What I mean is, if there was no way to pirate high price commercial software, Linux and other FOSS software would have gotten much much more widespread. Piracy for commercial use (i.e. companies making loads of money with pirated sw) are ones which probably would have the money to pay but they don't so that could be called potential sales (and _not_ lost sales), but piracy for home use is nothing else than free promotion and advertising - it's not just about buying the software, it's about people gathering knowledge of use of these software and the potential sells for them later on. I think they just make too much fuss about this whole sw piracy issue. I'm not saying they should charge less or null for their software, but claiming that every pirated copy is a lost sale is just stupid and ignorant.
And of course they know this all too well, since you can't sanely think these companies employ and rely on stupid people. But they just love to talk about big number of hypothetical fairytale lost sales money to impress sixpacks and politicians.
Who cares, we couldn't afford it anyway is the usual answer....
It's easy for you to dismiss that "argument" as a real one, but it's frequently true. There are software prices (I'm not talking 30 buck zip here) that some people on this planet don't see collected in years.
There are also cases where a software's price (think Maya, Autocad, XSI, DFusion, not much reason to continue the list) has the price equivalent of a person's 5-6 month income or even more. One can't reasonably think these people would easily give that much money for a software, there are more important things in life you have to pay for, after all. Of course, some of them have limited functionality or trial editions, or they can use free alternatives, but later, when applying for a job, usually they see it better to show an experience in some industry-known professional application, which means they will still use pirated copies.
the money to finance the EU should come from the benefits engendered by the EU
If we're talking about e-mail and sms here, then this is nothing more than plain smelly bullshit. First, for most countries it was not the EU who built or paid for the network infrastructure. Second, it's not the EU who provides sms services or mobile network infrastructure, it's the cell companies, which pay their own share of taxes already (how much where or why is not the question here). Maybe we all should pay huge amounts of you-name-it taxes to Italy since romans built quite a lot all around Europe. Or for the greeks, or...
Stupid politicians should just die a slow and painful death in dark cells.
Anyway, geeks are not geeks for no reason: numberless aletrnatives for smtp-based text messaging could be thought out and implemented over anon onion-like networks and p2p. Of course these solutions would all be illegal, so no company could provide services based on them, and nobody could legally provide proxies and servers hosting such services. That means most of internet messaging would be tossed underground.
No sane mind would really want that. Oh wait, we're talking about politicians here.
How do you deal with webmail services? If I send an e-mail from a gmail account to a yahoo account then yes it's going over port 25 so it could theoretically be tracked by monitoring systems.
You can do it [i.e. charge for mails sent through webmail services] but that would mean the end of every and all free webmail as we know it, since the webmail company could charge you the fee after all your mails. They would probably sell some prepaid plans, or discounts if you pay for longer periods, etc etc. I absolutely don't like the idea and I would be among the first who start working on a new system to replace smtp-based emailing, still, such a system would probably work for the masses and these company would cash in large amounts of money.
Saying, writing, opening up to the wide audience your stupidity, wierdness, incompetence, intolerance, ignorance, unability to filter private information from useless public stuff, bad spelling, lack of imagination, lack of social life, bad or lacking love life, low skills in problem solving, bad opinions about certain companies, lacking technical skills, etc. etc. and you'd still expect a decent company to hire you ?
Thing is, on this planet, you can always be certain that there does indeed exist at least one person that is dumber than you. So, all you have to do is find that person and convince him/her to hire you.
If you can't imagine that some things in your life should be kept private (I'm not talking about kinky habits or any disgusting behavior and such, just simple things) then I can't imagine you working with or for me.
...and it's JPEG2000, and this try from MS is nothing but a mimic (integer operations, lossy and lossless, partial decoding, block sizes, bw and color, int and floating point precision, image sizes, xml metadata, you name it).
We don't need cameras supporting an MS image format, no sir, we need cameras supporting state of the art standards in image formats, for which MS brings nothign new with this move.
there is no inherent difference between software patents and patents on "computer-implemented inventions"
Or is it. If computer-implemented invention is the result, software is the way to do it. While CII might (should) be unique, the software surely isn't. If you'd want to patent a program doing this'n'that, I'd think about granting you a patent on this'n'that, but not on the program.
