The whole point of copyright is to allow people to make a living creating works where it takes a while to gather the profit for said works. This simple principle got perverted legally by corporations that bought (or owned) the rights, and wished to continue to reap profit. Its the classic treating a corporation a an individual issue. Corporations want copyright forever, as they are basically immortal so long as they make a profit. This has also lead to estates and grand children somehow getting royalties from works which is silly. Look at how much money MJ made by buying the Beatles rights? In turn now look how much money MJ has and will mean after he is dead and gone. Elvis has made more than he ever did alive. There are agents out there that only take on deal clients. Is that not a messed up sentence? What part of that makes any reasonable sense? These "rights" are nothing of the sort.
I saw on TV that Elvis and MJ have made billions after death. There are even agents that only take on dead customers. I find this to be pretty messed up.
I disagree slightly. Normally I am all for getting copyright under control, but in this case I am not sold.
I read science fiction from the 50's and 60's all the time. In many ways I prefer it to the more modern stuff. Also the authors are still alive. I think MJ and Elvis making billions after they are dead is just stupid and grotesque.
Anyway likely for these authors it's the principle of the thing, or in the vague hope they get re-released or something. I know from practice, most of these novels are hard to find, if you do find them, likely it is in a used book store which isn't going to pay you royalties anyway, and I have noticed that even looking in used book stores it is getting harder and harder to find books that old.
In any event if I were them I would voluntarily put those works into the public domain, make a big deal about it, generate some buzz, perhaps convince some publishers to reprint some of the stuff because they don't have to pay royalties, try to get more people to read you stuff, perhaps get people interested in reading your newer material which you DO get paid royalties on. I know myself once I find an author I like, I tend to go through their entire works.
As I said it is likely the principle of the thing for these authors, I can't imagine they are making all that much money of those old books anymore. Though it could be that they want to retain copyright in case someone want to make a movie out of one of the books, seem to be all the rage in Hollywood now, take an old book and make a new movie. Perhaps what we need are partial or levels of copyright, where you could release the book publishing rights royalty free yet retain the movie rights (although maybe they still would anyway).
Agreed. I didn't find the leaks all the surprising.
I want to know the dirt on the banks and to a lesser extent big pharma.
I know they are ripping me off 6 ways from Sunday, but the details should sure be interesting. I have a feeling there is going to be some really angry people soon, and they won't be directed at Wikileaks... (which might be the whole point really now...)
I will admit my ignorance of the 'system' in question. I am one of the few people by the sounds of it that do not actually have direct access. (one might argue now I have "indirect" access due to the leaks I suppose)
Anyway I am just repeating what has been reported on the news by now, nothing new.
I was merely trying to point out that because the leak was A) the largest in like human history that I am aware of, and B) from the US, that it is no surprise that most of the actual contents refer to the US, and by the act of reporting on it doesn't necessarily mean by that shear fact alone that they are anti-US.
It would like be me saying if the leak was from Canada, and they most of the contents had references about Canada, then clearly the website in question is Anti-Canadian. The Bastards!
In fact I went on to say that because I feel that this is so clearly the case, and has been reported so much now, that anyone not understanding this simple principle must by the very cause and causation principle alluded to earlier be somewhat dull, if not entirely dim.
In hindsight my stupid comment was overly harsh, but I figure if he can make a knee jerk reaction about anti-Americanism then I can sure as heck make a knee jerk reaction to what I think of his judgment and overall cognitive ability.:)
The "leaks" are from a former US soldier who had access to a US system that had US diplomatic cables stored on it.
Is anyone surprised that all the leaks have to do with the US or what the US has done or said seeing as the actual source is the US?
Considering that apparently 600,000 people had access to said system, I find it amazing that this simply hasn't happened already. If something is secret, then protect it and limit access, otherwise perhaps think twice about what you say on such a system. Also think about not allowing something stupid like downloading massive amounts of information into a thumb drive. Just sayin'...
