It seems to me like Wikipedia is getting it from all sides.
We have people in the intelligence community whose job seems to be managing/editing wikipedia entries on the sly.
We have politicians changing their own pages and removing anything unflattering, regardless of truth.
We have allegations of using influence to possibly get Racheal Marsden's page altered which would be slightly unethical (but something I am sure she would gladly do)...and now we have people like this (and others) trying to poke holes in Wikipedia's credibility.
But here's the thing - thoughout all of that it is transparent. We know about it. If Wikipedia were a corporation or other closed model - this same sort of stuff would go on and we wouldn't know about it - or even worse, things that could upset powerful politicians or corporations may not even make it in.
Wikipedia may not be perfect, but I think it is amazing and amazingly trustable - BECAUSE of the transparency, and BECAUSE anybody can participate. It's not like someone can go on there and change important facts without it being caught - and usually it is caught within less than a minute.
Wikipedia as a system is designed to cope with any and all of these issues, and I (personally) find it much more up-to-date, credible, and comprehensive than any other encyclopedic source.
Well I will tell you this much - it's only a true fool who believes that "conspiracies never happen" and everything govt/intel says is true.
Indeed, conspiracies happen all of the time - any time more than one person gets together with another and plans to do something. It's also one of the msot common criminal charges in the US.
I still think that the odds of how this happen with so many cables in such a short time span is suspicious. Does that mean it wasn't an accident? Anything is possible, but some things are more likely than others and keep in mind that those groups or agencies who do these sort of things specialize in damage control, cover stories, and manipulation of the public.
All I am saying is that you really don't know, and for people to act like it's "case closed no questions remain" over this press release is kind of short sighted. It really doesn't change a thing. If this was done intentionally there would be a cover, likely a couple of layers of cover.
I have a huge problem with this, as I think any American who isn't a sheeple would.
This stuff has to be stopped.
What they have been doing according to some goes way beyond what most Americans even believe is possible technologically.
Google Tice and RNM if you want to read about this sort of stuff.
It's extremely scary. I think Tice is extremely credible - I don't know how they stopped him from testifying the second tijme - but I did notice that they had the fascist pundit attack dogs like ORielly saying he should be jailed on time. When they have no defense they attack the messenger and his credibility and integrity, his mental state, etc.
Thiaq said: "Being prepared to take big risks is something that's impossible not to respect."
I disagree. Any idiot can be prepared to take big risks - casinos, hospitals, prisons and morgues are full of them.
In my opinion you get respect for knowing WHEN and HOW to take big risks - not just being willing to risk your life and/or livlihood. Sometimes (as is the case for many in our military) you take a huge risk to your livlihood (and freedom even) by deciding to refuse to take part in something you feel is against the oath you took upon entering the service.
In this war I respect those who go and feel it is their duty, and I have even more respect for those who wont. I feel that this government owes those who put their lives on the line so much better. - and those those who would force others to take the ultimate risk over greed, hegemony and hubris I can only say that I hope that one day fate decides to collect from them and their in equal proportion to the risks and losses they have placed upon others.
I would trust dslreports (aka broadbandreports) over just about any other site.
I've always found that site to be invaluable when dealing with any and all broadband issues; free tools to test your connection speed and security, as well as finding information about everthing from regulatory politics, technical support, etc to comparing how well your service performs compared to the guy who lives in the next city over.
They also have some very informative forums as a lot of people who work on the technical front lines for broadband providers post stuff there before it hits the news or is announced by providers.
No, you're wrong (especially if you're talking about America). Most people think this is how it works, but it isn't.
When you take ou a loan, "new money" is created as debt from that loan. Sounds ridiculous right? It is, but it's the truth.
I suggest that you or anyone else who is interested in this and in how the Fed operates watch these very short animated videos that will show you EXACTLY how banking in America works:
So many of the statements about Venus (and Mars for that matter as well) have been inaccurate; at times it seems deliberately or recklessly so.
SO much of what NASA has done has been awful and has led people away from science; things like colorizing shots of Mars to make the climate of planet look more red and hostle than it is for instance.
The American people were sold a bill of goods when it was "given" NASA....We did not get what we were supposed to get, and what we have gotten isn't even what all it claims to be.
I have comcast now and while I hate their politics and their customer service and billing tactics, one place I cannot give them grief is speed.
