeavored in). As we all know... DC lost.
Westinghouse is the company that brought power to peoples houses, via the nations first power generation station at Niagara Falls. Tesla himself oversaw the installation of the generators based on his design.
what if I haven't fallen down yet, and if I did, I could get up on my own? Sure, we the people, could choose not to use this technology. But I would imagine that not too long after it creeps into everything technological in our lives, refusing to use it would be in effect like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
How many services would simply not be available to those who choose to take the road less traveled? There are already examples of this kind of insiduously malignant thinking taking place as we live and breathe:
- a Patriot Act which contained specific 'sunset clauses', now being attempted to be made permanent by Sen. Orin Hatch
- an incumbent administration which insists on erasing the lines that should clearly be drawn between church and state relationships
- anything related to the DMCA, UCITA, CDA, P2P, etc.
- Enron, Tyco, RIAA, MPAA, executive compensation, golden parachutes, and numerous other examples of obscenely piggish & unrepentant favoritism towards all things big business
- a constant succession of legal decisions favoring the white collar criminals who masquerade as upstanding corporate citizens of our communities
Why don't they simply make it a legal requirement to ask for and receive anyone's express permission to distribute their personal information? And then make it a felony to fsck with us if we don't sign on the dotted line. Oh yeah, I forgot: because it would be too much of an inconvenience for those who want to abuse our personal information.
Big Brother never had it so good.
As much as I'd want people to help me out if I were in the same position, I don't think paying the fine for these guys is a good idea. First off, they didn't have to settle. If they had just stonewalled and let the RIAA get all puffed up, then it would have gone to trial at some point. Then maybe the RIAA could have had their asses handed to them, along with that waste of human space Hilary. Second, by paying the fine the RIAA gets their extortion money, just that much quicker. As many have pointed out here, perhaps this could really be the start of a new revenue stream for them.
I own appx. 4000 vinyl lp's, hundreds of tapes, & mostly used CD's, and I have dozens of hours of my own music to wade through. I stopped buying new CD's when I realized what it cost to produce them as compared to their ridiculous retail price. It didn't help to understand also how the artist's almost always get screwed too. OK, maybe every once in a while I just have to have the new Steve Morse, Duke Robillard or Elvis (Costello), or maybe something from an independant label but generally speaking, the 'music industry' has lost my thousands of discretionary entertainment dollars. Forever.
So if you can live without most of the crap that passes for innovative music these days, simply don't buy their product. It's that easy. Fsck them and their greedy pinhead lawyers. It's a simple war of attrition. HEY - and pick up an instrument. Learn how to make your own damn music. Why buy the milk when you can own the cow? That'd really piss em' off heh heh.
And don't listen to the radio either. Clear Channel and it's cult mentality sucks worse than rehashed disco.
No trolling, just my thoughts.
So KM was stupid enough to get caught, unlike many white hatters. Most of what he did falls into the button pushing category, rather than the illicit profit & malicious damage category. And as history has shown over & over, prosecutors really like to stack up the charges and inflate the cost of any estimated damages - especially when there's a cracker involved in a high profile exploit. Hell, I don't think the damage Mitnick inflicted even begins to approach that of the average virus distributor. And it certainly doesn't fall into the scum sucking Ken Lay, Scott Sullivan (and other executive practioneers of corporate malfeasance fraud) that seem as common as everyday breaches of our constitutional rights. Yet these are the people that society likes to hold up as pillars of their communities, and respected businessmen... of course until they get caught screwing the retirement fund pooch. Then all of a sudden (or for at least 2 weeks anyway) everybody's focused on the problem, until the next ET cover story on who's screwing who in la la land.
Mitnick's already served more than anyone's reasonable assessment of a fair penance for his transgressions (has everyone forgotten the manner in which he was illegally held for years before being sentenced). If he is sincere about reforming and can truly prove it given a fair chance, WHY NOT consider allowing him to earn a living at what he is best at? Seems to me that time & time again, society refuses to recognize that a person who breaks the law, gets caught, is sentenced by the court, and then serves their time, has to be given an opportunity to build a new life by demonstrating that they have learned something positive from being imprisoned. Look, I ain't no bleeding heart. Pedophiles, true sex offenders, and sociopathic killers do not qualify in any way, ever, for a second chance. But by refusing to differentiate between shades of gray when being judgemental, isn't society making it all the more probable that people cannot earn a respectful living using the skills they already posses (and I don't mean to include safe cracking, counterfeiting, etc)? If they can't make ends meet eventually, they may be overly tempted at some point to use their experience to again break the law... except this time in a more competent and disingenious manner? The classic progression of a hardened criminal.
And hey - if he screws up a second chance, we can always just take him out back and shoot him. Probably be legal by then anyway.
Hey - I don't work for any of these companies or own their stock. But I do own several vintage Fender & Marshall amps, tons of discrete audio processing gear, and have a nice home studio. I have to say that my Line6 AxSys 212 amp, coupled with Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge 6 audio software, allows me to tap into an incredible array of sonic possibilities that would be very time consuming and expensive using non-digital technology. Sure, there are some disadvantages (such as the learning curve - digital is very different than analog, but that shouldn't be much of a problem for the ./ crowd) but overall the quality can be amazing. For example, I compared a master tape recording, utilizing a 65' Fender Deluxe Black Panel amp, Sennheiser 421 mics, and multi-track analog tape, against the equivalent Line6 patch (seasoned to taste of course) direct to disk. I could not tell the guitar tracks apart (and yes you can get feedback at low volumes if that's your cup o' tea)! Coupled with the enhanced productivity and relatively low cost, digital modeling is an attractive alternative to the old school way of processing a signal chain. Not to mention that you can do all of this in the privacy of your headphones, or your apartment, or with the baby sleeping, etc. Very high bang for yer' buck ratio, in my opinion.