Linux IS secure - relatively. Ubuntu and Debian is very hard to get root, if they are properly installed. Ubuntu has "zero ports open" policy and Debian default policy is to be closed and limited as much as possible, and then user can add more and more things to open his box more.
And I can work on my Ubuntu home and work computers, thank you. Windows is so very limited in many cases, only where Microsoft definetly has kicked ass so far is Office suite products. Yes, there are lot of issues in Linux desktop case, no doubt about that, but they are not such shopstoppers as many would like to paint them.
Maybe problem is that Linux usually is commented by Windows "power users" who usually very passionate about their OS of choice. It is not wrong, but they usually are ready to flame any other OS just because they are majority.
Actually problem is much more deeper in human instincts. Many people claim that communism is impossible, that humans are too much greedy, selfish, etc. In fact, lot of communist philosofs (those ones who are just thinking about this problem, not propoganda ones) have already pointed out - people want to feel safe. To protected. To do whatever they can do to ensure their survival. You will ask - what has milions to do with survival? Those people who are outright greedy, definetly has seen bad times and it is simple response feedback - they don't want this situation repeat EVER again. Those who do that for power - usually it is problem with selfesteem, etc.
Lot of our civilization problems can be described as human ones. It is matter of simple act of understanding it. Communism therefore IS possible, only with one point - if it takes HUMANS into account. The same with Capitalism and our society.
Problem with all this is - we don't just don't apply logic to things which definetly requires clear mind - like politics, economics - and vice versa - we definetly try to apply some kind of logic to love, compassion, good will, common sense.
Mostly because we think that we are right and world is wrong. And then we try to "customize world" to fit into our beliefs.
Sure? I am definetly "Power User" (Linux for some 8 years already, desktop for 4 years everyday home and job), and you would be surprised that I use GNOME-VFS for connection to ssh, Gedit for editing things, Nautilus for finding files and launching them...
Yes, there are lot of things which I do in shell, but calling yourself a "power user" just because you use text shell for anything is...well...very shortsighted.
Re:Usability improvements on the application level
on
GNOME 2.16 Released
·
· Score: 1
I am GNOME user for 5 years and I can easily say that thanks God for HIG. Seriously. Because of it GNOME desktop looks so convinient, so "together". Maybe you have different opinion, and maybe you should take understand that GNOME target is not precisely world domination, yes there are dream to get something 10% (which is very hard to measure anyway), but it is still dream.
I personally love everything in GUI level at GNOME. It is so easy to get into and easy to work with that I seriously doubt those who claim that GNOME is not understandable. Maybe for those who don't want to learn.
Re:But does it have a useable file-save dialogue?
on
GNOME 2.16 Released
·
· Score: 1
I haven't seen any local ISP who would be very poor. In contrary, they are growing all around like mushrooms after showers. There are serious competition, so why they would just can't accept harsh reality and sell good service with reasonable price?
And in fact, some ISPs does something like that. I just wonder that there are lot of people who allows themselves to be ripped over.
Yeah, those damn cheap Samsung printers, they spoil market, you know!
I agree that there are bunch of models from Samsung which simply rock my world - they are cheap (100-200$), they are Post Script compatable (for me very important - as Mac/Linux junkie), they are economical...they simply the best in black/white class.
ML-1020 if remember correctly was my favorite to suggest for business to buy.
It is clear pro-Microsoft move. I just don't buy accessibility argument for few reasons, mentioned bellow: 1) It is clear, that if MA would start to addopt OpenOffice/StarOffice, without doubt there would be plentful of small programming companies who would like to provide plugins/additional apps with OpenOffice.org support. Addoption is slow thingy in any case, so while pilot would be done, access apps would be already aviable. It is just matter of signal what MA sends to software companies; 2) And it is bullocks that Sun itself can't provide accessiblity features/addons to SunOffice. Sun has been big pioneer in this and I think it is clearly "if it doesn't work with Microsoft tools, it doesn't work at all" attitude we see here;
AFAIK, nor yast nor RedHat eq. is not as powerful and stable as apt-get, so no, it is not just about features, but it is about features done WELL.
