A good point, one which I did not consider at the time of my original post.
Whether the user is to blame or not depends on the wording of the message that SP2 will pop up when it finds an unlicenced installation.
If the message informs the user that they are contributing the virus/spam problem by not having a licenced copy, then the user has to take (some of) the blame if they get infected. However, Microsoft did have the opportunity to get that machine patched up so they must take some of the blame for the ensuing flood of spam. These infected machines will probably go on to infect other machines (which may or may not be licenced).
Blackmailing the user in this way ("pay up or you risk getting infected with password stealing trojans") seems a bit too much like blackmail to me for comfort. I somehow feel that Microsoft has some sort of duty to provide security updates for unlicenced users because of their monopoly position (for many users at least).
If however (as I expect will be the case) SP2 refuses to install WITHOUT informing the user of the consequences, then the blame can be laid entirely at Microsoft's door.
Perhaps SP2 could install, but without the goodies like popup blocking, bug fixes wrt stability, etc.
Regardless of the above, it's not good PR to have thousands of infested XP computers on the Net, unlicenced or not.
It's not as straightforward as you think. Microsft isn't just screwing that particular user -- they're screwing (virtually) everybody connected to the Net.
A case in point: even though there's a patch I have received hundreds of copies of Swen/Sobig. Now imagine that users of pirated XP installations can't get the patch. Imagine the chaos.
So by screwing that user, they're screwing me. Even though I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG. That's just not on.
From Christian Marillat's package repository (http://marillat.free.fr/). Mostly stuff that can't be in Debian because they're not sufficiently Free (lame, mplayer, video codecs, dvd stuff, etc.)
gee@duck:~$ dpkg -s video-dvdrip Package: video-dvdrip Status: install ok installed Priority: optional Section: graphics Installed-Size: 1208 Maintainer: Christian Marillat <marillat@debian.org> Architecture: i386 Version: 1:0.50.18-0.0 Depends: perl (>= 5.6.0-16), perl-modules (>= 5.8.1-1) | libstorable-perl, libgtk-perl, libgtk-pixbuf-perl, transcode (>= 2:0.6.6), imagemagick, fping, libevent-perl Recommends: xine-ui, subtitleripper, video-dvdrip-doc Suggests: mjpegtools, ogmtools (>= 0.972), cdrdao, mkisofs, cdrecord, vcdimager, mplayer, rar-2.80 Description: Perl front end for transcode dvd::rip is a full featured DVD copy program written in Perl. It provides an easy to use but feature-rich Gtk+ GUI to control almost all aspects of the ripping and transcoding process. It uses the widely known video processing swissknife transcode and many other Open Source tools.
Then there should be a new second level domain, such as.ind.?? for individuals to register their names. It should follow the first name surname pattern. Of course mary.brown.ind.uk is going to be a problem, and a resolution scheme must be found.
There's already a.me.uk second level domain. It's not in a firstname.lastname format and it is on a first come first served basis, but it's a start. I don't really see a way that a resolution scheme could be found for name collisions without adding extra unique identifiers to the domain. Which sort of negates the benefit of having these types of domains anyway.
If the manufacturer can be trusted to sort out your problem properly, dealing with the manufacturer direct is (in most cases) the easiest and quickest way of sorting out your problem. If, however, you contact the manufacturer and they replace the goods, the trader will no longer be liable for them.
So, if Logitech were to replace your broken speakers with a refurbished set and you weren't happy, you would have no legal recourse (no refund or replacement). No contract exists between you and Logitech, and you no longer have the goods Apple sold you. Of course Apple are still responsible in a moral sense, but we all know that's different from legal one. When faced with faulty goods, you should always contact the trader in the first instance.
I think these the Distance Selling Regulations which apply to the whole of the EC. They were introduced in the UK in 2000 (France may have had such legislation before this date, I don't know).
It basically gives you a 7 day cooling off period for goods bought over the telephone, internet, mail order, etc. It doesn't apply to "goods made to your specifications" (the customer) or business transactions.
When I received my order of Logitech Z680 5.1 Speakers from Apple, they were DOA. Apple wouldn't refund or exchange my order (as stated in their return policy), so I had to go through the manufacturer. And we all know how fun that is!
Wouldn't Apple be legally obliged to exchange the item or offer a refund? You paid for a set speakers, you got a doorstop. End of story.
For consumers in the UK at least, the contract exists between the customer and the trader - the manufacturer doesn't figure into it at all (Sale Of Goods Act). It is up to the trader to sort out any problems with the goods - not the customer. That said, many high street electrical stores will insist that the customer contacts the manufacturer for repair as many consumers are unaware of the rights they have.
I'd find it hard to imagine that this isn't the case in the US too.
There's was a article in the Independent yesterday describing a similar spat over Ugg boots.
Note the especially fallacious argument at the end:
He compares "Ugg" with "Biro" and "Hoover" which, although commonly used generically, are protected by trademark.
