Maybe the empire finally realized that big metal planets are a dead giveaway of mal intentions; whereas small planetoid looking bodies look innocuous; (and thermal exhaust ports can be more easily concealed as little volcanos)....
It's nice to hear that even the FISA court is demanding that the Administration respect the law - but there are two problems I see that keep me from feeling like this is going to make any difference.
The first is that this administration just ignores laws and other governmental agencies/branches at will. They consider themselves above the law and act accordinly. They ignored congressional subpoenas, so I doubt that the FISA court is going to have any more luck - and that brings me to the second issue I have:
The second issue is that this could all be a show; that is how politics seems to work in the US. They very possibly could have worked this out in a back room somewhere and have to look impartial, but if there was true impartiality and true consideration of the law and respect for the constitution, for the country, for the people of the country, we'd never be where we are now.
This is ridiculous; almost to the point of being criminally negligent.
I agree and am always saying that one of the many, many major problems with education in America is that kids are not taught to think critically, to think for themselves.
They are taught to learn by rote and not to question authority.
With how the publication of science and textbooks has been politicized and corrupted; and then this crap and everything else that is going on with education here, it is clear that the goal is to create more cogs.
More cogs for the the machine that will be good little citizens. More bricks in the wall; like the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall, pt.2"
More and more I am so sad for this country because I just don't see a way for America to survive as a free, progressive society. We were once the light of democracy for the world supposedly - and now , if we can avoid becoming a complete fascist dictatorship - we'll still have to deal with a country full of mindless cogs.
Re:I have no problem with this kind of thing
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Manhattan 1984
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You made some good points in your post, but this sentence:
>>I find that most people who reject number plate tracking, CCTV cameras, automatic logging and vehicle license MOT test (legal UK vehicle check to ensure it is road worthy) and the like generally have something to hide.
shows ignorance and pretty much ruins every other argument you make. Just because there are some positive aspects of this sort of thing it does not make it worth giving the government yet another tool in their orwellian bag of tricks to monitor and control the populace.
Haven't we already discussed the fallacy of the "if you're not doing anything wrong you shouldn't be worried about government surviellance" argument?
Every single time one of these things is brought about, there are always promises about the controls they're going to use and how it will never be used for any of the things people who are concerned are worried about. Kind of like the US social security card - when these were brought about there were huge concerns about how it would be eventually used for identification, etc. The government promised and even passed laws saying that this number could not be used for identification purposes. My social security card (which is from the early 70s) even says on the front in big letters "NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES" and guess what? That phrase vanished from the front of these cards and every single thing that people were concerned about have come to fruition (and then some, because obviously the technology we have now makes amazing things possible).
I am not against progress, and certainly I think that vehicle safety inspections/tests on a yearly or bi-yearly basis is a great idea....
Never trust that governments have good intentions with this stuff. They don't, and even if they did, once it is in place future governments can and will make changes that suit them.
""this technology could be just as useful a tool for the citizens to monitor the police as it would be for the police to monitor the citizens.""
Don't bet on it, considering that we have federal law enforcment agencies stating that "attempting to police the police" is one of the things potential terrorists do.
The problem comes with who makes the determination of what "good reason" is, and how that determination is made...One simple case I can think of right now is that it could stop someone from being able to experience one of the many great things about the net - the ability to be able to teach yourself something incredibly technical by being able to download the tools and look through tons of tutorials, etc without having to enroll in some institution.
You're suggesting thatthe law wont be abused, but if those who passed this law were concerned with being even handed and insightful, I doubt the law would exist.
Personally, I feel that this law is wrong, and (all due respect) your rationale reminds me of the argument that claims every unconstitutional action the current US administration undertakes is okay, because those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear. It takes something that has always been permissable, and allows the government to say "if we think what you're doing isn't legitimate, we're going to lock you up."
I'd prefer that it was handled the way it was set up to be handled - the way we did it in the early 1900s - where money represented a set amount of gold or silver or something of value...
Mayer Amschel Bauer, who founded the Rothschild family said, "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws."