Fedora and SUSE still feels very old - because of rpm usage - against Debian and Ubuntu. And that is my expierence after 7 years of using Linux in work and home.
So you think licence is right way to fight it? That GPLv3 will push hardware manifacturers, RIAA, MPAA and rest of parasyte crowd say "ohhh, our bad, let's move back to old, good way of earning money?"
Sorry, but in reality, it requires political fight, because our opponents have took it to political level - they don't want to market to deside that DRM is bad, they want law that protects DRM. They don't want to market to deside how much value is in code or product, no, for that they go to politics and buy new, shiny patent law.
Change THAT system. Licence won't help us. Change customer's attitude. Organise boycots. Don't buy Macs. Don't buy ATI or Nvidia video cards. Seriously. Vote with your wallet. Vote with your attitude. Inform rest of the crowd.
Stallman could have listen to Linus and allowed clearly several uses of DRM with GPLv3 licence. I think everyone would be happy. Yep, maybe it would be a little bit more difficult to understand, but anyway...
I am not against Stallman, or for Linus. Both they have some right points and some false. Linus is a little bit flamer - but he has been always, for example, he trashed GNOME, which I use - but at least he some right to do it. And at least he give some serious points from developer's side.
And yes, Stallman rocks as ethical leader or politican, because he sees bigger picture. What he needs is to be more constructive and learn new ways to achieve his goals.
Maybe he just suggests to vote with your wallet? Don't buy DRMed computers, media, hardware, etc. And be control of your...emmmm...you got something?
DRM is reality, like it or not. You can vote against it actually *buying* computers with no DRM and inform people around you who are not very tech-savvy about subject do the same. Simple.
Stallman simply does the right thing in wrong way, period. I agree with idea, always had, bad not with methods. GPLv3 is actually not a right way of doing it.
Problem is there that FSF actually wants to prevent BAD business practices (like bullying customers with DRM and patent stuff), but GPLv3 is definetly not a right way to do it.
I can see both sides too and Linus have lof of it's points right (DRM is *legitive* way of protecting something, now what, we could not have crypt software in GPLv3? Crypt software in combining with hardware - I see lot of real legal use).
If you don't like DRM - don't buy products with it (Music CD and DVDs). If you don't like software patents, campange and make it real for change like Europeans do. Make people aware about those serious issues, but not with THIS licence. That is the only real way to deal with it.
Yikes, again sensacionalist title, seems to me Slashdot is also not free from such attitude. Please read it, because it provides more details than summary ever would do.
First, India says NO to *experimental* phase of OLPC. It is like - this project is still big unknown and we don't wanna take a risk, sorry, no. And article stays more details that it is not so much against OLPC project, as it is more about against that such projects are usually used to fail in third world countries.
Nice about pointing that out. Of course, not all this "propaganda" could be displayed in "black/white" mode as Soviet era press and media did, but let's be honest - US for lot of people was "good enough" just because it opposed "big evil" Soviet Union. I use brickets here because it was - and still is - so oversimplified, that it gives me serious headaches.
For example, in Eastern Europe there is so much sentiment about "good, good US" (not mentioning it that they didn't move a finger when USSR ocupied us after war AGAIN. Then we already know what will happen - lot of dead people who wheren't "good enough" for Soviet regime - but US traded us for peace in Western Europe. But still, people get very emotional and protective when someone critizises US and it is very sad to see that people just tweak their political and ethical image and vision to don't hear anything bad about US, "who saved us".
There is some catch, though. We are in unfortunate geographical situation - we live next to nation who will be very agressive and arrogant for next 50 years - Russians (at least their leaders and elite is so). Maybe they are just like that in words, but still there is lot of fear in Eastern Europe. For example, Latvia was occupied after 12 years of signing PEACE pact with Russia/USSR in which were written that USSR won't occupy Latvia FOREVER. As someone write latter "so we know now that for Russians, "forever" means about twelve years". So it creates situation that almost everyone says HAIL TO BUSH just because they are AFRAID.
