I agree. I seriously wish more IT people would look at the facts: These companies you think you have "job security" at, you have no security at all. You are fodder. You are an easily replaceable renewable resource in their eyes, like paper. They do not care about YOUR quality of life, what YOU want in life, about YOUR security in life. All that matters is what they can get out of you and whether or not it's cost effective. And this will often be a deciscion made based on criteria other than your job performance.
IT workers either need to unionize, or better still, start their own companies and operate as contractors. Maybe a nationwide co-op might be a good idea. I'll never go back to a 9-5 job, ever. The pay is better and believe it or not, the job security is better too. Just be willing to branch out in every direction you have the resources to go in. I operate online stores in certain niche markets as well as contract. They'll never shove me in a factory. And the hours? Typically I work throughout the day a few hours at a time, then when night rolls around, I work into wee hours and wake up around 10 or 11. That's my natural geek work cycle. Very compatible. Screw the factories!
Re:Where's Senator Orrin Hatch when you need him?
on
CAN-SPAM Is A Bust
·
· Score: 1
Well I didn't express complete doubt that corporate movers don't think as Alan Cox suggests, but what I doubt is that they don't care about piracy. I know people who do not pay for music or movies, because they don't think they have to.
Let's be honest here. As much of a problem as the resident corporate thralls are, the resident pirates are too. This wouldn't even be an issue if existing copyright law was respected by people. Let's look at the facts... Music and movies are made under existing copyright law which is ignored en masse these days. I don't like corporate thralls just as much as I don't like those who try to paint their piracy of protected works in some noble terms of freedom. I'm a Libertarian, freedom is practically my religion, but not the freedom to violate law and take whatever they want in the name of freedom.
To lay all the blame on the corporations, while ignoring the vast amount of piracy that's going on? That's ridiculous. The people engaged in piracy share the blame, just as much the corporations. They give the corporations a reason for pulling this crap. And for what? Music? Movies? I think it's pathetic and just plain stupid, that people create this type of environment because they want stuff for free, stuff that costs other people money to make, stuff that was produced with the clear intent of making money off of it.
But really, the worst part is, they paint what they're doing as some kind of noble freedom fighting cause, when in reality, it's just plain selfishness on their part. If they weren't so self consumed thinking that other people owe them stuff, Disney and the other media companies wouldn't have a leg to stand on in advancing these things.
Once only the RIAA can manufacture music that can be played they can finally crush all those troublesome musicians, artists, actors and film directors because there will be nowhere else to go, there will be no alternative music available in the USA.
That's scary, and I don't doubt that is part of their goal(I do think piracy plays a part in their motives), but I don't think they can achieve that goal anymore. I honestly think it's too late.
Let them try, and I predict one thing: Good news for Linux, BSD, and all the open source OSs out there. You'll see even more people willing to use Open Source solutions to get access to free content. Hell, depending on how they implement DRM, it might not even require an OS switch, simply an app. That would be a hoot.
I could be wrong though, just my opinion in a sea of slashdot opinions...
I don't think Disney cares if your typical/.er can crack it. I think they just want to make it difficult for the typical consuming sheep. At least at first.
Actually, it was Windows 3.1 that drove 32 bit adoption. The 32 bit dos games helped a little too. Windows95 really drove the upgrade to Pentiums. 386s were all but history in the big retail space when 95 shipped(I was a tech at a CompUSA at that time).
That being said, I have to agree with you on some points about the missing OS. I own a dual Opteron 248 system, but I run Linux. You can get the 64bit WindowsXP beta here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/evaluatio n/upgrade.mspx
but until it's out of Beta and being offered as a stable OS(insert Microsoft joke here), it's largely going nowhere on the desktops in the majority of businesses.
But I think you will see people buy 64bit systems when Windows 64 is released.
...and just agree to be encased in styrofoam at birth, tagged with RFIDs at birth, and have video cameras installed throughout the land.
That's where this is all heading at this rate. If it's not the "well reasoned" tech connosieurs pointing out how the new technologies will benefit us, it's the "terrified of terrorists" crowd crowing about how terrorists need to be stopped at all costs.
