What would be the outcome? How can markets continue to exist, if their highs and lows can be predicted? I think that the very act of prediction will change the outcome... basically making this impossible to practically achieve.
IANAL, but one way to improve the patent situation (and the IP situation too, for that matter), which I didn't see mentioned in the article, would be to impose a statute of limitation on infringement suits. This is how they do things in China.
China?! Yes, that's right. Some of their laws are better than ours...
This would prevent asshats like Unisys (and, if applied to IP, asshats like SCO) from suing for infringement WELL after they became aware of the issue. A statute of limitaion would ensure that underhanded tactics such as allowing the public to become addicted to GIFs, and then suing years and years later, would no longer be effective.
This wouldn't solve all of the problems with software patents, but I think it's a step in the right direction!
You're exactly right. MS Office isn't the only thing businesses use Windows for, these days.
I work in the APM field (Application Portfolio Management) and I can tell you that there's almost no limit to how many (large and small) custom applications a company like Lockheed might have. There's no way they could just switch from Windows to Linux without massive expenditure.
For example, a company I've done work for, which I'd say is approx. 1/2 the size of Lockheed, had over 1500 (!!!) custom-built Windows applications in their portfolio. Most of these are nasty VB/Access apps, and some are even the dreaded Excel Spreadsheet Macro Apps. Imagine having to "port" all of that to Linux?
Yuck. There's so much redundancy, too. Most of the applications do similar things, but for different business units... or else a manager will have a favourite technology, and will insist that his/her versions of every business application be re-written for Domino or somesuch.
When I saw the word "Feed" I got excited and thought maybe it was an article about nanotechnology... maybe someone had created The Feed from Stephenson's Diamond Age?
And so on... I don't get it. When I performed the search with a single Q, I expected to find very few pages (since many pages must contain the letter Q) but I guess it's only searching for complete words?
And when I searched with an entirely impossible string (-QQQWEIRRRQUWWEOEIQJWEOJQAAQ) I got a result much closer to the site:slashdot result, which makes no sense...
I wouldn't say prions are alive, but it really depends on your definition of life. Is something alive if it can reproduce itself? A prion can do that, but so can fire...
Viruses aren't too much different, however, though some people class them as 'alive'. Viruses reproduce themselves, but they do so by hijacking a cell with some particularly coersive strand(s) of nucleic acid. The virus compels the cell to use its own internal mechanisms to build more virus particles.
So, viruses at least require the presence of something that IS alive (a cell, and all of its protein and nucleic acid creation abilities) whereas a prion can reproduce itself in a simple solution of susceptible proteins. No life needed... just proteins to interact with.
Yes, I am a microbiologist, and I've done research on prions.
Basically, prions are proteins which are able to act upon other proteins and thereby create functional copies of themselves (identical copies are not needed). BSE (mad cow disease) and CJD (essentially the human version) are caused by 'rogue' prions which destroy tissue by converting large quantities of protein into more prions. Prions are basically the most elementary form of an infectious disease (as they are simply protein, no genetic material required).
Now, what these researchers have done is to prove that prions can spontaneously develop, without the need for viral or bacterial infection. Random changes in protein structure MAY result in prion creation. You needn't eat some mad cow (nor cannibalize some CJD gray matter) to contract CJD or some other prion-induced malady. Nor is a viral/bacterial infection required; the disease may develop spontaneously.
Hopefully this makes sense... I've had a few too many Schooners (beer).
Not mentioned in this write up (but perhaps in the book?) is this:
-qqqqqqqq site:slashdot.org
Placing something impossible (like 8 Qs) in the "without the words" field on the Advanced Search page combined with entering a site in the "Domain" field will get you a listing of ALL of the pages on that website!
Well, unless the robots.txt file blocks certain pages/directories... but most sites don't do this. I don't know how many times I've used this trick to find more pr0... err, I mean, information on a website.
For example: Remember that Slashdot story about tired.com? It bugged me that there was only one page on the site... so I pulled out my google trick and found these. Nothing amazing, but fun.
Hahah... Real Networks, complaining about Apple's DRM while they are working on their own? Nice job!
I still don't understand all of this DRM stuff... if someone wants to pirate an AAC file, or a Real Networks Helix file, all they have to do is PLAY it and record the output coming out of their soundcard. Plug a soundcard's OUT to a soundcard's IN and record a non-DRM WAV file. Who do they think they're fooling?
I am a microbiologist (IAAM?), and while the notion of sequencing so much random genetic material is interesting, I can't really see much point other than hoping to stumble upon something unexpected. And even then...