But return to your post - I never had illusions about US, and maybe it helped me. I still respect lof Americans (clever, working hard, very energic people) and Russians (clever, smart, cunny), however, I don't respect powers of their countries. And I still get lot of people of both nations who say that they have given up hope that sometime in future goverments in these countries will represent will of people.
* 95% of your software no longer works (yes there are free alternatives to most things, but you already paid for a lot of expensive software so why can't you use it?)
Stupid example, whatever someone mentions it. Usually common crowd DON'T CARE THAT OLD APP IS NOT WORKING. They just need something to work, according to their or job requirements. If there is app who could substitute old one - what a hell, he will go with it. It happens on Windows all the time - some old, unusable software is thrown away and new one is bought. If there is clever consultant for switcher, he can find substitutes for lot of apps. For specific ones, there is VMWare or Wine.
* You can no longer play your favorite multiplayer game with your friends from university.
You will be surprised how LESS people plays games on their computers these days. Majority still uses Solitare and Mineswiper (both aviable on Linux too) and plays Java/Flash games, mostly of them runs fine in Linux desktop envorment. Still, Linux has lot of most up-to-date commercial games and has good commercial support for running games under heavily modified Wine.
* Several pieces of your expensive hardware only has Windows drivers and now you can't use it. Yes, but it also happens with Windows versions change. Lot of Cannon printers simply doesn't work on Win2000 or WinXP, but on Win98 - and vice versa. I run Ubuntu everywhere I want Linux desktop - and so far I have very few, in any problems with hardware. It simply works.
* A few of your favourite websites (including your net banking) no longer work because of ActiveX, Flash 8 or severe rendering bugs. Tell me one. All banking sites in my country allows me to use Linux/FF with no problem, thanks to FF popularity. Yeah, there are ActiveX here and there, but saying that, I wouldn't say that it is hard to find good bank with good and clever ibanking which doesn't requires such crap. As about Flash 8, afaik it is in works for Linux at Adobe.
* You can no longer watch the games/videos/greetings your family emails you as executable files (although this is arguably an advantage).
Wrong. Wine bundled with Ubuntu allows me to watch games and greetings in almost 80%, and Totem with gstreamer bad, ugly and ffmpeg plugins covers videos and Microsoft Media sound files. Needed only few deb packages from Universe/Multiverse installed via Synaptic.
* If you are using a free operating system, you may have trouble installing software covered by patent laws (mp3 players for example)....as you could have trouble using mp3 software on Windows. or OS X. or any other operational system. I live in Europe. enough said.
* You can't access the files on your hard disk from another oprating system because Windows encrypted it (OK, this one hasn't happened yet, but I'm looking forward to it happening soon...)
It won't happen. Vista will have 10-15% market share at it's best and as we know there is no such thing in it...it is bullshit theory. As about encrypted drives by humans itselves - well, maybe then it is just called good security if you can't open such driver without properly authorizing with required system, in this case, for example, Windows.
Except US and Britain usually screws up UN first and then goes and does something on their own minds.
It is called DIPLOMACY. US and Britain aren't used to it, because they want to stick to verified, true to bone methods - power and more power. As Russia. As China. Big powers DON"T CARE about UN, because THEY DON'T NEED IT. THEY DON"T NEED PEACE. THEY NEED POWER. And this is reason why UN is so weak.
By the way, Yugoslavia is still more screwed than you can imagine. NATO actually solved nothing (stopped genocide, yeah, even that created bunch of problems and fires yet to isolate), only made some things worse.
I agree that UN is too weak for such organisation, but I disagree about reasons why.
I think it wasn't intentional. Copyright laws are ugly child of any country's legal documents. They are difficult, hard to read and really hard to understand (thanks to lobby from big fat copyright industry). So this time it has came around and bite them (lobbysts&industry) in da ass. Propably RIAA/BPA will push WTO and other international "cartel" organisations to "punish" Russia. However, this time it maybe very hard to do so. But it is for Russian "democratic" goverment to decide. China with it's all "communism" gave in rather easily.
