That is not what I said at all. People should be paying their taxes based on their income...that's why its called INCOME tax.
If the rich own 40% of the income producing entities, then they should be paying taxes on that income. That's their fair share. But, why should someone making $125K be paying a higher rate than say, somebody making $40K? Is that really fair?
But, if they are allowed to hide that income, then I do have a problem with it. Do away with the loop holes and make everyone pay a flat tax. Make corporations pay the same taxes as individuals except make them also responsible for paying a larger share of Social Security and such as they are now.
The only exception to this rule should be for those making below poverty level or if the amount of taxes charged would push them into poverty level.
Interesting point. However, if they are paying tax on their income producing interests, then they should be entitled to a tax break. Just because they are wealthy does not mean they should be taxed on their wealth alone...only on income.
Similarly, after you paid you tax liability and get your rebate check from the IRS (hopefully), you put some money in the bank. Do you think it right that the feds tax that rebate check next year simply because its part of your wealth. I don't. If you have the foresite to save some money, then you should be rewarded and not penalized.
Where I draw the line is when you have individuals and industries that pay little or no taxes because of loopholes.
Same thing goes for married vs single income individuals. Why does the marriage penalty exist...Why did the democrats (i.e Clinton/Gore in particular) feel that this relief was not justifiable? Are they advocating non-married unions over marriage?
I found it particularly interesting that Microsoft and Cisco both paid zero federal tax (according to the article on/.).
I find it amusing that the techies (and/. ) seem to support Gore. But, in general, scientists and techies have tended to side with the democrats or communists (no slam here) rather than more conservative groups. This is not to imply that this is bad, it only goes to show that they care about their fellow man and feel their work belongs to the people. Their hearts are in the right place.
But, this philosophy has maligned itself in the recent decades with misguided politics. The people we elected to promote these ideals have, themselves, become corrupt and self-serving.
Cases in point:
How many people in the Clinton Administrator had to resign or were fired?
Clipper Chip - Designed to allow Law Enforcement to read encrypted transmissions through the Key Escrow Initiative. Failed miserably - thankfully.
Skipjack - Designed by the NSA for Clipper. It never received public review to determine if it was secure or contained any backdoors or trapdoors.
Over the past 8 years, RSA Data Security has contributed greatly to Clinton/Gore. Jim Bizdos as been seen to frequent the Whitehouse. Did he stay in Lincoln's bedroom? Funny, now that the patent has expired, the restrictions on this strong encryption technology has substantially declined.
RSADSI has been allowed to export strong encryption and set up shop in the Far East and Europe where other countries were hindered from similar action. This gave them a strong hold in countries were other companies now must try to compete.
Fund raising incidents involving the democrats (Al Gore in particular) and the relaxing of sanctions on the Chinese.
Loss of e-mail regarding Fund Raising activity during the Monica Lewinsky scandale.
Wen Ho Lee and his subsequent release on plea bargain. He admitted to taking the tapes...yet he gets off. Now everybody is screaming about Racial and Ethnic profiling.
Export of missile technology to the Chinese allow them to build more accurate and longer range missiles.
The information contained in those "missing" tapes supposedly would allow the Chinese to build deadlier warheads.
The list goes on...
How about failed promises --- HealthCare reform lead by Hillary Clinton. It failed miserably. As a result of this "reform", our Seniors are stuck in HMOs that provide worse benefits than they started off with. That issue has been raised again under the guise of Perscription Plan reform.
Hollywoods marking of violent and sexually suggestive material to children -- a Lieberman special. He condemns it yet is willing to take their money.
Don't be misled. The democrats of today ARE NOT the same ones led by JFK. They are corrupt and self serving.
Senator Kennedy was forgiven of his actions in Chappaquidic (sp). Congressman Druce was convicted under similar circumstances (they were both supposedly drunk).
I'm not saying the Republicans are much better -- but they are are concerned more with building this country (and their wallets) rather than countries that really don't want us there. Tax breaks may help the rich, but lower taxes for everybody has got to be a good thing.
And, if the wealthiest 1% are paying 34% of the taxes, then there is obviously something wrong with our tax structure...Don't you think?
Also, let's quote the rise of average salary income since 1976 of 9.6%. This came at a price of working in excess of 220 hours a year...or in excess of 10% longer hours. And, we are better off? Hmmmm...
I'll barely mention the support of Gore gave to Clinton while he lied to the American people.
Economic policies generally take 8-12 years to take effect. What boon we are experienced is because of the previous administrations policies. What we are experiencing now (i.e the slump in NASDAQ and DOW) is the result of Clinton/Gore politics. Don't believe me? Read your history.
President Bush experienced the effect of Reagan's policies following the fall of communism. The machine was too big to fight nobody and the subsequent result was a major scaling back within industry. Prez. Bush turned his attentions back to domestic issues after the Gulf War (after a major build up). But, it was too late then to bring about a recovery before the election.
Think long an hard about the actions of both parties over the past 8-12 years and decide.
If you don't want to vote Republican, then at least vote for a party leader who knows the difference between right and wrong.
Encryption policy is overseen by the Vice President under executive order by the President.
The current administration strongly promoted the Clipper chip, reduced key sizes and key escrow until relatively recently.
Question: What is your view on the use of encryption technology for protecting the privacy of US citizens and companies?
And, do you favor legislation that provides more substantive easing of export restrictions for strong encryption technology or use of encryption technology on the internet?
Sorry, can't agree with you here. Granted, 250 bugs sound like a lot. But, in a 3+ Gig distro, that is an extrodinarily small number.
Contrary to your analogy regarding the weekly flavor of Windows 98, the frequency of fixes from RedHat come a much slower pace but the response time to a known problem is significantly faster.
While that may sound like a contadiction, the fact remains that RedHat has shown a perpensity to fix problems in their distributions in a timely manner. Unlike Windows updates, these fixes are highly publicized and easy to obtain.
Then, there is the question that if the problems are not in their code but rather in Open Sourced code, do they really have the obligation to fix it or is it merely a courtesy to fix it? Should they be held responsible for fixing every bug in somebody elses code? I would think not.
Knowledgable users should be aware of issues in any program they run. Hell, there are plenty of places to see what problems exists for most programs. Right?
With any software venture, there are always bound to be issues. When you have a commerical product were timelines and profits come into play, products may be released before they are 100% perfect. Perfection has always been the luxury of researchers and hobbiests.
So, I'll stand with RedHat on this one. Where I don't agree with them is on the glibc controversy.
"Today, a newbie, in an experiment gone bad, allowed bugs to escape from bugzilla. They quickly escaped via the internet only to find a new host in RedHat."
Well, doesn't that suck. Sounds like something right out of one of the tabloids. A newbie pulls a bogus figure of his ass and gives it to RedHat.
Yesterday, I was comptemplating ugrading to 7.0 from 6.1 (which has run flawlessly for me). Then, I read some BS about 2500 bugs and instead decided to wait with my upgrade until 7.1. This morning, revised figures are posted by people that understand the process a wee bit more. Those new numbers come in around under 200 bugs.
200 bugs in a release as large as RH 7? Wow. If only most commercial software shipped with as few bugs. Take into consideration that most of these bugs are probably in community written code rather than RedHat written code. These are mostly bugs we've come to live with and are probably being patched as I write this.
What's a shame is that the original story will probably be picked up by MSNBC, CNN or some other news agency and the revised figures will not. Thus, people who may have upgraded or purchaced 7.0 may not do so now. Instead, they may continue to view Linux, in general, as buggy software that can not be trusted. Articles like this only perpetuate this myth.