His son, Amschel Mayer Rothschild said, "Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws."
Another son, Nathan Mayer Rothschild bragged, "I care not what puppet is placed upon the throne of England to rule the Empire on which the sun never sets. The man who controls Britain's money supply controls the British Empire, and I control the British money supply."
I totally agree with you, except for the part about debt reduction. Unless and until we get rid of the Federal Reserve and their fiat money usory, there will never be a possibility of no debt. When you have a consortium of private, non-government banking interests (which is what the US Federal Reserve is) issuing money which isn't tied to anything of value, and then charging interest of that supply, you don't get out of debt..not truly.
Hmmm...perhaps things like this have something to do with why western countries are dumbing down their populaces?....
When I look at things like this, coupled with all of the other recent media pushes about "how dangerous the internet is, especially to children" as well as the whole RIAA/MPAA DRM intellectual property fiasco, and the "huge identity theft problem" I come to the conclusion that eventually the government (and the people and organizations behind the government who are driving the surveillance state we live in) will be forcing legislation on the way the internet is used into a dark place.
What do I mean by this? I forsee a time coming where it is going to be mandated that everything you do online is tagged with a definitive ID. They will equate this to real life, and say: "you have to carry ID in the real world at all time, now that the internet is so important in our day to day lives, and in this age of terrorism, and since there is (gasp) so much horrible crime and online predators on the net, we need to bring the online world in sync with the offline world, it's for your safety, think of the children, etc."
This would be offered as a solution to everything - the creepy online predators, the RIAA/MPAA/general IP concerns, identity theft issues, the tax they'd like to collect, everything - if this happens just the fact that it would have a chilling effect on people feeling able to post anonymously on their political opinions, whistle blowers, etc...
As far as the technical side of it, there are a few ways this could be implemented; whether it's as simple as registering an IP address to a confirmed identity in a way that law enforcement will have faster, more direct access to; or some other system that tags every packet at a lower level with a confirmed ID - something like an encrypted PGP key or something, I think this is coming unfortunately.
The net is the last bastion of true democracy in some ways. We all know that knowledge and information is power, the ability of the internet to disseminate and provide large amounts of news which isn't watered down or filtered through some corporate/governmental bias is essential IMO. When you have citizen journalism, news from other countries, the ability for people around the world to communicate and organize online and share files, the political implications of all of this, etc...all of these things are a part of what makes the internet great, and that authoritarian governments can't stand (because they can't control any of it).
From George Tenet's statement a few years ago which, (to paraphrase) was something like "The wild west days of the internet will soon be over," to the pushes we're seeing in the media currently; (which sometimes seem like very obvious blatant agenda setting)....If all of the fear based reporting doesn't work, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some attempted terrorist attack which somehow used the net, or an "al queda virus," (i can see the headlines now), or a regular virus/worm of some sort...
I worry that this is coming, and feel that the implications for freedom and democracy are staggering...I hope it doesn't happen...
This is crap - yet another group who haven't learned that ruining the experience for the customer and attacking how the customer wants to acquire and digest their media not only doesn't work, it actually works against their bottom line in the end and ruins their image in the process.
We can speak out about this, write a million posts, contact congresspeople (who are mostly bought and paid for), but, like many things these days I get the feeling that the decision has already been made and that any "process" involved is likely just for show.
If this turns out to be correct, then since this government and it's corporate whoremasters doesn't listen to us, subvert our rights, sell us out to each other, and do a whole host of other illegal, extralegal, and unethical things - that I am just going to do what I want when it comes to my media regardless.
These media conglomerates can keep trying, but they're too big and too slow; and there will always be a way around DRM/restrictions -and that's not even looking at market based solutions; because if they cripple their devices there will always be somebody innovative enough not to cripple their offering to the public, or to at least leave back doors to easily enable features technically advanced users want, kind of like what Philips does with some of their products.
Boy...They'd better pull out some digital eye wool for their digital politicians and pass a second life PATRIOT ACT....