No. They have right to sell it, *according* to Russian copyright laws. It is whole in law and should be fixed first, otherwise any legal case against AllOfMp3 will be moot.
I am nor against nor for AllOfMp3, but legal is legal.
I'm a developer and whilst I understand the point of view that IE is not standards oriented, the fact is that you're missing the whole point in that end users like IE, its really easy to use, and don't give a toss about the fact that it isn't standards compliant. All they care about is that web sites work in it, which they do.
You are wrong here. Most users don't like IE, but they DON'T HAVE A CHOICE (in their knowhow level). It is preinstalled, it is aviable, and it is "where you get internet, this blue e letter, where is it?". Period. And there is not yada yada, dudu dudu about any other alternatives like Opera or Firefox, because those users DON'T KNOW THAT SUCH ALTERNATIVES EXIST.
You know how embarrasing it is when you hear - "those computers and internet are buggy, ichy and not worth the trouble?". Because they found their opinions only and only on Windows. And here we can discuss - why people gets it that there are many cars (if Honda, for *example*, sucks in his expierence, he could try to get a BMW or WV) they can choose from, there are many meals they can choose from, but they don't get that there are many apps and services and OSes he can choose from to work with. Someone may call it user stupidity, I call it simply marketing and PR brainwashing. Software companies like Microsoft can get away from doing simply stupid things in code and marketing by label it "ohh, Windows is for stupid users, they won't get anything else". Wrong, wrong, wrong. Those users are very different in cleverness and smartness, but I can't call them outright stupid. Uninformed, without tech help - yes, but not stupid. We just need to show them that there is no damn difference between FF and IE for them, that Firefox can bring them even more.
You know how much people installs Firefox theirselves when they just get a little "Get back internet, use Firefox" banner in their most loved web site? You would be very surprised. And they find out what FF really is, they rarerly switches back.
Slashdot Mirror
Gosh, a flameboy :)
Linux IS secure - relatively. Ubuntu and Debian is very hard to get root, if they are properly installed. Ubuntu has "zero ports open" policy and Debian default policy is to be closed and limited as much as possible, and then user can add more and more things to open his box more.
And I can work on my Ubuntu home and work computers, thank you. Windows is so very limited in many cases, only where Microsoft definetly has kicked ass so far is Office suite products. Yes, there are lot of issues in Linux desktop case, no doubt about that, but they are not such shopstoppers as many would like to paint them.
Maybe problem is that Linux usually is commented by Windows "power users" who usually very passionate about their OS of choice. It is not wrong, but they usually are ready to flame any other OS just because they are majority.
Propably because there is code in the wild for this exploit and bug itself is still unfixed?
"Someone told us...Guy in fine suit"
Actually problem is much more deeper in human instincts. Many people claim that communism is impossible, that humans are too much greedy, selfish, etc. In fact, lot of communist philosofs (those ones who are just thinking about this problem, not propoganda ones) have already pointed out - people want to feel safe. To protected. To do whatever they can do to ensure their survival. You will ask - what has milions to do with survival? Those people who are outright greedy, definetly has seen bad times and it is simple response feedback - they don't want this situation repeat EVER again. Those who do that for power - usually it is problem with selfesteem, etc.
Lot of our civilization problems can be described as human ones. It is matter of simple act of understanding it. Communism therefore IS possible, only with one point - if it takes HUMANS into account. The same with Capitalism and our society.
Problem with all this is - we don't just don't apply logic to things which definetly requires clear mind - like politics, economics - and vice versa - we definetly try to apply some kind of logic to love, compassion, good will, common sense.
Mostly because we think that we are right and world is wrong. And then we try to "customize world" to fit into our beliefs.
Sure? I am definetly "Power User" (Linux for some 8 years already, desktop for 4 years everyday home and job), and you would be surprised that I use
GNOME-VFS for connection to ssh, Gedit for editing things, Nautilus for finding files and launching them...
Yes, there are lot of things which I do in shell, but calling yourself a "power user" just because you use text shell for anything is...well...very shortsighted.