I only hope that before posting potentially damaging material, that somebody actually check the figures before they are posted to the public. It strikes me as poor journalism, a disservice to the community and utter criminal negligience to do otherwise.
Altering the phase of the electron in an atom equals exciting the electron. And from what I remember from school physics, excited electrons tend to "fall back" into place (revert to it's previous waveform) after some time, sending out the extra energy as light.
Energy levels in electrons can be raised to stable values. Only when you knock them off the shelf do the return to a lower energy level and release a photon with energy equal to the difference betweent the prior and new state.
Ahhhhh..but perhaps you have the documen run finger and get you all the particulars on the person who's reading your resume AND then send it to your pager.
Great stuff if your applying for a security position...scare them into hiring you.
I just read today that some guy modified AIM by adding AppleScript running Eliza. Idiots were contacting him and they had no clue that they were talking to a 1st generation AI program.
I even heard there is a program that immitates that judge on the deCSS case. Problem is, nobody can tell the difference between the program and the real McCoy as both make really bad decisions.
Now, let's imagine when they write an Al Gore CGI program. At least it will have more life to it before it runs itself into an endless loop of changing its political position. Even if the PC loses a few flip-flops, it can still borrow some from the program and keep on running.
It's more a case of arguing to what degree the individual is liable - I would have thought this is more a matter of immediate dismissal rather than taking the guy to court.
Did Apple sustain a financial loss because of this disclosure? Could the have?
Bottom line is that Apple CAN argue that they lost revenue because of the preannouncement. Potential sales that might have been generated from Apple's dog & pony show may been lost because of the "been there...done that attitude" taken by people who received the unoffical information in advance (even if inaccurate (even worse)).
Additionally, since Apple had not yet released the product, the early disclosure could cost them by the release of similar products by competitors. Remember the influx of iMac look-alikes by eMachines?
If employees are opening their mouths about their company's efforts in public while under NDA, they should be held liable for damages (even if by accidental disclosure). Hell, how many computer company execs in San Jose visit bars?
Loose lips sink ships...and companies. Apple is fully justified in their taking this guy to task. Termination of employment is a given as is the lawsuit.
Okay, before you call me a conspiracy nut, please hear me out.
If you recall, in the mid 90's, the Clinton administration, under the recommendations of the law enforcement community, authorized the creation of the Clipper chip with its Skipjack algorithm. At the same time, Phil Zimmerman was under intense pressure and scrutiny regarding his involvement with PGP (strong encryption not under gov't control and protected by US patents).
The Clipper chip, if you recall, came under serious fire when it was discovered that it used something called a LEAF (Law Enforcement Access Field) which, theoretically, would allow law enforcement to read communications after obtaining a warrant. It was all part of the big key escrow plan. However, the LEAF could be circumvented/forged, making it impossible for LEF personnel to read the communications. The Clipper chip all but died.
At the same time, Mr. Zimmerman faced serious problems, RSADSKI/Public Key Partners/Security Dynamics and the entire justice dept were on him like a fly on...well you know. Suddenly, an arrangement was achieved between all parties. PGP became a commercial product. Mr. Zimmerman became part of Network Associates....he's probably bound to a legal agreement that prevents him from talking. Everybody was fat, dumb and happy.
That is...until this information regarding ADKs become public knowledge.
Now, it's an election year with the Presidency, many seats in congress, senate and top courts up for grabs. The democrats/Clinton administration have been bombarded with many incidents of "espionage". We've formed closer alliances with the Chinese (who seem to be at the heart of the allegations and a major contributer for the DNC). We've had more "secrets" stolen from us in the past eight years than we could probably count..including, supposedly, information on nuclear capability and designs, missile technology, ship and submarine design and capabilities, etc. It's been a real banner eight years for the "privacy" of the United States.
Al Gore, as Vice President, had been tasked with the country's encryption policy. It was he, I believe, who actually authorized the Clipper chip's development. It would have been him who would fought against (and then lessened) our national restriction on cryptographic exports. And, it was Mr. Gore who met with Jim Bizdos of RSADSI fame (and major contributer) on numerous occassions (okay..so did Clinton).
With the popularity of the Clipper Chip waning, why not solve your problem by going after the emerging cult standard, PGP, and introduce key escrow there. Was this how the legal action against Phil was ultimately resolved? What were the actual terms of the agreement?
With so many of us "registering" our keys on the various key servers, one has to wonder if the keys have been tampered with through the addition of the ADKs. How else have we been compromised.
And, finally, why is that this was kept under wraps until an election year that this "issue" was discovered and unveiled. How long has the commercial version of PGP (Version 5 & 6) been available?
So, we have a VP candidate touting how he's responsible for the internet, how he's all for our privacy and, of course, privacy of electronic transactions. But, if the certificates for PGP have been compromised, then what is to say that the certs issued by Verisign and others have not been compromised in a similar fashion (without the CAs even knowing it). What's to say that information regarding the generation of the keys has not been hidden in a field of the certificate (the certid???).
Remember, the RSA patent will expire next month. At that point in time, there will be zero control over the use of the algorithm. Hence, new (and legal) encryption products will become readily available. We have seen a slow erosion of the security of RSA algorithm over the past couple of years through the use of code cracking contests sponser by....RSADSI. (BTW...did you know that the Windows version of their library can only be compiled using the Microsoft compiler (unless you wanna pay for the "port")...What was the bit about the NSAKEY a little while back??????)).
There have been attacks by famous cryptographers against elliptic curves (see the www.rsasecurity.com website for their December, 1999 Cryptogram publicaton). They have stated that the EC keys with 109 bits can be cracked in a year using 12,000 processors. The article fails to mention that 160 bit keys are standard practice nor how much effort must be expended to crack a 160 bit EC key.
So, with my conspiracy theory aside, everybody has a lot to gain and/or lose with this information becoming public.
One side can claim a conspiracy to discredit the other side. The other side can say that "Mr. Privacy" doesn't really mean it (if they're smart). In the end, it is us lowly citizens that get burned as we try to keep our credit card and personal affairs private.
If anybody doubts what I have said, do the research yourself. Look back on the history of the Clipper Chip and Skipjack. Look up the presidential order that gave Gore the authority to control encryption policy (which he denied for the longest time). Look at the deals that have been made over the past eight years. Make up your own mind.
While I think the democrats have a lot of good ideas, I believe they have picked the wrong man for the job of President and, probably, VP. Do the research...then, vote your conscience.
Well, under those circumstances where you are joining a startup, an NDA probably is in order. But, it should be limited to the scope of the company's fiscal situation.
The biggest difference is that you are a taking a risk joining a startup. Knowing that your bills will be paid helps alleviate the risk. But, the NDA should be limited in scope to just this data.
If they are serious about you, you'll know. If they do second/third interviews, then thats the time a company should disclose this information.
For you to ask for it upfront, unless discussed prior to the interview, may be construed as rude and overconfident or as someone with a chip on your shoulder. Then again, they may take this as the sign of real go-getter. Hard to tell as each situation is different. But, make sure the NDA is limited in scope so as to prevent potential lawsuits when you go and work for a competitor.
Whatever you do...don't sign it without reading it first.
However, to add some content, Borland demonstrated how much more efficient Java's garbage collection system is over native Windows memory management (i.e. New/Dispose) at the developer's conference this year.