If someone works for a company, then it's really no question that the person would not go unpunished if speaking derogatory or so about his company. Here we're talking about schools, schools' rights regarding controlling the children inside and outside of the school. Usually I wouldn't have anything against schools regulating children's behavior etc. when they are in school. Yet, I would not let any school or teacher interfere into my child's life outside of school, no matter what.
Children need to learn, and they need to learn that hard, that they _have_ the right to speak their minds about anything. I know of many cases (RL, not bedtime stories) when people just didn't dare to voice their opinion about something - even if they were right - in fear the commencing trouble wouldn't worth the fuss. Children need to be taught so that when they will become adults they will think about basic human rights as being so natural to use as breathing.
If a child learns that (s)he is not allowed to say anything bad about those in authority (and for a kid the teachers are such) that can become a real barrier later on in their lives.
I know I'm possibly going too far with this, still, if a child wants to tell anything (s)he wants about the school, the teachers, etc. at home, for us or on his/her personal web page, I really think nobody should stop him/her unless it conflicts with some (general, social, family, etc.) ethics, but then again, that should be the responsibility of the family and of the parents, not of the school or of the teacher.
I always thought that teachers should be "educators" and "guardians" and "signposts", and not some governesses, or self-appointed mind police officers.
If a school would sue me or my child because spoke his/her opinion about them, I just wouldn't want my kid in that school any longer, let alone fear of some expel.
I don't think "we" are out of touch, but I do think some people just can't do proper comparisons. As I read through the postings I see that the main argument is that most people buy computers with Windows installed and they don't have a problem when inserting new hw pieces and installing the required drivers from a disk. That's ok. But then the same arguing people come telling that under linux you go and compile modules and tweak config files and whatnot. If we'd give you preinstalled Linux on a computer, with a decent kernel with everything compiled as a module (_not_ compiled into the kernel so it won't be "bloated" and big, another frequent but false argument) then installing a new hw piece is not so much pain.
Or, in a different comparison put together a comptuer with decent hw parts, I can give you a list, and install on it both Windows and a Linux distro. I don't say you won't suck with both, but I _do_ _say_ that you will suck big time with Windows, sometimes so big time you can't imagine. And I say that knowingly and with some years of experience with some windows and linux versions and distros.
Today - since Vista is nowhere to be found - give me any exotic hw you want and I still would prefer trying Linux on it first, and if not being able to make it work, only then I'd try a Windows.
But that's just me.
But keep in mind, the original article, and my first reaction to it, was not about adding new drivers to an already existing install, but about the install process and some hw not working automagically during/after install. And I stil keep my part on that with Linux you have more chance of a faster working install on decent [i.e. new, known and properly working] hardware. With exotic hw you have some great change to suck with both [lin/win].
I'd never argue that Linux is easier for common, non-tech, windows-grown people. Maybe sometimes it will, I don't know, but it isn't yet, that's not even worth a debate.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all pro-FOSS, still... We have this: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/source_license.html and I don't see how this "new" turn of events will further help Java. I think it will be like with OO.org, it's open still, only a handfull of devs care about it for various reasons. I really like Sun as a company and as a source of hw and sw (no, I'm in no way affiliated or related) and I hope this turn will be in the right direction.
The language to adapt, while it's possible and certainly will happen to some extent, I don't think it's the right way. People should just spend a bit more effort on formulating their ideas in a comprehensible - not just for them but for others - way. In recent years we can easily follow how the written language of the currently teenage generation begins to fall apart be that in e-mails, IM, SMS, etc. I just think more time should be spent in schools on making them formulate their ideas on paper, and that with handwriting - not because we should be old-school, but because one has more time to formulate the ideas and when it's not so easy to correct like pressing a button, one thinks longer on what and how to write. Well, maybe this whole idea is a crap, I don't know.
But people should understand that only because electronic communication has become such an everyday thing, clear and decent formulation of their ideas should still be a priority.
