A cartel is a cartel is a cartel. Aggressive defense of copyrights is pretty much a requirement for all RIAA member labels and bands. The sooner musicians have a way of breaking free of RIAA control, the less they will be compelled to take actions that seem profitable in the short term but are not fan friendly.
The RIAA has a history of trying to stomp out ALL digital music distribution, legal or otherwise. I recall them filing several lawsuits against the old mp3.com which did not even host illegal RIAA music. Also, they tried to sue the makers of the first portable MP3 player (the Diamond Rio) even though it didn't even have a record function. It's not surprising that they jumped all over a music fan's website, nevermind that such a site couldn't possibly cost them sales and in fact could only promote interest in the band.
What the RIAA really fears is not that someone will download the latest pop music for free, but that artists will see they don't need the RIAA anymore. They are a very expensive middleman that musicians would love to be able to get around, and are finally able to do so. This is why it is so important for the big studios to keep a tight grip on the distribution channel for as long as they can.
I suppose there are too many vested interests for NASA to scrap the inefficient and outdated shuttle program and develop a vehicle for space travel that would be more suited to the needs of modern science.
That's the point. This way, TV manufacturers can scare the uninformed public into buying the super-hi-def-SDTV-HDTV or whatever the hell they'll be calling it by then. People will buy it just so they don't take the chance of not being able to watch TV in 2009. For the average American, imagine their horror upon finding out they can no longer watch TV!
A USB Floppy, isn't that kind of like putting a lawnmower engine in a Porsche? I can't really imagine a situation where a USB floppy drive could be useful for anything. If the machine accepts USB and can even boot from a USB device, why not use a keychain drive or an external hard drive?
It seems like thin clients, network computers, or whatever the current euphamism is for dumb terminals keeps coming up every 2 years or so. No matter how many times this stupid idea is ridiculed, some aspiring tech writer feels the need to inform us that thin clients are catching on, after citing one example of them being used. So yes, we have at least 10 more years of bi-annual entertainment listening to some dope try to convince PHBs to invest in thin clients, the future of computing.
I can't say this is a bad thing. Public schools have had their chance and have failed to produce results no matter how much money is thrown at them. Why should someone have to pay twice for their kids' education just to keep them from having to attend an inferior public school?
Which is the reason I have always preferred HP to Canon. It's been a long time since I bought an inkjet, so maybe now Canon makes something that doesn't suck balls, but my old Cannon was a POS. With combined ink and printer heads, an ink replacement gets you new heads, which means no worrying about unclogging the old ones. The stupid Canon continued to streak lines across the page even with new ink cartridges. "Innovation" is not always a good thing.
That is really odd. I can't figure out what unwritten Slashdot rule or groupthink criteria he violated to get that Flamebait mod. Criticizing sports does not generally piss off Slashbots.
I can't believe that CNN actually used the word 'poo' in a news article.
It's called a quote. When a reporter interviews a source and reports what the source says, the quote is reported word-for-word, even if the source in question is a PHd who said "poo" during an interview for CNN. Your disbelief should be with the researcher that was interviewed, not CNN.
It's fail safe. In the event of a system failure, it can only fail to launch. Once started, it can stop even if it loses power completely, according to this article.
I think the biggest problem is that teachers are not properly trained to use computers as instruction tools. When I was in school, we had "computer time", but it was clear that the teachers really didn't know what was going on. We were just supposed to learn stuff on the computers since they had to put those fancy machines to use for something. I get the idea the situation is not a lot better 15 years later.
Accountability, the most dangerous corporate buzzword of all. It means blame. So when executives start talking about increased accountability, it means someone (usually several people) will be getting fired.
Terrorists have found ways to hijack planes for the last 30 years without in-flight broadband. This proposal will fix nothing. The most effective defense against hijacking, and the reason why another one has not been attempted since 9/11, is vigilant passengers that will no longer cooperate with a hijacker.