They double their speds every so often. I have the premium (what was 8MB when I bought it) which is now a 16Mbit connection - they didn't charge me more (obviously they needed to do this cause if I had been able to get FIOS I would have) they didn; say a word..One day i wake up and it's BAM twice as fast.
I do a lot of binaries and I actually get real world consistent all of the time speeds of over 2MB/sec. When I first start a download on my desktop it spikes to almost 4MB/sec then drops after a few seconds to about 2400k/sec.
So while I dislike a lot of things about comcast and wish I couldhave a company I trusted to protect my privacy; at least they do (for me) deliver what I am paying for.
Great post that I think illustrates a greater point -
" That's what scared them from the start...the loss of their ability to dictate our tastes in music and control the top 40 charts."
This is not only true for the music industry - it is even MORE true for journalism in general - because, right now I think anyone who in an even halfway savvy media consumer, (or really anyone who doesn't have blinders on) can see that the mainstream media is operating almost EXACTLY in the same way...
Blogging and other indie media have allowed the masses to get and produce news that is REAL news and that is relevant to them, not that "infotainment" Paris Hilton bullshit.
The government and MSM (via their symbiotic partnership) both do not like this - they lose ability to control the agenda, to list the plausible opinions which the sheep can debate at the water cooler - as I have heard said often back in school "the media doesn't tell you what to think, the tell you what to think about, they set the agenda" - Well, I would go further, I would say that now, for most Americans who are brain dead television receivers - they set the agenda as well as providing a "multiple choice" format what what the possible opinions of the public can be - then reinforce this with bullshit polls.
If you take it to the core of what I am saying - it is information in general, and the ability for the masses to access it readily, unflitered, and to share and create it in the same manner without it being sanctioned, filtered, and controlled by authorities (be they govt or corp) that the powers that be are goign to try to destroy.
When you look at the corporations and governments we have on earth right now, how long do you think we have before they find a way to subvert the freedom of the net? I have already seen the fear campaign is in full force from all angles - whether it's "Hackers shutting down the pwoer grid" to "Pedaphiles are EVERYWHERE on the net looking for your children" to "identity theft is everywhere" to "terrorists use the net to learn about nukes," - then you see the economic control side - the debate about "net neutrality" etc....Personally I wouldn't cal America a democracy or a democratic republic anymore. I would call it a corporatist feudal system....and there are many synonyms for such a system.
First off, I don't think whoever organized the protests against Scientology would do this. The negative PR alone would be a demotivating factor...
No....to me this has all of the hallmarks of a "false flag" hack. I can think of two groups who would want to do this to cause harm to the image of Anonymous AND "hackers" in general:
Scientology and elements within the US government.
That's just a ridiculous weasely exaggeration and misrepresentation to try to prove a point and when you have to do that it generally means that whatever you are trying to say doesn't stand up on it's own.
I have never once heard anyone on/. defending child porn or suicide bombers in relation to the constitution; the point I have heard often is that the constitution is being destroyed, people are being manipulated or forced into giving up their rights - rights which are inherent in being human, not GIVEN by a fucking government.
Violence is abhorrent and I have never seriously heard people on/. adovcating using violence to "silence others opinions."
That is awesome - but it scares the shit out of me.
Couple that thing with the weapons technology I have seen on other defense contractor "robotic soldiers" that can detect and kill from over a mile away.
If I were the state of NJ and the professors I would take this as a welcome sign that not only are they on the right track here - but that they are going to find something when they check these machines out.
I say they should re-double their efforts and try to get several machines, source code, whistleblower employees and everything else they can and really nail these fucks.
As every other impartial examination of 'black box voting' (especially in relation to Diebold, ES&S, and Sequoia) has shown - these are basically set up to be manipulated.
I understand what you were trying to say, but I think you took that phrase out of content and misunderstood what I meant; my point was that if wikipedia starts taking money for ads, then it is only a matter of time before everything that makes it autoritative, useful, and trustworthy will be gone.
I don't see "only those two extremes," (firstly because where wikipedia is at right now isn't an "extreme" so semantically what you said doesn't make sense; I get the point about the danger inherent in the sort of thinking that has arguments being framed in 'Black and white' only and I totally agree that that is scary - but I wasn't saying it's a blck and white issue - there are positives and negatives, but I think if you look historically the outcome is always the same.
I wasn't saying that if it isn't "kept pure" than it should be destroyed; I was making that point that if advertising enters the picture it WILL compromise wikipedia eventually; maybe not drastically at first - but the inevitably outcome is that money, influence, and corporations enter the picture - and EVERY SINGLE ONE of those things is generally an enemy of objectivity, openness, and other progressive ideas that make soemthing like wikipedia special.