First and foremost, [e-]mail lacks cues like facial expression and tone of voice.
That hasn't been much of a problem for some hundred years of mailing. Writing is not a lesser form of communication, it's just different. With enough practice, one can make oneself understood, the way one wants to be understood, not just saying something and hoping the target will be on the same frequency:) Most people think clarity in writing is some natural gift they have but it isn't. Also, there are times - quite frequently - when one has to formulate the same idea differently when it needs to be written down, than when it has to be spoken out loud. One needs much practice to be really good and clear. Just think: how much time do you spend speaking, and how much with writing in let's say 10 years ?
My problem with what you say here - and similar other arguments - is that for example plenty of hardware exist that do not work out of the box and automagically under Windows, be that hdd/raid controller, nic, cameras/tuners and I could just go on. And while it's true that very often we need to compile and/or load some modules in most linux distros for these to work, at least they will work. Just think, in 2006 tell me an easy way to install a currently available windows version on a system with sata raid controller, no fdd, and then making e.g. nvidia network and audio components work without installing some stuff. While I agree for most people installing these drivers is easier under Windows, that is not because the install procedure is easier or faster, but simply because they are accostumed to doing things this way. For me, loading some modules is a much easier and faster process than making the same hw components work under windows (yes, I use them both very frequently). But based on this, I don't think we can say that Linux is not suitable. It just needs some learning, and being open to do things some other way than usual, which is unbelievably difficult for most non-tech people.
Hehe:) you don't even know how right you are with this. Just imagine late at night, coming from a pub after a dozen beers, in a hurry to catch a bus that will take 1 hour to take you home, you forgot to visit the toilet before leaving for the bus, and there's no open public toilet around. And that's not fiction, oh, it isn't:) So, how many will laugh at you tomorow ?:))
Asked 502 people ? And draw conclusions about what the American people think about NSA's activity ? What is that, 1.6e-4 percent ? And half of them support the NSA's actions ?
This isn't even worth to say anything else about it.
the pricing is set to be about the same as the DVD, even though the download will only become available at the same time as the DVD
Now come on... I always knew some really short minded people have to drive MPAA and the like, but now I have to change my opinion since these guys seem to be even more behind.
At the same time as DVD ? At the same price ?
Why the hell would I buy a digital resctiction managed copy when I can buy the real disk at the same price ? No way, sir, no way.
Such download-selling solutions would be good only if
- the downloadable videos/movies are ahead of disk releases (not a day, but months),
- the downloadables are not released on disks anymore,
- the downloadables are different versions in content than those on the disks, or have more content (more extras, etc.),
- the doanloadables are different in definition/resolution/encoding than the disk versions,
- the downloadables are different in DRestrictionM than the disk versions.
because the solutions are things that don't solve the real problems in terms of security
Of course they don't solve security problems, but they create new problems for which they can "sell" these as solutions. This technique (create a solution then convince people they have a problem) has greatly "evolved" recently. However, besides not solving security problems, they create new meaning for "rights management", "trusted computing", etc. We could just probably get to live the day when pirate will mean police and stealing will mean giving. We will have to solve the same problems but by calling them differently they will make us believe the old problems are gone and these are new problems to be solved.
Do I make sense ? No, not really. But I'm too lazy to delete:)
Basically, as I see it, Vista UAC is sudo done the wrong way. Nobody will tolerate dozens of popups asking for permissions, and sometimes you can't even know what they ask for (e.g. when doing something with lots of files they might popup for every file asking permission for some file operation). If a spyware/trojan/etc. want to do something and you get a file-operation-permission-asking popup, people will probably just automatically click on allow-and-go-the-f*-away button. Well, if they don't disable the whole UAC from the beginning.
Of course I've heard about Californian wines, and I've also tasted some American and Mexican beers, and yes, there were some that I've liked (I haven't found new favourites though). Still, when I have to choose I always choose from among italian, hungarian or french wines, and from among dutch, uk, belgian or german beers. Call it habit, call it ignorance, I call it taste and preference.
