Those resources are in loans (that make up the US national debt) correct?
So, how do they bring those to bear? What will they do? The only people they can threaten are the US companies in court, who don't own the debt, not the government.
Any product that tries to do what an iPod does but says "hey, but it's got Ogg Vorbis playback" is likely to succeed in nothing but a small market.
What Apple have grasped and no-one else in the computer field has is what can be called "product love". That is, the complete opposite of product checklists. It's about real design, design orientated around the user, from both a usability pov, but also from it being something that they enjoy holding and keeping. Apple owners are like Morgan, Mini and Beetle owners. People don't love those cars because of their fuel economy, ride, handling or luggage space. It's something more than that.
How does owning 43% of the US currency make any difference? Are you suggesting that somehow they can bring political force to bear on the US government to change patent law?
The thing to me is, if China ignores the IP laws and just does it's own thing, how can the USA respond? Some people in the USA have a big interest in China doing stuff on the cheap (like retailers).
Look at how much garbage journalism there is now. They just take the equivalent of a press release and print it.
I'm sure some of this is about access, and some is just that certain organisations have so much media inertia, and people keep watching/buying that it doesn't matter if the confirm the facts or not. That's not forgetting organisations who are in the pockets of their advertisers.
If a guy from a computer company announces that their new operating system will be smarter/better/more stable, for goodness sakes, resist. Tell them to give you a copy, and you'll check it out. Even reporting Mr X saying "blah blah blah" suggests that it is true. If a company wants to say that, make them pay for ad space.
The big question is how governments perceive this in terms of things like jobs. If they see that patents will mean that there will be less jobs in the UK and France, they'll not go for them.
I think that a big reason that people in governments in europe are choosing FOSS over proprietary is as a way of giving more jobs to local companies and workers instead of typically US owned software companies.
Also, why the heck should it matter whether it's in BASIC or C?
Actually, fine. Have Microsoft do this and when someone writes the same thing into superduperlanguage2005 they'll sink any court case because the the Basic clause in there (and cost MS money in legal fees).
Hey Steve! How about concentrating on telling people about the excellent new features in Microsoft products, instead of just trying to find faults with the competition (and not faults in functionality, but legal faults).
If they think they can defeat Linux with law suits, they will do nothing but delay their own demise. They'd be better to concentrate on making their products better.
Patents expire. If people get frustrated, they will find a way around it.
People will realise that they are actually quite safe using Linux and they will move there.
OK, Belgian. I didn't realise. Only been there a few times and never shopping (too busy drinking Chimay).
Thing is, it's not fingerprinting that's under consideration. It's DNA.
Now, what can you tell from someone's DNA? Certainly, you'll have a very good chance of doing parent matching. Secondly, I think certain diseases could be identified.
Right now, we have a government that is a bit sinister and controlling, but they aren't like some regimes of the past. So what happens to the databases if some extremist government takes over or invades?
Anyway, government just doesn't need such information. They want ID, they can do good old routine questioning.
And if it's about benefit fraud and illegal immigrants, then how about the government actually using it's vast resources properly instead of pissing my taxes up the wall?
Actually, whether you pay for a card or the government pays for the card, you will pay for the card.
It won't be self financing. The idea is that it will reduce benefit fraud or illegal immigrants using the NHS. People will just find a hole in the system. Better to spend the money employing more inspectors.
As for cost overruns, there was a report about the Child Support Agency NHS system yesterday. Someone, somewhere explain how a computer system costs over 400 million AND DOESN'T WORK!
I think that this government's clock is starting to tick anyway. They'll get re-elected, but ID cards won't get in before they get the boot.
Is the industry going to pay me back for people sucking up my bandwidth, then? I already think most download services are a joke, charging nearly as much as a physical album and in a degraded format with no notes, no media and no case.
I've got both Shrek movies and they are a lot of fun, but when you see Toy Story, the references are much deeper. Pixar movies reference things that we all know, have known and are likely to know for many, many years. The toys in Toy Story are classics. There's nothing there that hasn't stood the test of time.
Shrek 2 works in the here and now. There are references to brands, movies and people that may or may not exist in 20 years time. Shrek 1 already has references that people won't get now because they were based on things that were too recent and untested.
Funny thing to me is that Jeffrey Katzenberg is in all this at Dreamworks, and he was the CEO at Disney who basically turned it around and made the 4 big Disney animations of the late 1980s/early 1990s (watch Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin and see how they haven't dated one little bit).
You know what? I take a drive to work every day through the lovely countryside of Wiltshire in the UK. Frequently, I see pheasant, and they will sometimes actually walk towards the road when a car is coming.