I am GNOME user for 5 years and I can easily say that thanks God for HIG. Seriously. Because of it GNOME desktop looks so convinient, so "together". Maybe you have different opinion, and maybe you should take understand that GNOME target is not precisely world domination, yes there are dream to get something 10% (which is very hard to measure anyway), but it is still dream.
I personally love everything in GUI level at GNOME. It is so easy to get into and easy to work with that I seriously doubt those who claim that GNOME is not understandable. Maybe for those who don't want to learn.
2: a popup with the full path would be nice.
:)
Wish granted. Press Ctrl+L to get it.
Peter.
There are already lot of players who support Ogg and FLAC, they just are not most popular. However, for digital music players, popular != good.
Errr, or just maybe their profits would be lower?
I haven't seen any local ISP who would be very poor. In contrary, they are growing all around like mushrooms after showers. There are serious competition, so why they would just can't accept harsh reality and sell good service with reasonable price?
And in fact, some ISPs does something like that. I just wonder that there are lot of people who allows themselves to be ripped over.
I am only now start to buy and create my DVD collection......err...for what sake I need HD-DVD and Blueray, again?
Peter.
Yeah, those damn cheap Samsung printers, they spoil market, you know!
I agree that there are bunch of models from Samsung which simply rock my world - they are cheap (100-200$), they are Post Script compatable (for me very important - as Mac/Linux junkie), they are economical...they simply the best in black/white class.
ML-1020 if remember correctly was my favorite to suggest for business to buy.
They were thrown out when CIOs saw first light of new flashy money from domain selling business.
Money defeats everything.
It is clear pro-Microsoft move. I just don't buy accessibility argument for few reasons, mentioned bellow:
1) It is clear, that if MA would start to addopt OpenOffice/StarOffice, without doubt there would be plentful of small programming companies who would like to provide plugins/additional apps with OpenOffice.org support. Addoption is slow thingy in any case, so while pilot would be done, access apps would be already aviable. It is just matter of signal what MA sends to software companies;
2) And it is bullocks that Sun itself can't provide accessiblity features/addons to SunOffice. Sun has been big pioneer in this and I think it is clearly "if it doesn't work with Microsoft tools, it doesn't work at all" attitude we see here;
Of course, just my 2 cents
AFAIK, nor yast nor RedHat eq. is not as powerful and stable as apt-get, so no, it is not just about features, but it is about features done WELL.
Fedora and SUSE still feels very old - because of rpm usage - against Debian and Ubuntu. And that is my expierence after 7 years of using Linux in work and home.
So you think licence is right way to fight it? That GPLv3 will push hardware manifacturers, RIAA, MPAA and rest of parasyte crowd say "ohhh, our bad, let's move back to old, good way of earning money?"
Sorry, but in reality, it requires political fight, because our opponents have took it to political level - they don't want to market to deside that DRM is bad, they want law that protects DRM. They don't want to market to deside how much value is in code or product, no, for that they go to politics and buy new, shiny patent law.
Change THAT system. Licence won't help us. Change customer's attitude. Organise boycots. Don't buy Macs. Don't buy ATI or Nvidia video cards. Seriously. Vote with your wallet. Vote with your attitude. Inform rest of the crowd.
Stallman could have listen to Linus and allowed clearly several uses of DRM with GPLv3 licence. I think everyone would be happy. Yep, maybe it would be a little bit more difficult to understand, but anyway...
I am not against Stallman, or for Linus. Both they have some right points and some false. Linus is a little bit flamer - but he has been always, for example, he trashed GNOME, which I use - but at least he some right to do it. And at least he give some serious points from developer's side.
And yes, Stallman rocks as ethical leader or politican, because he sees bigger picture. What he needs is to be more constructive and learn new ways to achieve his goals.
Maybe he just suggests to vote with your wallet? Don't buy DRMed computers, media, hardware, etc. And be control of your...emmmm...you got something?
DRM is reality, like it or not. You can vote against it actually *buying* computers with no DRM and inform people around you who are not very tech-savvy about subject do the same. Simple.