They ran a demo where the allocated and destroyed over a million objects. The Delphi version took several seconds to run. The Java one ran in under a second.
They also demonstrated a few other "benchmarks". While Java didn't always win, it showed performance that was far better than I ever expected in many areas. As the VMs are optimized, I expect the performance gap to close even more.
Potential businesses and good ideas are a dime a dozen. Unless your idea is patent pending or "truly" innovative, requiring potential employees to sign an NDA should be out of the question. Then, they should be used sparingly and with limited scope. I personally don't want to walk around providing copies of my signed NDAs to every perspective employeer for them to sign in a similar field. Would you?
Interview NDAs are just another good idea being mutilated by the truly business brain dead for the self-serving interest of a business. I wonder if they would actually hold up in court...
The first interview is supposed to see if there is a match between employeer and perspective employee. The second interview (or third), is when details should be discussed. If an NDA is absolutely required, the perspective should know this in advance, prior to walking into the interview. A copy of the NDA should be extended to the perspective as well for review. It should be limited to the scope of the interview and have an expiration period. And, they should not object to someone who brings their lawyer when they are trying to bind someone to a legal contract. Period.
If the employer is sure they have the right person and wish to further interview the perspective or plan to make an offer, they should extend the offer first (with a letter) with the provision an NDA is executed between all concerned parties. That shows intent by the business and leaves the perspective with the decision. Under no circumstance should the perspective be made to sign the agreement on the spot.
In a related situation, I had an interview a few years ago where I asked if I would be required to take any skills competancy tests (it was for a Macintosh/C++ programmer position). And, I was assured I would not. On the day of the interview, the person with whom I was to be interviewed by was not present, the person they did assign had not seen my resume and barely spoke comprehensible English. Then, they gave me the "test". I walked out of the interiew. The company, BTW, is not longer in business yet I am gainfully employeed. My current employer did ask that I sign a scope limited NDA after hire. And, they were upfront with this prior to my hire.
Unfortunately, we're looking for something a bit more permanent. We need something that outfits an entire room and not just the desk. So, I'm betting we'll design our own and have a furniture maker build it for us (heck..maybe you'll see Ronin Developer Custom Furniture in a year or two ).
But, as far as computer workstations go, the Jagger seems pretty well layed out. It might be suitable as a workstation for the kids or for new personnel at our company.
But, I'm hedging that a nice room with the appropriate dividers and built in desk/storage might make more sense (i.e. 2 to a room).
Currently, we've got such an animal that is two L's with the lower leg of the L's attached and rounded. It gives each person their own space yet keeps the room open and accessible to others (we have a printer in there as well) without disturbing the occupants of the space.
I worked for a large travel company a few years ago. Great company, great ideas, and many innovations (aside from having a 90% female workforce (yeah..I'm a pig)).
But, the work areas (cubicals) while not horrendous, were a little impersonal. Rules like:
a) No personal effects.
b) No papers on desk after hours.
c) Must use black rather than blue pens.
Naturally, in the IT department, we skirted many of the issues by putting things on walls facing AWAY from the normal viewing area and stuff put to the sides of our monitors where they couldn't be seen unless you walked into the cube.
Then, there was the hot-swap desks for the consultants. They had no area to put things (despite being FT consultants). No barriers between desks...just phone and PC.
Needless to say...this didn't last too long as we started having difficulty in keeping consultants.
In the act of remodeling our home, my wife and I have decided to create a truly useful home office. Some may disagree, but things like cubicals don't work in a home environment. So, we set out to find office furniture that looks like it belongs in a home when not in use and is still reasonable in price and functionality.
We've looked at many different things from low-end to high-end modular furniture (computer cabinets that, when open, have room for decent sized monitors, a keyboard, etc. (or so they think) yet look like high quality furniture of the quality you'd find in your dining room or bedroom (i.e. real wood...not laminate...no water beds allowed ).
Bottom line is that we've found NOTHING on the market that is truly designed with computer users in mind despite being labeled as computer furniture. Most furniture looks like TV cabinates with a keyboard draw attached. It seems that what we've been looking for doesn't seem to exist.
Furniture designers don't seem to realize the needs for real computer users.
We need:
1) space for one (if not two), mini-towers or desktop machines per cabinet. They need to be out of the way yet accessible.
2) space for decent sized monitors (17-20 inch) and a means to adjust the monitor to a comfortable and egonomic position.
3) Keyboard drawers that provide ample wrist support and space for the mouse (yeah..like I'm going to reach into the cabinet to move my mouse).
We saw one model where the face of the keyboard drawer drops down to make a decent wrist support and then flipped back up to look like a panel in the furniture. While we liked this line, there were still things that were all wrong.
4) accessible, yet hidden cable runs with maybe a ethernet port or two.
5) space for a printer (small laser or inkjet would be nice). Access to the printer for maintenance is essential.
6) Cooling fans to keep our stuff from overheating.
7) Auxillary spaces for such things as hubs, switches, and UPS.
8) Surge protection and plenty of outlets.
9) Usable desk tops and cabinets that provide ample storage space and functionality (like for printers).
10) Bookcases that seem to integrate.
11) it to be standalone (vs built-in) so we can take it with us when we move.
As a result, we're now considering designing our own furniture and then will take the interior designs to a cabinet/furniture maker to clean up the design and then build it ("Damnit, Jim, I'm an doctor (um..computer geek)..not a brick layer (or skilled cabinet maker)...")
Have others run into these problems and what did you do about it?
As a serious Borland Delphi developer and staunch Inprise/Borland supporter since 1982, I was really looking forward to the open sourcing of InterBase and the spin off to ISC. My excitement was a direct result of having used InterBase in the past but was turned off to deploying products based on it because of the apparent lack of support by Inprise. Finally, they were taking InterBase seriously.
But, when the deal to spin off InterBase to ISC failed to materialize at the developer's conference, I began questioning Inprise's motives in the whole affair. At the keynote speeches, we were assured the contract would be signed in a couple of weeks.
Prior to the conference, I asked on the NGs what would become of the code being written by non-Inprise developers if Inprise renigged on the deal. Everyone said I was taking Dale Fuller's statements the wrong way and that Inprise/Borland was committed to the spin off. Even as late as the conference, we were told the delays were in the hinds of the lawyers. Even/. seemed to think the unveiling story wasn't worthy of their time.
Well, as I feared, the deal fell through. Borland is rapidly losing its InterBase developers (well,according to the article). So, what will become of InterBase? Will it lose financial support and whither and die as was its original fate as of last December?
Has Borland dealt itself a final blow in this last fiasco with Open Source developers as well? Did they lose the small footholds of trust they achieved whenever a commercial vendor enters into this arena and makes these promises and almost delivers?
Okay, the source code has been released, but will people use or extend it under the provisions of the IPL?
What impact will these actions have on their aim to become a cross-platform tool vendor and the acceptace of Kylix among Linux-based developers?
I wish, for once, that companies would do what's right for the right reasons rather than what's for the immediate good of their stock holders. The long term effects would have made it all worth while. Now, we'll just have to wait and see what the final outcome will be. I'm betting it won't be good for Borland.
It sounds to me like you just have a real problem with authority and cops in general.
In a previous post (and in response to mine), you stated that you have tried to change the system through the system. I applaud you for trying and tell you keep trying. And, you made a few good points regarding the antiquity of our system and hinted about being able to vote online.
