There was one spam in particular I received that had a link, and the following proverbs:
We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit on a hot stove lid again - and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore
Never forget that life can only be nobly inspired and rightly lived if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in which you are setting out into an unknown country, to meet many a joy, to find many a comrade, to win and lose many a battle.
AT this moment, they're right. *Most* people don't care enough to circumvent this stuff.
Where they're wrong is thinking that public apathy will last. It won't. Computers are infiltrating more of our lives, and people will always take the time to learn how to do what they want to do.
All this amounts to is an escalation of the battle against consumer technology. Pretty soon the labels are going to have to stop fighting. This is not a war they can win in the long run.
Yeah, the cd image is the key factor that they don't seem to be taking into account. The article is very sketchy on details - I'd be curious what this technology looks like (software or hardware?).
But that doesn't matter. Like everything else that we hear in this arena, the labels assume some people will be able to get around it. They're trying to make it difficult, not impossible, for people to rip and burn.
I'm not at all surprised you're getting fewer faxes. But the chances are really good that has nothing to do with "laws". Rather, it's probably an indication of...
1. How little business they generate
2. Spam
3. The decline of fax machines
It's not difficult. You just need to find a random key generator that will find a key that gets passed MS key verification. I always reinstall a "pirated" copy of XP on any new computer friends buy, so they can have a clean install.
Anyone who spends *any* time with warez knows this.
Except for two problems...
1. If you have a pirated copy of XP, you haven't upgraded to SP1 yet, unless you found one of the random key generators.
2. If you don't have SP1, the updates won't install no matter which way you try to do it. You can download them, you can go through Windows Update, it won't matter. But good luck trying!
I'm not sure why everyone is so hopped up on these removal tools. It seems to me that after being infected with a worm that installs a back door, more people ought to look at reinstallation from known good media.
Because it's not that difficult to figure out what is installed. Any antivirus program can find the 2-20 instances of the virus in \windows or \windows\system32, and then you just have to get rid of the registry key. Oh, and guess what! A removal tool can do both at once.
Uh, NO!!!
Unless you want the registry keys that Sasser installs sitting around, or you plan on cleaning the registry yourself, you might want to get a tool that cleans the registry.
I think you are right. The future of software is in usability - but I'm convinced that the key is not how easy the software is to use, but how easy it is to customize. The advantage that Linux distribs have is the relinquishing of control. you really can't underestimate how important that could be, if used properly. The key is to get the discussion around to there. If there is a Linux distrib that is (a) easy to set up and use and (b) has software that allows easy customizability, the OS battle would really be on with Microsoft.
I'm serious here. I'm interested in the theoretical aspects of the OSS movement, but I will always struggle with the technical aspect of things. But I can look at software and figure out over time what I want to change - not just in the interface but inside. I just don't know how to make those changes.
If the ability to make minor or significant changes to the OS or other software became available, Windows would be in serious trouble.
My first thought on reading this article was actually a question: what is the impact this would have on open source software? I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't just about the government regulating security, but also shutting open source software out of the picture in the U.S.
Slashdot Mirror
There was one spam in particular I received that had a link, and the following proverbs:
We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit on a hot stove lid again - and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore
Never forget that life can only be nobly inspired and rightly lived if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in which you are setting out into an unknown country, to meet many a joy, to find many a comrade, to win and lose many a battle.
Doesn't a monopoly imply a lack of competition?
Regardless of what "monopoly" implies to you, a patent is essentially the granting of a "limited monopoly." How is it limited? By time.
Essentially, by receiving a patent you have been granted a window of opportunity to make money off your idea to the exclusion of anyone else.
AT this moment, they're right. *Most* people don't care enough to circumvent this stuff.
Where they're wrong is thinking that public apathy will last. It won't. Computers are infiltrating more of our lives, and people will always take the time to learn how to do what they want to do.
All this amounts to is an escalation of the battle against consumer technology. Pretty soon the labels are going to have to stop fighting. This is not a war they can win in the long run.
No, this is not just Canada. There is a tax on Cd-Rs designated for burning music in the US.
Yeah, the cd image is the key factor that they don't seem to be taking into account. The article is very sketchy on details - I'd be curious what this technology looks like (software or hardware?).
But that doesn't matter. Like everything else that we hear in this arena, the labels assume some people will be able to get around it. They're trying to make it difficult, not impossible, for people to rip and burn.
I'm not at all surprised you're getting fewer faxes. But the chances are really good that has nothing to do with "laws". Rather, it's probably an indication of... 1. How little business they generate 2. Spam 3. The decline of fax machines
Right, and I'm sure you know just how well the "anti-junk fax laws" work. Or maybe you don't have one of them fax machines.
please. it's called netflix and uncompressed dvd rips.
It's not difficult. You just need to find a random key generator that will find a key that gets passed MS key verification. I always reinstall a "pirated" copy of XP on any new computer friends buy, so they can have a clean install. Anyone who spends *any* time with warez knows this.
Except for two problems... 1. If you have a pirated copy of XP, you haven't upgraded to SP1 yet, unless you found one of the random key generators. 2. If you don't have SP1, the updates won't install no matter which way you try to do it. You can download them, you can go through Windows Update, it won't matter. But good luck trying!
I'm not sure why everyone is so hopped up on these removal tools. It seems to me that after being infected with a worm that installs a back door, more people ought to look at reinstallation from known good media. Because it's not that difficult to figure out what is installed. Any antivirus program can find the 2-20 instances of the virus in \windows or \windows\system32, and then you just have to get rid of the registry key. Oh, and guess what! A removal tool can do both at once.
Uh, NO!!! Unless you want the registry keys that Sasser installs sitting around, or you plan on cleaning the registry yourself, you might want to get a tool that cleans the registry.
I think you are right. The future of software is in usability - but I'm convinced that the key is not how easy the software is to use, but how easy it is to customize. The advantage that Linux distribs have is the relinquishing of control. you really can't underestimate how important that could be, if used properly. The key is to get the discussion around to there. If there is a Linux distrib that is (a) easy to set up and use and (b) has software that allows easy customizability, the OS battle would really be on with Microsoft.
I'm serious here. I'm interested in the theoretical aspects of the OSS movement, but I will always struggle with the technical aspect of things. But I can look at software and figure out over time what I want to change - not just in the interface but inside. I just don't know how to make those changes.
If the ability to make minor or significant changes to the OS or other software became available, Windows would be in serious trouble.
Sweet. I always wanted to be a techie.
My first thought on reading this article was actually a question: what is the impact this would have on open source software? I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't just about the government regulating security, but also shutting open source software out of the picture in the U.S.