Anyway there is an intrinsic problem with your conclusion that because ALL the leaks are from US, that it must mean that Wikileaks is an anti-US organization. Classic Cause and Causation.
I agree. If you don't want to be called on doing or saying evil shit, guess what? Stop doing or saying evil shit.
I will go one further. All this wah wah wah about the stuff being released. Well who's fault is that? If this is so HIGHLY sensitive and secret information, how the HELL did 250,000 documents get leaked then? Perhaps rather than crying like a baby, they should take a hard look (and I am sure they are now) about their own internal security and how these communications are sent/stored. I mean if some asshole sitting in Sweden with a bad hair cut can get a hold of this information, just imagine what your enemies have access to!
That said, while some of the information is embarrassing (more so for the actual leak than content I think) and somewhat interesting, most is pretty common knowlege so far as I have seen. Just the the fact than an official said it out loud somehow makes it more offensive I guess. I mean is anyone surprised that the US thinks there are ties in the Russian government to the Mob? Really? Gasp! That royals sometimes behave inappropriately? No!
I mean it was interesting to hear about some other mid-east countries urging the US to attack Iran, but then again Iran hasn't exactly the "play nice" attitude, so not all that surprising. Also it was interesting to see that US has talked to China regarding a plan should North Korea implode, but again considering the unstable state of that country over the years, as well as China and US relations, it is also not all that surprising.
All the gaffs? Well people say stupid things, particularly when they think it is in confidence, politicians probably more than most. I say bring it on. Get some of this stuff into the open and stop passing mean notes in class calling your neighbor a poo head, as sooner or later the teacher might just grab it and read your ill though words to the rest of the class and they might not think it so witty.
Maybe they will only "randomly" scan people traveling to the US. Just one less reason to go there. More tourism for Canada and others. Your in trouble if you have a flight with a stop over in the US though... As someone who just recently traveled to the US I gotta say that US air travel sucks anyway. At least on Delta and Continental. Everything that could go wrong did, apart from actually having to do the scan, as it was just the regularly scheduled security theater. All 4 of my flights were late. They lost our luggage. They oversold one of our flights and wouldn't take off until they had figured their whole mess out. Not to mention the usual crappy seats, no food or real drink, and to top it off horrible turbulence (which I accede wasn't there fault). Trip was fine once we got there, but then at the end, a multi-hour wait to get through customs via buffalo-Niagara. Fun times.
Oh and having to pay extra for my luggage was a nice touch as well. Most US passengers seem to just buy larger carry ons now and skip luggage altogether as a result. So now there isn't enough room for legitimate carry on items. Now add body scanning and grope-a-thon and I think maybe next time I'll just say home or go somewhere else for vacation. I am glad I don't have to travel for business to the US at all.
I know a few years ago I went to the CN Tower in Toronto Canada, and you had to walk into this big bomb smelling machine.
Basically it swooshes you with little jets of air, and then measures if any minute explosive material is present. If your going after bombs that seems like the best and least offensive way to go about it... won't help with the guy with a plastic knife in his shorts though. Of course you don't get naked shots for the internet either!
Also about all the liquid explosives and chucking them into a bin, I don't know about home made explosives, but most commercial grade (and likely military) liquid and gel are specifically made NOT to explode (only under very specific conditions). Most would require significant concussive force, more than you can deliver with a hammer. That is they would require a primer, likely a blasting cap or some such thing. The home made stuff might be sketchy enough I don't know. Even TNT is pretty stable unless you let it sit around in unsuitable conditions for a long period of time.
Gasoline is one of the more common reactive and dangerous liquids out there, yet I can take a bottle and bounce it off a wall without fear. Might not want to throw the bottle in an ashtray however.
Consoles lately in the last couple of years have gotten innovative with controllers however.
I think it is somewhat interesting that while they are behind in graphic power due to cost and how they are released, the real difference is how they use the changing online world.