Yes, I RTFA, but I still don't get the point. Venter says he wants to create an artificial genome into which DNA could be inserted and tested... so crazy. You can't just stick DNA into a genome and "see what it does", you have to have the entire cellular aparatus to translate the sequence into protein. So, assuming that they somehow come up with an artificial cell (or use an existing organism with genome removed), SO MANY factors can affect the final form of the protein. You cannot assume that the protein will fold properly, unless it is constructed in its native cellular environment.
And even assuming you can get the protein to fold properly... then what? He said he'd use robots to perform a million experiments at once, sure. So you stick the protein into glucose solution, and see what it does... and into fructose solution... and so on. Sure, you could do this with simple substrates, but what if the protein is designed to act on a combination of substrates, or in conjunction with other proteins!?
So, it would seem to me, that the best you could ever hope to achieve with this approach is the discovery of ultra-simple proteins (which will fold correctly in any circumstance) which act upon ultra-simple substrates.
Though, in truth, he states that he's looking for something to possibly break down C02, so perhaps if his focus is narrow enough, the discovery of even a simple protein might get things on the right track...
Anyway, I guess it's not the way I'd go about doing things, but sailing around the globe sounds like a fun way to do research. Good luck, guys!
I'm suggesting that there should be a statute of limitation on the act of suing for patent infringement, once the infringing act has taken place.
I think the most despicable abuse of patents is when the patent holder KNOWS of an ongoing infringement, but holds off on filing suit for years and years while people become dependent on the technology.
If the patent holder only had 2 years to act once they were aware of an infringement (as is the case in China) this problem would be solved.
I seriously think that software patents need some sort of statute of limitation placed upon them. It looks like in some parts of the world, this exists! In China, the statute of limitation for patent infringement is:
2 years from the date on which the patentee or any interested party obtains or should have obtained knowledge of the infringing act
If this were in force in the USA, then the Unisys GIF debacle (and countless others) could have been avoided.
Unisys KNEW that GIFs were ALL OVER the web, for years, and they didn't attempt to enforce their patent. They'd have to have been in a hole, to not notice. Therefore, a statute of limitations would have prevented them from allowing the world to become addicted to GIFs before springing their trap.
If Microsoft were to listen to all of the net traffic pounding their firewalls, they'd be able to pick out the packets created as the result of mydoom or blaster. Then, inspect the IP headers (I'm assuming these worms don't spoof? It would be foolish!), find the machine that's spewing packets, and use the same vulnerability to remotely patch the machine.
At least, this way, it wouldn't be "white" worms doing the patching (ie. no massive proliferation of packets), the patch would only be applied as needed.
But yes, I realize it would still be illegal for Microsoft to intrude on a machine like that. Though perhaps this method would work for the supposed white hat hackers who create the repair worms; it's far less damaging to the internet, as it is not packet intensive.
Montreal pedestrians rarely use the sidewalk, and they don't attend trafic lights or walk/don't walk signals.
When waiting for the traffic to stop moving (note, I say "traffic to stop", not "signal to change") they stand a good 3 or 4 feet out onto the road! If you tried to turn right, just as one of the pedestrians began his move to stand 4 feet out as he/she waits, you'd collide.
I have nothing against pedestrians... and nothing against Montreal driving, either. I'm just telling you how it is:) I actually like driving there, and walking there... it's quite fluid and natural. As long as you pay attention to your surroundings (and don't break any major traffic laws) you can do as you please. Quite fun!
Kind of reminds me of this cool article, on the merits of traffic de-regulation.
I've driven Canada coast-to-coast a number of times, and the only place that red light right-turns are wholly illegal is Montreal. There are signs posted (French, even!) telling you not to turn right on red lights anywhere in Montreal.
Which makes PERFECT sense if you've ever seen how pedestrians behave in that city... there'd be fatal accidents daily, if it weren't for that law, I'm sure.
Slashdot Mirror
What would be the outcome? How can markets continue to exist, if their highs and lows can be predicted? I think that the very act of prediction will change the outcome... basically making this impossible to practically achieve.
I agree with BrynM, that was a great post. You've earned the honor (?) of being the first person on my friends list :)
Go to Lindon, Utah, find Darl McBride, and get him to sit on your head. Instant asshat.
I bet that all you'd have to offer him is some evidence that Linux is infringing on SCO's IP...
Easy!
IANAL, but one way to improve the patent situation (and the IP situation too, for that matter), which I didn't see mentioned in the article, would be to impose a statute of limitation on infringement suits. This is how they do things in China.
