"I find it disturbing that anyone would support democracy at gunpoint."
You mean like the democracies that were forced, at gunpoint, on Germany, Italy and Japan? Perhaps you think that those "sovereign nations" deserved a live and let live attitude from the US?
Nothing like requesting someone else read two lengthy articles and burn their hours boiling it down for you, eh? I'll do it in a couple of secs.
Many volcanoes spew into sky. Heat and fire consume O2. No O2 - animals suffocate. (details contained in articles)
"If you're a pilot, what the fuck do you know about programming? Not nearly as much as those who've done it for 10-20 years."
Uh, bullshit. Arrogant presumption on your part. You have no idea as to the total experience he has in that area, AND are apparently overrating length of time as a quality indicator.
Agreed. I worked in banking. The foremost wire-transfer vendor sold us the source code. They were typically called to fix bugs and add deep enhancements, but this allowed us to provide entire auxillary systems.
Puh-lease. If you're going back for a Ph.D., then you're not a dummy. Not being a dummy, you have undoubtedly considered working for yourself. This would yield a job you like, working the hours you desire, charging the fee you need.
"Even evolution gets stuck at some point of time were it resolves to somethign was just there. And to this day there isn't any real evolution hapening in an observable rate. Sure there is micro evolution but no macro evolution were species jumps are being made. Why did it stop?"
Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Please read more. Origins is a good start. You simply show your ignorance here.
"I guess this is one topic that will probably turn into a flame war or somethign."
Well, your lack of education would be one reason. You know, pretending to side with the "idea" of evolution, but pointing out "weaknesses" which, when examined, are really only holes in your education.
I think that's what starts up the flame wars, you know?
You does not "own" the software. Read your agreement. It is outlined in there what you do and do not have the right to do. If you had no intention of going along with it, then you're operating in bad faith. That is how this could get anywhere at all.
"We are headed towards a no-individual-ownership society where corporations own everything and we lease the rights to use such things from them. There's something inherently wrong with this from an ethical viewpoint, IMHO."
Ahhhhhhh!!!
Here we go again. If you want simpler stuff, you can always get it. You speak of a Sun machine, or similar. I have a mechanic friend. His machine for diagnosis of autos (newer models downloadable) is similar to a PDA. Compact and plugs in. He didn't have any trouble working on my truck.
There will always be those who work on/make alternatives.
'"The proof of the pudding is in the eating", as they say. Free software is going to eat proprietary software's lunch, in every category of software imagineable.'
Only when there are enough programmers with enough free time and motivation to devote their lives to providing software for others that works in "every category of software imagineable".
Me? Personally, I have quite an imagination. So much so, that I believe I can come up with an application explicit to me. Then show me the free software that will do my bidding.
Good dream, and worth shooting for. Limited by reality, I believe.
As with many other things, our models are shallow and inaccurate. Change one thing without changing everything else to match? Sure. It that the way things work? Don't know.
Physicists have a bad habit of presuming their models describe reality. They gloss over the fact that their models fail regularly.
Although it's already been shown that you're not accurate, so what? They may move as they wish. We may query them as we wish and use that information when they try to dock (our waters, eh).
"The US military is infamous for being trigger happy..."
No... The U.S. military is the most famous for being the most maligned by those who would rather appease and surrender. Just because they won't politely step out of the way of those who want to commit mass murder (Bosnia, Africa) like the blue-hats do, doesn't make them trigger happy. It makes them responsible when doing their job.
"4) The levy is not different from copyright in principle. Creators of content are given something "for nothing" (and rights of others are infringed upon), because it is believed that the society would benefit."
This shows that you have a poor understanding of just what copyright is. Copyright is not about the "right" of people to copy, it is about the right of authors to control distribution of their work.
It is about disallowing those who had nothing to do with the creativity or work of producing some content from taking it "for nothing".
Sorry, but a "copyright levy" is a moronic idea. Will this go to compensate the millions of authors that have stuff in print? No, it won't. It will simply be a tax that is stuffed into Germany's pocket for whatever they want. No individual will see a penny (or mark).
This is not really a copyright tax, just a transparent money grab.
Perhaps you missed his point. He does not think that he has enough rabid, excessive adoration for either SW or LOTR to plunk down his good, hard-earned money to see someone -- regardless of how good that person (or others) may think of his performance or how much energy is put into it -- essentially ham it up doing all the parts on stage.
I know I wouldn't. Unless it was done in satire. No, not even then.
Bzzzt! Incorrect. The meaning of milita when the Constitution was framed was not the same as today. Amend II is not self-contradictory. That is why every gun-hating nut rants in the manner they do.
"Most people will not pirate something they would normally have bought..."
That is a presumption on your part. But, assuming you are correct, so what? Pirating is still removing the right to control the copying of a person's work without their consent.
Big of you to proclaim your desire for free goods trumps their time and talent.
Slashdot Mirror
Tenure.
"I find it disturbing that anyone would support democracy at gunpoint."
You mean like the democracies that were forced, at gunpoint, on Germany, Italy and Japan? Perhaps you think that those "sovereign nations" deserved a live and let live attitude from the US?
Bull.
...human caused.."
The crux of the political argument. Unproven allegation. Other culprits lurk.
What a butt-load of straw. Conflating stock market values with knowledge of climate trends.
Pick your unrelated topics and draw your untenable conclusions.
You are aware, aren't you, that the "experts" were predicting cooling in the 70's and heating now. Some of them are even the same experts.