Baby steps to 1984. Or is it brave new world? Either way, liberty and privacy are slipping away like sand through our fingers. Yeah, black boxes could do alot of good things, but you have to believe in Santa Claus at this point to not think this isn't going to be used against us.
Do me a favor then: Write it so that/home gets its own partition, and that partition is not wiped when the reinstall happens. Would be nice to be able to let the user keep all data when rebuilding the machine.
When HP hires me to write the script for them, I will do you that favor.;)
I know what you're saying, but I think the fundamental problem here is that they are claiming ownership over original thoughts and ideas you may have while working for them, without regards to scope of the job they hired you to do. I think that is claiming ownership over thoughts. Maybe only certain types of thoughts, but it is still ownership over your thoughts. But you are free to see things as you want.
Why'd you do this anon? I almost didn't read it, typically anons are flaming people...:)
Anyways, he didn't invent this(yes, I note your use of quotes around the word), he simply thought it up, and his job wasn't to think this up. As far as I read, there was no question about whether he fulfilled the job he was hired to do. That's why I don't think that company should have any claim on his concepts or his thoughts. I think the law should protect people from this type of IP theft.
What happens when it comes time for my annual reinstall?
If HP is smart, they'll do what they do for their windows products... Include a backup partition or a restore CD/DVD that you can restore everything too. I mean seriously, novices are in the dumper anyway when fixing wear and tear on their Windows boxes. I ought to know, about half my income from my consulting business is repairing windows machines for home users.
There is no reason at all that HP couldn't have a default restore utility that works exactly like their windows restore. Just wipes the drive, and puts everything back the way it was when they got it on day one. That is hardly unfeasible. I could write a perl script...
I think the keyword "concieved" is claiming ownership of thoughts. The word means "formed in the mind" in this context, which of course, means thoughts.
Well IMO, when companies start claiming the rights to thoughts you have that aren't related to work you're doing for them, it's gone too far, regardless of what contract you signed.
This is bad precedent. I mean, once this is allowed to stand, then "thought police" become not only conceivable, but neccesary. That's too damned far. If the law is going to push us in this direction, then the law has outgrown its usefulness to a free people.
If Texans truly value their freedom, they have to revolt against this on some level. I'm not advocating armed revolt here either...
They do have the patch nowadays though, and recently they've come out with lozenges. I've never tried the lozenges. Most likely you aren't supposed to chew them. I chew any hard candy that gets into my mouth. With lozenges I'd probably end up swallowing a fatal dose of nicotine...
That'd be my fear with lozenges too. I've tried the patch, it just doesn't work the same for me. I'm actually going to see a doc next week and I'm going to give that nicotrol inhaler a shot, assuming the doc will write me a prescription.
You mentioned 'the [coding] zone' so you must be a coder. Me too. That is a subtle mental state of the kind that drug trials may not detect a change in.
Yeah, I code among other things. I'm a free lance consultant so I take on any project I can get my hands on. For me, the zone isn't just when I code, it's any state in which I am not thinking about what I'm doing, I'm just doing it, in the moment. Yeah, that would be something I would not want to lose.
For me, 'the zone' is impossible to obtain with even half a beer in me.
In a regular work environment I have the same experience.
How would you be able to do your job without 'the zone'? What else do you do in life that requires a certain subtle mental state? Would drug trial designers know enough to check for it? Is the mental state even known to science? I doubt there is a medical definition of 'coding zone' but it could probably be detected by a PET scan, or maybe even an EEG.
Yeah, good points. I don't know if science knows it yet, but the buddhists call it Zen, the gnostics call it gnosis, and in my religion/philosophy, I call it the presence. But I digress.
I still would want to read the exact explanation of how it works before I pass any judgement on it though. Hope that nicotrol inhaler works. I hate smelling like cigarettes.
I see your viewpoint and respect it, but I stand by considering it theft. Yes, you are correct that most artists see very little of every CD sales(the bigger ones see more), but they still get some money. I'm not trying to knock people who burn CDs as you did, or for people who share some songs. But I know people who are big audiophiles, and they brag about how they don't have to buy music anymore. ALL they have are MP3s and whatever CDs they had before discovering MP3s. That's irresponsible, that is theft. I'm sorry. Music cost money to produce. It costs money to record, to put together, to polish, etc... They are put together operating under the law of our land, based upon the assumption that the law of the land will support them in realizing a return on their investment to produce the music. When people like I know take the attitude they take, they are violating the law of the land, they are stealing, they are taking that which does not belong to them. Specifically, the right to listen to music that other peoples hardwork and money produced. That's how I see it.