Stallman simply does the right thing in wrong way, period. I agree with idea, always had, bad not with methods. GPLv3 is actually not a right way of doing it.
Problem is there that FSF actually wants to prevent BAD business practices (like bullying customers with DRM and patent stuff), but GPLv3 is definetly not a right way to do it.
I can see both sides too and Linus have lof of it's points right (DRM is *legitive* way of protecting something, now what, we could not have crypt software in GPLv3? Crypt software in combining with hardware - I see lot of real legal use).
If you don't like DRM - don't buy products with it (Music CD and DVDs). If you don't like software patents, campange and make it real for change like Europeans do. Make people aware about those serious issues, but not with THIS licence. That is the only real way to deal with it.
Yikes, again sensacionalist title, seems to me Slashdot is also not free from such attitude. Please read it, because it provides more details than summary ever would do.
First, India says NO to *experimental* phase of OLPC. It is like - this project is still big unknown and we don't wanna take a risk, sorry, no. And article stays more details that it is not so much against OLPC project, as it is more about against that such projects are usually used to fail in third world countries.
Nice about pointing that out. Of course, not all this "propaganda" could be displayed in "black/white" mode as Soviet era press and media did, but let's be honest - US for lot of people was "good enough" just because it opposed "big evil" Soviet Union. I use brickets here because it was - and still is - so oversimplified, that it gives me serious headaches.
For example, in Eastern Europe there is so much sentiment about "good, good US" (not mentioning it that they didn't move a finger when USSR ocupied us after war AGAIN. Then we already know what will happen - lot of dead people who wheren't "good enough" for Soviet regime - but US traded us for peace in Western Europe. But still, people get very emotional and protective when someone critizises US and it is very sad to see that people just tweak their political and ethical image and vision to don't hear anything bad about US, "who saved us".
There is some catch, though. We are in unfortunate geographical situation - we live next to nation who will be very agressive and arrogant for next 50 years - Russians (at least their leaders and elite is so). Maybe they are just like that in words, but still there is lot of fear in Eastern Europe. For example, Latvia was occupied after 12 years of signing PEACE pact with Russia/USSR in which were written that USSR won't occupy Latvia FOREVER. As someone write latter "so we know now that for Russians, "forever" means about twelve years". So it creates situation that almost everyone says HAIL TO BUSH just because they are AFRAID.
But return to your post - I never had illusions about US, and maybe it helped me. I still respect lof Americans (clever, working hard, very energic people) and Russians (clever, smart, cunny), however, I don't respect powers of their countries. And I still get lot of people of both nations who say that they have given up hope that sometime in future goverments in these countries will represent will of people.
Answers:
...as you could have trouble using mp3 software on Windows. or OS X. or any other operational system. I live in Europe. enough said.
* 95% of your software no longer works (yes there are free alternatives to most things, but you already paid for a lot of expensive software so why can't you use it?)
Stupid example, whatever someone mentions it. Usually common crowd DON'T CARE THAT OLD APP IS NOT WORKING. They just need something to work, according to their or job requirements. If there is app who could substitute old one - what a hell, he will go with it. It happens on Windows all the time - some old, unusable software is thrown away and new one is bought.
If there is clever consultant for switcher, he can find substitutes for lot of apps. For specific ones, there is VMWare or Wine.
* You can no longer play your favorite multiplayer game with your friends from university.
You will be surprised how LESS people plays games on their computers these days. Majority still uses Solitare and Mineswiper (both aviable on Linux too) and plays Java/Flash games, mostly of them runs fine in Linux desktop envorment. Still, Linux has lot of most up-to-date commercial games and has good commercial support for running games under heavily modified Wine.
* Several pieces of your expensive hardware only has Windows drivers and now you can't use it.
Yes, but it also happens with Windows versions change. Lot of Cannon printers simply doesn't work on Win2000 or WinXP, but on Win98 - and vice versa. I run Ubuntu everywhere I want Linux desktop - and so far I have very few, in any problems with hardware. It simply works.
