Now Microsoft will get to position itself as the best operating system manufacturer for PCs with ads in their BIOS. Since Windows requires such frequent reboots, perhaps they should get a share of the profits that Phoenix receives.
The assumption you're making is that people would leave RedHat if they didn't get stock options (or some other relatively large compensation). I think that's fallacious, since I know that I and several of my friends would love to be working for RedHat, and it wouldn't take that much money to get us to do it. Stock options and high salaries are for companies that can't get people any other way. RedHat has religious fervor on its side, making their position as an employer much better.
It appears that you consider your audience to be free software users, script kiddies, MP3 listeners, etc. However, your analogy of Linux kernel code to the movie will not work with that audience. The reason that the FS community would be so up in arms about the kernel code getting stolen would be because it was big corporate america trampling all over the little guys. Stealing from movie studios (or music studios) is not the same in most people's mind, because in that case it's the little guy getting back at big corporate america.
So I think you have a decent point, regarding taking copyright seriously, but the fact is that most readers of Slashdot (from other discussions I've read) appear to believe copyright is only good when it protects the little guy from The Man.
As one of the Unices I had never tried, I had this nagging idea that someday I might need to try out SCO. However, I'm glad that their CEO just made my life easier by showing me that I have absolutely no interest in their product.
I haven't personally bought anything at Circuit City since I learned about the whole DIVX fiasco, and I encourage my friends to go elsewhere also. I'm offended by the strategy of DIVX, and doubly so by the reluctance of Circuit City to realize what idiots they were. I consider it an insult that they continue to fund the project when it's clear that no one with a brain will ever buy in.
Does anyone have any good techniques for recognizing encrypted data? I've done a little bit of poking, and it seems to me that there's no reliable way to distinguish between encrypted and compressed data. However, I have hope that their might be some theorem that any compressed data must carry a certain amount of redundancy to be uncompressed -- like enough information to initialize the dictionary, etc.
I see a lot of people trying to argue with you that Linux really isn't that hard, etc. The real point that you need to realize is that you just can't handle Linux. It's an unfortunate fact, but one a lot of people are going to have to deal with. Linux is never going to be written for the people that can't handle reading a manual and perhaps *gasp* looking for new video drivers. What were those video cards that you couldn't make work, for the record?
So, in short, I'm sorry you had problems, but I'm not really going to call it a fault of Linux. It's more of a self-selection thing going on.
They really still don't get it. They talk about reliability and quality, while their own server can't even handle a pitiful little crowd like the slashdot readership. (Note: Keep pressing reload -- you'll get it eventually, and it's a good workout for the server). It's nice to know that all of the search engines will keep old copies of this sort of thing around so we can remind these people of what they said later.
Since I could only run 1024x768 while undocked but 1280x1024 when docked, I made two different XF86Config files and then had scripts dock and undock that would just symlink the appropriate file. Also had the scripts kill and restart gpm since the mouse went weird otherwise.
I think I'll patent the idea of a "philosophy" that claims to be anti-religious but continues to turn out religious zealots of the first order. I'm sure I could get a piece of the Rand estate, and maybe L. Ron Hubbard would owe me a bit too.
You're missing the point here: these people were not the first. I understand it's "objective" to worship capitalism at the expense of self, but these people aren't playing by the rules.
"Another related point is that when we buy an imported software product that is a `black box' to us, we cannot be sure that the software package does not contain a time bomb of sorts, to cause havoc to the network when an external command is issued by a hostile nation."
I like that. However, I think that the US tends to be more direct than that. Witness Iraq bombings and the like. Perhaps the world should beware of software from smaller countries though -- someplace like Japan might be plotting to take over the world through blackmail:)
Slashdot Mirror
Now Microsoft will get to position itself as the best operating system manufacturer for PCs with ads in their BIOS. Since Windows requires such frequent reboots, perhaps they should get a share of the profits that Phoenix receives.
The assumption you're making is that people would leave RedHat if they didn't get stock options (or some other relatively large compensation). I think that's fallacious, since I know that I and several of my friends would love to be working for RedHat, and it wouldn't take that much money to get us to do it. Stock options and high salaries are for companies that can't get people any other way. RedHat has religious fervor on its side, making their position as an employer much better.
I don't believe you understand your audience.
It appears that you consider your audience to be free software users, script kiddies, MP3 listeners, etc. However, your analogy of Linux kernel code to the movie will not work with that audience. The reason that the FS community would be so up in arms about the kernel code getting stolen would be because it was big corporate america trampling all over the little guys. Stealing from movie studios (or music studios) is not the same in most people's mind, because in that case it's the little guy getting back at big corporate america.
So I think you have a decent point, regarding taking copyright seriously, but the fact is that most readers of Slashdot (from other discussions I've read) appear to believe copyright is only good when it protects the little guy from The Man.
Later,
Zach
As one of the Unices I had never tried, I had this nagging idea that someday I might need to try out SCO. However, I'm glad that their CEO just made my life easier by showing me that I have absolutely no interest in their product.
I haven't personally bought anything at Circuit City since I learned about the whole DIVX fiasco, and I encourage my friends to go elsewhere also. I'm offended by the strategy of DIVX, and doubly so by the reluctance of Circuit City to realize what idiots they were. I consider it an insult that they continue to fund the project when it's clear that no one with a brain will ever buy in.
Later,
Zach
What are you smoking?
Does anyone have any good techniques for recognizing encrypted data? I've done a little bit of poking, and it seems to me that there's no reliable way to distinguish between encrypted and compressed data. However, I have hope that their might be some theorem that any compressed data must carry a certain amount of redundancy to be uncompressed -- like enough information to initialize the dictionary, etc.
I see a lot of people trying to argue with you that Linux really isn't that hard, etc. The real point that you need to realize is that you just can't handle Linux. It's an unfortunate fact, but one a lot of people are going to have to deal with. Linux is never going to be written for the people that can't handle reading a manual and perhaps *gasp* looking for new video drivers. What were those video cards that you couldn't make work, for the record?
So, in short, I'm sorry you had problems, but I'm not really going to call it a fault of Linux. It's more of a self-selection thing going on.
Later,
Zach
They really still don't get it. They talk about reliability and quality, while their own server can't even handle a pitiful little crowd like the slashdot readership. (Note: Keep pressing reload -- you'll get it eventually, and it's a good workout for the server). It's nice to know that all of the search engines will keep old copies of this sort of thing around so we can remind these people of what they said later.
Since I could only run 1024x768 while undocked but 1280x1024 when docked, I made two different XF86Config files and then had scripts dock and undock that would just symlink the appropriate file. Also had the scripts kill and restart gpm since the mouse went weird otherwise.
I think anyone would be less of a crackhead than you in this situation.
The point is not that we all "could" have thought of this. The point is that it was being done before the patent was issued. It's called prior art.
I think I'll patent the idea of a "philosophy" that claims to be anti-religious but continues to turn out religious zealots of the first order. I'm sure I could get a piece of the Rand estate, and maybe L. Ron Hubbard would owe me a bit too.
You're missing the point here: these people were not the first. I understand it's "objective" to worship capitalism at the expense of self, but these people aren't playing by the rules.
That's a fallacious argument, since you can't prove that we have found all backdoors in OSS. The hypothesis is a self-fulfilling one...
"Another related point is that when we buy an imported software product that is a `black box' to us, we cannot be sure that the software package does not contain a time bomb of sorts, to cause havoc to the network when an external command is issued by a hostile nation."
:)
I like that. However, I think that the US tends to be more direct than that. Witness Iraq bombings and the like. Perhaps the world should beware of software from smaller countries though -- someplace like Japan might be plotting to take over the world through blackmail