I have to ask you what music store in your area allows you to listen to an album before hand? There was only one where I used to live and it went out of business.
I only have a problem with people who take the attitude that other peoples work ought to be free for them. I personally believe that is a great minority of people. I think most of us, and I hope you included, do buy the music we listen to regularly. If not, you know, you're free to do what you want to do. But I think it's theft and I don't feel sorry for people like that who get popped.
I remember that, that was nice. Block Buster music used to do that in my area. My only complaint was greasy headphones on occasion...:) That and the cost, but I'm one of those guys who'll spend an extra buck if there is added value...
What I don't get, and maybe this has been done and I'm just ignorant, but why hasn't the music industry come up with a website I can go to, select the songs I want on a CD, then let me order that custom CD? Maybe offer 30 second previews on the songs, in the hopes that I might get hooked on extra songs? I know this technically feasible, I refuse to hear bullshit the contrary.
I think that would get a following and generate some good revenue. It just seems like the middle men are fighting change through FUD, the victim context, legal threats, and legislation, instead of embracing change and finding a new niche to fulfill. And they're hurting the artists in the process.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree. I seriously wish more IT people would look at the facts: These companies you think you have "job security" at, you have no security at all. You are fodder. You are an easily replaceable renewable resource in their eyes, like paper. They do not care about YOUR quality of life, what YOU want in life, about YOUR security in life. All that matters is what they can get out of you and whether or not it's cost effective. And this will often be a deciscion made based on criteria other than your job performance.
IT workers either need to unionize, or better still, start their own companies and operate as contractors. Maybe a nationwide co-op might be a good idea. I'll never go back to a 9-5 job, ever. The pay is better and believe it or not, the job security is better too. Just be willing to branch out in every direction you have the resources to go in. I operate online stores in certain niche markets as well as contract. They'll never shove me in a factory. And the hours? Typically I work throughout the day a few hours at a time, then when night rolls around, I work into wee hours and wake up around 10 or 11. That's my natural geek work cycle. Very compatible. Screw the factories!
Answer: We don't need him. Nuff said. ;)
Don't you mean: 1. *DANCING* 2. ? 3. *HAPPY TIME*!
Well I didn't express complete doubt that corporate movers don't think as Alan Cox suggests, but what I doubt is that they don't care about piracy. I know people who do not pay for music or movies, because they don't think they have to.
Let's be honest here. As much of a problem as the resident corporate thralls are, the resident pirates are too. This wouldn't even be an issue if existing copyright law was respected by people. Let's look at the facts... Music and movies are made under existing copyright law which is ignored en masse these days. I don't like corporate thralls just as much as I don't like those who try to paint their piracy of protected works in some noble terms of freedom. I'm a Libertarian, freedom is practically my religion, but not the freedom to violate law and take whatever they want in the name of freedom.
To lay all the blame on the corporations, while ignoring the vast amount of piracy that's going on? That's ridiculous. The people engaged in piracy share the blame, just as much the corporations. They give the corporations a reason for pulling this crap. And for what? Music? Movies? I think it's pathetic and just plain stupid, that people create this type of environment because they want stuff for free, stuff that costs other people money to make, stuff that was produced with the clear intent of making money off of it.
But really, the worst part is, they paint what they're doing as some kind of noble freedom fighting cause, when in reality, it's just plain selfishness on their part. If they weren't so self consumed thinking that other people owe them stuff, Disney and the other media companies wouldn't have a leg to stand on in advancing these things.
Once only the RIAA can manufacture music that can be played they can finally crush all those troublesome musicians, artists, actors and film directors because there will be nowhere else to go, there will be no alternative music available in the USA.
That's scary, and I don't doubt that is part of their goal(I do think piracy plays a part in their motives), but I don't think they can achieve that goal anymore. I honestly think it's too late.