I think that nothing good can come of commercializing Wikipedia. Even if it has no impact at first, once advertisers enter the picture I think that is the eventual result.
NO. Only if they want to compromise it the way every other commercialized site is compromised.
In my mind that ruins one of the best things Wikipedia has going for it and what makes it reliable.
Intelligence services and politicians are already trying to control wikipedia and heavily edit entries on certain subjects - and have been caught doing so.
So no. No commercialization. No tolerance for political inerference for any reason. Keep it pure - or destroy it completely and let it become like every other once noble site that harnessed the goodness and knowledge of the crowd-cloud that then went commercial and fucked everyone who believed in it's original premise.
This is no accident. There has been manipulation and paranoia based behavior control.
"We were attacked" "by evil terrorists" (the fact of who those "evil terrorists" actually are or whether it was some bullshit storybook conspiracy that completely falls apart and lacks credibility if you have half a brain OR was a manipulation in the first place doesn't matter because the effects are the same with how it is being used).
People are being made to feel like there is danger coming at them from all corners at all times. The fear has been ratcheted up constantly and is bombarding this TV addicted country relentlessly; and the internets is the newest place where terrible things can happen to you, your family, and the country (according to the TV).
If you can find 4 or so hours of pre-recorded mainstream network television (including news and the ever ubiquitous crime drama) from ten years ago (it was still total trash but not the same trash we have today) - watch it - then, watch the same amount of today's television and I think you'll see that there is a very noticable difference.
The people driving the bus that is America want you to feel as though you're on a roller coaster that is careening off the rails all at times sourrounded by foreigners with rocket launchers just waiting for their chance to blow you away and next they're going to be trying to convince you that the neighbor on your left (who looks you) is in league with those "terraists" and the neighbor on your right is going to go off of his meds and shoot up your kid's school.
When people are this scared they make bad decisions. When people are this scared they'll allow things they would NEVER allow (like giving up their rights and taking a "I don't care, lock 'em up or torture 'em, it's not me or my family who will be affected" attitude)...The fact that this country would even talk about being okay with indefinite incarceration without charge and torture (let alone actually allowing or making it fucking policy) is disgusting and unbelevable and would have never been possible without this scheme. The thing most people don't get is that it already is affecting the entire society and it will affect them and those they care about because the definition of "terrorist" and what is considered is "terrorism" is being changed - look at the homegrown terrorism act for one thing..
People wonder how Germany was transformed in the 30s...I don't wonder anymore.
One thing to always consider: Just like it always is, one way or the other piracy plays into the strategy of getting this OS adopted.
Who cracks and/or installs pirated software? Mostly young techies. If they can get an OS for free or for cheaper than Vista, then Vista needs to be made "free" to compete in that sector - However, you can't just make the product free or reduce the price point, because that is only going to get you less money from people who are going to pay for it anyway and won't affect those who acquire software activations via other means.
MS knows that people who are going to pirate are generally not going to pay for an OS, and certainly not full price, and some people would pirate even if it cost $2.99.
I would think that one of the worst things that could happen to a new OS is to be rejected by the young technically savvy users - for so many reasons, but one reason is because they influence adoption; especially upgrades and new system purchases. Do you know when my parents and pretty much every other non-techie person I know decides to upgrade their OS, or buy anything computer related? After they ask my advice (or whoever they consider to be the most computer savvy person in their life). I am sure it is the same for a lot of us here.
Certainly I used to use pirated stuff sometimes before I could afford MSDN or worked in places that provided all the legit software I needed. I am not posting about whatever piracy is right or wrong here, that has been debated endlessly and it's a personal choice. One thing I can say is that (with the exception of a few times I have seen legit copies of Vista deactivate) it certainly is a lot less of a pain in the ass to use properly activated software.
I wonder though - if you plotted the adoption rate of Vista on a graph against MS expectations, my guess is that the further below expectations the adoption rate is, the less stringent activations are going to be and more cracks and workarounds (that work well) you're going to see.
From what I have seen, for 98% of things in XP 512MB is enough on a properly configured system. I'd say for XP that 128mb is "barely adequate."
It really depends on what you're doing. Personally, I like to have 2GB or more, especially if we're talking Vista, but 512MB is XP is fine for everything but serious gaming or trying to burn a DVD while multitasking.