I can almost agree with your points, for the most part. But, not everyone in this nation has internet access (many don't even have phones). If those individuals had a center from which to vote and where their privacy is enforced and the system is super easy to use (for the non-literate), I'd go along along with you. Question is whether or not privacy can be truly guarded or whether they would be understandable to somebody who only knows how to put an 'X' down for their name. I'd venture not. Existing voting machines only record who voted but not what they voted for.
Regarding cops enforcement and agreement of laws. Cops vote like you and I. And, they do speak up when their interests are at stake. Since most laws deal with keeping scum off the street (and most cops don't think themselves as scum), they have no reason to fight those laws.
But, if the laws are changed, you can be sure the cops will honor those changes. I work with former cops on a daily basis. They are good, hard working people that have children to feed and a roof to keep over their heads. They view the enforcement of laws by the law as their job and duty. And, the do it well.
I'm not against protesting, only violent or destructive protesting.
If you want to reduce the number of laws in the country, work towards the one law per bill notion (i.e. no riders). That would reduce the number of good laws and bad laws passing simply because it is attached to some politically sensitive issue (like abortion). The line item veto was a step in the right direction. Its a shame it was found unconstitutional.
You mentioned that our forefathers wanted the states to have more power than the federal gov't. That's what the political party known as the republics advocate (well, in theory at least). The current democrats want to expand Federal powers. So, the choice is clear if you want to return power to the states (where you may have more influence), don't vote for the democrats.
The police don't have the authority to selectively enforce the laws of the land. And, you don't have the authority to violate those laws either.
Those laws are created by your lawmakers. If you don't like them, then work, peacefully, to have them changed. If you are unwilling to do what it takes, then shut the fuck up.
First...why was the parent message moderated to a 4? It is completely off the mark in every respect.
"What's in your vest?"
[...]
"Left my 'nades at home, officer."
"Let's see what's in your backpack."
"Fuck no. You need an arrest warrant for that."
Hmmm, want to get arrested (or at least detained) too?...Here's the simple formula:
Dress like Rambo.
Join a group bent on getting arrested.
Act suspecious.
When asked by the police, insinuate that you might have weapons.
When asked for ID, refuse to surrender it.
Insult the officer and utter profanities at them.
Sounds pretty simple to me. Idiot.
BTW, he wasn't arrested. He was temporarily detained until his identity was ascertained (Remember, he wasn't even 'cuffed).
His behavior isn't activism..its down and out civil disobedience with no redeeming value.
I'm glad our officers knew to stop this piece of shit. Its a real shame he didn't get booked because of an outstanding traffic warrant and spend a few nights in a cell with a very large man named "Bubba" who wants nothing better than to make this dick's asshole look look like a hula hoop. Now...that's what I call activism
I must say this again: torture is a crime against humanity. Acts like these were part of what the US used as justification to bomb Serbia, for instance. (Since you have shown to be reading-impaired already, note I didn't say that this was all of the justification behind the bombing.)
WTF does Serbia have to do with this? Stop comparing apples to oranges. Show me where these individuals are being tortured (from a truly reliable source and not some leftist publication) and I'll side with you. Yes. Torture is a crime against humanity. As is your liberal, pugnant, conspiricist attitude.
c) they are being denied legal assistance, d) their bail has been set to unrealistically high levels, e) they are being denied the right to make a phone call to get assistance from families and friends.
First, what is the accuracy of your reports? The individuals being held have not identified themselves. As a result, they probably have not been completely booked. How can you grant bail to someone who:
a) have not identified themselves (and pose a flight risk).
b) are not from the are (again, pose a flight risk).
c) has been charged with multiple felony counts and pose a flight risk.
These individuals are not political prisoners. They are misguided, subversive souls bent on creating anarchy and bedlam.
Bail, to my understanding, is set for $1M. That means they most post 10% or $100,000. If the groups to which they belong want to claim responsibility for them, then let them post the bond. At least if they run, there is money to track them back down like the dogs that they are. Hell, if you care so damned much for them, then raise their bond yourself.
I don't want to sound like I think all protestors are without cause. Many of their causes are just and ignored by our system. But, these "professional" protestors don't give a rats ass about the cause. They are hired mercenaries to carry a picket sign an cause trouble. They only care about disrupting the system and lives of those who are relatively happy with it as it is. The moment they make threats, destroy property, or commit assault, they need to be treated like criminals. If they care to resist, that's their perogative. But, they should not be released until their identity is determined.
History is full of incidents such as you describe all over the world. And, a society will do well to learn from history.
But, to associate that which happened in Philadelphia to Puerto Rico is absurb. I, like others who responded before, am from the Philadelphia area. I watched the protests daily each night (local news, CNN, CSPAN, etc) and was amazed at the restraint the Philadelphia police exercised with the so called "peaceful" demonstrators.
Philadephia has come under a lot of scrutiny because of the beating a suspect received only a few short weeks ago. And, while I don't necesarily agree with what happened, I can understand what was going through the minds of the officers knowing that one of their own had just been shot by this bozo. Enough on that topic.
People remember the events of the 70's when Mayor Rizzo was in office. At that time, we had the Broad Street Bullies (the Flyers) and cops who didn't take any crap. But, this attitude prevailed in many cities during that era as people dealt with all sorts of "revolutionaries". With the liberalization of this country, we now have a police force that is afraid to make a move in fear of the lawsuits (justified or not) that will surely follow. What amazed me is that even the ACLU gave the police a passing grade this time around.
I, for one, am glad to see how are police handled the demonstrators. The peaceful ones received full protection of the law (as they should). The distrupters and violent protestors are now in jail and charged with many things (like feloneous assult on a police officer).
I would doubt that their civil rights are being violated (given the publicity of these events). But, I do believe that the individuals still in jail are there because a) they refuse to cooperate and give their names b) they are charged with serious crimes. c) they are not from the area and pose a flight risk.
As for the 2600 staffer...well, I'd like to see what he was really charged with. He could be innocent. But, when you are in the midst of a violent protest, you can be sure you'll be marked as one of the bad guys until things get straightened out. We learned this lesson in Vietnam when our soldiers couldn't tell who were the enemy and who were friendly. We lost many soldiers to "children" wired as bombs.
So, put away your incense and beads and come into the 21st century. Learn from the past, don't live in it.
Considering the RSA patent will expire on Sept 20th (the start of the school year), licensing of the RSA code is not really an issue.
Elliptic Curves based algorithms may or may not be patented depending upon the algorithm you select. Most of those patents are based on optimizations and not necessarily on the EC algorithm itself.
Techniques in the employment of ANY software advance may be patented (Why??? that's another issue altogether..but it has to do with inadequancies in our patent system to handle the rapid "advances" in our industry).
While patents infringement is always a possibility, I didn't meant to imply or advocate that they violate the law. You can use the algorithms, in many cases, in a non-commercial environment (contact RSADSI, Security Dynamics and/or Public Key Partners if you have questions in this area).
You can write your own MP libraries and teach theory without violating any laws. You can write a book on this subject as well. And, you can share that knowledge (in many cases), without fear of liability or patent infringement suits.
Where you get into trouble is publishing patented work or performing some other activity that causes damage to the holder of the patent. Heck, you now can even share cryptographic knowledge (i.e. export it) with just a simply filing with the Bureue (sp) of Exports (Finally!).
In the US, the fundamental basis for this freedom of expression is, and correct me if I am wrong, the First Ammendment of the United States Consitution (where the first ten ammendments are known as the Bill of Rights). I'm sure most other countries have a similar document or law on the books.
