There's a difference between "prides itself on democracy" and "uses 'spreading democracy' as justification for whatever heinous action it is about to undertake"
I don't know of a single example (not to say they aren't out there) where we spread democracy just for the fun of it. It was always to stop Communism (Vietnam / Korea) or install US-friendly leaders (such as in the Middle East).
Seriously though, I think the attempted character assassination going on against Linus is far more effective (or at least potentially effective), than the postings on/.
And in the article, I thought KB did actually raise a few interesting questions, although he did nothing to address them (and Tanenbaum had some effective rebuttals in that regard) - issues such as IP rights & ownership. Of course, those could be applied just as effectively (probably moreso) to Microsoft than to Linux. And they are not limited to the open-source domain - open source just makes infringement easier to find.
While I agree with you, there's a very good reason Microsoft won't change their defaults: because its more important for Microsoft to get version differentiation / recognition by the unwashed masses than it is to get best performance. You set a novice computer user in front of Windows XP (with the fugly XP shell) and Windows 2000, and John Doe *immediately* knows which one is XP. So when John Doe is ordering a machine from Dell, or standing in Best Buy or CompUSA, he knows he's getting XP (which he wants because that's what the 12 year old neighbor kid said he should get and that's what everyone else uses).
That, and if they made the eyecandy off by default, it would never get turned on by 95% of the users, and so Microsoft's investment in that development is wasted (you could argue its wasted now, and I wouldn't disagree:-)
As it stands, the people who know enough about their computers can find magazine articles & online guides to tweak for performance, and those that don't probably don't know the speed they are missing anyway. And if its getting too slow, they just buy a new computer! Everybody (== Microsoft) wins!
I agree with the second statement, but not the first. I think it *could* be easy, for certain types of people, but not John & Jane Doe. Coming up with a phrase-based password is something I think everyone can aspire to. But add in site-specific randomness and you'll quickly hit "post-it note passwords" - random, secure passwords pasted right on the monitor.
However, I do agree passwords are much more convenient than some kind of physical or electronic key, and generally secure enough for us "common folk".
And maybe I'm underestimating John Doe, but its important to remember not everyone has the mental aptitudes for logic / numbers / patterns that/.'ers do.
A more sensible approach seems to be needed to solve the harm, if any harm exists, with regards to sexual relationships between children and adults or children and children.
Sensible? Who said anything about being sensible?? Actually TALKING about sex - in this country (US)? Are you crazy? The bible-thumpers won't stand for that! Much better to punish the "evil people" rather than try & fix the system that forces them to be evil! After all, we are the righteous, the just!
And the cost of duplication is a small fraction of what it will cost the FSF in labor to research and produce those documents.
Even hiring a minimum wage temp to handle it all would probably take 6-8 weeks, at 40 hours a week, at $5.15 / hr = $1200+. Bulk copying costs what, $0.15/pg? At 8000 pages (over 6 weeks), duplication costs are only 50% of the cost of the subpoena.
And of course I'm just making these numbers up - the point is, this will do nothing but cost the FSF money for SCO's fishing trip, which is very disappointing to me considering I like the FSF much more than I like SCO.
It's not that there are not enough good people in a given country - it's that they are not the majority of people who necessarily leave the best impression on voters and get elected (or even attempt to get involved in government in the first place).
In other words, the signal:noise ratio in government is very low - lower than the country as a whole, because noise usually seeks to increase its power while the signal is more humble.
I don't doubt you, but that doesn't explain why the site sent a stylesheet SPECIFICALLY for Opera - if Opera wasn't on their test matrix, why did they check for its UA and send it a special CSS?
I don't attribute this situation to malice, but I am curious to hear the chain of events that created the situation.
I don't know - losing that Martian probe cost quite a bit and was completely avoidable if the US was using the SI system.
It's basic economics - pay $X / year forever to live with the differences, or pay $Y[Z] for the next Z years, with Y[Z] going to zero as Z approaches 15, and Y[0] >> X. After maybe 25 years, you've paid off the cost to switch and you're now saving money by using metric.