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) -- "All we're saying is that we want our country to be a real country again, one where we can have faith in our constitution, one that is grounded in the rule of law," said Jason Smith, spokesperson for the group "Americans For a Free America (AFFA)." Smith continued: "we have the backing of several million Americans. Our group is committed to ensuring that our government returns to being constitutional, and that our country stops this slide that has turned it into a "dictatorial banana republic." Our charter states that this must be accomplished using constitutional, non-violent means, and part of what needs to be done is that we need a "second FBI." While it is clear that most agents in the FBI we have now are honest, hard working Americans who believe in protecting our country AND the rights of it's citizens it is just as clear that there is a criminal group operating above (and infiltrating within) the FBI."
When contacted for comment on the AFFA group, agent Johnson of the FBI commented: "It is clear that AFFA is a domestic terror group, all they want to talk about is freedom when we are fighting an endless war. We need to be able to do whatever we want because most certainly this group may kill babies, torture puppies and bomb buildings. This cannot be allowed."
When presented with the quote above, Smith replied "This is why we're calling for a second FBI, the criminals in our government have ruined the first FBI by either asking them to, or allowing them to commit crimes against the people; and be clear, we are not saying most FBI agents are criminals, that isn't the case, my uncle was a fed, but the corruption at the top and in certain "joint task forces" ruinz it for the 98% of good, America loving agents."
When asked what evidence the agency had of anything illegal acts by AFFA, or why they would suspect that a group committted to peace, freedom, and the rule of law would commit such heinous acts, I was detained and questioned for 10 hours about if I was part of a domestic terror group and whether I supported the constitution. I was released after I agreed to publish the following statement: "I now see that the the FBI is right, this group and their type is dangerous. We are all in danger, danger is everywhere, and the internets is where it hides."
Slashdot Mirror
It seems to me like Wikipedia is getting it from all sides.
..and now we have people like this (and others) trying to poke holes in Wikipedia's credibility.
We have people in the intelligence community whose job seems to be managing/editing wikipedia entries on the sly.
We have politicians changing their own pages and removing anything unflattering, regardless of truth.
We have allegations of using influence to possibly get Racheal Marsden's page altered which would be slightly unethical (but something I am sure she would gladly do).
But here's the thing - thoughout all of that it is transparent. We know about it. If Wikipedia were a corporation or other closed model - this same sort of stuff would go on and we wouldn't know about it - or even worse, things that could upset powerful politicians or corporations may not even make it in.
Wikipedia may not be perfect, but I think it is amazing and amazingly trustable - BECAUSE of the transparency, and BECAUSE anybody can participate. It's not like someone can go on there and change important facts without it being caught - and usually it is caught within less than a minute.
Wikipedia as a system is designed to cope with any and all of these issues, and I (personally) find it much more up-to-date, credible, and comprehensive than any other encyclopedic source.
Well I will tell you this much - it's only a true fool who believes that "conspiracies never happen" and everything govt/intel says is true.
Indeed, conspiracies happen all of the time - any time more than one person gets together with another and plans to do something. It's also one of the msot common criminal charges in the US.
I still think that the odds of how this happen with so many cables in such a short time span is suspicious. Does that mean it wasn't an accident? Anything is possible, but some things are more likely than others and keep in mind that those groups or agencies who do these sort of things specialize in damage control, cover stories, and manipulation of the public.
All I am saying is that you really don't know, and for people to act like it's "case closed no questions remain" over this press release is kind of short sighted. It really doesn't change a thing. If this was done intentionally there would be a cover, likely a couple of layers of cover.
I have a huge problem with this, as I think any American who isn't a sheeple would.
This stuff has to be stopped.
What they have been doing according to some goes way beyond what most Americans even believe is possible technologically.
Google Tice and RNM if you want to read about this sort of stuff.
It's extremely scary. I think Tice is extremely credible - I don't know how they stopped him from testifying the second tijme - but I did notice that they had the fascist pundit attack dogs like ORielly saying he should be jailed on time. When they have no defense they attack the messenger and his credibility and integrity, his mental state, etc.
Thiaq said: "Being prepared to take big risks is something that's impossible not to respect."
I disagree. Any idiot can be prepared to take big risks - casinos, hospitals, prisons and morgues are full of them.