A false comparison, say Tony Mortel. In those cases, a product was developed and marketed and a name invented and trademarked. In the case of Ugg, all the hard work was put in by others, then Deckers came along and bought the name....
Tony Watson does not have an answer to this point...He adds that Australian traders should accept reality and develop another brand. "How about Surfers' Sheepskin Boots?" he suggests.
You seem to think there's something wrong about using lawyers to protect your rights. Why?
The parent's point was the lawyers do not need to be unleashed immediately. They could attempt to settle the dispute without suing. If the dispute could not be settled to their (the MPlayer developers) statisfication, then they could look at suing KISS.
Sending polite memos back and forth won't establish the legal enforceability of the GPL.
Not every GPL infringement has to be an opportunity to establish the legal enforceability of the GPL. The primary objective is to stop KISS from voilating their copyright, not to prove that the GPL is concrete.
If 1% of these reports over the centuries were related to aliens, I have to ask: "Why isn't there ANY physical evidence?" Not a single artifact?
Government coverup?
Any scrap large enough to analyse would reveal isotopic differences from terrestrial elements...No matter what quarantine policy they might have, once they open the hatches...there will be something that escapes.
But will this "thing" that escapes be large enough for us to find and analyse? If Martian atmosphere escaped from the visitor's craft, would be able to detect it?
...One must regretfully conclude that UFOs are NOT aliens, but wishful thinking and delusions.
I've TRIED Firebird, and the tabbing just doesn't work right. Links that spawn a new window won't spawn a new tab instead (aargh!)
FWIW, Mozilla + tab browser extensions (apt-get install mozilla-tabextensions) lets you force new windows to open in a new tab instead IIRC. I haven't tried it with Firebird.
Opera had a super useful function that is missing in Mozilla. You could right click a link and "open link in background page." I would always browse my news site and start popping interesting links up in background tabs while I finished reading the article I was on.
This feature is available in Mozilla Firebird 0.7 (and probably earlier versions too): Tools > Options > Advanced > Browsing > Open links in the background. Mozilla 1.5 has it as well (and again, earlier versions had this too): Edit > Preferences > Navigator > Tabbed browsing > Load links in the background.
Even better, a click of the middle mouse button will do this in one click as opposed to two clicks needed in Opera.
So please tell me how I send user friendly emails to my Mom with clickable references
AFAIK, most email clients allow you to click on an URL an have it open in your browser, HTML or otherwise.
embedded pictures
Attachments? I don't use Lookout, but doesn't it show all the picture attachments at the end of the message anyway? I know Hotmail does this.
formatted for easy reading to accomodate aging eyes.
HTML mail does anything BUT make mail easy to read. If the email was plain text, she could just crank up the default font size -- as an extra bonus ALL the (plain text) email she receives (not just those from you) is now is L A R G E text instead if in some tiny unreadable font.
Slashdot Mirror
Most (all?) of the new Logitech/Microsoft keyboards have bastardised the F keys to do this.
A good point, one which I did not consider at the time of my original post.
Whether the user is to blame or not depends on the wording of the message that SP2 will pop up when it finds an unlicenced installation.
If the message informs the user that they are contributing the virus/spam problem by not having a licenced copy, then the user has to take (some of) the blame if they get infected. However, Microsoft did have the opportunity to get that machine patched up so they must take some of the blame for the ensuing flood of spam. These infected machines will probably go on to infect other machines (which may or may not be licenced).
Blackmailing the user in this way ("pay up or you risk getting infected with password stealing trojans") seems a bit too much like blackmail to me for comfort. I somehow feel that Microsoft has some sort of duty to provide security updates for unlicenced users because of their monopoly position (for many users at least).
If however (as I expect will be the case) SP2 refuses to install WITHOUT informing the user of the consequences, then the blame can be laid entirely at Microsoft's door.
Perhaps SP2 could install, but without the goodies like popup blocking, bug fixes wrt stability, etc.
Regardless of the above, it's not good PR to have thousands of infested XP computers on the Net, unlicenced or not.
It's not as straightforward as you think. Microsft isn't just screwing that particular user -- they're screwing (virtually) everybody connected to the Net.
A case in point: even though there's a patch I have received hundreds of copies of Swen/Sobig. Now imagine that users of pirated XP installations can't get the patch. Imagine the chaos.
So by screwing that user, they're screwing me. Even though I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG. That's just not on.
Robert Kilroy-Silk is one of their candidates. I think that says it all.
Vote Green!
See my post above.
Bletchley Park tries to crack a 250-year mystery: Do 10 letters at stately home lead to Holy Grail?
The 1.5 series of Evolution has seamless Spam Assassin integration. It's not quite fully stable yet, but its getting close.
Then there should be a new second level domain, such as .ind.?? for individuals to register their names. It should follow the first name surname pattern. Of course mary.brown.ind.uk is going to be a problem, and a resolution scheme must be found.