Of course, that's far too long of a time-line for quarterly earnings-managers and 4-year elected officials to even consider. Much better to screw the long-term so we look good in the short term!
Downloading updates would be analogous to changing the oil in the car; it is something that is needed frequently. If it isn't done frequently, it's going to run worse and worse until it eventually dies.
I agree completely, but I didn't want to use that analogy because if you only download updates every 3 months, you're almost guaranteed to be screwed by some new virus, worm, or security hole (assuming you are running a Windows box)! I figure people fuel up their cars much more frequently, and hence gave a better sense of timing:)
And I have to admit - I admire the TSRs (at least the few intelligent ones that I've spoken with on the rare occasion when I have to call a support line). How you put up with the shit you must take I will never know! I couldn't do it - I'm happy to help out a few people, friends & family, etc, but to do it for dozens or hundreds of people a day, over the phone, people who are completely clueless - I would flip out! Props to you!
There's a lot of very good comments in this thread!
And as for you being a dumb shit - I was just mimicking the parent post. In your case, if your car gets stolen, whose fault is it? I agree - it's the thief's fault. However, that doesn't mean it isn't in your best interest to take basic precautions to protect your property. If you make your car accessible to thieves, and your car gets stolen, the thief is to blame but YOU are the one who may be greatly inconvenienced by the loss of your car. Which parallels what others have said in this thread - so many people complain about their computers or the internet being slow, when they don't take basic precautions to prevent their computer from being infected with viruses & worms. The worm-writers are still at fault, but its the users who are greatly inconvenienced.
Of course, I also agree that Microsoft and the OEMs like Dell are at least partially to blame by not making Windows more secure by default for non-technical users.
No, its more like blaming the dumb shit who leaves his doors unlocked and his windows open (pun not intended, but apt!), and then leaves the car sitting in a questionable neighborhood.
Installing anti-virus & firewall software are basic computer security measures, like closing the windows & locking your doors. Neither are foolproof, but both are simply a matter of training the user. Unfortunately, its been my experience that installing anti-virus & firewall software tends to be a much more painful process.
And of course - downloading updates would be analogous to putting fuel in the car: it is basic maintenance that needs to be done relatively frequently.
Why is the parent only +2, Insightful? It should be modded +5,Eyes-finally-open!!
It's too bad you posted as AC, if your other posts are at least half as intelligent & insightful as this one is you'd definitely have another fan on your list!
While that doesn't all hold up to critical analysis (the truth of these situations being much more complex & chaotic), you really captured my feelings about this president very well. And since most people can't be bothered with more than 15 second sound bytes, much less critical analysis of complex situations, I think your summary does a wonderful job:)
I think the poster meant in the general sense, police power will be abused. I am sure this country is full of many excellent police officers. However, there are always a few bad apples (in every profession, not just law enforcement), and there's always the bureaucracy and politicians (whom I actually fear more!).
I think it is fair to say that, given sufficient time, someone will abuse those extended powers. Given a little more time, people will come to accept those abuses as standard operating procedure, and new powers will be extended - its an evolutionary slippery slope. All in the name of "for the children", "stopping crime", "war on terror", $CAUSE_OF_THE_WEEK. And frankly, I find it difficult to believe we will be able to reverse this slide, unless we have some real libertarian visionaries step forward and get elected to government.
How does the movie industry suffer from this? Why should it be illegal? It is their responsibility to prove the harm, not ours to prove the right.
I agree - those questions were not adequately addressed. And I feel that was part of the communication-disconnect, and possibly a failure of the interviewer.
The interviewer asked "Why is it illegal?" Valenti responded, "You shouldn't steal other people's work, it's a slippery slope to let digital copies out, etc". Then the interviewer went back to "Why is it illegal? There's no licensed players for Linux."
I agree - I don't like the idea of being told what I can and cannot do with copyright works that I purchase (within the confines of fair use). But the phrase "fair use" was NEVER used in the interview, neither rights nor harms were addressed, and the interview just seemed to leave a lot to desire in the substance department.
