A few chargebacks maybe, but I got nailed by a fraudulent transaction on PayPal and they didn't seem to care at all. There argument is that they are a payment medium and as such they don't have responsiblity over what happens! Absolutely ridiculous - I think they should have similar regulation to a bank or a credit card service, as they certainly provide a similar service. My problem was to do with the fact that UK PayPal users had (have?) no real protection from fraud (especially from their absurb Seller Protection Program - it's anything but!).
Please feel free to read what happened and also the email transcript between PayPal and myself - some interesting reading!
"Linux wasn't started as any kind of rebellion against the 'evil Microsoft empire,'" Torvalds told The New York Times last year. "I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."
"...and that fifth one no one really likes to talk about."
I know what you mean. When I first read the trilogy, it was only in four parts, but when I finally purchased my own copy, there was the fifth part!
I wasn't too sure about 'Mostly Harmless' the first time I read it, but after numerous readings it certainly grows on you. However, it was definitely written in a different style and you felt that Arthur had changed quite a bit. Nevertheless, it's still an amazing book and I am addicted to Adam's style of writing and his superb range of analogies e.g.
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't. ".
As previously mentioned, I'm so glad that I have had the pleasure of reading the Hitchhiker books before the film. I'm also used to the voices of Ford and Arthur from the original BBC Radio tapes, so this will be very strange.
However, after the comparisons with LOTR, I hadn't previously read the books (apart from a few attempts whilst at school) and after seeing the film, I can't wait to read the books...
However, when I decided to purchase a decent wireless card, I would've liked to have been able to use it under Linux without paying extra. When you spend nearly UKP50 on the card, a discount on the Linuxant driver (at the very least!) would have been a nice gesture.
Interesting info relating to recent threats against Linux on BBC News Online. An interview with 'open source advocate' Bruce Perens about software patents, not the SCO lawsuits, being the biggest threat in the future.
Bruce Perens has also used the now famous phrase '...2004 - the year of Linux on the desktop...', but it seems quite interesting exploring the ramifications of the flood of software patents for pretty much anything (e.g. FFII v Amazon Gift Ordering patent).
Indeed - only 8 countries were signatories of the Moon Treaty(1979), which didn't include the United States. However, the Outer Space Treaty (1967) was signed by 91 countries and has similar principles to the Antarctic Treaty (1959).
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet. The Moon Treaty forbids the exploitation of Space, the Moon and other celestial bodies for profit motives. According to the Moon Treaty, individuals may not claim the Moon and other celestial bodies.
However, there's just one small, minor problem: The Treaty was never ratified. Of all the approximately 185 member states of the UN only six states supported it. All others, including all space faring nations (USA, Russia, China etc) refused to sign it and did not sign it. That is something that does not seem to be well known. The USA explicitly refused to sign it as it would inhibit the exploitation of Lunar and other celestial resources for profit by corporations and individuals.
It would really piss me off to lose my machines if I never did anything...
Definitely. You hear horror stories of computer equipment being impounded for months and months and when you get a court order for them to release it, you find nothing works.
Obviously part of the rigorous 'investigation' involves shorting the motherboard and trashing the hard drives...
People are starting to blame Microsoft for their failures.
Definitely - people seem to be taking notice that Windows is not the complete package they are told it is when they are sold the computer. A good example is the amount of Critical Updates people have to download when they have a brand new computer just to make sure it isn't vulnerable. I had to do this for my parent's new computer with XP Home - it was no fun trying to download 16Mb of updates on a 56kbps connection.
I think it will be a massive step forward to get the average home user (whatever that is!) to actually know there is an alternative to Windows and it's not just for 'hackers and programmers'.
I think with the lower end of Linus's statement (5 years), the use (and awareness) of Linux will become much more noticeable. I've noticed recently that the SCO lawsuit has made some waves in UK papers, where previously you'd be hard pushed to find a mention of Linux whenever a computer-related article is published (Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft!). Possibly something to do with the fact that the big name of IBM is involved, but surely this is a good thing - getting the Linux name actually recognised!
It's still amazing to see the puzzled look on people's faces when they ask what 'Red Hat Linux' is and when did Microsoft release it.....
Slashdot Mirror
How could we have an article about AmigaOS and not mention the great language itself: BCPL!
Here I am, writing a compiler for BCPL and no one seems to care...
Front end for GCC anyone?
I wonder what thoughts will be on Linux in 2014...