There's already a .me.uk second level domain. It's not in a firstname.lastname format and it is on a first come first served basis, but it's a start. I don't really see a way that a resolution scheme could be found for name collisions without adding extra unique identifiers to the domain. Which sort of negates the benefit of having these types of domains anyway.
If the manufacturer can be trusted to sort out your problem properly, dealing with the manufacturer direct is (in most cases) the easiest and quickest way of sorting out your problem. If, however, you contact the manufacturer and they replace the goods, the trader will no longer be liable for them.
So, if Logitech were to replace your broken speakers with a refurbished set and you weren't happy, you would have no legal recourse (no refund or replacement). No contract exists between you and Logitech, and you no longer have the goods Apple sold you. Of course Apple are still responsible in a moral sense, but we all know that's different from legal one. When faced with faulty goods, you should always contact the trader in the first instance.
IANAL.
I think these the Distance Selling Regulations which apply to the whole of the EC. They were introduced in the UK in 2000 (France may have had such legislation before this date, I don't know).
It basically gives you a 7 day cooling off period for goods bought over the telephone, internet, mail order, etc. It doesn't apply to "goods made to your specifications" (the customer) or business transactions.
When I received my order of Logitech Z680 5.1 Speakers from Apple, they were DOA. Apple wouldn't refund or exchange my order (as stated in their return policy), so I had to go through the manufacturer. And we all know how fun that is!
Wouldn't Apple be legally obliged to exchange the item or offer a refund? You paid for a set speakers, you got a doorstop. End of story.
For consumers in the UK at least, the contract exists between the customer and the trader - the manufacturer doesn't figure into it at all (Sale Of Goods Act). It is up to the trader to sort out any problems with the goods - not the customer. That said, many high street electrical stores will insist that the customer contacts the manufacturer for repair as many consumers are unaware of the rights they have.
I'd find it hard to imagine that this isn't the case in the US too.
smartmontools. The daemon can be configured to send an email to an address should a SMART test fail.
Note the especially fallacious argument at the end:
two sixteenths of a centimetre
Actually, the article says the recommendation came from the pretender to the throne - Gordon.
He will be knighted, just the same as everyone else (visit to Buckingham Palace, sword on the shoulder, medal, etc)
With any luck, the sword will slip, beheading him like the hamster he is.
Galeon can do this as well. But Firebird can't, sadly.
Am I the only one that finds it "out of character" for a guy who will be 70 years old in 10 days to be the one that leaked the film?
Anyone remember Flo Fox? A seventy year old spamming grandmother. Those OAPs aren't as innocent as they look you know.
ajc.com appears to be down, but here's the Google cache copy
You seem to think there's something wrong about using lawyers to protect your rights. Why?
The parent's point was the lawyers do not need to be unleashed immediately. They could attempt to settle the dispute without suing. If the dispute could not be settled to their (the MPlayer developers) statisfication, then they could look at suing KISS.
Sending polite memos back and forth won't establish the legal enforceability of the GPL.
Not every GPL infringement has to be an opportunity to establish the legal enforceability of the GPL. The primary objective is to stop KISS from voilating their copyright, not to prove that the GPL is concrete.
If 1% of these reports over the centuries were related to aliens, I have to ask: "Why isn't there ANY physical evidence?" Not a single artifact?
Government coverup?
Any scrap large enough to analyse would reveal isotopic differences from terrestrial elements...No matter what quarantine policy they might have, once they open the hatches...there will be something that escapes.
But will this "thing" that escapes be large enough for us to find and analyse? If Martian atmosphere escaped from the visitor's craft, would be able to detect it?
The absence of proof is not a proof in itself.
I've TRIED Firebird, and the tabbing just doesn't work right. Links that spawn a new window won't spawn a new tab instead (aargh!)
FWIW, Mozilla + tab browser extensions (apt-get install mozilla-tabextensions) lets you force new windows to open in a new tab instead IIRC. I haven't tried it with Firebird.
Opera had a super useful function that is missing in Mozilla. You could right click a link and "open link in background page." I would always browse my news site and start popping interesting links up in background tabs while I finished reading the article I was on.
This feature is available in Mozilla Firebird 0.7 (and probably earlier versions too): Tools > Options > Advanced > Browsing > Open links in the background. Mozilla 1.5 has it as well (and again, earlier versions had this too): Edit > Preferences > Navigator > Tabbed browsing > Load links in the background.
Even better, a click of the middle mouse button will do this in one click as opposed to two clicks needed in Opera.
Or the "Hard Drive"
So please tell me how I send user friendly emails to my Mom with clickable references
AFAIK, most email clients allow you to click on an URL an have it open in your browser, HTML or otherwise.
embedded pictures
Attachments? I don't use Lookout, but doesn't it show all the picture attachments at the end of the message anyway? I know Hotmail does this.
formatted for easy reading to accomodate aging eyes.
HTML mail does anything BUT make mail easy to read. If the email was plain text, she could just crank up the default font size -- as an extra bonus ALL the (plain text) email she receives (not just those from you) is now is L A R G E text instead if in some tiny unreadable font.