Newsflash: terrorists lie. Would Bin Laden really give up his cause if we were to just pull our military operations out of the middle east and let them take over Israel?
I've always heard that it's never a good idea to pay a collection agency. A paid collection is, for all practical purposes, just as bad as an unpaid one. It might damage your score a little more, but either way your loans will come from subprime lenders for the next 7 years. If something goes to collections and they really are serious about taking you to court, might as well try to settle. Otherwise, why pay anything at all.
Here's a bulletproof plan for Wired: if someone hasn't paid for their subscription, don't send any issues! How fucking difficult is that? It's not like Wired is loaning people money or something. There is absolutely NO need for ANY magazine to use a collection agency EVER. Besides, a magazine subscription card is not a binding debt contract anyway. Wired should have their asses sued big for this scam.
In situations like this, it really pays (literally) to know your rights. You could have made some serious cash off of them for violating the fair debt collection act. All collection agencies are sleazy to an extent; you just have to wait for them to screw up and report them. And as previous posters have said, collection agencies have little power that extends beyond harassing you and reporting you to credit bureaus (for legitimate debts, that is).
Patching vulnerable servers is part of the cost of doing business. Neglecting this important task will certainly have negative and preventable consequences, regardless of how good of a reason someone had to not patch them. To look at it another way, there are businesses in high-crime areas that may not be able to afford alarm systems, window bars, etc. What happens when they don't install these things? They get robbed. People simply MUST secure important computer systems rather than make excuses as to why they can't.
There's no way that a knife ban will do anything other than piss people off. How easy is it to take a blunt knife and sharpen it into a point? Hell, prisoners make knives by sharpening a toothbrush handle. Add toothbrushes to the list of dangerous items that England needs to ban. Oh well, this gives the rest of the world something to laugh at.
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A cartel is a cartel is a cartel. Aggressive defense of copyrights is pretty much a requirement for all RIAA member labels and bands. The sooner musicians have a way of breaking free of RIAA control, the less they will be compelled to take actions that seem profitable in the short term but are not fan friendly.
The RIAA has a history of trying to stomp out ALL digital music distribution, legal or otherwise. I recall them filing several lawsuits against the old mp3.com which did not even host illegal RIAA music. Also, they tried to sue the makers of the first portable MP3 player (the Diamond Rio) even though it didn't even have a record function. It's not surprising that they jumped all over a music fan's website, nevermind that such a site couldn't possibly cost them sales and in fact could only promote interest in the band.
What the RIAA really fears is not that someone will download the latest pop music for free, but that artists will see they don't need the RIAA anymore. They are a very expensive middleman that musicians would love to be able to get around, and are finally able to do so. This is why it is so important for the big studios to keep a tight grip on the distribution channel for as long as they can.
I suppose there are too many vested interests for NASA to scrap the inefficient and outdated shuttle program and develop a vehicle for space travel that would be more suited to the needs of modern science.
That's the point. This way, TV manufacturers can scare the uninformed public into buying the super-hi-def-SDTV-HDTV or whatever the hell they'll be calling it by then. People will buy it just so they don't take the chance of not being able to watch TV in 2009. For the average American, imagine their horror upon finding out they can no longer watch TV!
A USB Floppy, isn't that kind of like putting a lawnmower engine in a Porsche? I can't really imagine a situation where a USB floppy drive could be useful for anything. If the machine accepts USB and can even boot from a USB device, why not use a keychain drive or an external hard drive?
It seems like thin clients, network computers, or whatever the current euphamism is for dumb terminals keeps coming up every 2 years or so. No matter how many times this stupid idea is ridiculed, some aspiring tech writer feels the need to inform us that thin clients are catching on, after citing one example of them being used. So yes, we have at least 10 more years of bi-annual entertainment listening to some dope try to convince PHBs to invest in thin clients, the future of computing.