And, if patent infringement is an issue, take them to a library where they can do a patent search for themselves. Its a very enlightening experiences to say the very least. It would make a most excellent field trip.
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That is not what I said at all. People should be paying their taxes based on their income...that's why its called INCOME tax.
If the rich own 40% of the income producing entities, then they should be paying taxes on that income. That's their fair share. But, why should someone making $125K be paying a higher rate than say, somebody making $40K? Is that really fair?
But, if they are allowed to hide that income, then I do have a problem with it. Do away with the loop holes and make everyone pay a flat tax. Make corporations pay the same taxes as individuals except make them also responsible for paying a larger share of Social Security and such as they are now.
The only exception to this rule should be for those making below poverty level or if the amount of taxes charged would push them into poverty level.
Interesting point. However, if they are paying tax on their income producing interests, then they should be entitled to a tax break. Just because they are wealthy does not mean they should be taxed on their wealth alone...only on income.
/.).
Similarly, after you paid you tax liability and get your rebate check from the IRS (hopefully), you put some money in the bank. Do you think it right that the feds tax that rebate check next year simply because its part of your wealth. I don't. If you have the foresite to save some money, then you should be rewarded and not penalized.
Where I draw the line is when you have individuals and industries that pay little or no taxes because of loopholes.
Same thing goes for married vs single income individuals. Why does the marriage penalty exist...Why did the democrats (i.e Clinton/Gore in particular) feel that this relief was not justifiable? Are they advocating non-married unions over marriage?
I found it particularly interesting that Microsoft and Cisco both paid zero federal tax (according to the article on
RD
I find it amusing that the techies (and /. ) seem to support Gore. But, in general, scientists and techies have tended to side with the democrats or communists (no slam here) rather than more conservative groups. This is not to imply that this is bad, it only goes to show that they care about their fellow man and feel their work belongs to the people. Their hearts are in the right place.
But, this philosophy has maligned itself in the recent decades with misguided politics. The people we elected to promote these ideals have, themselves, become corrupt and self-serving.
Cases in point:
How many people in the Clinton Administrator had to resign or were fired?
Clipper Chip - Designed to allow Law Enforcement to read encrypted transmissions through the Key Escrow Initiative. Failed miserably - thankfully.
Skipjack - Designed by the NSA for Clipper. It never received public review to determine if it was secure or contained any backdoors or trapdoors.
Over the past 8 years, RSA Data Security has contributed greatly to Clinton/Gore. Jim Bizdos as been seen to frequent the Whitehouse. Did he stay in Lincoln's bedroom? Funny, now that the patent has expired, the restrictions on this strong encryption technology has substantially declined.
RSADSI has been allowed to export strong encryption and set up shop in the Far East and Europe where other countries were hindered from similar action. This gave them a strong hold in countries were other companies now must try to compete.
Fund raising incidents involving the democrats (Al Gore in particular) and the relaxing of sanctions on the Chinese.
Loss of e-mail regarding Fund Raising activity during the Monica Lewinsky scandale.
Wen Ho Lee and his subsequent release on plea bargain. He admitted to taking the tapes...yet he gets off. Now everybody is screaming about Racial and Ethnic profiling.
Export of missile technology to the Chinese allow them to build more accurate and longer range missiles.
The information contained in those "missing" tapes supposedly would allow the Chinese to build deadlier warheads.
The list goes on...
How about failed promises --- HealthCare reform lead by Hillary Clinton. It failed miserably. As a result of this "reform", our Seniors are stuck in HMOs that provide worse benefits than they started off with. That issue has been raised again under the guise of Perscription Plan reform.
Hollywoods marking of violent and sexually suggestive material to children -- a Lieberman special. He condemns it yet is willing to take their money.
Don't be misled. The democrats of today ARE NOT the same ones led by JFK. They are corrupt and self serving.
Senator Kennedy was forgiven of his actions in Chappaquidic (sp). Congressman Druce was convicted under similar circumstances (they were both supposedly drunk).
I'm not saying the Republicans are much better -- but they are are concerned more with building this country (and their wallets) rather than countries that really don't want us there. Tax breaks may help the rich, but lower taxes for everybody has got to be a good thing.
And, if the wealthiest 1% are paying 34% of the taxes, then there is obviously something wrong with our tax structure...Don't you think?
Also, let's quote the rise of average salary income since 1976 of 9.6%. This came at a price of working in excess of 220 hours a year...or in excess of 10% longer hours. And, we are better off? Hmmmm...
I'll barely mention the support of Gore gave to Clinton while he lied to the American people.
Economic policies generally take 8-12 years to take effect. What boon we are experienced is because of the previous administrations policies. What we are experiencing now (i.e the slump in NASDAQ and DOW) is the result of Clinton/Gore politics. Don't believe me? Read your history.
President Bush experienced the effect of Reagan's policies following the fall of communism. The machine was too big to fight nobody and the subsequent result was a major scaling back within industry. Prez. Bush turned his attentions back to domestic issues after the Gulf War (after a major build up). But, it was too late then to bring about a recovery before the election.
Think long an hard about the actions of both parties over the past 8-12 years and decide.
If you don't want to vote Republican, then at least vote for a party leader who knows the difference between right and wrong.
RD
Encryption policy is overseen by the Vice President under executive order by the President.
The current administration strongly promoted the Clipper chip, reduced key sizes and key escrow until relatively recently.
Question: What is your view on the use of encryption technology for protecting the privacy of US citizens and companies?
And, do you favor legislation that provides more substantive easing of export restrictions for strong encryption technology or use of encryption technology on the internet?
Sorry, can't agree with you here. Granted, 250 bugs sound like a lot. But, in a 3+ Gig distro, that is an extrodinarily small number.
Contrary to your analogy regarding the weekly flavor of Windows 98, the frequency of fixes from RedHat come a much slower pace but the response time to a known problem is significantly faster.
While that may sound like a contadiction, the fact remains that RedHat has shown a perpensity to fix problems in their distributions in a timely manner. Unlike Windows updates, these fixes are highly publicized and easy to obtain.
Then, there is the question that if the problems are not in their code but rather in Open Sourced code, do they really have the obligation to fix it or is it merely a courtesy to fix it? Should they be held responsible for fixing every bug in somebody elses code? I would think not.
Knowledgable users should be aware of issues in any program they run. Hell, there are plenty of places to see what problems exists for most programs. Right?
With any software venture, there are always bound to be issues. When you have a commerical product were timelines and profits come into play, products may be released before they are 100% perfect. Perfection has always been the luxury of researchers and hobbiests.
So, I'll stand with RedHat on this one. Where I don't agree with them is on the glibc controversy.
RD
Story reads...
"Today, a newbie, in an experiment gone bad, allowed bugs to escape from bugzilla. They quickly escaped via the internet only to find a new host in RedHat."
Well, doesn't that suck. Sounds like something right out of one of the tabloids. A newbie pulls a bogus figure of his ass and gives it to RedHat.
Yesterday, I was comptemplating ugrading to 7.0 from 6.1 (which has run flawlessly for me). Then, I read some BS about 2500 bugs and instead decided to wait with my upgrade until 7.1. This morning, revised figures are posted by people that understand the process a wee bit more. Those new numbers come in around under 200 bugs.
200 bugs in a release as large as RH 7? Wow. If only most commercial software shipped with as few bugs. Take into consideration that most of these bugs are probably in community written code rather than RedHat written code. These are mostly bugs we've come to live with and are probably being patched as I write this.