Let them try, and I predict one thing: Good news for Linux, BSD, and all the open source OSs out there. You'll see even more people willing to use Open Source solutions to get access to free content. Hell, depending on how they implement DRM, it might not even require an OS switch, simply an app. That would be a hoot.
I could be wrong though, just my opinion in a sea of slashdot opinions...
I don't think Disney cares if your typical /.er can crack it. I think they just want to make it difficult for the typical consuming sheep. At least at first.
Consuming sheep not to be confused with these dangerous and intelligent creatures:
http://www.geocities.com/sheepagainsthumans/
Someone just pointed out to me that the Beta is no longer available and is due back out the end of this month. Sorry about that.
D'oh, so it is. :)
Actually, it was Windows 3.1 that drove 32 bit adoption. The 32 bit dos games helped a little too. Windows95 really drove the upgrade to Pentiums. 386s were all but history in the big retail space when 95 shipped(I was a tech at a CompUSA at that time).
o n/upgrade.mspx
That being said, I have to agree with you on some points about the missing OS. I own a dual Opteron 248 system, but I run Linux. You can get the 64bit WindowsXP beta here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/evaluati
but until it's out of Beta and being offered as a stable OS(insert Microsoft joke here), it's largely going nowhere on the desktops in the majority of businesses.
But I think you will see people buy 64bit systems when Windows 64 is released.
You can actually get the 64bit beta here...o n/upgrade.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/evaluati
Haven't tried it yet though as I run Linux. Also FYI: 64bit support was introduced in the 2.4 kernel. Not that 2.6 didn't vastly improve on it(IMO).
...and just agree to be encased in styrofoam at birth, tagged with RFIDs at birth, and have video cameras installed throughout the land.
That's where this is all heading at this rate. If it's not the "well reasoned" tech connosieurs pointing out how the new technologies will benefit us, it's the "terrified of terrorists" crowd crowing about how terrorists need to be stopped at all costs.
Baby steps to 1984. Or is it brave new world? Either way, liberty and privacy are slipping away like sand through our fingers. Yeah, black boxes could do alot of good things, but you have to believe in Santa Claus at this point to not think this isn't going to be used against us.
Yeah, I've noticed how concerned my users are that they don't lose their "mission critical" data. ;)
Do me a favor then: Write it so that /home gets its own partition, and that partition is not wiped when the reinstall happens. Would be nice to be able to let the user keep all data when rebuilding the machine.
;)
When HP hires me to write the script for them, I will do you that favor.
Ah... In the past 4 years, I've only worked with HP desktops... Thanks for the FYI.
Odd they aren't going with the HD image on DVD. Every notebook I've seen has a DVD drive now. It makes it alot easier for the users.
I know what you're saying, but I think the fundamental problem here is that they are claiming ownership over original thoughts and ideas you may have while working for them, without regards to scope of the job they hired you to do. I think that is claiming ownership over thoughts. Maybe only certain types of thoughts, but it is still ownership over your thoughts. But you are free to see things as you want.
Why'd you do this anon? I almost didn't read it, typically anons are flaming people... :)
Anyways, he didn't invent this(yes, I note your use of quotes around the word), he simply thought it up, and his job wasn't to think this up. As far as I read, there was no question about whether he fulfilled the job he was hired to do. That's why I don't think that company should have any claim on his concepts or his thoughts. I think the law should protect people from this type of IP theft.
That's why there are laws that limit the terms of such contracts.
Except in this case it would seem...
What happens when it comes time for my annual reinstall?
If HP is smart, they'll do what they do for their windows products... Include a backup partition or a restore CD/DVD that you can restore everything too. I mean seriously, novices are in the dumper anyway when fixing wear and tear on their Windows boxes. I ought to know, about half my income from my consulting business is repairing windows machines for home users.
There is no reason at all that HP couldn't have a default restore utility that works exactly like their windows restore. Just wipes the drive, and puts everything back the way it was when they got it on day one. That is hardly unfeasible. I could write a perl script...
I think the keyword "concieved" is claiming ownership of thoughts. The word means "formed in the mind" in this context, which of course, means thoughts.