I can't say this is a bad thing. Public schools have had their chance and have failed to produce results no matter how much money is thrown at them. Why should someone have to pay twice for their kids' education just to keep them from having to attend an inferior public school?
Which is the reason I have always preferred HP to Canon. It's been a long time since I bought an inkjet, so maybe now Canon makes something that doesn't suck balls, but my old Cannon was a POS. With combined ink and printer heads, an ink replacement gets you new heads, which means no worrying about unclogging the old ones. The stupid Canon continued to streak lines across the page even with new ink cartridges. "Innovation" is not always a good thing.
Who ever thought grammar snobbery could be so much fun?
That is really odd. I can't figure out what unwritten Slashdot rule or groupthink criteria he violated to get that Flamebait mod. Criticizing sports does not generally piss off Slashbots.
I can't believe that CNN actually used the word 'poo' in a news article.
It's called a quote. When a reporter interviews a source and reports what the source says, the quote is reported word-for-word, even if the source in question is a PHd who said "poo" during an interview for CNN. Your disbelief should be with the researcher that was interviewed, not CNN.
It's fail safe. In the event of a system failure, it can only fail to launch. Once started, it can stop even if it loses power completely, according to this article.
Thanks, dude, you have totally ruined my workday :) I'll be fired within a week and it will all be your fault!
They might also be one of the first schools to send spam. "High tech" is not always better.
I think the biggest problem is that teachers are not properly trained to use computers as instruction tools. When I was in school, we had "computer time", but it was clear that the teachers really didn't know what was going on. We were just supposed to learn stuff on the computers since they had to put those fancy machines to use for something. I get the idea the situation is not a lot better 15 years later.
Accountability, the most dangerous corporate buzzword of all. It means blame. So when executives start talking about increased accountability, it means someone (usually several people) will be getting fired.
Wow, you just described General Motors (also Ford and Chrysler, for that matter).
Terrorists have found ways to hijack planes for the last 30 years without in-flight broadband. This proposal will fix nothing. The most effective defense against hijacking, and the reason why another one has not been attempted since 9/11, is vigilant passengers that will no longer cooperate with a hijacker.
Newsflash: terrorists lie. Would Bin Laden really give up his cause if we were to just pull our military operations out of the middle east and let them take over Israel?
I've always heard that it's never a good idea to pay a collection agency. A paid collection is, for all practical purposes, just as bad as an unpaid one. It might damage your score a little more, but either way your loans will come from subprime lenders for the next 7 years. If something goes to collections and they really are serious about taking you to court, might as well try to settle. Otherwise, why pay anything at all.
Just to be sure, send it certified mail. Then they can't deny receiving it.
Here's a bulletproof plan for Wired: if someone hasn't paid for their subscription, don't send any issues! How fucking difficult is that? It's not like Wired is loaning people money or something. There is absolutely NO need for ANY magazine to use a collection agency EVER. Besides, a magazine subscription card is not a binding debt contract anyway. Wired should have their asses sued big for this scam.
In situations like this, it really pays (literally) to know your rights. You could have made some serious cash off of them for violating the fair debt collection act. All collection agencies are sleazy to an extent; you just have to wait for them to screw up and report them. And as previous posters have said, collection agencies have little power that extends beyond harassing you and reporting you to credit bureaus (for legitimate debts, that is).
Patching vulnerable servers is part of the cost of doing business. Neglecting this important task will certainly have negative and preventable consequences, regardless of how good of a reason someone had to not patch them. To look at it another way, there are businesses in high-crime areas that may not be able to afford alarm systems, window bars, etc. What happens when they don't install these things? They get robbed. People simply MUST secure important computer systems rather than make excuses as to why they can't.
There's no way that a knife ban will do anything other than piss people off. How easy is it to take a blunt knife and sharpen it into a point? Hell, prisoners make knives by sharpening a toothbrush handle. Add toothbrushes to the list of dangerous items that England needs to ban. Oh well, this gives the rest of the world something to laugh at.