China?! Yes, that's right. Some of their laws are better than ours...
This would prevent asshats like Unisys (and, if applied to IP, asshats like SCO) from suing for infringement WELL after they became aware of the issue. A statute of limitaion would ensure that underhanded tactics such as allowing the public to become addicted to GIFs, and then suing years and years later, would no longer be effective.
This wouldn't solve all of the problems with software patents, but I think it's a step in the right direction!
There is not too much tech in cars!
This just brings us one step closer to Devestator!
Constructicons transform and merge!
You're exactly right. MS Office isn't the only thing businesses use Windows for, these days.
:)
I work in the APM field (Application Portfolio Management) and I can tell you that there's almost no limit to how many (large and small) custom applications a company like Lockheed might have. There's no way they could just switch from Windows to Linux without massive expenditure.
For example, a company I've done work for, which I'd say is approx. 1/2 the size of Lockheed, had over 1500 (!!!) custom-built Windows applications in their portfolio. Most of these are nasty VB/Access apps, and some are even the dreaded Excel Spreadsheet Macro Apps. Imagine having to "port" all of that to Linux?
Yuck. There's so much redundancy, too. Most of the applications do similar things, but for different business units... or else a manager will have a favourite technology, and will insist that his/her versions of every business application be re-written for Domino or somesuch.
Bah! Back to work with me
When I saw the word "Feed" I got excited and thought maybe it was an article about nanotechnology... maybe someone had created The Feed from Stephenson's Diamond Age?
But alas, not yet... not yet.
I control 5 domains with a few thousand visitors per day (nothing like the traffic you have!), but I figured I'd chuck my results in too:
Google (74.96%)
Yahoo (16.06%)
MSN (4.79%)
I, too, was shocked by those market share numbers!
- site:slashdot - 462,000
- site:slashdot -q - 549,000
- site:slashdot -qq - 551,000
- site:slashdot -qqq - 522,000
- site:slashdot -qqqq - 523,000
- site:slashdot -QQQWEIRRRQUWWEOEIQJWEOJQAAQ - 465,000
And so on... I don't get it. When I performed the search with a single Q, I expected to find very few pages (since many pages must contain the letter Q) but I guess it's only searching for complete words?And when I searched with an entirely impossible string (-QQQWEIRRRQUWWEOEIQJWEOJQAAQ) I got a result much closer to the site:slashdot result, which makes no sense...
I wouldn't say prions are alive, but it really depends on your definition of life. Is something alive if it can reproduce itself? A prion can do that, but so can fire...
Viruses aren't too much different, however, though some people class them as 'alive'. Viruses reproduce themselves, but they do so by hijacking a cell with some particularly coersive strand(s) of nucleic acid. The virus compels the cell to use its own internal mechanisms to build more virus particles.
So, viruses at least require the presence of something that IS alive (a cell, and all of its protein and nucleic acid creation abilities) whereas a prion can reproduce itself in a simple solution of susceptible proteins. No life needed... just proteins to interact with.
Yes, I am a microbiologist, and I've done research on prions.
Basically, prions are proteins which are able to act upon other proteins and thereby create functional copies of themselves (identical copies are not needed). BSE (mad cow disease) and CJD (essentially the human version) are caused by 'rogue' prions which destroy tissue by converting large quantities of protein into more prions. Prions are basically the most elementary form of an infectious disease (as they are simply protein, no genetic material required).
Now, what these researchers have done is to prove that prions can spontaneously develop, without the need for viral or bacterial infection. Random changes in protein structure MAY result in prion creation. You needn't eat some mad cow (nor cannibalize some CJD gray matter) to contract CJD or some other prion-induced malady. Nor is a viral/bacterial infection required; the disease may develop spontaneously.
Hopefully this makes sense... I've had a few too many Schooners (beer).
I didn't know that this had been changed... I've been using the same -qqqqqqqq sneakiness for quite some time.
Thanks for increasing my google efficiency!
Not mentioned in this write up (but perhaps in the book?) is this:
-qqqqqqqq site:slashdot.org
Placing something impossible (like 8 Qs) in the "without the words" field on the Advanced Search page combined with entering a site in the "Domain" field will get you a listing of ALL of the pages on that website!
Well, unless the robots.txt file blocks certain pages/directories... but most sites don't do this. I don't know how many times I've used this trick to find more pr0... err, I mean, information on a website.
For example: Remember that Slashdot story about tired.com? It bugged me that there was only one page on the site... so I pulled out my google trick and found these. Nothing amazing, but fun.