What's a shame is that the original story will probably be picked up by MSNBC, CNN or some other news agency and the revised figures will not. Thus, people who may have upgraded or purchaced 7.0 may not do so now. Instead, they may continue to view Linux, in general, as buggy software that can not be trusted. Articles like this only perpetuate this myth.
I only hope that before posting potentially damaging material, that somebody actually check the figures before they are posted to the public. It strikes me as poor journalism, a disservice to the community and utter criminal negligience to do otherwise.
BTW...I'm going to upgrade to 7.0 today.
RD
Energy levels in electrons can be raised to stable values. Only when you knock them off the shelf do the return to a lower energy level and release a photon with energy equal to the difference betweent the prior and new state.
Ahhhhh..but perhaps you have the documen run finger and get you all the particulars on the person who's reading your resume AND then send it to your pager.
Great stuff if your applying for a security position...scare them into hiring you.
RD
I just read today that some guy modified AIM by adding AppleScript running Eliza. Idiots were contacting him and they had no clue that they were talking to a 1st generation AI program.
I even heard there is a program that immitates that judge on the deCSS case. Problem is, nobody can tell the difference between the program and the real McCoy as both make really bad decisions.
Now, let's imagine when they write an Al Gore CGI program. At least it will have more life to it before it runs itself into an endless loop of changing its political position. Even if the PC loses a few flip-flops, it can still borrow some from the program and keep on running.
RD
Did Apple sustain a financial loss because of this disclosure? Could the have?
Bottom line is that Apple CAN argue that they lost revenue because of the preannouncement. Potential sales that might have been generated from Apple's dog & pony show may been lost because of the "been there...done that attitude" taken by people who received the unoffical information in advance (even if inaccurate (even worse)).
Additionally, since Apple had not yet released the product, the early disclosure could cost them by the release of similar products by competitors. Remember the influx of iMac look-alikes by eMachines?
If employees are opening their mouths about their company's efforts in public while under NDA, they should be held liable for damages (even if by accidental disclosure). Hell, how many computer company execs in San Jose visit bars?
Loose lips sink ships...and companies. Apple is fully justified in their taking this guy to task. Termination of employment is a given as is the lawsuit.
RD
Okay, before you call me a conspiracy nut, please hear me out.
...well you know. Suddenly, an arrangement was achieved between all parties. PGP became a commercial product. Mr. Zimmerman became part of Network Associates....he's probably bound to a legal agreement that prevents him from talking. Everybody was fat, dumb and happy.
If you recall, in the mid 90's, the Clinton administration, under the recommendations of the law enforcement community, authorized the creation of the Clipper chip with its Skipjack algorithm. At the same time, Phil Zimmerman was under intense pressure and scrutiny regarding his involvement with PGP (strong encryption not under gov't control and protected by US patents).
The Clipper chip, if you recall, came under serious fire when it was discovered that it used something called a LEAF (Law Enforcement Access Field) which, theoretically, would allow law enforcement to read communications after obtaining a warrant. It was all part of the big key escrow plan. However, the LEAF could be circumvented/forged, making it impossible for LEF personnel to read the communications. The Clipper chip all but died.
At the same time, Mr. Zimmerman faced serious problems, RSADSKI/Public Key Partners/Security Dynamics and the entire justice dept were on him like a fly on
That is...until this information regarding ADKs become public knowledge.
Now, it's an election year with the Presidency, many seats in congress, senate and top courts up for grabs. The democrats/Clinton administration have been bombarded with many incidents of "espionage". We've formed closer alliances with the Chinese (who seem to be at the heart of the allegations and a major contributer for the DNC). We've had more "secrets" stolen from us in the past eight years than we could probably count..including, supposedly, information on nuclear capability and designs, missile technology, ship and submarine design and capabilities, etc. It's been a real banner eight years for the "privacy" of the United States.
Al Gore, as Vice President, had been tasked with the country's encryption policy. It was he, I believe, who actually authorized the Clipper chip's development. It would have been him who would fought against (and then lessened) our national restriction on cryptographic exports. And, it was Mr. Gore who met with Jim Bizdos of RSADSI fame (and major contributer) on numerous occassions (okay..so did Clinton).
With the popularity of the Clipper Chip waning, why not solve your problem by going after the emerging cult standard, PGP, and introduce key escrow there. Was this how the legal action against Phil was ultimately resolved? What were the actual terms of the agreement?
With so many of us "registering" our keys on the various key servers, one has to wonder if the keys have been tampered with through the addition of the ADKs. How else have we been compromised.
And, finally, why is that this was kept under wraps until an election year that this "issue" was discovered and unveiled. How long has the commercial version of PGP (Version 5 & 6) been available?
So, we have a VP candidate touting how he's responsible for the internet, how he's all for our privacy and, of course, privacy of electronic transactions. But, if the certificates for PGP have been compromised, then what is to say that the certs issued by Verisign and others have not been compromised in a similar fashion (without the CAs even knowing it). What's to say that information regarding the generation of the keys has not been hidden in a field of the certificate (the certid???).
Remember, the RSA patent will expire next month. At that point in time, there will be zero control over the use of the algorithm. Hence, new (and legal) encryption products will become readily available. We have seen a slow erosion of the security of RSA algorithm over the past couple of years through the use of code cracking contests sponser by....RSADSI. (BTW...did you know that the Windows version of their library can only be compiled using the Microsoft compiler (unless you wanna pay for the "port")...What was the bit about the NSAKEY a little while back??????)).
There have been attacks by famous cryptographers against elliptic curves (see the www.rsasecurity.com website for their December, 1999 Cryptogram publicaton). They have stated that the EC keys with 109 bits can be cracked in a year using 12,000 processors. The article fails to mention that 160 bit keys are standard practice nor how much effort must be expended to crack a 160 bit EC key.
So, with my conspiracy theory aside, everybody has a lot to gain and/or lose with this information becoming public.
One side can claim a conspiracy to discredit the other side. The other side can say that "Mr. Privacy" doesn't really mean it (if they're smart). In the end, it is us lowly citizens that get burned as we try to keep our credit card and personal affairs private.
If anybody doubts what I have said, do the research yourself. Look back on the history of the Clipper Chip and Skipjack. Look up the presidential order that gave Gore the authority to control encryption policy (which he denied for the longest time). Look at the deals that have been made over the past eight years. Make up your own mind.
While I think the democrats have a lot of good ideas, I believe they have picked the wrong man for the job of President and, probably, VP. Do the research...then, vote your conscience.
Okay..you can call me a nut now.
Did you know that this can be sung to the tune of "The Beverely Hillbillies"?
Well, under those circumstances where you are joining a startup, an NDA probably is in order. But, it should be limited to the scope of the company's fiscal situation.
The biggest difference is that you are a taking a risk joining a startup. Knowing that your bills will be paid helps alleviate the risk. But, the NDA should be limited in scope to just this data.
If they are serious about you, you'll know. If they do second/third interviews, then thats the time a company should disclose this information.
For you to ask for it upfront, unless discussed prior to the interview, may be construed as rude and overconfident or as someone with a chip on your shoulder. Then again, they may take this as the sign of real go-getter. Hard to tell as each situation is different. But, make sure the NDA is limited in scope so as to prevent potential lawsuits when you go and work for a competitor.
Whatever you do...don't sign it without reading it first.
RD
I guess this something we should aspire to, eh?
Good catch!