Slashdot Mirror
That's why I don't understand that connection, unless the Chinese are going to bring political pressure to bear on the US government.
So, how do they bring those to bear? What will they do? The only people they can threaten are the US companies in court, who don't own the debt, not the government.
What Apple have grasped and no-one else in the computer field has is what can be called "product love". That is, the complete opposite of product checklists. It's about real design, design orientated around the user, from both a usability pov, but also from it being something that they enjoy holding and keeping. Apple owners are like Morgan, Mini and Beetle owners. People don't love those cars because of their fuel economy, ride, handling or luggage space. It's something more than that.
How does owning 43% of the US currency make any difference? Are you suggesting that somehow they can bring political force to bear on the US government to change patent law?
The thing to me is, if China ignores the IP laws and just does it's own thing, how can the USA respond? Some people in the USA have a big interest in China doing stuff on the cheap (like retailers).
Could be a bit of a blessing.
I'm sure some of this is about access, and some is just that certain organisations have so much media inertia, and people keep watching/buying that it doesn't matter if the confirm the facts or not. That's not forgetting organisations who are in the pockets of their advertisers.
If a guy from a computer company announces that their new operating system will be smarter/better/more stable, for goodness sakes, resist. Tell them to give you a copy, and you'll check it out. Even reporting Mr X saying "blah blah blah" suggests that it is true. If a company wants to say that, make them pay for ad space.
The rail companies will redefine "late".
I think that a big reason that people in governments in europe are choosing FOSS over proprietary is as a way of giving more jobs to local companies and workers instead of typically US owned software companies.
Patents were there for invention, and allowing programming-language dependent implementation is just about syntax, not original ideas.
Actually, fine. Have Microsoft do this and when someone writes the same thing into superduperlanguage2005 they'll sink any court case because the the Basic clause in there (and cost MS money in legal fees).
Like maybe "a circular object to allow for more efficient movement across land".
Not sure what the legal precedent is on the patent stripping, but who said Microsoft were going to sue Linux and with what patents?
Secondly, who owns them?
Forgetting any considerations about the morals of Microsoft. Think profit only. Would you have Ballmer running your company?
Gates always had at least something about him.
If they think they can defeat Linux with law suits, they will do nothing but delay their own demise. They'd be better to concentrate on making their products better.
Patents expire. If people get frustrated, they will find a way around it.
People will realise that they are actually quite safe using Linux and they will move there.
I still use it because it's fast and simple. It never feels like it's trying to take over.
Thing is, it's not fingerprinting that's under consideration. It's DNA.
Now, what can you tell from someone's DNA? Certainly, you'll have a very good chance of doing parent matching. Secondly, I think certain diseases could be identified.
Right now, we have a government that is a bit sinister and controlling, but they aren't like some regimes of the past. So what happens to the databases if some extremist government takes over or invades?
Anyway, government just doesn't need such information. They want ID, they can do good old routine questioning.
And if it's about benefit fraud and illegal immigrants, then how about the government actually using it's vast resources properly instead of pissing my taxes up the wall?
Which of these records your DNA information?
You got something good on a criminal. Fine. Go and do some surveillance and prosecute him. No problem at all.
But thanks, I don't want my DNA and data being mined by people in government, some of whom will be criminals themselves.
It won't be self financing. The idea is that it will reduce benefit fraud or illegal immigrants using the NHS. People will just find a hole in the system. Better to spend the money employing more inspectors.
As for cost overruns, there was a report about the Child Support Agency NHS system yesterday. Someone, somewhere explain how a computer system costs over 400 million AND DOESN'T WORK!
I think that this government's clock is starting to tick anyway. They'll get re-elected, but ID cards won't get in before they get the boot.
The main concern is the biometric element that will be recorded. AFAIK, you don't have those on French ID cards.
Is the industry going to pay me back for people sucking up my bandwidth, then? I already think most download services are a joke, charging nearly as much as a physical album and in a degraded format with no notes, no media and no case.
I've got both Shrek movies and they are a lot of fun, but when you see Toy Story, the references are much deeper. Pixar movies reference things that we all know, have known and are likely to know for many, many years. The toys in Toy Story are classics. There's nothing there that hasn't stood the test of time.
Shrek 2 works in the here and now. There are references to brands, movies and people that may or may not exist in 20 years time. Shrek 1 already has references that people won't get now because they were based on things that were too recent and untested.
Funny thing to me is that Jeffrey Katzenberg is in all this at Dreamworks, and he was the CEO at Disney who basically turned it around and made the 4 big Disney animations of the late 1980s/early 1990s (watch Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin and see how they haven't dated one little bit).
And people consider shooting them as a sport?