Hahah... Real Networks, complaining about Apple's DRM while they are working on their own? Nice job!
I still don't understand all of this DRM stuff... if someone wants to pirate an AAC file, or a Real Networks Helix file, all they have to do is PLAY it and record the output coming out of their soundcard. Plug a soundcard's OUT to a soundcard's IN and record a non-DRM WAV file. Who do they think they're fooling?
I am a microbiologist (IAAM?), and while the notion of sequencing so much random genetic material is interesting, I can't really see much point other than hoping to stumble upon something unexpected. And even then...
Yes, I RTFA, but I still don't get the point. Venter says he wants to create an artificial genome into which DNA could be inserted and tested... so crazy. You can't just stick DNA into a genome and "see what it does", you have to have the entire cellular aparatus to translate the sequence into protein. So, assuming that they somehow come up with an artificial cell (or use an existing organism with genome removed), SO MANY factors can affect the final form of the protein. You cannot assume that the protein will fold properly, unless it is constructed in its native cellular environment.
And even assuming you can get the protein to fold properly... then what? He said he'd use robots to perform a million experiments at once, sure. So you stick the protein into glucose solution, and see what it does... and into fructose solution... and so on. Sure, you could do this with simple substrates, but what if the protein is designed to act on a combination of substrates, or in conjunction with other proteins!?
So, it would seem to me, that the best you could ever hope to achieve with this approach is the discovery of ultra-simple proteins (which will fold correctly in any circumstance) which act upon ultra-simple substrates.
Though, in truth, he states that he's looking for something to possibly break down C02, so perhaps if his focus is narrow enough, the discovery of even a simple protein might get things on the right track...
Anyway, I guess it's not the way I'd go about doing things, but sailing around the globe sounds like a fun way to do research. Good luck, guys!
I'm suggesting that there should be a statute of limitation on the act of suing for patent infringement, once the infringing act has taken place.
I think the most despicable abuse of patents is when the patent holder KNOWS of an ongoing infringement, but holds off on filing suit for years and years while people become dependent on the technology.
If the patent holder only had 2 years to act once they were aware of an infringement (as is the case in China) this problem would be solved.
I seriously think that software patents need some sort of statute of limitation placed upon them. It looks like in some parts of the world, this exists! In China, the statute of limitation for patent infringement is:
2 years from the date on which the patentee or any interested party obtains or should have obtained knowledge of the infringing act
If this were in force in the USA, then the Unisys GIF debacle (and countless others) could have been avoided.
Unisys KNEW that GIFs were ALL OVER the web, for years, and they didn't attempt to enforce their patent. They'd have to have been in a hole, to not notice. Therefore, a statute of limitations would have prevented them from allowing the world to become addicted to GIFs before springing their trap.
If Microsoft were to listen to all of the net traffic pounding their firewalls, they'd be able to pick out the packets created as the result of mydoom or blaster. Then, inspect the IP headers (I'm assuming these worms don't spoof? It would be foolish!), find the machine that's spewing packets, and use the same vulnerability to remotely patch the machine.
At least, this way, it wouldn't be "white" worms doing the patching (ie. no massive proliferation of packets), the patch would only be applied as needed.
But yes, I realize it would still be illegal for Microsoft to intrude on a machine like that. Though perhaps this method would work for the supposed white hat hackers who create the repair worms; it's far less damaging to the internet, as it is not packet intensive.
Looks like it's largely a volunteer project, on the cheap...
I wonder if those are Canadian dollars, too.
Montreal pedestrians rarely use the sidewalk, and they don't attend trafic lights or walk/don't walk signals.
:) I actually like driving there, and walking there... it's quite fluid and natural. As long as you pay attention to your surroundings (and don't break any major traffic laws) you can do as you please. Quite fun!
When waiting for the traffic to stop moving (note, I say "traffic to stop", not "signal to change") they stand a good 3 or 4 feet out onto the road! If you tried to turn right, just as one of the pedestrians began his move to stand 4 feet out as he/she waits, you'd collide.
I have nothing against pedestrians... and nothing against Montreal driving, either. I'm just telling you how it is
Kind of reminds me of this cool article, on the merits of traffic de-regulation.
I've driven Canada coast-to-coast a number of times, and the only place that red light right-turns are wholly illegal is Montreal. There are signs posted (French, even!) telling you not to turn right on red lights anywhere in Montreal.
Which makes PERFECT sense if you've ever seen how pedestrians behave in that city... there'd be fatal accidents daily, if it weren't for that law, I'm sure.