I just realised that I failed to make clear that the for-profit licencing after the 25 years obviously has to come to an end at some point. I'd say either the artist's life or that + 5 so that their inheritors don't see their parent/partner/etc's work suddenly being sold everywhere while they are still grieving for their loss or were dependant on the deceased's income.
Either way, after the original 25 years, the public would be free to access and copy the work, just not for profit, so the remainder of the time covers the money making side of it, without ripping off society.
I'm against copyright infringement, but I can't honestly say I've never done it. However, where I can see the person who has put the effort into making their product is the one directly benefiting (think Fairtrade art, etc), I feel more inclined to buy it, knowing that the money is benefiting them and they aren't getting ripped off.
More and more we are seeing the records labels enjoying the fruits of other people's labour for a period of more than half an average person's lifetime, and while they reward their top artists with more than many of us can expect to make in a lifetime, the lessor artists are scrapping by while the record label makes $$$ out of their work.
I think that a copyright period of 25 years would be more than enough, perhaps less, but any for profit derivative of the artist's work, they would need to agree licence terms with the artist, with a minimum percentage written into law to ensure that the artist doesn't get forced into letting someone make $$$ off their work while they get pittance. This would mean that, after the 25 years, people would be free to copy the work, but not to (re-)sell it for more than the copying cost.
Similarly, the artist can licence their work to a record label for either a fixed fee or royalties, or both (again with a minimum level set so they don't get ripped off), but after the 25 years (or less if the agreement states), the record label would have to relicence from the artist, but it could not be an exclusive licence any more. At no point, however, does the copyright leave the artist.
The only-side issue I can think of is regarding documents or code written in the workplace, but perhaps that could be covered by a "commissioning of work" exception. I know that the record labels would probably make use of this to avoid what I discussed in my previous paragraph, but again after 25 years it would cease to be under copyright (so they would have more incentive to leave copyright with the artist to be able to relicence the work knowing others wishing to profit from the work would also have to licence it too), and provided it is made clear that companies can only hold copyright for 25 years if they are the creator or commissioner of the work, then I think this would be a much more acceptable solution to society in general.
Here in the UK traffic-shaping and monthly bandwidth allowances are the norm. The 5% using 50% of the bandwidth is more or less what ISPs here experienced, thus them bringing in these rules.
I have an 8GB/month allowance (only applied 8am - midnight though). I run an IT business from home, and my girlfriend uploads hundreds of photographs she has taken on average once a week, and we still don't exceed that limit (except on a couple of occasions where I've down downloading more than a couple of new Linux distros during that period).
My ADSL costs £14.99 [~$29.50] per month (although due to an incentive to keep me I'm currently only paying £9.99 [~$19.65]), and although I believe it costs a lot less in major urban areas of America, I'm mostly happy with it. The only issue I have with my ISP is that SSH on non-standard ports is too aggressively traffic-shaped...
While Russia cracks down on press freedoms and citizen's rights appear to be less than here in the UK, I doubt they could afford the 1 CCTV camera per 14 people that we have, and the invasions of privacy that this enables: [1][2][3][4]
While they might not be using cell type processors, you can bet they have some kick-arse (or -ass as they are American) hardware with custom software written for just that purpose.
If rebooting solves your problems, then you're probably running Windows.:-p
As a former SysAdmin, I can say that quite a few times getting the user to reboot does resolves the problem. Yes, it is probably down to an OS or app bug - but without the source code (or, quite frankly, the time) to pin it down, especially when it seems to be due to the interaction of two or more programs and/or is not able to be recreated ever time (so possibly for instance a memory leak). Also management (yours and the user's) just want you to get them working again or find a simple way round it, so that sometimes has to do - rather than taking a long time identifying the actual cause and preventing the user from working.
When memory was more of an issue, I'd also tell them to remove their wallpaper after the reboot (if they had added any) if their PC was behaving oddly or (the most difficult to resolve error of all [unless you were allowed to upgrade a user's machine]:) was slow.