I think there could be so much more of those pluses and of those minuses, that one couldn't just simply make such a short list of them. My problems with it - since obviously I wouldn't mind the benefits - are more related to the human nature, which you didn't much count in, meaning that there will always be people who would exploit that everybody has these chips - I could list some dozen of possible misuses right now - and we also shouldn't count out the possible bugs/problems in the system, just a few: mri, failing chips (how you get into the car, home, how you buy stuff, what would the police think of a man walking with disabled chips, etc.), and so on. Also, what would happen to those who don't want such implants ? Higher prices ? Lower benefits ? Higher taxes ? Weekly checks by the police ? Am I going too far here ? Obviously to some extent, still, before jumping into such changes, one _would need to_ consider the best and the worst cases, because it's not the average that would cause people to reconsider.
One can never persuade me by only listing benefits of planned changes, or by only superficially treating the possible bad effects. Such people as the "article" writer are tipically those who see some benefits, jump into it, and later can't back out and start complaining. We shouldn't be like that when considering such changes, because here we're talking about changes that would affect all of our lives.
This was the first word that came to me when I read this. No way I'd let anything be implanted into my body that hasn't something to do with health issues. Why wouldn't it be enough to have such keys which also have rfid chips inside them so it can give you the benefits of rfid, also could work as good old keys, you wouldn't need re-implanting it if new versions come around - sheesh - and if you don't want to take it with you then you could leave it.
Too much futuristic movies, cyber-fashion, and stupidity could easily drive us into a world of uiquitous surveillance, since after a certain percent of the people have it out of coolness and false eliteness then it's only a step to make it mandatory. I wouldn't want to live in such a world.
Thankfully this planet is not made up of a single culture and hopefully there will always exist places where people can choose how they want to live their lives. If not, I just hope this won't happen in my lifetime, or in my children's, or anybody's that I care about.
These cyber-techno-fashionist people should just have a little more brains before spreading their coolness.
Slashdot Mirror
What I mean is, if there was no way to pirate high price commercial software, Linux and other FOSS software would have gotten much much more widespread. Piracy for commercial use (i.e. companies making loads of money with pirated sw) are ones which probably would have the money to pay but they don't so that could be called potential sales (and _not_ lost sales), but piracy for home use is nothing else than free promotion and advertising - it's not just about buying the software, it's about people gathering knowledge of use of these software and the potential sells for them later on. I think they just make too much fuss about this whole sw piracy issue. I'm not saying they should charge less or null for their software, but claiming that every pirated copy is a lost sale is just stupid and ignorant.
And of course they know this all too well, since you can't sanely think these companies employ and rely on stupid people. But they just love to talk about big number of hypothetical fairytale lost sales money to impress sixpacks and politicians.
Who cares, we couldn't afford it anyway is the usual answer....
It's easy for you to dismiss that "argument" as a real one, but it's frequently true. There are software prices (I'm not talking 30 buck zip here) that some people on this planet don't see collected in years.
There are also cases where a software's price (think Maya, Autocad, XSI, DFusion, not much reason to continue the list) has the price equivalent of a person's 5-6 month income or even more. One can't reasonably think these people would easily give that much money for a software, there are more important things in life you have to pay for, after all. Of course, some of them have limited functionality or trial editions, or they can use free alternatives, but later, when applying for a job, usually they see it better to show an experience in some industry-known professional application, which means they will still use pirated copies.
the money to finance the EU should come from the benefits engendered by the EU
If we're talking about e-mail and sms here, then this is nothing more than plain smelly bullshit. First, for most countries it was not the EU who built or paid for the network infrastructure. Second, it's not the EU who provides sms services or mobile network infrastructure, it's the cell companies, which pay their own share of taxes already (how much where or why is not the question here). Maybe we all should pay huge amounts of you-name-it taxes to Italy since romans built quite a lot all around Europe. Or for the greeks, or...
Stupid politicians should just die a slow and painful death in dark cells.
Anyway, geeks are not geeks for no reason: numberless aletrnatives for smtp-based text messaging could be thought out and implemented over anon onion-like networks and p2p. Of course these solutions would all be illegal, so no company could provide services based on them, and nobody could legally provide proxies and servers hosting such services. That means most of internet messaging would be tossed underground.
No sane mind would really want that. Oh wait, we're talking about politicians here.
How do you deal with webmail services? If I send an e-mail from a gmail account to a yahoo account then yes it's going over port 25 so it could theoretically be tracked by monitoring systems.
You can do it [i.e. charge for mails sent through webmail services] but that would mean the end of every and all free webmail as we know it, since the webmail company could charge you the fee after all your mails. They would probably sell some prepaid plans, or discounts if you pay for longer periods, etc etc. I absolutely don't like the idea and I would be among the first who start working on a new system to replace smtp-based emailing, still, such a system would probably work for the masses and these company would cash in large amounts of money.
In the end you'd have to tax bytes sent on the net.
You already do this, since you pay your monthly fee, which has its tax already.
[sarcastic half-joking mode on]
Saying, writing, opening up to the wide audience your stupidity, wierdness, incompetence, intolerance, ignorance, unability to filter private information from useless public stuff, bad spelling, lack of imagination, lack of social life, bad or lacking love life, low skills in problem solving, bad opinions about certain companies, lacking technical skills, etc. etc. and you'd still expect a decent company to hire you ?
Thing is, on this planet, you can always be certain that there does indeed exist at least one person that is dumber than you. So, all you have to do is find that person and convince him/her to hire you.
If you can't imagine that some things in your life should be kept private (I'm not talking about kinky habits or any disgusting behavior and such, just simple things) then I can't imagine you working with or for me.
...and it's JPEG2000, and this try from MS is nothing but a mimic (integer operations, lossy and lossless, partial decoding, block sizes, bw and color, int and floating point precision, image sizes, xml metadata, you name it).
We don't need cameras supporting an MS image format, no sir, we need cameras supporting state of the art standards in image formats, for which MS brings nothign new with this move.
there is no inherent difference between software patents and patents on "computer-implemented inventions"
Or is it. If computer-implemented invention is the result, software is the way to do it. While CII might (should) be unique, the software surely isn't. If you'd want to patent a program doing this'n'that, I'd think about granting you a patent on this'n'that, but not on the program.
If someone works for a company, then it's really no question that the person would not go unpunished if speaking derogatory or so about his company. Here we're talking about schools, schools' rights regarding controlling the children inside and outside of the school. Usually I wouldn't have anything against schools regulating children's behavior etc. when they are in school. Yet, I would not let any school or teacher interfere into my child's life outside of school, no matter what.
Children need to learn, and they need to learn that hard, that they _have_ the right to speak their minds about anything. I know of many cases (RL, not bedtime stories) when people just didn't dare to voice their opinion about something - even if they were right - in fear the commencing trouble wouldn't worth the fuss. Children need to be taught so that when they will become adults they will think about basic human rights as being so natural to use as breathing.
If a child learns that (s)he is not allowed to say anything bad about those in authority (and for a kid the teachers are such) that can become a real barrier later on in their lives.
I know I'm possibly going too far with this, still, if a child wants to tell anything (s)he wants about the school, the teachers, etc. at home, for us or on his/her personal web page, I really think nobody should stop him/her unless it conflicts with some (general, social, family, etc.) ethics, but then again, that should be the responsibility of the family and of the parents, not of the school or of the teacher.
I always thought that teachers should be "educators" and "guardians" and "signposts", and not some governesses, or self-appointed mind police officers.
If a school would sue me or my child because spoke his/her opinion about them, I just wouldn't want my kid in that school any longer, let alone fear of some expel.
I don't think "we" are out of touch, but I do think some people just can't do proper comparisons. As I read through the postings I see that the main argument is that most people buy computers with Windows installed and they don't have a problem when inserting new hw pieces and installing the required drivers from a disk. That's ok. But then the same arguing people come telling that under linux you go and compile modules and tweak config files and whatnot. If we'd give you preinstalled Linux on a computer, with a decent kernel with everything compiled as a module (_not_ compiled into the kernel so it won't be "bloated" and big, another frequent but false argument) then installing a new hw piece is not so much pain.
Or, in a different comparison put together a comptuer with decent hw parts, I can give you a list, and install on it both Windows and a Linux distro. I don't say you won't suck with both, but I _do_ _say_ that you will suck big time with Windows, sometimes so big time you can't imagine. And I say that knowingly and with some years of experience with some windows and linux versions and distros.
Today - since Vista is nowhere to be found - give me any exotic hw you want and I still would prefer trying Linux on it first, and if not being able to make it work, only then I'd try a Windows.
But that's just me.
But keep in mind, the original article, and my first reaction to it, was not about adding new drivers to an already existing install, but about the install process and some hw not working automagically during/after install. And I stil keep my part on that with Linux you have more chance of a faster working install on decent [i.e. new, known and properly working] hardware. With exotic hw you have some great change to suck with both [lin/win].
I'd never argue that Linux is easier for common, non-tech, windows-grown people. Maybe sometimes it will, I don't know, but it isn't yet, that's not even worth a debate.
But this wasn't the issue here.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all pro-FOSS, still... We have this: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/source_license.html and I don't see how this "new" turn of events will further help Java. I think it will be like with OO.org, it's open still, only a handfull of devs care about it for various reasons. I really like Sun as a company and as a source of hw and sw (no, I'm in no way affiliated or related) and I hope this turn will be in the right direction.
The language to adapt, while it's possible and certainly will happen to some extent, I don't think it's the right way. People should just spend a bit more effort on formulating their ideas in a comprehensible - not just for them but for others - way. In recent years we can easily follow how the written language of the currently teenage generation begins to fall apart be that in e-mails, IM, SMS, etc. I just think more time should be spent in schools on making them formulate their ideas on paper, and that with handwriting - not because we should be old-school, but because one has more time to formulate the ideas and when it's not so easy to correct like pressing a button, one thinks longer on what and how to write. Well, maybe this whole idea is a crap, I don't know.
But people should understand that only because electronic communication has become such an everyday thing, clear and decent formulation of their ideas should still be a priority.
First and foremost, [e-]mail lacks cues like facial expression and tone of voice.
:) Most people think clarity in writing is some natural gift they have but it isn't. Also, there are times - quite frequently - when one has to formulate the same idea differently when it needs to be written down, than when it has to be spoken out loud. One needs much practice to be really good and clear. Just think: how much time do you spend speaking, and how much with writing in let's say 10 years ?
That hasn't been much of a problem for some hundred years of mailing. Writing is not a lesser form of communication, it's just different. With enough practice, one can make oneself understood, the way one wants to be understood, not just saying something and hoping the target will be on the same frequency
Note: it's not my intention to flame.
My problem with what you say here - and similar other arguments - is that for example plenty of hardware exist that do not work out of the box and automagically under Windows, be that hdd/raid controller, nic, cameras/tuners and I could just go on. And while it's true that very often we need to compile and/or load some modules in most linux distros for these to work, at least they will work. Just think, in 2006 tell me an easy way to install a currently available windows version on a system with sata raid controller, no fdd, and then making e.g. nvidia network and audio components work without installing some stuff. While I agree for most people installing these drivers is easier under Windows, that is not because the install procedure is easier or faster, but simply because they are accostumed to doing things this way. For me, loading some modules is a much easier and faster process than making the same hw components work under windows (yes, I use them both very frequently). But based on this, I don't think we can say that Linux is not suitable. It just needs some learning, and being open to do things some other way than usual, which is unbelievably difficult for most non-tech people.
Hehe :) you don't even know how right you are with this. Just imagine late at night, coming from a pub after a dozen beers, in a hurry to catch a bus that will take 1 hour to take you home, you forgot to visit the toilet before leaving for the bus, and there's no open public toilet around. And that's not fiction, oh, it isn't :) So, how many will laugh at you tomorow ? :))
...since this planet seems more unlivable day by day.
Asked 502 people ? And draw conclusions about what the American people think about NSA's activity ? What is that, 1.6e-4 percent ? And half of them support the NSA's actions ?
This isn't even worth to say anything else about it.
the pricing is set to be about the same as the DVD, even though the download will only become available at the same time as the DVD
Now come on... I always knew some really short minded people have to drive MPAA and the like, but now I have to change my opinion since these guys seem to be even more behind.
At the same time as DVD ? At the same price ?
Why the hell would I buy a digital resctiction managed copy when I can buy the real disk at the same price ? No way, sir, no way.
Such download-selling solutions would be good only if
- the downloadable videos/movies are ahead of disk releases (not a day, but months),
- the downloadables are not released on disks anymore,
- the downloadables are different versions in content than those on the disks, or have more content (more extras, etc.),
- the doanloadables are different in definition/resolution/encoding than the disk versions,
- the downloadables are different in DRestrictionM than the disk versions.
No other way would I care.
I'm certain there are companies (no, not just one) we'd keep parties when we'd see them go down. I'm sure SGI isn't one of them.
because the solutions are things that don't solve the real problems in terms of security
:)
Of course they don't solve security problems, but they create new problems for which they can "sell" these as solutions. This technique (create a solution then convince people they have a problem) has greatly "evolved" recently. However, besides not solving security problems, they create new meaning for "rights management", "trusted computing", etc. We could just probably get to live the day when pirate will mean police and stealing will mean giving. We will have to solve the same problems but by calling them differently they will make us believe the old problems are gone and these are new problems to be solved.
Do I make sense ? No, not really. But I'm too lazy to delete
Basically, as I see it, Vista UAC is sudo done the wrong way. Nobody will tolerate dozens of popups asking for permissions, and sometimes you can't even know what they ask for (e.g. when doing something with lots of files they might popup for every file asking permission for some file operation). If a spyware/trojan/etc. want to do something and you get a file-operation-permission-asking popup, people will probably just automatically click on allow-and-go-the-f*-away button. Well, if they don't disable the whole UAC from the beginning.
Of course I've heard about Californian wines, and I've also tasted some American and Mexican beers, and yes, there were some that I've liked (I haven't found new favourites though). Still, when I have to choose I always choose from among italian, hungarian or french wines, and from among dutch, uk, belgian or german beers. Call it habit, call it ignorance, I call it taste and preference.
I think there could be so much more of those pluses and of those minuses, that one couldn't just simply make such a short list of them. My problems with it - since obviously I wouldn't mind the benefits - are more related to the human nature, which you didn't much count in, meaning that there will always be people who would exploit that everybody has these chips - I could list some dozen of possible misuses right now - and we also shouldn't count out the possible bugs/problems in the system, just a few: mri, failing chips (how you get into the car, home, how you buy stuff, what would the police think of a man walking with disabled chips, etc.), and so on. Also, what would happen to those who don't want such implants ? Higher prices ? Lower benefits ? Higher taxes ? Weekly checks by the police ? Am I going too far here ? Obviously to some extent, still, before jumping into such changes, one _would need to_ consider the best and the worst cases, because it's not the average that would cause people to reconsider.
One can never persuade me by only listing benefits of planned changes, or by only superficially treating the possible bad effects. Such people as the "article" writer are tipically those who see some benefits, jump into it, and later can't back out and start complaining. We shouldn't be like that when considering such changes, because here we're talking about changes that would affect all of our lives.
This was the first word that came to me when I read this. No way I'd let anything be implanted into my body that hasn't something to do with health issues. Why wouldn't it be enough to have such keys which also have rfid chips inside them so it can give you the benefits of rfid, also could work as good old keys, you wouldn't need re-implanting it if new versions come around - sheesh - and if you don't want to take it with you then you could leave it.
Too much futuristic movies, cyber-fashion, and stupidity could easily drive us into a world of uiquitous surveillance, since after a certain percent of the people have it out of coolness and false eliteness then it's only a step to make it mandatory. I wouldn't want to live in such a world.
Thankfully this planet is not made up of a single culture and hopefully there will always exist places where people can choose how they want to live their lives. If not, I just hope this won't happen in my lifetime, or in my children's, or anybody's that I care about.
These cyber-techno-fashionist people should just have a little more brains before spreading their coolness.