One might argue that the BIGGEST innovation in gaming in the last 5-10 years has been the development of MMO's (Primarily Everquest and then World of Warcraft) . Consoles have yet to crack that nut. Sony tried with Final Fantasy without much success so far as I know. They sort of tried again with their 256 player shooter (which I think is a very cool idea), but again didn't get great reviews. Xbox has moved to a subscription and market place model for their online experience, and Sony will likely follow. Anyway they still have yet to even touch the market years and years later, which I find telling.
Could you imagine if any of the consoles released World of Warcraft? I mean that would be a pretty huge deal. However I can't see that happening. The most likely culprit being the fact that its a fight for control between Blizzard and the console makers, and the simple fact that Blizzard doesn't need them.
My last computer build I bought some nice higher end speakers that supported Optical In. My motherboard didn't. So I bought a sound card that did. I think it cost me 30$. Other than situations like that I would say no, you don't really need a sound card. Years ago it was the difference between normal sound and the 8-bit noises that the "PC Speaker" would make. Now every motherboard pretty much comes with integrated sound that is good enough for the average user.
I remember seeing a few years back a motherboard with integrated sound using vacuum tubes for audiophiles which was a pretty interesting idea. Not sure how well it sold though, if I were a betting man, I would say it didn't.
or even better a first person shooter where you make "gun hands" and shoot by going "pew pew" or thrusting your hands forward or upward in mock recoil...:)
Slashdot Mirror
Probably get accused of raping somebody!
So far as I can tell:
The whole point of copyright is to allow people to make a living creating works where it takes a while to gather the profit for said works. This simple principle got perverted legally by corporations that bought (or owned) the rights, and wished to continue to reap profit. Its the classic treating a corporation a an individual issue. Corporations want copyright forever, as they are basically immortal so long as they make a profit. This has also lead to estates and grand children somehow getting royalties from works which is silly. Look at how much money MJ made by buying the Beatles rights? In turn now look how much money MJ has and will mean after he is dead and gone. Elvis has made more than he ever did alive. There are agents out there that only take on deal clients. Is that not a messed up sentence? What part of that makes any reasonable sense? These "rights" are nothing of the sort.
I saw on TV that Elvis and MJ have made billions after death. There are even agents that only take on dead customers. I find this to be pretty messed up.
I disagree slightly. Normally I am all for getting copyright under control, but in this case I am not sold.
I read science fiction from the 50's and 60's all the time. In many ways I prefer it to the more modern stuff. Also the authors are still alive. I think MJ and Elvis making billions after they are dead is just stupid and grotesque.
Anyway likely for these authors it's the principle of the thing, or in the vague hope they get re-released or something. I know from practice, most of these novels are hard to find, if you do find them, likely it is in a used book store which isn't going to pay you royalties anyway, and I have noticed that even looking in used book stores it is getting harder and harder to find books that old.
In any event if I were them I would voluntarily put those works into the public domain, make a big deal about it, generate some buzz, perhaps convince some publishers to reprint some of the stuff because they don't have to pay royalties, try to get more people to read you stuff, perhaps get people interested in reading your newer material which you DO get paid royalties on. I know myself once I find an author I like, I tend to go through their entire works.
As I said it is likely the principle of the thing for these authors, I can't imagine they are making all that much money of those old books anymore. Though it could be that they want to retain copyright in case someone want to make a movie out of one of the books, seem to be all the rage in Hollywood now, take an old book and make a new movie. Perhaps what we need are partial or levels of copyright, where you could release the book publishing rights royalty free yet retain the movie rights (although maybe they still would anyway).
So your saying they actually test software FIRST? Incredible!
ITS WHAT BUSINESS NEEDS!
I can just see some "accidental" leaks from the RIAA and MPAA proving they lost 5 trillion dollars last year alone due to piracy... etc...
Agreed. I didn't find the leaks all the surprising.
I want to know the dirt on the banks and to a lesser extent big pharma.
