So, how else was he supposed to be able to do this beyond taking the memos. I suppose photocopying might be an option.
If I see someone bleeding to death in the street, I wouldn't hesitate to "steal" a car to take them to hospital if there was no other sensible option.
This is why jury trial is so valuable - because even when a case is cut-and-dry under the law, a jury can choose to throw a case out on the basis that they consider the prosecution immoral.
I live in the UK, but observing the US, it's really sad. Whilst the constitution remains, no-one much there seems to keen on defending the principles enshrined in it. They are allowing things to be done that count as "workarounds", things that whilst technically constitutional, run against the spirit of it.
From what I understand, Camp X-Ray is such a workaround. That by doing what is being done outside of US soil, means that constitutional rights don't apply. If more people cared, they'd be saying "whilst this is technically OK, we disapprove as it goes against the constitution, and won't vote for you.
When there's a rail accident in the UK, and 10 people are killed, it is a major news item, because it happens so rarely. But far more than that die on the UK roads (over 3,000) and rarely is there a mention.
The problem is that such reporting distorts public opinion.
It's about the OS being as smart as possible with users to help them.
For instance, Firefox requires 2 stages to run an exe off a webpage (I'm sure it can be overridden). You have to download and then manually run, giving the user the information "you've downloaded a dangerous program".
Also, Firefox doesn't do what IE does and allow the status bar to be overridden. It tells me where the page is going, whether it be a javascript command or the URL. For a non-savvy IE user, they see a link to a well known site.
Whilst there is a huge amount of truth in that, it's also worth considering that most viruses on Windows are not related to Windows being crappy, but the gullible users.
Macs do seem to make it safer, requiring password input (in the same way that Firefox requires a two-stage process to download and run an exe off the web).
I know a few people running XP Home, and I can't imagine them upgrading for over a decade now. They can surf the net, read their emails, edit their photos and write the odd letter of complaint.
Of course, a faster machine is always nicer, but at what cost? The problem is that the hardware and software is nearly on a plateau in terms of home use. At one time, people upgraded PCs to take advantage of hardware benefits, or the speed of multimedia. New hardware development seems to have reached the point of serving everyone and the slowest part of a home/SOHO operation is nearly always the user now. Even upgrading IE7 - are people going to be that fussed?
I know gamers will upgrade, but there's a huge number of home/SOHO users who don't care about 3d games. And for everything else, their major issues are not their PC, but the speed of their internet connection.
It isn't like cars, where some people might want the cheap low-trim, frugal engine and some want the leather and oak trim + satnav + muscle car engine.
In the car situation, the cheap car actually costs less, and the muscle car engine will have higher running costs.
Do you want a PC that can't run IIS just because it's not in your edition? No, everyone would prefer it was in there, even if it was just switched off.
Talking of video games, "iPod killers" are a bit like what always has happened with video games and movies.
How often does a game or movie come along that sets the world alight, and is swiftly followed by a whole bunch of "me too"s, most of which get an average performance.
I say this as someone who'd like more adoption of Ogg Vorbis. How many people really use Ogg outside of slashdot? Google has 100 times more pages about MP3 than Ogg Vorbis.
Even my mates who are technical don't use it. MP3 means it will run everywhere.
For smaller makers, they need every edge they can get. For me, if I wanted a player I'd be divided between the Cowon iAudio which gives me a radio, voice recorder, Vorbis and data storage and buying an iPod for simplicity/iTunes integration.
Hardly anyone wants an add-on. They won't pay for an add-on to play a small number of titles. This is where Sony have it right. You get blu-ray out of the box. That means more homes with blu-ray. More content providers will move towards it.
Not many people want a $499 HD-DVD player to play a very limited range. A few early adopters will go for it - people with money to burn. But most techs I know with HD TVs are aware there's a format war, and they aren't going to side with one until they are clear which way things are going.
If Microsoft replace the DVD drive with HD-DVD across the board, they might stand a chance.
It's a technology that seems mostly useless to me except for business. Even then, many large hauliers already have systems using GPS which can be used to increase yield.
I'm sure a lot of parents will opt for it. Those who don't trust their children to tell them where they are really going or think that there's a child killer on every corner. Even then, it's not a very perfect system. A kid will just leave the phone at their mates while they go off to try and get into a pub.
I've avoided surround because my lounge is long and narrow rather than square shaped, and I presumed that such a shape doesn't really suit surround (although I guess I could put speakers half way up the walls instead of at the corners.
Who needs a traditional IPO any more? My guess is that this really scares the Wall Street guys.
At one time, you needed them to run things, set the price etc. The internet changed that.
And anyone who goes into something based on numbers, without asking how the numbers got there is an idiot. But I've met a lot of investors who bought into companies because they were going up, not because the fundamentals were any good.
Yes, I know. I've been on Usenet for a decade or more, using various tools to collect. That's why I said "along with Mail and News".
What I was trying to address is that RSS doesn't make sense to me as a technology for the browser, that like email, I want it to come to me, not for me to go and get it.
If video is slowing stuff down, one of two things will happen - ISPs will start charging for bandwidth to reduce demand, or more fibre will get laid to cope with it.
I once bought a R1 DVD because the R2 had had the title song resung by some people from Steps (rubbish UK pop band), presumably as a publicity thing. The R1 had the original title song left intact.
Also, Shrek 2 had some voices changed for the R2 version.
We also get movies butchered by the board of censorship, where the chief censor gets his knickers in a twist about something. A whole scene of Enter the Dragon was taken out because it had nunchukas in it (a change in the chief censor brought an end to that). It's illegal to sell a non-certified disc in the UK, but it's legal to import a disc (the laws on what's legal to own are different from the laws on what's legal to buy).
I always get the feeling that IBM are like a sleeping giant. Walk past it peacefully and it won't bother you.