In my opinion you get respect for knowing WHEN and HOW to take big risks - not just being willing to risk your life and/or livlihood. Sometimes (as is the case for many in our military) you take a huge risk to your livlihood (and freedom even) by deciding to refuse to take part in something you feel is against the oath you took upon entering the service.
In this war I respect those who go and feel it is their duty, and I have even more respect for those who wont. I feel that this government owes those who put their lives on the line so much better. - and those those who would force others to take the ultimate risk over greed, hegemony and hubris I can only say that I hope that one day fate decides to collect from them and their in equal proportion to the risks and losses they have placed upon others.
I would trust dslreports (aka broadbandreports) over just about any other site.
I've always found that site to be invaluable when dealing with any and all broadband issues; free tools to test your connection speed and security, as well as finding information about everthing from regulatory politics, technical support, etc to comparing how well your service performs compared to the guy who lives in the next city over.
They also have some very informative forums as a lot of people who work on the technical front lines for broadband providers post stuff there before it hits the news or is announced by providers.
No, you're wrong (especially if you're talking about America). Most people think this is how it works, but it isn't.
When you take ou a loan, "new money" is created as debt from that loan. Sounds ridiculous right? It is, but it's the truth.
I suggest that you or anyone else who is interested in this and in how the Fed operates watch these very short animated videos that will show you EXACTLY how banking in America works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8
They are very interesting, there are 5 parts - watch one, you'll want to watch them all and they are very informative.
love those binaries!
>>Maybe your wife learning about how much of the family's finances go into your hitherto unknown porn habit?>>
We all know most may view it on occasion, but who on Slashdot is going to admit to *paying for* pron?
(The Slashdot community may revoke your geek credentials and send you to Digg).
Great post. I wish I had some mod points left.
So many of the statements about Venus (and Mars for that matter as well) have been inaccurate; at times it seems deliberately or recklessly so.
SO much of what NASA has done has been awful and has led people away from science; things like colorizing shots of Mars to make the climate of planet look more red and hostle than it is for instance.
The American people were sold a bill of goods when it was "given" NASA....We did not get what we were supposed to get, and what we have gotten isn't even what all it claims to be.
I have comcast now and while I hate their politics and their customer service and billing tactics, one place I cannot give them grief is speed.
They double their speds every so often. I have the premium (what was 8MB when I bought it) which is now a 16Mbit connection - they didn't charge me more (obviously they needed to do this cause if I had been able to get FIOS I would have) they didn; say a word..One day i wake up and it's BAM twice as fast.
I do a lot of binaries and I actually get real world consistent all of the time speeds of over 2MB/sec. When I first start a download on my desktop it spikes to almost 4MB/sec then drops after a few seconds to about 2400k/sec.
So while I dislike a lot of things about comcast and wish I couldhave a company I trusted to protect my privacy; at least they do (for me) deliver what I am paying for.
Great post that I think illustrates a greater point -
" That's what scared them from the start...the loss of their ability to dictate our tastes in music and control the top 40 charts."
This is not only true for the music industry - it is even MORE true for journalism in general - because, right now I think anyone who in an even halfway savvy media consumer, (or really anyone who doesn't have blinders on) can see that the mainstream media is operating almost EXACTLY in the same way...
Blogging and other indie media have allowed the masses to get and produce news that is REAL news and that is relevant to them, not that "infotainment" Paris Hilton bullshit.
The government and MSM (via their symbiotic partnership) both do not like this - they lose ability to control the agenda, to list the plausible opinions which the sheep can debate at the water cooler - as I have heard said often back in school "the media doesn't tell you what to think, the tell you what to think about, they set the agenda" - Well, I would go further, I would say that now, for most Americans who are brain dead television receivers - they set the agenda as well as providing a "multiple choice" format what what the possible opinions of the public can be - then reinforce this with bullshit polls.
If you take it to the core of what I am saying - it is information in general, and the ability for the masses to access it readily, unflitered, and to share and create it in the same manner without it being sanctioned, filtered, and controlled by authorities (be they govt or corp) that the powers that be are goign to try to destroy.
When you look at the corporations and governments we have on earth right now, how long do you think we have before they find a way to subvert the freedom of the net? I have already seen the fear campaign is in full force from all angles - whether it's "Hackers shutting down the pwoer grid" to "Pedaphiles are EVERYWHERE on the net looking for your children" to "identity theft is everywhere" to "terrorists use the net to learn about nukes," - then you see the economic control side - the debate about "net neutrality" etc....Personally I wouldn't cal America a democracy or a democratic republic anymore. I would call it a corporatist feudal system....and there are many synonyms for such a system.