* A few of your favourite websites (including your net banking) no longer work because of ActiveX, Flash 8 or severe rendering bugs.
Tell me one. All banking sites in my country allows me to use Linux/FF with no problem, thanks to FF popularity. Yeah, there are ActiveX here and there, but saying that, I wouldn't say that it is hard to find good bank with good and clever ibanking which doesn't requires such crap. As about Flash 8, afaik it is in works for Linux at Adobe.
* You can no longer watch the games/videos/greetings your family emails you as executable files (although this is arguably an advantage).
Wrong. Wine bundled with Ubuntu allows me to watch games and greetings in almost 80%, and Totem with gstreamer bad, ugly and ffmpeg plugins covers videos and Microsoft Media sound files. Needed only few deb packages from Universe/Multiverse installed via Synaptic.
* If you are using a free operating system, you may have trouble installing software covered by patent laws (mp3 players for example).
* You can't access the files on your hard disk from another oprating system because Windows encrypted it (OK, this one hasn't happened yet, but I'm looking forward to it happening soon...)
It won't happen. Vista will have 10-15% market share at it's best and as we know there is no such thing in it...it is bullshit theory.
As about encrypted drives by humans itselves - well, maybe then it is just called good security if you can't open such driver without properly authorizing with required system, in this case, for example, Windows.
Except US and Britain usually screws up UN first and then goes and does something on their own minds.
It is called DIPLOMACY. US and Britain aren't used to it, because they want to stick to verified, true to bone methods - power and more power. As Russia. As China. Big powers DON"T CARE about UN, because THEY DON'T NEED IT. THEY DON"T NEED PEACE. THEY NEED POWER. And this is reason why UN is so weak.
By the way, Yugoslavia is still more screwed than you can imagine. NATO actually solved nothing (stopped genocide, yeah, even that created bunch of problems and fires yet to isolate), only made some things worse.
I agree that UN is too weak for such organisation, but I disagree about reasons why.
I think it wasn't intentional. Copyright laws are ugly child of any country's legal documents. They are difficult, hard to read and really hard to understand (thanks to lobby from big fat copyright industry). So this time it has came around and bite them (lobbysts&industry) in da ass. Propably RIAA/BPA will push WTO and other international "cartel" organisations to "punish" Russia. However, this time it maybe very hard to do so. But it is for Russian "democratic" goverment to decide. China with it's all "communism" gave in rather easily.
No. They have right to sell it, *according* to Russian copyright laws. It is whole in law and should be fixed first, otherwise any legal case against AllOfMp3 will be moot.
I am nor against nor for AllOfMp3, but legal is legal.
You are wrong here. Most users don't like IE, but they DON'T HAVE A CHOICE (in their knowhow level). It is preinstalled, it is aviable, and it is "where you get internet, this blue e letter, where is it?". Period. And there is not yada yada, dudu dudu about any other alternatives like Opera or Firefox, because those users DON'T KNOW THAT SUCH ALTERNATIVES EXIST.
You know how embarrasing it is when you hear - "those computers and internet are buggy, ichy and not worth the trouble?". Because they found their opinions only and only on Windows. And here we can discuss - why people gets it that there are many cars (if Honda, for *example*, sucks in his expierence, he could try to get a BMW or WV) they can choose from, there are many meals they can choose from, but they don't get that there are many apps and services and OSes he can choose from to work with. Someone may call it user stupidity, I call it simply marketing and PR brainwashing. Software companies like Microsoft can get away from doing simply stupid things in code and marketing by label it "ohh, Windows is for stupid users, they won't get anything else". Wrong, wrong, wrong. Those users are very different in cleverness and smartness, but I can't call them outright stupid. Uninformed, without tech help - yes, but not stupid. We just need to show them that there is no damn difference between FF and IE for them, that Firefox can bring them even more.
You know how much people installs Firefox theirselves when they just get a little "Get back internet, use Firefox" banner in their most loved web site? You would be very surprised. And they find out what FF really is, they rarerly switches back.
WGA calls home, already to be known about several months. So no surprises here.