From what I've heard, they are also reasonable when people have a genuine grievance. That is, if you, or your lawyers have a problem and approach them, they'll look into it. No-one wants court cases.
I can't think of a time that they didn't act as a market player.
I worked on ICL kit, and even though we thought they were superior to IBM, IBM never shut anyone out. They didn't try and extend COBOL, mag tape formats were open.
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I'm sure there are organisations selling blank media in the UK who would be glad of your custom, and you would avoid the tax by doing so.
It might mean that you pay more, but if enough people do it, something will change.
If I see someone bleeding to death in the street, I wouldn't hesitate to "steal" a car to take them to hospital if there was no other sensible option.
This is why jury trial is so valuable - because even when a case is cut-and-dry under the law, a jury can choose to throw a case out on the basis that they consider the prosecution immoral.
The key thing is government, and the people keeping them in check. That's where the failure point is.
That's not a bad idea. Is this limey going to have to start it, or are one of you guys?
From what I understand, Camp X-Ray is such a workaround. That by doing what is being done outside of US soil, means that constitutional rights don't apply. If more people cared, they'd be saying "whilst this is technically OK, we disapprove as it goes against the constitution, and won't vote for you.
When there's a rail accident in the UK, and 10 people are killed, it is a major news item, because it happens so rarely. But far more than that die on the UK roads (over 3,000) and rarely is there a mention.
The problem is that such reporting distorts public opinion.
For instance, Firefox requires 2 stages to run an exe off a webpage (I'm sure it can be overridden). You have to download and then manually run, giving the user the information "you've downloaded a dangerous program".
Also, Firefox doesn't do what IE does and allow the status bar to be overridden. It tells me where the page is going, whether it be a javascript command or the URL. For a non-savvy IE user, they see a link to a well known site.
Macs do seem to make it safer, requiring password input (in the same way that Firefox requires a two-stage process to download and run an exe off the web).
Of course, a faster machine is always nicer, but at what cost? The problem is that the hardware and software is nearly on a plateau in terms of home use. At one time, people upgraded PCs to take advantage of hardware benefits, or the speed of multimedia. New hardware development seems to have reached the point of serving everyone and the slowest part of a home/SOHO operation is nearly always the user now. Even upgrading IE7 - are people going to be that fussed?
I know gamers will upgrade, but there's a huge number of home/SOHO users who don't care about 3d games. And for everything else, their major issues are not their PC, but the speed of their internet connection.
It isn't like cars, where some people might want the cheap low-trim, frugal engine and some want the leather and oak trim + satnav + muscle car engine.
In the car situation, the cheap car actually costs less, and the muscle car engine will have higher running costs.
Do you want a PC that can't run IIS just because it's not in your edition? No, everyone would prefer it was in there, even if it was just switched off.
I should have clarified that. I've seen women with cheapo 128mb usb ones. I was thinking more about the market in 10GB+ players.
How often does a game or movie come along that sets the world alight, and is swiftly followed by a whole bunch of "me too"s, most of which get an average performance.
Even my mates who are technical don't use it. MP3 means it will run everywhere.
For smaller makers, they need every edge they can get. For me, if I wanted a player I'd be divided between the Cowon iAudio which gives me a radio, voice recorder, Vorbis and data storage and buying an iPod for simplicity/iTunes integration.
It's also about being a lot more than say 10-15% better. To displace the brand leader, you either have to be sufficiently different, or much better.
I've never seen any women with anything but an iPod.
The Cowon iAudio products are quite nice looking. Most of the rest have products look like they are trying to hard.
Hardly anyone wants an add-on. They won't pay for an add-on to play a small number of titles. This is where Sony have it right. You get blu-ray out of the box. That means more homes with blu-ray. More content providers will move towards it.
Not many people want a $499 HD-DVD player to play a very limited range. A few early adopters will go for it - people with money to burn. But most techs I know with HD TVs are aware there's a format war, and they aren't going to side with one until they are clear which way things are going.
If Microsoft replace the DVD drive with HD-DVD across the board, they might stand a chance.
People like simple, open stuff, even if they can't actually express it.
I'm sure a lot of parents will opt for it. Those who don't trust their children to tell them where they are really going or think that there's a child killer on every corner. Even then, it's not a very perfect system. A kid will just leave the phone at their mates while they go off to try and get into a pub.
I've avoided surround because my lounge is long and narrow rather than square shaped, and I presumed that such a shape doesn't really suit surround (although I guess I could put speakers half way up the walls instead of at the corners.
At one time, you needed them to run things, set the price etc. The internet changed that.
And anyone who goes into something based on numbers, without asking how the numbers got there is an idiot. But I've met a lot of investors who bought into companies because they were going up, not because the fundamentals were any good.
What I was trying to address is that RSS doesn't make sense to me as a technology for the browser, that like email, I want it to come to me, not for me to go and get it.
If video is slowing stuff down, one of two things will happen - ISPs will start charging for bandwidth to reduce demand, or more fibre will get laid to cope with it.
It's little theory known as "supply and demand".
Also, Shrek 2 had some voices changed for the R2 version.
We also get movies butchered by the board of censorship, where the chief censor gets his knickers in a twist about something. A whole scene of Enter the Dragon was taken out because it had nunchukas in it (a change in the chief censor brought an end to that). It's illegal to sell a non-certified disc in the UK, but it's legal to import a disc (the laws on what's legal to own are different from the laws on what's legal to buy).
From what I've heard, they are also reasonable when people have a genuine grievance. That is, if you, or your lawyers have a problem and approach them, they'll look into it. No-one wants court cases.
I worked on ICL kit, and even though we thought they were superior to IBM, IBM never shut anyone out. They didn't try and extend COBOL, mag tape formats were open.