Oh wait..this game is supposed to be fun - what do you do when your digital life starts to have all the 'fun" of your regular life (taxes, restrictive unconstitutional "laws," torture)?
Because intelligence agencies have deep pockets and a LOT of people who can do this thing. Random vandals are one thing, but a group of connected people with the means, skills, and tools to hide their identity and spoof their credentials and technical info about their location, etc
This means that someone can decide what viewpoint to put forth on controversial events, or what viewpoints or facts to silence.
Believe me, the intelligence agencies have compartments that are VERY interested in doing this sort of thing. Lending creedence to and discrediting different ideas is a core function.
I also think that seeing how backwards everything is (criminals in government corrupting and gaming the system for their own gain, seeing how the rich get richer and poor get poorer, how many large corporations pay no tax - how basically everything is back room deals and bullshit - seeing how (especially with the current administration) in some ways for the rich or connected America has become a kleptocracy.
People see that long enough, they see people taking advantage of their knowledge and connections keep the playing field *anything but level* and decide "hey, I can get a keymaker that bypasses activation when used with a particular process with this software and I won't have to pay for it. That's how I level the playing field for MYself" It's almost a given if any or all of the following hold true:
1. They can't afford to buy it, or would never pay that amount of money for the software if that was the only way to get it (and certainly, as you mentioned, wouldn't be familiar with it's use already). Piracy does not equate 1 to 1 to lost sales. Maybe 10 to 1...maybe.
2. They only need it for marginal/occasional use (like to deal with a proprietary format or do one conversion, etc).
3. It's actually quicker, easier, and more convenient to obtain and install a pirated version in many instances then to do all of the same with a full legit licensed version.
The thing is - as far as I am concerned, stopping piracy completely is one of those things that you need a police state aparatus in place to do. Kind of like smoking pot in a private home. The same way cops can't break into your house to check and see if you're smoking the devil weed, companies/authorities shouldn't be able to use invasive methods to find out of your software is legal after it's been installed. To allow these things has a greater price on society and our freedoms than the economic gain enforcement would provide. I am sure assholes like Giuliani, the RIAA, and other fascists/corporate supremicists would disagree - but seeing as how in the US/UK we're somewhat on the verge of a police state anyways, I wonder what will happen next as far as this arms race between pirates and corporations is concerned.
When you add in tolerating piracy, or even using it as a sort of marketing program - specifically, in addition to what BusinessWeek was talking about in Asia, etc , from what I have seen it seems like MS office (both 2003 and 2007) are pretty much tolerated to be pirated right now in the US. You can't pass a geniune advantage check with a pirated version without funny business, but you can certainly use and update them no problem, no pop-up... why is this? Likely because of all of the open source office alternatives gaining ground - it's surprisingly innovative for MS - it's the smartest thing they can do. Deviously smart kinda, but I guess you really can't complain about that if you're using pirated versions of their software.
Why would anybody believe that this is about "protecting our children?" (And when did that become the job of the state)?
This is about one thing: Controlling and censoring information on the internet. The internet is way too open for these people, it's too much of a bastion of free thought and provides the ability for the masses to coordinate, organize and disseminate information.
When they are done it will basically be like some sort of fucked up interactive television where you can buy shit - like a cross between MSNBC, Amazon.com and Cable On-Demand services and your email (which will be scanned by the state of course).
We have a DOJ that has just announced that they will not enforce a contempt charge even if it passes the house - so the cat is out of the bag, this administration is openly saying that they are above all laws; congress, instead of actually working to preserve separation of powers, due process, and the rule of law and talking about this shit?
The administration, DHS, and the mainstream media seem to know for certain that there is going to be a larger than 9/11 attack within the next month or two. Unfortunately if this happens martial law will likely be declared, all of these fucked up executive orders kick in (10990 - 12656, see http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/fem a_executive_orders.htm); NSPD51, suspension of the constitution for a minimum of 6 months, etc.