So what you're saying is that you can predict the future climate, but the "experts" cannot? Why, exactly?
Nothing like requesting someone else read two lengthy articles and burn their hours boiling it down for you, eh? I'll do it in a couple of secs.
Many volcanoes spew into sky. Heat and fire consume O2. No O2 - animals suffocate. (details contained in articles)
"If you're a pilot, what the fuck do you know about programming? Not nearly as much as those who've done it for 10-20 years."
Uh, bullshit. Arrogant presumption on your part. You have no idea as to the total experience he has in that area, AND are apparently overrating length of time as a quality indicator.
Agreed. I worked in banking. The foremost wire-transfer vendor sold us the source code. They were typically called to fix bugs and add deep enhancements, but this allowed us to provide entire auxillary systems.
Ummm. Exactly which Europeans are those? Please provide some modicum of linkage.
Puh-lease. If you're going back for a Ph.D., then you're not a dummy. Not being a dummy, you have undoubtedly considered working for yourself. This would yield a job you like, working the hours you desire, charging the fee you need.
You have considered this, haven't you?
"Because The South traditionally has a problem with adhering to the rules of seperation of church and state."
Uhh, fuck off, son.
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas are not in the south. You Northerners have just as much problem keeping your seperation.
"Even evolution gets stuck at some point of time were it resolves to somethign was just there. And to this day there isn't any real evolution hapening in an observable rate. Sure there is micro evolution but no macro evolution were species jumps are being made. Why did it stop?"
Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Please read more. Origins is a good start. You simply show your ignorance here.
"I guess this is one topic that will probably turn into a flame war or somethign."
Well, your lack of education would be one reason. You know, pretending to side with the "idea" of evolution, but pointing out "weaknesses" which, when examined, are really only holes in your education.
I think that's what starts up the flame wars, you know?
You say you get it, then you show you don't.
You does not "own" the software. Read your agreement. It is outlined in there what you do and do not have the right to do. If you had no intention of going along with it, then you're operating in bad faith. That is how this could get anywhere at all.
"We are headed towards a no-individual-ownership society where corporations own everything and we lease the rights to use such things from them. There's something inherently wrong with this from an ethical viewpoint, IMHO."
Ahhhhhhh!!!
Here we go again. If you want simpler stuff, you can always get it. You speak of a Sun machine, or similar. I have a mechanic friend. His machine for diagnosis of autos (newer models downloadable) is similar to a PDA. Compact and plugs in. He didn't have any trouble working on my truck.
There will always be those who work on/make alternatives.
'"The proof of the pudding is in the eating", as they say. Free software is going to eat proprietary software's lunch, in every category of software imagineable.'
Only when there are enough programmers with enough free time and motivation to devote their lives to providing software for others that works in "every category of software imagineable".
Me? Personally, I have quite an imagination. So much so, that I believe I can come up with an application explicit to me. Then show me the free software that will do my bidding.
Good dream, and worth shooting for. Limited by reality, I believe.
As with many other things, our models are shallow and inaccurate. Change one thing without changing everything else to match? Sure. It that the way things work? Don't know.
Physicists have a bad habit of presuming their models describe reality. They gloss over the fact that their models fail regularly.
"Hell... let's draft the first version of a "Prime Directive" now. Leave them alone unless they're as advanced as us, type of a thing."
Why? Could you provide a good reason?
Although it's already been shown that you're not accurate, so what? They may move as they wish. We may query them as we wish and use that information when they try to dock (our waters, eh).
"The US military is infamous for being trigger happy..."
No... The U.S. military is the most famous for being the most maligned by those who would rather appease and surrender. Just because they won't politely step out of the way of those who want to commit mass murder (Bosnia, Africa) like the blue-hats do, doesn't make them trigger happy. It makes them responsible when doing their job.
Nice try at your maligning attempt, though.
"4) The levy is not different from copyright in principle. Creators of content are given something "for nothing" (and rights of others are infringed upon), because it is believed that the society would benefit."
This shows that you have a poor understanding of just what copyright is. Copyright is not about the "right" of people to copy, it is about the right of authors to control distribution of their work.
It is about disallowing those who had nothing to do with the creativity or work of producing some content from taking it "for nothing".
"And the war in Iraq is just another war."
And you were doing so well. Disposing a tyrant is neither unfair nor ludicrous.
Sorry, but a "copyright levy" is a moronic idea. Will this go to compensate the millions of authors that have stuff in print? No, it won't. It will simply be a tax that is stuffed into Germany's pocket for whatever they want. No individual will see a penny (or mark).
This is not really a copyright tax, just a transparent money grab.
Not sure what you're trying to say. Only the author holds a copyright. Just because you can read, or have read, something bestows nothing upon you.
Perhaps you missed his point. He does not think that he has enough rabid, excessive adoration for either SW or LOTR to plunk down his good, hard-earned money to see someone -- regardless of how good that person (or others) may think of his performance or how much energy is put into it -- essentially ham it up doing all the parts on stage.
I know I wouldn't. Unless it was done in satire. No, not even then.
Bzzzt! Incorrect. The meaning of milita when the Constitution was framed was not the same as today. Amend II is not self-contradictory. That is why every gun-hating nut rants in the manner they do.
"Most people will not pirate something they would normally have bought..."
That is a presumption on your part. But, assuming you are correct, so what? Pirating is still removing the right to control the copying of a person's work without their consent.
Big of you to proclaim your desire for free goods trumps their time and talent.