I'd be stuck if the police wanted to read some of my encrypted emails (sent in a work setting to my girlfriend so done for personal privacy, nothing else) - I no longer remember the passphrase, and I think I have some other encrypted mail/files that I've lost the keys for (again nothing incriminating, some of it might just be test files to try out the encryption product)...
I'm guessing that as an "old treatment" it's a lot cheaper than new drugs, so hopefully the developing countries can afford to treat people quickly and hopefully help stamp out this growing problem...
I'm sure that sites who object to Adblock could use this code to flag to users or block them when it is active - I don't want to be blocked just because I don't use IE - I'd like to have the option to turn off Adblock if they insist, rather than having my choice of web browser completely blocked by their site...
As several people have suggested, try to blacklist numbers to either not allow them through or put them on permanent hold. For those that do get through, issue a policy that any of these annoying telemarketers should be forwarded to a certain extension number, which is the permanent hold queue I mentioned before. For added hell - have an announcement every minute or so, such as "your call is important to us..."
As another alternative, make some money out of it. Tell them to call you back on another number which happens to be premium rate - the longer they talk, the more your make!:-)
...I'd join up with others and start a class action lawsuit against the RIAA/SoundExchange for taking money for my music which they have no ownership or claim to, and from what others have said, for preventing their clients (whom appear to be obliged to be their clients), from licencing my music directly.
Of course, as some other posts have already said, these download figures for IE7 include Windows Update automatic downloads, whether they were then installed or not. For almost all my clients I've then had to uninstall it as they couldn't get their heads around the layout, or it broke sites they needed to access, but I'm guessing they still counted towards this download figure.
I echo this. I moved from a helpdesk with shifts, pressure, and no training on what we were supporting, to a better paid Delphi programming job, but with a B*stard for a boss, and was unhappy until I left and started my own IT business - earning peanuts at the moment, but enjoying what I am doing...
If you take the European Central Bank's Marginal lending facility rate, currently at 3.75 (which has varied over the period they will be fined on: History), and add on the 7 percent that appears to be standard (see the late payment of commercial debts legislation, although this particular law doesn't apply in this case I think [IANAL]). So I believe a rate of approximately 10.75% interest could be applied to any late payments...
As a last resort I'm sure they could freeze or seize some of Microsoft's assets/European based accounts to the value of outstanding fines...
I suspect that Microsoft, apart from appealing in court again, wouldn't be foolish enough to ignore the ruling of a political entity that controls a region responsible for a reasonable fraction of their worldwide market (this is a presumption on my part - I couldn't find any regional revenue breakdown for Microsoft's earnings).
Hmmm - I'm not sure where that is the case, but I've never heard anyone say "you've just won a hundred fifty pounds" (think £50 x 100 = £5000 woo-hoo!) - ok I've never been told I've won anything, but you get the point. Also when writing cheques, the right way is to write in text "One Hundred and Fifty Pounds Only"
Darts scores: "One Hundred and Eight-ty!"
The only time in British English I can think of numbers being used as you describe is in some military contexts (and those might be American military movies, I forget)...
Because I prefer to make things a little harder. There are actually quite a few firefalcon's out there, and similarly quite a few people with the same first and surname as me, so you may or may not be correct.
For the same reason, when posting logs to email lists, I tend to hide the IP address - even though it is very easy to find out.
I noticed that you also prefer a certain level of anonimity - posting as AC...
Slashdot Mirror
I just realised that I failed to make clear that the for-profit licencing after the 25 years obviously has to come to an end at some point. I'd say either the artist's life or that + 5 so that their inheritors don't see their parent/partner/etc's work suddenly being sold everywhere while they are still grieving for their loss or were dependant on the deceased's income.
Either way, after the original 25 years, the public would be free to access and copy the work, just not for profit, so the remainder of the time covers the money making side of it, without ripping off society.
Well said.
I'm against copyright infringement, but I can't honestly say I've never done it. However, where I can see the person who has put the effort into making their product is the one directly benefiting (think Fairtrade art, etc), I feel more inclined to buy it, knowing that the money is benefiting them and they aren't getting ripped off.