(And, I don't claim I would have done a better job - personally, I think we need a Jack Valenti Ask Slashdot!)
I actually have to agree with the parent - the interview didn't focus on "fair rights", it focused on a very narrow point - particularly, playing DVDs under Linux. I think the DMCA is over-reaching and I don't agree with it, but its not the fault of the MPAA that no company has produced a licensed DVD player for linux (ie MPAA, to my knowledge, has not prevented a company from doing so) - that's a market forces decision. Obviously no company thinks such a program is a viable commercial offering, so no one produces it.
I think the interview actually made Valenti look like a good guy - he had consistent, intelligent responses. The interviewer bordered on whining with his "I rented a DVD at Blockbuster, why is it illegal for me to play it with my 6-line Linux DVD program on my homebuilt HDTV?" argument, repeated ad nauseum.
I already responded to this thread, so I can't mod you down, but your post is -1,Flambait.
This has NOTHING to do with respecting other people's choice in licenses. If you don't want to release your driver in GPL, then don't! The kernel doesn't care - it'll load it just the same. This has EVERYTHING to do with not wasting kernel developers' time in tracking down bugs that are in non-GPL software.
If you want to release binary-only drivers, go right ahead - just don't try & trick the developers into debugging your broken code for you, too.
No - GPL is a copyright license, which is exactly what the parent to your post was saying. Open-sourcing source code does not remove copyright protections (ie GPL).
Slashdot Mirror
There's a difference between "prides itself on democracy" and "uses 'spreading democracy' as justification for whatever heinous action it is about to undertake"
I don't know of a single example (not to say they aren't out there) where we spread democracy just for the fun of it. It was always to stop Communism (Vietnam / Korea) or install US-friendly leaders (such as in the Middle East).
Actually you have. It was the War of Independence, and the US fought *on the same side as France!*
[sarcasm]
Heaven forbid we ever make THAT mistake again!
[/sarcasm]
Definitely appears that way... :-)
/.
Seriously though, I think the attempted character assassination going on against Linus is far more effective (or at least potentially effective), than the postings on
And in the article, I thought KB did actually raise a few interesting questions, although he did nothing to address them (and Tanenbaum had some effective rebuttals in that regard) - issues such as IP rights & ownership. Of course, those could be applied just as effectively (probably moreso) to Microsoft than to Linux. And they are not limited to the open-source domain - open source just makes infringement easier to find.
Imagine a beowulf cluster of THOSE - you could generate blue screens at an INCREDIBLE rate!!
While I agree with you, there's a very good reason Microsoft won't change their defaults: because its more important for Microsoft to get version differentiation / recognition by the unwashed masses than it is to get best performance. You set a novice computer user in front of Windows XP (with the fugly XP shell) and Windows 2000, and John Doe *immediately* knows which one is XP. So when John Doe is ordering a machine from Dell, or standing in Best Buy or CompUSA, he knows he's getting XP (which he wants because that's what the 12 year old neighbor kid said he should get and that's what everyone else uses).
:-)
That, and if they made the eyecandy off by default, it would never get turned on by 95% of the users, and so Microsoft's investment in that development is wasted (you could argue its wasted now, and I wouldn't disagree
As it stands, the people who know enough about their computers can find magazine articles & online guides to tweak for performance, and those that don't probably don't know the speed they are missing anyway. And if its getting too slow, they just buy a new computer! Everybody (== Microsoft) wins!
Easy to remember, extremely difficult to break.
/.'ers do.
I agree with the second statement, but not the first. I think it *could* be easy, for certain types of people, but not John & Jane Doe. Coming up with a phrase-based password is something I think everyone can aspire to. But add in site-specific randomness and you'll quickly hit "post-it note passwords" - random, secure passwords pasted right on the monitor.
However, I do agree passwords are much more convenient than some kind of physical or electronic key, and generally secure enough for us "common folk".