However, to add some content, Borland demonstrated how much more efficient Java's garbage collection system is over native Windows memory management (i.e. New/Dispose) at the developer's conference this year.
They ran a demo where the allocated and destroyed over a million objects. The Delphi version took several seconds to run. The Java one ran in under a second.
They also demonstrated a few other "benchmarks". While Java didn't always win, it showed performance that was far better than I ever expected in many areas. As the VMs are optimized, I expect the performance gap to close even more.
RD
Potential businesses and good ideas are a dime a dozen. Unless your idea is patent pending or "truly" innovative, requiring potential employees to sign an NDA should be out of the question. Then, they should be used sparingly and with limited scope. I personally don't want to walk around providing copies of my signed NDAs to every perspective employeer for them to sign in a similar field. Would you?
Interview NDAs are just another good idea being mutilated by the truly business brain dead for the self-serving interest of a business. I wonder if they would actually hold up in court...
The first interview is supposed to see if there is a match between employeer and perspective employee. The second interview (or third), is when details should be discussed. If an NDA is absolutely required, the perspective should know this in advance, prior to walking into the interview. A copy of the NDA should be extended to the perspective as well for review. It should be limited to the scope of the interview and have an expiration period. And, they should not object to someone who brings their lawyer when they are trying to bind someone to a legal contract. Period.
If the employer is sure they have the right person and wish to further interview the perspective or plan to make an offer, they should extend the offer first (with a letter) with the provision an NDA is executed between all concerned parties. That shows intent by the business and leaves the perspective with the decision. Under no circumstance should the perspective be made to sign the agreement on the spot.
In a related situation, I had an interview a few years ago where I asked if I would be required to take any skills competancy tests (it was for a Macintosh/C++ programmer position). And, I was assured I would not. On the day of the interview, the person with whom I was to be interviewed by was not present, the person they did assign had not seen my resume and barely spoke comprehensible English. Then, they gave me the "test". I walked out of the interiew. The company, BTW, is not longer in business yet I am gainfully employeed. My current employer did ask that I sign a scope limited NDA after hire. And, they were upfront with this prior to my hire.
Unfortunately, we're looking for something a bit more permanent. We need something that outfits an entire room and not just the desk. So, I'm betting we'll design our own and have a furniture maker build it for us (heck..maybe you'll see Ronin Developer Custom Furniture in a year or two ).
But, as far as computer workstations go, the Jagger seems pretty well layed out. It might be suitable as a workstation for the kids or for new personnel at our company.
But, I'm hedging that a nice room with the appropriate dividers and built in desk/storage might make more sense (i.e. 2 to a room).
Currently, we've got such an animal that is two L's with the lower leg of the L's attached and rounded. It gives each person their own space yet keeps the room open and accessible to others (we have a printer in there as well) without disturbing the occupants of the space.
RD
I worked for a large travel company a few years ago. Great company, great ideas, and many innovations (aside from having a 90% female workforce (yeah..I'm a pig)).
But, the work areas (cubicals) while not horrendous, were a little impersonal. Rules like:
a) No personal effects.
b) No papers on desk after hours.
c) Must use black rather than blue pens.
Naturally, in the IT department, we skirted many of the issues by putting things on walls facing AWAY from the normal viewing area and stuff put to the sides of our monitors where they couldn't be seen unless you walked into the cube.
Then, there was the hot-swap desks for the consultants. They had no area to put things (despite being FT consultants). No barriers between desks...just phone and PC.
Needless to say...this didn't last too long as we started having difficulty in keeping consultants.
In the act of remodeling our home, my wife and I have decided to create a truly useful home office. Some may disagree, but things like cubicals don't work in a home environment. So, we set out to find office furniture that looks like it belongs in a home when not in use and is still reasonable in price and functionality.
We've looked at many different things from low-end to high-end modular furniture (computer cabinets that, when open, have room for decent sized monitors, a keyboard, etc. (or so they think) yet look like high quality furniture of the quality you'd find in your dining room or bedroom (i.e. real wood...not laminate...no water beds allowed ).
Bottom line is that we've found NOTHING on the market that is truly designed with computer users in mind despite being labeled as computer furniture. Most furniture looks like TV cabinates with a keyboard draw attached. It seems that what we've been looking for doesn't seem to exist.
Furniture designers don't seem to realize the needs for real computer users.
We need:
1) space for one (if not two), mini-towers or desktop machines per cabinet. They need to be out of the way yet accessible.
2) space for decent sized monitors (17-20 inch) and a means to adjust the monitor to a comfortable and egonomic position.
3) Keyboard drawers that provide ample wrist support and space for the mouse (yeah..like I'm going to reach into the cabinet to move my mouse).
We saw one model where the face of the keyboard drawer drops down to make a decent wrist support and then flipped back up to look like a panel in the furniture. While we liked this line, there were still things that were all wrong.
4) accessible, yet hidden cable runs with maybe a ethernet port or two.
5) space for a printer (small laser or inkjet would be nice). Access to the printer for maintenance is essential.
6) Cooling fans to keep our stuff from overheating.
7) Auxillary spaces for such things as hubs, switches, and UPS.
8) Surge protection and plenty of outlets.
9) Usable desk tops and cabinets that provide ample storage space and functionality (like for printers).
10) Bookcases that seem to integrate.
11) it to be standalone (vs built-in) so we can take it with us when we move.
As a result, we're now considering designing our own furniture and then will take the interior designs to a cabinet/furniture maker to clean up the design and then build it ("Damnit, Jim, I'm an doctor (um..computer geek)..not a brick layer (or skilled cabinet maker)...")
Have others run into these problems and what did you do about it?
RD
As a serious Borland Delphi developer and staunch Inprise/Borland supporter since 1982, I was really looking forward to the open sourcing of InterBase and the spin off to ISC. My excitement was a direct result of having used InterBase in the past but was turned off to deploying products based on it because of the apparent lack of support by Inprise. Finally, they were taking InterBase seriously.
/. seemed to think the unveiling story wasn't worthy of their time.
But, when the deal to spin off InterBase to ISC failed to materialize at the developer's conference, I began questioning Inprise's motives in the whole affair. At the keynote speeches, we were assured the contract would be signed in a couple of weeks.
Prior to the conference, I asked on the NGs what would become of the code being written by non-Inprise developers if Inprise renigged on the deal. Everyone said I was taking Dale Fuller's statements the wrong way and that Inprise/Borland was committed to the spin off. Even as late as the conference, we were told the delays were in the hinds of the lawyers. Even
Well, as I feared, the deal fell through. Borland is rapidly losing its InterBase developers (well,according to the article). So, what will become of InterBase? Will it lose financial support and whither and die as was its original fate as of last December?
Has Borland dealt itself a final blow in this last fiasco with Open Source developers as well? Did they lose the small footholds of trust they achieved whenever a commercial vendor enters into this arena and makes these promises and almost delivers?
Okay, the source code has been released, but will people use or extend it under the provisions of the IPL?
What impact will these actions have on their aim to become a cross-platform tool vendor and the acceptace of Kylix among Linux-based developers?
I wish, for once, that companies would do what's right for the right reasons rather than what's for the immediate good of their stock holders. The long term effects would have made it all worth while. Now, we'll just have to wait and see what the final outcome will be. I'm betting it won't be good for Borland.
RD
It sounds to me like you just have a real problem with authority and cops in general.
In a previous post (and in response to mine), you stated that you have tried to change the system through the system. I applaud you for trying and tell you keep trying. And, you made a few good points regarding the antiquity of our system and hinted about being able to vote online.