I would assume that organizations such as this have armies of high end law firms - they type who golf with judges and politicians at 250k per year private golf clubs - on retainer. If the RIAA themselves don't have such lawyers on retainer, you can bet that the multinational entertainment conglomerates do and would gladly provide them.
1. This is clearly not well thought out. I believe it will become a real problem for the school in several ways:
A. First, how are they going to determine who is responsible for downloading something, (IE who was actually at the computer)?
B. Once they do, what about the other students who share the room? Are they SOL?
C. What about the student's classes? I am sure the net is quite integral, so basically they are removing a learning/research/interaction tool which I would say is necessary in today's collegiate environment.
D. Also, with the money students (more likely parents) are paying for a dorm and related - (including resnet or whatever) you can bet the school will be sued.
E. When checking out prospective universities, something like this is going to turn off a lot of kids - I know if I were considering schools I would cross this school off of my list - notm only because of this policy itself, but because think it's an indicator of how this school's administration thinks, and how they feel about protecting the rights of their sztudents.
F. Are they monitoring the students usage, or only responding to letters?
G. My guess is that the RIAA/MPAA got the school to take this ridiculously hard line. It seems likely to me that there may have been some sort of bribe or coercion here - either they are offering the school (or someone who has the authority to do this at the school) something, or threatening to remove something.
When you consider all of these things and how they will negatively impact the school and it's image, it seems to me that this isn't going to work. I could be wrong, but it just seems too drastic.
The casino always wins in the end; It is THEIR responsibility to make sure GAMES OF CHANCE are working properly.
This happened because either somebody didn't do their job, or there was inadequate quality control.
Personally, I think the casino should eat it, I don't think this is, or should be considered a criminal act - If charges end up being filed and this goes in front of a judge I don't think it's on the players to prove they just thought they were lucky, I think the casino would have to prove they they KNEW they were taking advantage, (and even if they did, I still think it's on the casino).
AFAIAC the furthest something like this should be able to go is civil court and ONLY if they can prove a player who made money off this didn't return it when asked.
I agree. The headline was a bit sensationalist and inaccurate, and it hasn't overturned the 5th amendment, true - but it has subverted it.
This order does undermine 5th amendment protections, clearly - and you don't need to be a lawyer to see it.
If any sort of news warrants attention grabbing headlines, Bush's dictatorial edicts which subvert constitutional protections do, although I feel tha this sort of headline does more harm than good because people will read it, see it isn;t entirely accurate, and then dismiss what the truth realy is - which is plenty scary.
You certainly aren't hearing about this stuff in the mainstream media. Pactically the entire Bill of Rights has been nullified in the past 6 years, and most people simply aren't aware of it.
The insurrection act was changed *literally* in the middle of the night with no process - posse comitatus is history. Why do you think all of these things are being done? Do you think it's to keep you safe from those big bad terrorists?
Because to me, looking at all of this stuff, - these are all laws tha apply to Americans in America, not even people who have been convicted of any crime. SO when you look at things like this recent executive order, and include the FEMA executive orders, NSPD51, the PATRIOT act, the Warner Defense Act and the Military Commissions act all taken together are a framework for martial law and dictatorial rule (no, I am not saying we are under full blown dicatorial rule now, but after the next terror attack you can bet we will be - and what will you say or do about it then)?
Also, as far as I understand it, the whole point of Slashdot is *not* to have some editor deciding what makes it and what doesn't - the community is probably the most intelligent and articulate on the web when it comes to what is covered here - and I think the community does a damn good job rooting through the crap and calling bullshit on stuff that doesn't hold water.
I think that the multinationals (music industry etc) and their US government lackeys will continue to do whatever they have to do until they shut TPB down.
If that means having someone post purported or real child porn to the site and then raiding TPB, that is what they'll do. There is no doubt in my mind that they will create a situation to enable them to take action if necessary. The criminal and corrupt elements within the US government (of which there are many, and they are the same ones who would be taking money from RIAA lobbyists both on and off the record) have learned that this is the most effective way to get things done when they want to, but can't because people's rights get in the way.
