Have you seen some of the patents on the USPTO site? A patent is only about registering your idea or method, meaning they don't have to be incredibly useful, efficient, etc. The person submitting the patent makes those decisions, as they wouldn't spend their time, money, etc., if they thought it didn't deserve a patent.
I know it's in your blood to hate Microsoft, but least take the time to read the patent! What they are seeking to patent is a METHOD of encoding LAT/LONG in a URL in a better way than is currently employed. I think this patent is incredibly valid.
I don't think you understand what's going on. Using your analogy, what google has done is allowed Seven-Up to be stocked in Pepsi freezers. A person who automatically assumes they'll be getting a Pepsi when they reach-in without looking end-up getting a Seven-Up. In this instance of the analogy, Seven-Up has used Pepsi's trademark to get itself sold. Make sense?
Breaking out of the analogy, what has happened is that some other merchants/companies/etc. have used Louis Vuitton's keywords to get hits. So, for example, if I were selling a non-brand name purse or something and bought such keywords from Google, the target company would be at a major disadvantage. It's actually much more difficult trying to clarify it, because it's so very clearly wrong.
Re:It is not about how much rocket costs..
on
Hondas in Space
·
· Score: 2, Informative
V2 rockets did not have reliability problems. Not only were they designed in such a way so as to make assembly by prisoners possible - which also introduced defects in the process - but they relied on very, very primitive gyros for navigation. That fact alone accounts for the poor accuracy of the rockets. Otherwise, they were a great feat of engineering. Hell, the Canadian X-Prize team used a copy of the propulsion system because of its reliability!
Re:You may laugh at Honda, but...
on
Hondas in Space
·
· Score: 1
It's not only about speed. No stock Subaru or Honda will out-perform a Ferrari - which has half a century of racing experience under its belt - or a Lambo, which makes up for a lack of that experience with 600+ horsepower. Also, it's not about straight-line acceleration, even though any Ferrari or Lambo will rape any Honda, Subaru, etc., in that category.
We live in a post-modern culture. "Critics" and "professionals" can look at a piece of turd on a bed of roses and call it art; most others will find that notion to be full of crap.
So, can we define art? Can we draw the line somewhere? Hitler tried doing that.
Anyway, art is art if you consider it art. It is subjective, it is not universal, and so on and so forth.
That's the question: when do you say it's too trivial? When do you say it's complex enough to be granted patent protection? It can be determined by the courts, but the patent office makes the initial decision, and if unchallenged, sets a precedent.
I know this is slashdot and bashing Linux will get you instant karma, but _please_ could you elaborate why knowing both OSS and Microsoft and favoring OSS is considered biaised, while favoring and knowing only Microsoft is not ?
I did not say that, but rather that we must be skeptical of both sides, not only the side which we (collectively) dislike, i.e., MS. Truth is, I don't know. My post was supposed to get people to think about who this association represents (besides the "consumers") but sadly it has been moderated negatively.
Linux still has a long way to go to become desktop-ready. For any "study" that finds Linux is suitable for "prime time," I'm sure there is one or two that says the contrary. Let's not forget that groups favoring OSS exist alongside those who do not and I don't know whether or not the people who made the study - regardless of their admitted lack of bias - are more favorable to Linux, etc.
I think we need a good computer museum. We have a few, but most of them are just a collection of old, dingy machines for one's drooling-over. We need something that has machines, documents, letters, books, components, video interviews, chip prototypes, interactive sections, and so on and so forth! But these will most likely go to a private collection, though museums often bid in these auctions.
Guy,
Thanks for the tip. I did not think to look there, but I appreciate the nudge in the right direction. See, if I hadn't posted it on Slashdot, I wouldn't have known.:)
Before someone comes forth with a, "It must be hosted on an XP!" har har joke, can anyone supply a link to a mirror? Why oh why are slower links not mirrored??? Pay attention, Slashdot owners: this is ridiculous!
Any company that challenges the state of technology at any given time has to have flops. Hell, ANY business that strives to push the boundary has to have flops. Has MS had flops? Yep. Has GE? Yep. But the underlying strength of any company is how it deals with those flops, how it changes direction, how it survives, and how it kicks ass in the long run. However, the list would be interesting to see...though it's not loading for me.
I read that part, fool. Look at the other reply to my original post: AMD has not stopped working on its own version, which was to be a sub-$200 computer for the third world. Don't scold me for being an ignorant ass.
I recall AMD wanting to do such a thing a few months ago. Have they given up? Are they instead focusing on this one? I haven't RTFA, so don't flame me.
Who are you kidding? The Linux fanboys on Slashdot and just about any other OSS coder believes that Linux will overate MS and become the next Windows. Hell, Torvalds said something along those lines in the recent issue of BusinessWeek magazine, which incidentally, I submitted to Slashdot, was accepted, but never published.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the days of explosive growth, a la in the 90's, is over. No IT company that has been around as long as MS will have high growth numbers. If anything, it indicates a mature, less volatile company. MS will be around for a while and will do quite well, much to the chagrin of the average slashdotter.
And you expect that all such advancements will come from the U.S. and/or Europe? I say you're either disillusioned or biased. China, India, Russia, and other such countries will be the ones meeting these challenges in an environment that is virtually void of such limits and restrictions.
Slashdot Mirror
Have you seen some of the patents on the USPTO site? A patent is only about registering your idea or method, meaning they don't have to be incredibly useful, efficient, etc. The person submitting the patent makes those decisions, as they wouldn't spend their time, money, etc., if they thought it didn't deserve a patent.