And maybe I'm underestimating John Doe, but its important to remember not everyone has the mental aptitudes for logic / numbers / patterns that
A more sensible approach seems to be needed to solve the harm, if any harm exists, with regards to sexual relationships between children and adults or children and children.
Sensible? Who said anything about being sensible?? Actually TALKING about sex - in this country (US)? Are you crazy? The bible-thumpers won't stand for that! Much better to punish the "evil people" rather than try & fix the system that forces them to be evil! After all, we are the righteous, the just!
Now, where did my copy of 1984 go again?
And the cost of duplication is a small fraction of what it will cost the FSF in labor to research and produce those documents.
Even hiring a minimum wage temp to handle it all would probably take 6-8 weeks, at 40 hours a week, at $5.15 / hr = $1200+. Bulk copying costs what, $0.15/pg? At 8000 pages (over 6 weeks), duplication costs are only 50% of the cost of the subpoena.
And of course I'm just making these numbers up - the point is, this will do nothing but cost the FSF money for SCO's fishing trip, which is very disappointing to me considering I like the FSF much more than I like SCO.
It's not that there are not enough good people in a given country - it's that they are not the majority of people who necessarily leave the best impression on voters and get elected (or even attempt to get involved in government in the first place).
In other words, the signal:noise ratio in government is very low - lower than the country as a whole, because noise usually seeks to increase its power while the signal is more humble.
I don't doubt you, but that doesn't explain why the site sent a stylesheet SPECIFICALLY for Opera - if Opera wasn't on their test matrix, why did they check for its UA and send it a special CSS?
I don't attribute this situation to malice, but I am curious to hear the chain of events that created the situation.
I don't know - losing that Martian probe cost quite a bit and was completely avoidable if the US was using the SI system.
It's basic economics - pay $X / year forever to live with the differences, or pay $Y[Z] for the next Z years, with Y[Z] going to zero as Z approaches 15, and Y[0] >> X. After maybe 25 years, you've paid off the cost to switch and you're now saving money by using metric.
Of course, that's far too long of a time-line for quarterly earnings-managers and 4-year elected officials to even consider. Much better to screw the long-term so we look good in the short term!
Downloading updates would be analogous to changing the oil in the car; it is something that is needed frequently. If it isn't done frequently, it's going to run worse and worse until it eventually dies.
:)
I agree completely, but I didn't want to use that analogy because if you only download updates every 3 months, you're almost guaranteed to be screwed by some new virus, worm, or security hole (assuming you are running a Windows box)! I figure people fuel up their cars much more frequently, and hence gave a better sense of timing
And I have to admit - I admire the TSRs (at least the few intelligent ones that I've spoken with on the rare occasion when I have to call a support line). How you put up with the shit you must take I will never know! I couldn't do it - I'm happy to help out a few people, friends & family, etc, but to do it for dozens or hundreds of people a day, over the phone, people who are completely clueless - I would flip out! Props to you!
There's a lot of very good comments in this thread!
And as for you being a dumb shit - I was just mimicking the parent post. In your case, if your car gets stolen, whose fault is it? I agree - it's the thief's fault. However, that doesn't mean it isn't in your best interest to take basic precautions to protect your property. If you make your car accessible to thieves, and your car gets stolen, the thief is to blame but YOU are the one who may be greatly inconvenienced by the loss of your car. Which parallels what others have said in this thread - so many people complain about their computers or the internet being slow, when they don't take basic precautions to prevent their computer from being infected with viruses & worms. The worm-writers are still at fault, but its the users who are greatly inconvenienced.
Of course, I also agree that Microsoft and the OEMs like Dell are at least partially to blame by not making Windows more secure by default for non-technical users.
No, its more like blaming the dumb shit who leaves his doors unlocked and his windows open (pun not intended, but apt!), and then leaves the car sitting in a questionable neighborhood.
Installing anti-virus & firewall software are basic computer security measures, like closing the windows & locking your doors. Neither are foolproof, but both are simply a matter of training the user. Unfortunately, its been my experience that installing anti-virus & firewall software tends to be a much more painful process.