Well IMO, when companies start claiming the rights to thoughts you have that aren't related to work you're doing for them, it's gone too far, regardless of what contract you signed.
This is bad precedent. I mean, once this is allowed to stand, then "thought police" become not only conceivable, but neccesary. That's too damned far. If the law is going to push us in this direction, then the law has outgrown its usefulness to a free people.
If Texans truly value their freedom, they have to revolt against this on some level. I'm not advocating armed revolt here either...
They do have the patch nowadays though, and recently they've come out with lozenges. I've never tried the lozenges. Most likely you aren't supposed to chew them. I chew any hard candy that gets into my mouth. With lozenges I'd probably end up swallowing a fatal dose of nicotine...
That'd be my fear with lozenges too. I've tried the patch, it just doesn't work the same for me. I'm actually going to see a doc next week and I'm going to give that nicotrol inhaler a shot, assuming the doc will write me a prescription.
You mentioned 'the [coding] zone' so you must be a coder. Me too. That is a subtle mental state of the kind that drug trials may not detect a change in.
Yeah, I code among other things. I'm a free lance consultant so I take on any project I can get my hands on. For me, the zone isn't just when I code, it's any state in which I am not thinking about what I'm doing, I'm just doing it, in the moment. Yeah, that would be something I would not want to lose.
For me, 'the zone' is impossible to obtain with even half a beer in me.
In a regular work environment I have the same experience.
How would you be able to do your job without 'the zone'? What else do you do in life that requires a certain subtle mental state? Would drug trial designers know enough to check for it? Is the mental state even known to science? I doubt there is a medical definition of 'coding zone' but it could probably be detected by a PET scan, or maybe even an EEG. Yeah, good points. I don't know if science knows it yet, but the buddhists call it Zen, the gnostics call it gnosis, and in my religion/philosophy, I call it the presence. But I digress.
I still would want to read the exact explanation of how it works before I pass any judgement on it though. Hope that nicotrol inhaler works. I hate smelling like cigarettes.
I see your viewpoint and respect it, but I stand by considering it theft. Yes, you are correct that most artists see very little of every CD sales(the bigger ones see more), but they still get some money. I'm not trying to knock people who burn CDs as you did, or for people who share some songs. But I know people who are big audiophiles, and they brag about how they don't have to buy music anymore. ALL they have are MP3s and whatever CDs they had before discovering MP3s. That's irresponsible, that is theft. I'm sorry. Music cost money to produce. It costs money to record, to put together, to polish, etc... They are put together operating under the law of our land, based upon the assumption that the law of the land will support them in realizing a return on their investment to produce the music. When people like I know take the attitude they take, they are violating the law of the land, they are stealing, they are taking that which does not belong to them. Specifically, the right to listen to music that other peoples hardwork and money produced. That's how I see it.
I have to ask you what music store in your area allows you to listen to an album before hand? There was only one where I used to live and it went out of business.
I only have a problem with people who take the attitude that other peoples work ought to be free for them. I personally believe that is a great minority of people. I think most of us, and I hope you included, do buy the music we listen to regularly. If not, you know, you're free to do what you want to do. But I think it's theft and I don't feel sorry for people like that who get popped.
Oh good. I would like you to refund me the portion of the album sale that went into your pocket. You didn't deserve it.
I'd also like a refund of the small amount that the album added to my garbage bill the day after buying it.
they probably can't sleep at night knowing that someone somewhere is enjoying the music. *sigh*
Too funny. I share your frustration.
I remember that, that was nice. Block Buster music used to do that in my area. My only complaint was greasy headphones on occasion... :) That and the cost, but I'm one of those guys who'll spend an extra buck if there is added value...
What I don't get, and maybe this has been done and I'm just ignorant, but why hasn't the music industry come up with a website I can go to, select the songs I want on a CD, then let me order that custom CD? Maybe offer 30 second previews on the songs, in the hopes that I might get hooked on extra songs? I know this technically feasible, I refuse to hear bullshit the contrary.
I think that would get a following and generate some good revenue. It just seems like the middle men are fighting change through FUD, the victim context, legal threats, and legislation, instead of embracing change and finding a new niche to fulfill. And they're hurting the artists in the process.