First off, I don't think whoever organized the protests against Scientology would do this. The negative PR alone would be a demotivating factor...
No....to me this has all of the hallmarks of a "false flag" hack. I can think of two groups who would want to do this to cause harm to the image of Anonymous AND "hackers" in general:
Scientology and elements within the US government.
That's just a ridiculous weasely exaggeration and misrepresentation to try to prove a point and when you have to do that it generally means that whatever you are trying to say doesn't stand up on it's own.
/. defending child porn or suicide bombers in relation to the constitution; the point I have heard often is that the constitution is being destroyed, people are being manipulated or forced into giving up their rights - rights which are inherent in being human, not GIVEN by a fucking government.
/. adovcating using violence to "silence others opinions."
I have never once heard anyone on
Violence is abhorrent and I have never seriously heard people on
Violence for self-defense is another story....
That is awesome - but it scares the shit out of me.
Couple that thing with the weapons technology I have seen on other defense contractor "robotic soldiers" that can detect and kill from over a mile away.
But is it fluent in Baachi?
If I were the state of NJ and the professors I would take this as a welcome sign that not only are they on the right track here - but that they are going to find something when they check these machines out.
I say they should re-double their efforts and try to get several machines, source code, whistleblower employees and everything else they can and really nail these fucks.
As every other impartial examination of 'black box voting' (especially in relation to Diebold, ES&S, and Sequoia) has shown - these are basically set up to be manipulated.
This is only true if you define "journalism" as being the spew regurgitated by mainstream media and their partners.
I understand what you were trying to say, but I think you took that phrase out of content and misunderstood what I meant; my point was that if wikipedia starts taking money for ads, then it is only a matter of time before everything that makes it autoritative, useful, and trustworthy will be gone.
I don't see "only those two extremes," (firstly because where wikipedia is at right now isn't an "extreme" so semantically what you said doesn't make sense; I get the point about the danger inherent in the sort of thinking that has arguments being framed in 'Black and white' only and I totally agree that that is scary - but I wasn't saying it's a blck and white issue - there are positives and negatives, but I think if you look historically the outcome is always the same.
I wasn't saying that if it isn't "kept pure" than it should be destroyed; I was making that point that if advertising enters the picture it WILL compromise wikipedia eventually; maybe not drastically at first - but the inevitably outcome is that money, influence, and corporations enter the picture - and EVERY SINGLE ONE of those things is generally an enemy of objectivity, openness, and other progressive ideas that make soemthing like wikipedia special.
Parent should not have been modded as flamebait - it makes a good (if slightly redeundant) point and does not seem to be inviting scorn.
My point exactly.
I think that nothing good can come of commercializing Wikipedia. Even if it has no impact at first, once advertisers enter the picture I think that is the eventual result.
Bob Dylan does drugs??!?!??
NO. Only if they want to compromise it the way every other commercialized site is compromised.
In my mind that ruins one of the best things Wikipedia has going for it and what makes it reliable.
Intelligence services and politicians are already trying to control wikipedia and heavily edit entries on certain subjects - and have been caught doing so.
So no. No commercialization. No tolerance for political inerference for any reason. Keep it pure - or destroy it completely and let it become like every other once noble site that harnessed the goodness and knowledge of the crowd-cloud that then went commercial and fucked everyone who believed in it's original premise.
This is no accident. There has been manipulation and paranoia based behavior control.
"We were attacked" "by evil terrorists" (the fact of who those "evil terrorists" actually are or whether it was some bullshit storybook conspiracy that completely falls apart and lacks credibility if you have half a brain OR was a manipulation in the first place doesn't matter because the effects are the same with how it is being used).
People are being made to feel like there is danger coming at them from all corners at all times. The fear has been ratcheted up constantly and is bombarding this TV addicted country relentlessly; and the internets is the newest place where terrible things can happen to you, your family, and the country (according to the TV).
If you can find 4 or so hours of pre-recorded mainstream network television (including news and the ever ubiquitous crime drama) from ten years ago (it was still total trash but not the same trash we have today) - watch it - then, watch the same amount of today's television and I think you'll see that there is a very noticable difference.
The people driving the bus that is America want you to feel as though you're on a roller coaster that is careening off the rails all at times sourrounded by foreigners with rocket launchers just waiting for their chance to blow you away and next they're going to be trying to convince you that the neighbor on your left (who looks you) is in league with those "terraists" and the neighbor on your right is going to go off of his meds and shoot up your kid's school.