Maybe you're the moron for spending your morning on Slashdot, criticizing a very enviable company, and making an ass out of yourself.
I know it's in your blood to hate Microsoft, but least take the time to read the patent! What they are seeking to patent is a METHOD of encoding LAT/LONG in a URL in a better way than is currently employed. I think this patent is incredibly valid.
You are not understanding this. RTFA.
Oh no, it's more than that. It would be like:
User: Where's the Pepsi?
Google:
User: Wait a minute: this is 7-up!
It's not just that it appeared next to a competitor, but much deeper.
I don't think you understand what's going on. Using your analogy, what google has done is allowed Seven-Up to be stocked in Pepsi freezers. A person who automatically assumes they'll be getting a Pepsi when they reach-in without looking end-up getting a Seven-Up. In this instance of the analogy, Seven-Up has used Pepsi's trademark to get itself sold. Make sense?
Breaking out of the analogy, what has happened is that some other merchants/companies/etc. have used Louis Vuitton's keywords to get hits. So, for example, if I were selling a non-brand name purse or something and bought such keywords from Google, the target company would be at a major disadvantage. It's actually much more difficult trying to clarify it, because it's so very clearly wrong.
V2 rockets did not have reliability problems. Not only were they designed in such a way so as to make assembly by prisoners possible - which also introduced defects in the process - but they relied on very, very primitive gyros for navigation. That fact alone accounts for the poor accuracy of the rockets. Otherwise, they were a great feat of engineering. Hell, the Canadian X-Prize team used a copy of the propulsion system because of its reliability!
It's not only about speed. No stock Subaru or Honda will out-perform a Ferrari - which has half a century of racing experience under its belt - or a Lambo, which makes up for a lack of that experience with 600+ horsepower. Also, it's not about straight-line acceleration, even though any Ferrari or Lambo will rape any Honda, Subaru, etc., in that category.
We live in a post-modern culture. "Critics" and "professionals" can look at a piece of turd on a bed of roses and call it art; most others will find that notion to be full of crap.
So, can we define art? Can we draw the line somewhere? Hitler tried doing that.
Anyway, art is art if you consider it art. It is subjective, it is not universal, and so on and so forth.
I'll take edible for $500, Trebek.
That's the question: when do you say it's too trivial? When do you say it's complex enough to be granted patent protection? It can be determined by the courts, but the patent office makes the initial decision, and if unchallenged, sets a precedent.
Thanks. Someone pointed out where to look, but I have yet to remove the sig. I think I'll get a reply...or the Penguin gets it! ;)
Seriously. I'll even pay shipping, if you'd like. Email in sig. :)
I know this is slashdot and bashing Linux will get you instant karma, but _please_ could you elaborate why knowing both OSS and Microsoft and favoring OSS is considered biaised, while favoring and knowing only Microsoft is not ?
I did not say that, but rather that we must be skeptical of both sides, not only the side which we (collectively) dislike, i.e., MS. Truth is, I don't know. My post was supposed to get people to think about who this association represents (besides the "consumers") but sadly it has been moderated negatively.
Linux still has a long way to go to become desktop-ready. For any "study" that finds Linux is suitable for "prime time," I'm sure there is one or two that says the contrary. Let's not forget that groups favoring OSS exist alongside those who do not and I don't know whether or not the people who made the study - regardless of their admitted lack of bias - are more favorable to Linux, etc.
I think we need a good computer museum. We have a few, but most of them are just a collection of old, dingy machines for one's drooling-over. We need something that has machines, documents, letters, books, components, video interviews, chip prototypes, interactive sections, and so on and so forth! But these will most likely go to a private collection, though museums often bid in these auctions.
Guy, Thanks for the tip. I did not think to look there, but I appreciate the nudge in the right direction. See, if I hadn't posted it on Slashdot, I wouldn't have known. :)
Before someone comes forth with a, "It must be hosted on an XP!" har har joke, can anyone supply a link to a mirror? Why oh why are slower links not mirrored??? Pay attention, Slashdot owners: this is ridiculous!
Any company that challenges the state of technology at any given time has to have flops. Hell, ANY business that strives to push the boundary has to have flops. Has MS had flops? Yep. Has GE? Yep. But the underlying strength of any company is how it deals with those flops, how it changes direction, how it survives, and how it kicks ass in the long run. However, the list would be interesting to see...though it's not loading for me.
I read that part, fool. Look at the other reply to my original post: AMD has not stopped working on its own version, which was to be a sub-$200 computer for the third world. Don't scold me for being an ignorant ass.
I recall AMD wanting to do such a thing a few months ago. Have they given up? Are they instead focusing on this one? I haven't RTFA, so don't flame me.
I think I made it clear in the blurb that he invented the World Wide Web, one part of the internet. Other parts include email, usenet, etc.
Who are you kidding? The Linux fanboys on Slashdot and just about any other OSS coder believes that Linux will overate MS and become the next Windows. Hell, Torvalds said something along those lines in the recent issue of BusinessWeek magazine, which incidentally, I submitted to Slashdot, was accepted, but never published.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the days of explosive growth, a la in the 90's, is over. No IT company that has been around as long as MS will have high growth numbers. If anything, it indicates a mature, less volatile company. MS will be around for a while and will do quite well, much to the chagrin of the average slashdotter.
And you expect that all such advancements will come from the U.S. and/or Europe? I say you're either disillusioned or biased. China, India, Russia, and other such countries will be the ones meeting these challenges in an environment that is virtually void of such limits and restrictions.