I can almost agree with your points, for the most part. But, not everyone in this nation has internet access (many don't even have phones). If those individuals had a center from which to vote and where their privacy is enforced and the system is super easy to use (for the non-literate), I'd go along along with you. Question is whether or not privacy can be truly guarded or whether they would be understandable to somebody who only knows how to put an 'X' down for their name. I'd venture not. Existing voting machines only record who voted but not what they voted for.
Regarding cops enforcement and agreement of laws. Cops vote like you and I. And, they do speak up when their interests are at stake. Since most laws deal with keeping scum off the street (and most cops don't think themselves as scum), they have no reason to fight those laws.
But, if the laws are changed, you can be sure the cops will honor those changes. I work with former cops on a daily basis. They are good, hard working people that have children to feed and a roof to keep over their heads. They view the enforcement of laws by the law as their job and duty. And, the do it well.
I'm not against protesting, only violent or destructive protesting.
If you want to reduce the number of laws in the country, work towards the one law per bill notion (i.e. no riders). That would reduce the number of good laws and bad laws passing simply because it is attached to some politically sensitive issue (like abortion). The line item veto was a step in the right direction. Its a shame it was found unconstitutional.
You mentioned that our forefathers wanted the states to have more power than the federal gov't. That's what the political party known as the republics advocate (well, in theory at least). The current democrats want to expand Federal powers. So, the choice is clear if you want to return power to the states (where you may have more influence), don't vote for the democrats.
The police don't have the authority to selectively enforce the laws of the land. And, you don't have the authority to violate those laws either.
Those laws are created by your lawmakers. If you don't like them, then work, peacefully, to have them changed. If you are unwilling to do what it takes, then shut the fuck up.
"What's in your vest?" [...] "Left my 'nades at home, officer." "Let's see what's in your backpack." "Fuck no. You need an arrest warrant for that."
Hmmm, want to get arrested (or at least detained) too?...Here's the simple formula:
Dress like Rambo.
Join a group bent on getting arrested.
Act suspecious.
When asked by the police, insinuate that you might have weapons.
When asked for ID, refuse to surrender it.
Insult the officer and utter profanities at them.
Sounds pretty simple to me. Idiot.
BTW, he wasn't arrested. He was temporarily detained until his identity was ascertained (Remember, he wasn't even 'cuffed).
His behavior isn't activism..its down and out civil disobedience with no redeeming value.
I'm glad our officers knew to stop this piece of shit. Its a real shame he didn't get booked because of an outstanding traffic warrant and spend a few nights in a cell with a very large man named "Bubba" who wants nothing better than to make this dick's asshole look look like a hula hoop. Now...that's what I call activism
RD
WTF does Serbia have to do with this? Stop comparing apples to oranges. Show me where these individuals are being tortured (from a truly reliable source and not some leftist publication) and I'll side with you. Yes. Torture is a crime against humanity. As is your liberal, pugnant, conspiricist attitude.
c) they are being denied legal assistance, d) their bail has been set to unrealistically high levels, e) they are being denied the right to make a phone call to get assistance from families and friends.
First, what is the accuracy of your reports? The individuals being held have not identified themselves. As a result, they probably have not been completely booked. How can you grant bail to someone who: a) have not identified themselves (and pose a flight risk). b) are not from the are (again, pose a flight risk). c) has been charged with multiple felony counts and pose a flight risk.
These individuals are not political prisoners. They are misguided, subversive souls bent on creating anarchy and bedlam.
Bail, to my understanding, is set for $1M. That means they most post 10% or $100,000. If the groups to which they belong want to claim responsibility for them, then let them post the bond. At least if they run, there is money to track them back down like the dogs that they are. Hell, if you care so damned much for them, then raise their bond yourself.
I don't want to sound like I think all protestors are without cause. Many of their causes are just and ignored by our system. But, these "professional" protestors don't give a rats ass about the cause. They are hired mercenaries to carry a picket sign an cause trouble. They only care about disrupting the system and lives of those who are relatively happy with it as it is. The moment they make threats, destroy property, or commit assault, they need to be treated like criminals. If they care to resist, that's their perogative. But, they should not be released until their identity is determined.
History is full of incidents such as you describe all over the world. And, a society will do well to learn from history.
But, to associate that which happened in Philadelphia to Puerto Rico is absurb. I, like others who responded before, am from the Philadelphia area. I watched the protests daily each night (local news, CNN, CSPAN, etc) and was amazed at the restraint the Philadelphia police exercised with the so called "peaceful" demonstrators.
Philadephia has come under a lot of scrutiny because of the beating a suspect received only a few short weeks ago. And, while I don't necesarily agree with what happened, I can understand what was going through the minds of the officers knowing that one of their own had just been shot by this bozo. Enough on that topic.
People remember the events of the 70's when Mayor Rizzo was in office. At that time, we had the Broad Street Bullies (the Flyers) and cops who didn't take any crap. But, this attitude prevailed in many cities during that era as people dealt with all sorts of "revolutionaries". With the liberalization of this country, we now have a police force that is afraid to make a move in fear of the lawsuits (justified or not) that will surely follow. What amazed me is that even the ACLU gave the police a passing grade this time around.
I, for one, am glad to see how are police handled the demonstrators. The peaceful ones received full protection of the law (as they should). The distrupters and violent protestors are now in jail and charged with many things (like feloneous assult on a police officer).
I would doubt that their civil rights are being violated (given the publicity of these events). But, I do believe that the individuals still in jail are there because a) they refuse to cooperate and give their names b) they are charged with serious crimes. c) they are not from the area and pose a flight risk.
As for the 2600 staffer...well, I'd like to see what he was really charged with. He could be innocent. But, when you are in the midst of a violent protest, you can be sure you'll be marked as one of the bad guys until things get straightened out. We learned this lesson in Vietnam when our soldiers couldn't tell who were the enemy and who were friendly. We lost many soldiers to "children" wired as bombs.
So, put away your incense and beads and come into the 21st century. Learn from the past, don't live in it.
RD
Considering the RSA patent will expire on Sept 20th (the start of the school year), licensing of the RSA code is not really an issue.
Elliptic Curves based algorithms may or may not be patented depending upon the algorithm you select. Most of those patents are based on optimizations and not necessarily on the EC algorithm itself.
Techniques in the employment of ANY software advance may be patented (Why??? that's another issue altogether..but it has to do with inadequancies in our patent system to handle the rapid "advances" in our industry).
While patents infringement is always a possibility, I didn't meant to imply or advocate that they violate the law. You can use the algorithms, in many cases, in a non-commercial environment (contact RSADSI, Security Dynamics and/or Public Key Partners if you have questions in this area).
You can write your own MP libraries and teach theory without violating any laws. You can write a book on this subject as well. And, you can share that knowledge (in many cases), without fear of liability or patent infringement suits.
Where you get into trouble is publishing patented work or performing some other activity that causes damage to the holder of the patent. Heck, you now can even share cryptographic knowledge (i.e. export it) with just a simply filing with the Bureue (sp) of Exports (Finally!).
In the US, the fundamental basis for this freedom of expression is, and correct me if I am wrong, the First Ammendment of the United States Consitution (where the first ten ammendments are known as the Bill of Rights). I'm sure most other countries have a similar document or law on the books.
And, if patent infringement is an issue, take them to a library where they can do a patent search for themselves. Its a very enlightening experiences to say the very least. It would make a most excellent field trip.