More and more we are seeing the records labels enjoying the fruits of other people's labour for a period of more than half an average person's lifetime, and while they reward their top artists with more than many of us can expect to make in a lifetime, the lessor artists are scrapping by while the record label makes $$$ out of their work.
I think that a copyright period of 25 years would be more than enough, perhaps less, but any for profit derivative of the artist's work, they would need to agree licence terms with the artist, with a minimum percentage written into law to ensure that the artist doesn't get forced into letting someone make $$$ off their work while they get pittance. This would mean that, after the 25 years, people would be free to copy the work, but not to (re-)sell it for more than the copying cost.
Similarly, the artist can licence their work to a record label for either a fixed fee or royalties, or both (again with a minimum level set so they don't get ripped off), but after the 25 years (or less if the agreement states), the record label would have to relicence from the artist, but it could not be an exclusive licence any more. At no point, however, does the copyright leave the artist.
The only-side issue I can think of is regarding documents or code written in the workplace, but perhaps that could be covered by a "commissioning of work" exception. I know that the record labels would probably make use of this to avoid what I discussed in my previous paragraph, but again after 25 years it would cease to be under copyright (so they would have more incentive to leave copyright with the artist to be able to relicence the work knowing others wishing to profit from the work would also have to licence it too), and provided it is made clear that companies can only hold copyright for 25 years if they are the creator or commissioner of the work, then I think this would be a much more acceptable solution to society in general.
60GB a month is a low cap to you?
Here in the UK traffic-shaping and monthly bandwidth allowances are the norm. The 5% using 50% of the bandwidth is more or less what ISPs here experienced, thus them bringing in these rules.
I have an 8GB/month allowance (only applied 8am - midnight though). I run an IT business from home, and my girlfriend uploads hundreds of photographs she has taken on average once a week, and we still don't exceed that limit (except on a couple of occasions where I've down downloading more than a couple of new Linux distros during that period).
My ADSL costs £14.99 [~$29.50] per month (although due to an incentive to keep me I'm currently only paying £9.99 [~$19.65]), and although I believe it costs a lot less in major urban areas of America, I'm mostly happy with it. The only issue I have with my ISP is that SSH on non-standard ports is too aggressively traffic-shaped...
Like Soviet Russia. No, actually that would be the UK - try Googling for "uk surveillance society".
While Russia cracks down on press freedoms and citizen's rights appear to be less than here in the UK, I doubt they could afford the 1 CCTV camera per 14 people that we have, and the invasions of privacy that this enables: [1] [2] [3] [4]
...and you think they haven't already done that?
While they might not be using cell type processors, you can bet they have some kick-arse (or -ass as they are American) hardware with custom software written for just that purpose.
And you find that you have to use Windows ME on a slow old 386...
If rebooting solves your problems, then you're probably running Windows. :-p
As a former SysAdmin, I can say that quite a few times getting the user to reboot does resolves the problem. Yes, it is probably down to an OS or app bug - but without the source code (or, quite frankly, the time) to pin it down, especially when it seems to be due to the interaction of two or more programs and/or is not able to be recreated ever time (so possibly for instance a memory leak). Also management (yours and the user's) just want you to get them working again or find a simple way round it, so that sometimes has to do - rather than taking a long time identifying the actual cause and preventing the user from working.
When memory was more of an issue, I'd also tell them to remove their wallpaper after the reboot (if they had added any) if their PC was behaving oddly or (the most difficult to resolve error of all [unless you were allowed to upgrade a user's machine]:) was slow.
Orange is a brand of France Telecom, not two separate entities:
http://www.orange.com/english/access/aboutUs.php
From: "Exceptions may be granted by the JIG Commander for the purpose of interrogations."
To: "The JIG Commander my grant exceptions for the purpose of interrogations."...
(my emphasis)
From the linked article:
:-)
"Debian (22.2 percent)"
So looking good...