When people are this scared they make bad decisions. When people are this scared they'll allow things they would NEVER allow (like giving up their rights and taking a "I don't care, lock 'em up or torture 'em, it's not me or my family who will be affected" attitude)...The fact that this country would even talk about being okay with indefinite incarceration without charge and torture (let alone actually allowing or making it fucking policy) is disgusting and unbelevable and would have never been possible without this scheme. The thing most people don't get is that it already is affecting the entire society and it will affect them and those they care about because the definition of "terrorist" and what is considered is "terrorism" is being changed - look at the homegrown terrorism act for one thing..
People wonder how Germany was transformed in the 30s...I don't wonder anymore.
One thing to always consider: Just like it always is, one way or the other piracy plays into the strategy of getting this OS adopted.
Who cracks and/or installs pirated software? Mostly young techies. If they can get an OS for free or for cheaper than Vista, then Vista needs to be made "free" to compete in that sector - However, you can't just make the product free or reduce the price point, because that is only going to get you less money from people who are going to pay for it anyway and won't affect those who acquire software activations via other means.
MS knows that people who are going to pirate are generally not going to pay for an OS, and certainly not full price, and some people would pirate even if it cost $2.99.
I would think that one of the worst things that could happen to a new OS is to be rejected by the young technically savvy users - for so many reasons, but one reason is because they influence adoption; especially upgrades and new system purchases. Do you know when my parents and pretty much every other non-techie person I know decides to upgrade their OS, or buy anything computer related? After they ask my advice (or whoever they consider to be the most computer savvy person in their life). I am sure it is the same for a lot of us here.
Certainly I used to use pirated stuff sometimes before I could afford MSDN or worked in places that provided all the legit software I needed. I am not posting about whatever piracy is right or wrong here, that has been debated endlessly and it's a personal choice. One thing I can say is that (with the exception of a few times I have seen legit copies of Vista deactivate) it certainly is a lot less of a pain in the ass to use properly activated software.
I wonder though - if you plotted the adoption rate of Vista on a graph against MS expectations, my guess is that the further below expectations the adoption rate is, the less stringent activations are going to be and more cracks and workarounds (that work well) you're going to see.
512 is XP "barely adequate?" For what?
From what I have seen, for 98% of things in XP 512MB is enough on a properly configured system. I'd say for XP that 128mb is "barely adequate."
It really depends on what you're doing. Personally, I like to have 2GB or more, especially if we're talking Vista, but 512MB is XP is fine for everything but serious gaming or trying to burn a DVD while multitasking.
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) -- "All we're saying is that we want our country to be a real country again, one where we can have faith in our constitution, one that is grounded in the rule of law," said Jason Smith, spokesperson for the group "Americans For a Free America (AFFA)." Smith continued: "we have the backing of several million Americans. Our group is committed to ensuring that our government returns to being constitutional, and that our country stops this slide that has turned it into a "dictatorial banana republic." Our charter states that this must be accomplished using constitutional, non-violent means, and part of what needs to be done is that we need a "second FBI." While it is clear that most agents in the FBI we have now are honest, hard working Americans who believe in protecting our country AND the rights of it's citizens it is just as clear that there is a criminal group operating above (and infiltrating within) the FBI."
When contacted for comment on the AFFA group, agent Johnson of the FBI commented: "It is clear that AFFA is a domestic terror group, all they want to talk about is freedom when we are fighting an endless war. We need to be able to do whatever we want because most certainly this group may kill babies, torture puppies and bomb buildings. This cannot be allowed."
When presented with the quote above, Smith replied "This is why we're calling for a second FBI, the criminals in our government have ruined the first FBI by either asking them to, or allowing them to commit crimes against the people; and be clear, we are not saying most FBI agents are criminals, that isn't the case, my uncle was a fed, but the corruption at the top and in certain "joint task forces" ruinz it for the 98% of good, America loving agents."
When asked what evidence the agency had of anything illegal acts by AFFA, or why they would suspect that a group committted to peace, freedom, and the rule of law would commit such heinous acts, I was detained and questioned for 10 hours about if I was part of a domestic terror group and whether I supported the constitution. I was released after I agreed to publish the following statement: "I now see that the the FBI is right, this group and their type is dangerous. We are all in danger, danger is everywhere, and the internets is where it hides."