I know they are ripping me off 6 ways from Sunday, but the details should sure be interesting. I have a feeling there is going to be some really angry people soon, and they won't be directed at Wikileaks... (which might be the whole point really now...)
I am getting my torch and pitchfork ready...
I will admit my ignorance of the 'system' in question. I am one of the few people by the sounds of it that do not actually have direct access. (one might argue now I have "indirect" access due to the leaks I suppose)
Anyway I am just repeating what has been reported on the news by now, nothing new.
I was merely trying to point out that because the leak was A) the largest in like human history that I am aware of, and B) from the US, that it is no surprise that most of the actual contents refer to the US, and by the act of reporting on it doesn't necessarily mean by that shear fact alone that they are anti-US.
It would like be me saying if the leak was from Canada, and they most of the contents had references about Canada, then clearly the website in question is Anti-Canadian. The Bastards!
In fact I went on to say that because I feel that this is so clearly the case, and has been reported so much now, that anyone not understanding this simple principle must by the very cause and causation principle alluded to earlier be somewhat dull, if not entirely dim.
In hindsight my stupid comment was overly harsh, but I figure if he can make a knee jerk reaction about anti-Americanism then I can sure as heck make a knee jerk reaction to what I think of his judgment and overall cognitive ability. :)
The "leaks" are from a former US soldier who had access to a US system that had US diplomatic cables stored on it.
Is anyone surprised that all the leaks have to do with the US or what the US has done or said seeing as the actual source is the US?
Considering that apparently 600,000 people had access to said system, I find it amazing that this simply hasn't happened already. If something is secret, then protect it and limit access, otherwise perhaps think twice about what you say on such a system. Also think about not allowing something stupid like downloading massive amounts of information into a thumb drive. Just sayin'...
Anyway there is an intrinsic problem with your conclusion that because ALL the leaks are from US, that it must mean that Wikileaks is an anti-US organization. Classic Cause and Causation.
Actually weirdly enough the Jack Daniels distillery is actually in a dry community...
This is my XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System. There are many like it, but this one is mine...
We look just like them eh? I don't know what it is aboot us that they keep finding us oot. What a bunch of hosers!
I agree. If you don't want to be called on doing or saying evil shit, guess what? Stop doing or saying evil shit.
I will go one further. All this wah wah wah about the stuff being released. Well who's fault is that? If this is so HIGHLY sensitive and secret information, how the HELL did 250,000 documents get leaked then? Perhaps rather than crying like a baby, they should take a hard look (and I am sure they are now) about their own internal security and how these communications are sent/stored. I mean if some asshole sitting in Sweden with a bad hair cut can get a hold of this information, just imagine what your enemies have access to!
That said, while some of the information is embarrassing (more so for the actual leak than content I think) and somewhat interesting, most is pretty common knowlege so far as I have seen. Just the the fact than an official said it out loud somehow makes it more offensive I guess. I mean is anyone surprised that the US thinks there are ties in the Russian government to the Mob? Really? Gasp! That royals sometimes behave inappropriately? No!
I mean it was interesting to hear about some other mid-east countries urging the US to attack Iran, but then again Iran hasn't exactly the "play nice" attitude, so not all that surprising. Also it was interesting to see that US has talked to China regarding a plan should North Korea implode, but again considering the unstable state of that country over the years, as well as China and US relations, it is also not all that surprising.
All the gaffs? Well people say stupid things, particularly when they think it is in confidence, politicians probably more than most. I say bring it on. Get some of this stuff into the open and stop passing mean notes in class calling your neighbor a poo head, as sooner or later the teacher might just grab it and read your ill though words to the rest of the class and they might not think it so witty.