Usually they try intimidation, if you see the letters page on TPB you can see the many attempts at this; while their responses are not the most professional thing in the world, I find them very enjoyable to read because these corporate lawyers are so used to being able to scare people into submission. It's especially enjoyable to read the ones where there has been a back and forth going on and you see the lawyers get more exasperated - yes, they are juvenile at times, and seem to be asking for further confrontation - but enjoyable nonetheless. You can see them at the link below.
At least in Sweden they can say "this is our law, if members of our government or police or US companies don't like it, too bad because the law trumps their opinion." It used to be that in the United States we had a constitution that protected us from government abuse. Now we don't - and the small portions of it which have not been completely subverted are just ignored at the whim of the powerful.
Slashdot Mirror
Your post is missing something:
"That's no Asteroid.... - It's SPACE STATIONS"
Maybe the empire finally realized that big metal planets are a dead giveaway of mal intentions; whereas small planetoid looking bodies look innocuous; (and thermal exhaust ports can be more easily concealed as little volcanos)....
It's nice to hear that even the FISA court is demanding that the Administration respect the law - but there are two problems I see that keep me from feeling like this is going to make any difference.
The first is that this administration just ignores laws and other governmental agencies/branches at will. They consider themselves above the law and act accordinly. They ignored congressional subpoenas, so I doubt that the FISA court is going to have any more luck - and that brings me to the second issue I have:
The second issue is that this could all be a show; that is how politics seems to work in the US. They very possibly could have worked this out in a back room somewhere and have to look impartial, but if there was true impartiality and true consideration of the law and respect for the constitution, for the country, for the people of the country, we'd never be where we are now.
This is ridiculous; almost to the point of being criminally negligent.
I agree and am always saying that one of the many, many major problems with education in America is that kids are not taught to think critically, to think for themselves.
They are taught to learn by rote and not to question authority.
With how the publication of science and textbooks has been politicized and corrupted; and then this crap and everything else that is going on with education here, it is clear that the goal is to create more cogs.
More cogs for the the machine that will be good little citizens. More bricks in the wall; like the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall, pt.2"
More and more I am so sad for this country because I just don't see a way for America to survive as a free, progressive society. We were once the light of democracy for the world supposedly - and now , if we can avoid becoming a complete fascist dictatorship - we'll still have to deal with a country full of mindless cogs.
You made some good points in your post, but this sentence:
>>I find that most people who reject number plate tracking, CCTV cameras, automatic logging and vehicle license MOT test (legal UK vehicle check to ensure it is road worthy) and the like generally have something to hide.
shows ignorance and pretty much ruins every other argument you make. Just because there are some positive aspects of this sort of thing it does not make it worth giving the government yet another tool in their orwellian bag of tricks to monitor and control the populace.
Haven't we already discussed the fallacy of the "if you're not doing anything wrong you shouldn't be worried about government surviellance" argument?
Every single time one of these things is brought about, there are always promises about the controls they're going to use and how it will never be used for any of the things people who are concerned are worried about. Kind of like the US social security card - when these were brought about there were huge concerns about how it would be eventually used for identification, etc. The government promised and even passed laws saying that this number could not be used for identification purposes. My social security card (which is from the early 70s) even says on the front in big letters "NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES" and guess what? That phrase vanished from the front of these cards and every single thing that people were concerned about have come to fruition (and then some, because obviously the technology we have now makes amazing things possible).
I am not against progress, and certainly I think that vehicle safety inspections/tests on a yearly or bi-yearly basis is a great idea....
Never trust that governments have good intentions with this stuff. They don't, and even if they did, once it is in place future governments can and will make changes that suit them.
""this technology could be just as useful a tool for the citizens to monitor the police as it would be for the police to monitor the citizens.""
Don't bet on it, considering that we have federal law enforcment agencies stating that "attempting to police the police" is one of the things potential terrorists do.
The problem comes with who makes the determination of what "good reason" is, and how that determination is made...One simple case I can think of right now is that it could stop someone from being able to experience one of the many great things about the net - the ability to be able to teach yourself something incredibly technical by being able to download the tools and look through tons of tutorials, etc without having to enroll in some institution.