And of course - downloading updates would be analogous to putting fuel in the car: it is basic maintenance that needs to be done relatively frequently.
Why is the parent only +2, Insightful? It should be modded +5,Eyes-finally-open!!
It's too bad you posted as AC, if your other posts are at least half as intelligent & insightful as this one is you'd definitely have another fan on your list!
*applause*
:)
While that doesn't all hold up to critical analysis (the truth of these situations being much more complex & chaotic), you really captured my feelings about this president very well. And since most people can't be bothered with more than 15 second sound bytes, much less critical analysis of complex situations, I think your summary does a wonderful job
I think the poster meant in the general sense, police power will be abused. I am sure this country is full of many excellent police officers. However, there are always a few bad apples (in every profession, not just law enforcement), and there's always the bureaucracy and politicians (whom I actually fear more!).
I think it is fair to say that, given sufficient time, someone will abuse those extended powers. Given a little more time, people will come to accept those abuses as standard operating procedure, and new powers will be extended - its an evolutionary slippery slope. All in the name of "for the children", "stopping crime", "war on terror", $CAUSE_OF_THE_WEEK. And frankly, I find it difficult to believe we will be able to reverse this slide, unless we have some real libertarian visionaries step forward and get elected to government.
How does the movie industry suffer from this? Why should it be illegal? It is their responsibility to prove the harm, not ours to prove the right.
I agree - those questions were not adequately addressed. And I feel that was part of the communication-disconnect, and possibly a failure of the interviewer.
The interviewer asked "Why is it illegal?" Valenti responded, "You shouldn't steal other people's work, it's a slippery slope to let digital copies out, etc". Then the interviewer went back to "Why is it illegal? There's no licensed players for Linux."
I agree - I don't like the idea of being told what I can and cannot do with copyright works that I purchase (within the confines of fair use). But the phrase "fair use" was NEVER used in the interview, neither rights nor harms were addressed, and the interview just seemed to leave a lot to desire in the substance department.
(And, I don't claim I would have done a better job - personally, I think we need a Jack Valenti Ask Slashdot!)
I actually have to agree with the parent - the interview didn't focus on "fair rights", it focused on a very narrow point - particularly, playing DVDs under Linux. I think the DMCA is over-reaching and I don't agree with it, but its not the fault of the MPAA that no company has produced a licensed DVD player for linux (ie MPAA, to my knowledge, has not prevented a company from doing so) - that's a market forces decision. Obviously no company thinks such a program is a viable commercial offering, so no one produces it.
I think the interview actually made Valenti look like a good guy - he had consistent, intelligent responses. The interviewer bordered on whining with his "I rented a DVD at Blockbuster, why is it illegal for me to play it with my 6-line Linux DVD program on my homebuilt HDTV?" argument, repeated ad nauseum.
You have failed me for the last time, admiral.
*Force choke*
I already responded to this thread, so I can't mod you down, but your post is -1,Flambait.
This has NOTHING to do with respecting other people's choice in licenses. If you don't want to release your driver in GPL, then don't! The kernel doesn't care - it'll load it just the same. This has EVERYTHING to do with not wasting kernel developers' time in tracking down bugs that are in non-GPL software.
If you want to release binary-only drivers, go right ahead - just don't try & trick the developers into debugging your broken code for you, too.
No - GPL is a copyright license, which is exactly what the parent to your post was saying. Open-sourcing source code does not remove copyright protections (ie GPL).
Ah, but we CAN put a price on freedom! In fact, I think the going rate is about $111 billion.
And the value of love? Billions. In fact, even gay love is worth $16.8 billion.
So fear not - our capitalist society can put a price on EVERYTHING!
Have I stolen the contents of the Harddrive on my linux box?
Have I stolen the concerts I downloaded from etree?
Have I stolen the toys I picked up at the last trade show I went to?
Yes. MPAA/RIAA henchmen are enroute now to take you into custody. Keep your hands flat on the desk, away from the mouse and keyboard.
You are being watched.
Not for much longer - just wait until the RIAA finds this thread!