A few chargebacks maybe, but I got nailed by a fraudulent transaction on PayPal and they didn't seem to care at all. There argument is that they are a payment medium and as such they don't have responsiblity over what happens! Absolutely ridiculous - I think they should have similar regulation to a bank or a credit card service, as they certainly provide a similar service. My problem was to do with the fact that UK PayPal users had (have?) no real protection from fraud (especially from their absurb Seller Protection Program - it's anything but!).
Please feel free to read what happened and also the email transcript between PayPal and myself - some interesting reading!
Any advice gratefully received!
No way, I am flabbergasted that someone would even suggest that Microsoft would do something as underhand as this.
I for one will stand up and defend...err.....hold on....
Surely this has to rank as one of the biggies:
"Linux wasn't started as any kind of rebellion against the 'evil Microsoft empire,'" Torvalds told The New York Times last year. "I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."
Oh well, never mind, move on etc....
Nice name - did they chose that themselves?
"...and that fifth one no one really likes to talk about."
I know what you mean. When I first read the trilogy, it was only in four parts, but when I finally purchased my own copy, there was the fifth part!
I wasn't too sure about 'Mostly Harmless' the first time I read it, but after numerous readings it certainly grows on you. However, it was definitely written in a different style and you felt that Arthur had changed quite a bit. Nevertheless, it's still an amazing book and I am addicted to Adam's style of writing and his superb range of analogies e.g.
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't. ".
As previously mentioned, I'm so glad that I have had the pleasure of reading the Hitchhiker books before the film. I'm also used to the voices of Ford and Arthur from the original BBC Radio tapes, so this will be very strange.
However, after the comparisons with LOTR, I hadn't previously read the books (apart from a few attempts whilst at school) and after seeing the film, I can't wait to read the books...
(typing this on a Centrino-based WinXP laptop)
Indeed.
However, when I decided to purchase a decent wireless card , I would've liked to have been able to use it under Linux without paying extra. When you spend nearly UKP50 on the card, a discount on the Linuxant driver (at the very least!) would have been a nice gesture.
Interesting info relating to recent threats against Linux on BBC News Online. An interview with 'open source advocate' Bruce Perens about software patents, not the SCO lawsuits, being the biggest threat in the future.
Bruce Perens has also used the now famous phrase '...2004 - the year of Linux on the desktop...', but it seems quite interesting exploring the ramifications of the flood of software patents for pretty much anything (e.g. FFII v Amazon Gift Ordering patent ).
Umm.... I don't recall signing that treaty.
Indeed - only 8 countries were signatories of the Moon Treaty(1979), which didn't include the United States. However, the Outer Space Treaty (1967) was signed by 91 countries and has similar principles to the Antarctic Treaty (1959).
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet. The Moon Treaty forbids the exploitation of Space, the Moon and other celestial bodies for profit motives. According to the Moon Treaty, individuals may not claim the Moon and other celestial bodies.
However, there's just one small, minor problem: The Treaty was never ratified. Of all the approximately 185 member states of the UN only six states supported it. All others, including all space faring nations (USA, Russia, China etc) refused to sign it and did not sign it. That is something that does not seem to be well known. The USA explicitly refused to sign it as it would inhibit the exploitation of Lunar and other celestial resources for profit by corporations and individuals.
It would really piss me off to lose my machines if I never did anything...
Definitely. You hear horror stories of computer equipment being impounded for months and months and when you get a court order for them to release it, you find nothing works.
Obviously part of the rigorous 'investigation' involves shorting the motherboard and trashing the hard drives...
...an iPod!
People are starting to blame Microsoft for their failures.
Definitely - people seem to be taking notice that Windows is not the complete package they are told it is when they are sold the computer. A good example is the amount of Critical Updates people have to download when they have a brand new computer just to make sure it isn't vulnerable. I had to do this for my parent's new computer with XP Home - it was no fun trying to download 16Mb of updates on a 56kbps connection.
I think it will be a massive step forward to get the average home user (whatever that is!) to actually know there is an alternative to Windows and it's not just for 'hackers and programmers'.
I think with the lower end of Linus's statement (5 years), the use (and awareness) of Linux will become much more noticeable. I've noticed recently that the SCO lawsuit has made some waves in UK papers, where previously you'd be hard pushed to find a mention of Linux whenever a computer-related article is published (Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft!). Possibly something to do with the fact that the big name of IBM is involved, but surely this is a good thing - getting the Linux name actually recognised!
It's still amazing to see the puzzled look on people's faces when they ask what 'Red Hat Linux' is and when did Microsoft release it.....