I'd be stuck if the police wanted to read some of my encrypted emails (sent in a work setting to my girlfriend so done for personal privacy, nothing else) - I no longer remember the passphrase, and I think I have some other encrypted mail/files that I've lost the keys for (again nothing incriminating, some of it might just be test files to try out the encryption product)...
I'm guessing that as an "old treatment" it's a lot cheaper than new drugs, so hopefully the developing countries can afford to treat people quickly and hopefully help stamp out this growing problem...
AdBlock offers detection code on their site:
http://www.adblock.org/2004/07/adblock_detection_script/
I'm sure that sites who object to Adblock could use this code to flag to users or block them when it is active - I don't want to be blocked just because I don't use IE - I'd like to have the option to turn off Adblock if they insist, rather than having my choice of web browser completely blocked by their site...
In the UK, the use of postal evidence is actually recommended by the patent office: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy/c-claim/c-register.htm
The use of Special Delivery ensures that it is sealed when despatched through the post office...
And then the three- or four-digit people show up and are treated like celebrities.
;-P
Damn - I must have missed a lot of parties
...Quite literally I suspect if the cooling system ever breaks!
As several people have suggested, try to blacklist numbers to either not allow them through or put them on permanent hold. For those that do get through, issue a policy that any of these annoying telemarketers should be forwarded to a certain extension number, which is the permanent hold queue I mentioned before. For added hell - have an announcement every minute or so, such as "your call is important to us..."
:-)
As another alternative, make some money out of it. Tell them to call you back on another number which happens to be premium rate - the longer they talk, the more your make!
...I'd join up with others and start a class action lawsuit against the RIAA/SoundExchange for taking money for my music which they have no ownership or claim to, and from what others have said, for preventing their clients (whom appear to be obliged to be their clients), from licencing my music directly.
Of course, as some other posts have already said, these download figures for IE7 include Windows Update automatic downloads, whether they were then installed or not. For almost all my clients I've then had to uninstall it as they couldn't get their heads around the layout, or it broke sites they needed to access, but I'm guessing they still counted towards this download figure.
I echo this. I moved from a helpdesk with shifts, pressure, and no training on what we were supporting, to a better paid Delphi programming job, but with a B*stard for a boss, and was unhappy until I left and started my own IT business - earning peanuts at the moment, but enjoying what I am doing...
If you take the European Central Bank's Marginal lending facility rate, currently at 3.75 (which has varied over the period they will be fined on: History), and add on the 7 percent that appears to be standard (see the late payment of commercial debts legislation, although this particular law doesn't apply in this case I think [IANAL]). So I believe a rate of approximately 10.75% interest could be applied to any late payments...
What happens if MSFT doesn't pay?
As a last resort I'm sure they could freeze or seize some of Microsoft's assets/European based accounts to the value of outstanding fines...
I suspect that Microsoft, apart from appealing in court again, wouldn't be foolish enough to ignore the ruling of a political entity that controls a region responsible for a reasonable fraction of their worldwide market (this is a presumption on my part - I couldn't find any regional revenue breakdown for Microsoft's earnings).
...And he wants to simplify things?
m ID=99&threadID=174663&messageID=1985360&id=1583166 )
( http://techrepublic.com.com/5254-6257-0.html?foru
119 is "one hundred nineteen".
Hmmm - I'm not sure where that is the case, but I've never heard anyone say "you've just won a hundred fifty pounds" (think £50 x 100 = £5000 woo-hoo!) - ok I've never been told I've won anything, but you get the point. Also when writing cheques, the right way is to write in text "One Hundred and Fifty Pounds Only"
Darts scores: "One Hundred and Eight-ty!"
The only time in British English I can think of numbers being used as you describe is in some military contexts (and those might be American military movies, I forget)...
Because I prefer to make things a little harder. There are actually quite a few firefalcon's out there, and similarly quite a few people with the same first and surname as me, so you may or may not be correct.
For the same reason, when posting logs to email lists, I tend to hide the IP address - even though it is very easy to find out.
I noticed that you also prefer a certain level of anonimity - posting as AC...