Maybe they will only "randomly" scan people traveling to the US. Just one less reason to go there. More tourism for Canada and others. Your in trouble if you have a flight with a stop over in the US though... As someone who just recently traveled to the US I gotta say that US air travel sucks anyway. At least on Delta and Continental. Everything that could go wrong did, apart from actually having to do the scan, as it was just the regularly scheduled security theater. All 4 of my flights were late. They lost our luggage. They oversold one of our flights and wouldn't take off until they had figured their whole mess out. Not to mention the usual crappy seats, no food or real drink, and to top it off horrible turbulence (which I accede wasn't there fault). Trip was fine once we got there, but then at the end, a multi-hour wait to get through customs via buffalo-Niagara. Fun times.
Oh and having to pay extra for my luggage was a nice touch as well. Most US passengers seem to just buy larger carry ons now and skip luggage altogether as a result. So now there isn't enough room for legitimate carry on items. Now add body scanning and grope-a-thon and I think maybe next time I'll just say home or go somewhere else for vacation. I am glad I don't have to travel for business to the US at all.
...if the DHS wasn't built to enforce the MPAA buisness model I don't know what is.
Clearly this is in the realm of national security, and without the MPAA fighting copyright infringement, the terrorists win!
I know a few years ago I went to the CN Tower in Toronto Canada, and you had to walk into this big bomb smelling machine.
Basically it swooshes you with little jets of air, and then measures if any minute explosive material is present. If your going after bombs that seems like the best and least offensive way to go about it... won't help with the guy with a plastic knife in his shorts though. Of course you don't get naked shots for the internet either!
Also about all the liquid explosives and chucking them into a bin, I don't know about home made explosives, but most commercial grade (and likely military) liquid and gel are specifically made NOT to explode (only under very specific conditions). Most would require significant concussive force, more than you can deliver with a hammer. That is they would require a primer, likely a blasting cap or some such thing. The home made stuff might be sketchy enough I don't know. Even TNT is pretty stable unless you let it sit around in unsuitable conditions for a long period of time.
Gasoline is one of the more common reactive and dangerous liquids out there, yet I can take a bottle and bounce it off a wall without fear. Might not want to throw the bottle in an ashtray however.
Just the nature of the beast.
Consoles lately in the last couple of years have gotten innovative with controllers however.
I think it is somewhat interesting that while they are behind in graphic power due to cost and how they are released, the real difference is how they use the changing online world.
One might argue that the BIGGEST innovation in gaming in the last 5-10 years has been the development of MMO's (Primarily Everquest and then World of Warcraft) . Consoles have yet to crack that nut. Sony tried with Final Fantasy without much success so far as I know. They sort of tried again with their 256 player shooter (which I think is a very cool idea), but again didn't get great reviews. Xbox has moved to a subscription and market place model for their online experience, and Sony will likely follow. Anyway they still have yet to even touch the market years and years later, which I find telling.
Could you imagine if any of the consoles released World of Warcraft? I mean that would be a pretty huge deal. However I can't see that happening. The most likely culprit being the fact that its a fight for control between Blizzard and the console makers, and the simple fact that Blizzard doesn't need them.
Was any of those released to consoles? No? I guess you just disproved your own point somehow...
One could argue however that console controllers are being far more innovative...
That's right. I want ET with 256 players online. 512 would blow my mind. Use XP and Rank for leaders. Noobs are fodder.
Good thing they didn't copy like 24 songs or they would be really screwed!
My last computer build I bought some nice higher end speakers that supported Optical In. My motherboard didn't. So I bought a sound card that did. I think it cost me 30$. Other than situations like that I would say no, you don't really need a sound card. Years ago it was the difference between normal sound and the 8-bit noises that the "PC Speaker" would make. Now every motherboard pretty much comes with integrated sound that is good enough for the average user.
I remember seeing a few years back a motherboard with integrated sound using vacuum tubes for audiophiles which was a pretty interesting idea. Not sure how well it sold though, if I were a betting man, I would say it didn't.
lol
or even better a first person shooter where you make "gun hands" and shoot by going "pew pew" or thrusting your hands forward or upward in mock recoil... :)
If your going to propose something impractical why not go big like a Dyson Sphere!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere