Not really (your DOS 5.0 example was a bad idea..now I'm going to town with it)...
I happen to have an IBM DOS 5.0 manual somewhere around my desk and, despite it being 9 years out of date (version-wise), it is still useful. The manual was GREAT in documenting all of the DOS commands and told you EXACTLY what they did. It is still useful with (gasp) Windows as the paper documentation is non-existant and the online "help" isn't.
While an older versions are outdated, they are still the basis for the newer ones. Wouldn't you rather have someone that has a long-time expence than someone fresh out of school with only text-book knowlege?
I'll remind you all again that its time to get involved in your government. Write to your representatives in Congress and tell that that you don't like the DMCA, that it takes away your rights to such traditions as fair use, and grossly favors the large media corporations over the average citizen. Tell them that you want to see the DMCA repealed and a laws past to protect your rights, not the intrests of the media corporations. Then, get out and vote in November!
Your "since I can't make a difference, I won't bother trying" attitude is the reason why big business and special intrests have become so powerful. If you don't like the Democratic or Republican candidates, you don't have to vote for them; vote for a third-party candidate. Sure, you may think that you're throwing your vote away and many will agree with you. But you're not. You're sending a message that you don't like either of the major candidates. And while (your favorite third party here) might not even come close to winning, you're still sending that message. Alone, your one vote might not make much of a difference, but coupled with everyone else who votes for the same candidate, there is greater power.
Look back to the presidential election of 96... A third party candidate (Ross Perot) made a difference. He prevented President Clinton from winning a majority of the popular vote. The message came accross that a good number of Americans weren't satisfied with either Democrats or Republicans. The current governor of Minnessota is a in a third-party. Third parties are not as insignificant as you make them to be.
With your reference to revolutionary ideas, you should also remember that someone had to come up with those ideas and support them. Everyone didn't just wake up one day and collectively realize that slavery is wrong or that women should have equality. Long, tough battles were fought before peoples' minds were changed. This country fought a bitter civil war over slavery. Things didn't change just because time passed. It changed because people got involved and made those changes.
If you want some more reading material about getting involved to make changes, may I suggest a little essay by one Thomas Jefferson called The Declaration of Independence.
Here's the solution: get involved in the government. Its YOUR government, not the MPAA, not the RIAA, not the special intrests. Its YOURS. The reason that these organizations can lobby their own laws into existance is that many of the citizens of this coutry just don't care anymore. A mere half of the voters vote in the Presidential election. Turnout in local elections is in the single digits!
Sitting around and posting Slashdot replies doesn't get anything done. Register to vote if you aren't already. Get out and vote in every election. Read up on the candidates. Write letters (not emails, letters--they look more professional) to your elected officials. Make it known that YOU vote for that official's office and unless he/she supports what you support that you won't vote for him or her. Run for a local office. Most school board positions are uncontested!
Unless you get involved in the government, it will continue to be controled by the special intrests.
Well in theory, the GPL is a license, a contract of sorts. So in theory, minors can't legally agree to it in the first place. This isn't the fault of the GPL being restrictive, just that even it's very free terms can't be agreed to by someone who can't legally agree.
That's not really correct. A minor (such as myself) can enter into a contract. The difference between a minor and someone over 18 in a contract is that the minor can back out of the contract whereas the person over 18 can not. Once a minor turns 18, any conract he/she is currently in is considered ratified and can no longer be backed out of.
The no minors clause is probabally just to keep Corel's lawyers happy.
I too am a little tired of the crap coming from DS9/Voyager. I would like to see a series like what Star Trek 2 (the series which turned into Star Trek: The Motion Picture) was supposed to be. The time between TMP and TWOK would be good. It would be hard considering DeForrest Kelley is dead and all the other stars are very much over the hill.. If you didn't focus on the Enterprise but another ship instead, that could be possible.
Slashdot Mirror
Not really (your DOS 5.0 example was a bad idea..now I'm going to town with it)...
I happen to have an IBM DOS 5.0 manual somewhere around my desk and, despite it being 9 years out of date (version-wise), it is still useful. The manual was GREAT in documenting all of the DOS commands and told you EXACTLY what they did. It is still useful with (gasp) Windows as the paper documentation is non-existant and the online "help" isn't.
While an older versions are outdated, they are still the basis for the newer ones. Wouldn't you rather have someone that has a long-time expence than someone fresh out of school with only text-book knowlege?
I'll remind you all again that its time to get involved in your government. Write to your representatives in Congress and tell that that you don't like the DMCA, that it takes away your rights to such traditions as fair use, and grossly favors the large media corporations over the average citizen. Tell them that you want to see the DMCA repealed and a laws past to protect your rights, not the intrests of the media corporations. Then, get out and vote in November!
Your "since I can't make a difference, I won't bother trying" attitude is the reason why big business and special intrests have become so powerful. If you don't like the Democratic or Republican candidates, you don't have to vote for them; vote for a third-party candidate. Sure, you may think that you're throwing your vote away and many will agree with you. But you're not. You're sending a message that you don't like either of the major candidates. And while (your favorite third party here) might not even come close to winning, you're still sending that message. Alone, your one vote might not make much of a difference, but coupled with everyone else who votes for the same candidate, there is greater power.
Look back to the presidential election of 96... A third party candidate (Ross Perot) made a difference. He prevented President Clinton from winning a majority of the popular vote. The message came accross that a good number of Americans weren't satisfied with either Democrats or Republicans. The current governor of Minnessota is a in a third-party. Third parties are not as insignificant as you make them to be.
With your reference to revolutionary ideas, you should also remember that someone had to come up with those ideas and support them. Everyone didn't just wake up one day and collectively realize that slavery is wrong or that women should have equality. Long, tough battles were fought before peoples' minds were changed. This country fought a bitter civil war over slavery. Things didn't change just because time passed. It changed because people got involved and made those changes.
If you want some more reading material about getting involved to make changes, may I suggest a little essay by one Thomas Jefferson called The Declaration of Independence.
This amplies mainly to the USA, but...
Here's the solution: get involved in the government. Its YOUR government, not the MPAA, not the RIAA, not the special intrests. Its YOURS. The reason that these organizations can lobby their own laws into existance is that many of the citizens of this coutry just don't care anymore. A mere half of the voters vote in the Presidential election. Turnout in local elections is in the single digits!
Sitting around and posting Slashdot replies doesn't get anything done. Register to vote if you aren't already. Get out and vote in every election. Read up on the candidates. Write letters (not emails, letters--they look more professional) to your elected officials. Make it known that YOU vote for that official's office and unless he/she supports what you support that you won't vote for him or her. Run for a local office. Most school board positions are uncontested!
Unless you get involved in the government, it will continue to be controled by the special intrests.
Well in theory, the GPL is a license, a contract of sorts. So in theory, minors can't legally agree to it in the first place. This isn't the fault of the GPL being restrictive, just that even it's very free terms can't be agreed to by someone who can't legally agree.
That's not really correct. A minor (such as myself) can enter into a contract. The difference between a minor and someone over 18 in a contract is that the minor can back out of the contract whereas the person over 18 can not. Once a minor turns 18, any conract he/she is currently in is considered ratified and can no longer be backed out of.
The no minors clause is probabally just to keep Corel's lawyers happy.
Besides, how many actually read a EULA in full?
I too am a little tired of the crap coming from DS9/Voyager. I would like to see a series like what Star Trek 2 (the series which turned into Star Trek: The Motion Picture) was supposed to be. The time between TMP and TWOK would be good. It would be hard considering DeForrest Kelley is dead and all the other stars are very much over the hill.. If you didn't focus on the Enterprise but another ship instead, that could be possible.