You're suggesting thatthe law wont be abused, but if those who passed this law were concerned with being even handed and insightful, I doubt the law would exist.
Personally, I feel that this law is wrong, and (all due respect) your rationale reminds me of the argument that claims every unconstitutional action the current US administration undertakes is okay, because those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear. It takes something that has always been permissable, and allows the government to say "if we think what you're doing isn't legitimate, we're going to lock you up."
And a lot of people here could use them to build some new COMMENTS.
I'd prefer that it was handled the way it was set up to be handled - the way we did it in the early 1900s - where money represented a set amount of gold or silver or something of value...
Mayer Amschel Bauer, who founded the Rothschild family said, "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws."
His son, Amschel Mayer Rothschild said, "Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws."
Another son, Nathan Mayer Rothschild bragged, "I care not what puppet is placed upon the throne of England to rule the Empire on which the sun never sets. The man who controls Britain's money supply controls the British Empire, and I control the British money supply."
I totally agree with you, except for the part about debt reduction. Unless and until we get rid of the Federal Reserve and their fiat money usory, there will never be a possibility of no debt. When you have a consortium of private, non-government banking interests (which is what the US Federal Reserve is) issuing money which isn't tied to anything of value, and then charging interest of that supply, you don't get out of debt..not truly.
Hmmm...perhaps things like this have something to do with why western countries are dumbing down their populaces?....
No, they've just taken a cue for the US Government and redefined what the meaning of the word "evil" is.
There are degrees; and we'll be there soon enough. Have you seen some of the proposed legislation lately?
We live in a police state...(at least the Americans among us do).
When I look at things like this, coupled with all of the other recent media pushes about "how dangerous the internet is, especially to children" as well as the whole RIAA/MPAA DRM intellectual property fiasco, and the "huge identity theft problem" I come to the conclusion that eventually the government (and the people and organizations behind the government who are driving the surveillance state we live in) will be forcing legislation on the way the internet is used into a dark place.
What do I mean by this? I forsee a time coming where it is going to be mandated that everything you do online is tagged with a definitive ID. They will equate this to real life, and say: "you have to carry ID in the real world at all time, now that the internet is so important in our day to day lives, and in this age of terrorism, and since there is (gasp) so much horrible crime and online predators on the net, we need to bring the online world in sync with the offline world, it's for your safety, think of the children, etc."
This would be offered as a solution to everything - the creepy online predators, the RIAA/MPAA/general IP concerns, identity theft issues, the tax they'd like to collect, everything - if this happens just the fact that it would have a chilling effect on people feeling able to post anonymously on their political opinions, whistle blowers, etc...
As far as the technical side of it, there are a few ways this could be implemented; whether it's as simple as registering an IP address to a confirmed identity in a way that law enforcement will have faster, more direct access to; or some other system that tags every packet at a lower level with a confirmed ID - something like an encrypted PGP key or something, I think this is coming unfortunately.
The net is the last bastion of true democracy in some ways. We all know that knowledge and information is power, the ability of the internet to disseminate and provide large amounts of news which isn't watered down or filtered through some corporate/governmental bias is essential IMO. When you have citizen journalism, news from other countries, the ability for people around the world to communicate and organize online and share files, the political implications of all of this, etc...all of these things are a part of what makes the internet great, and that authoritarian governments can't stand (because they can't control any of it).
From George Tenet's statement a few years ago which, (to paraphrase) was something like "The wild west days of the internet will soon be over," to the pushes we're seeing in the media currently; (which sometimes seem like very obvious blatant agenda setting)....If all of the fear based reporting doesn't work, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some attempted terrorist attack which somehow used the net, or an "al queda virus," (i can see the headlines now), or a regular virus/worm of some sort...
I worry that this is coming, and feel that the implications for freedom and democracy are staggering...I hope it doesn't happen...
This is crap - yet another group who haven't learned that ruining the experience for the customer and attacking how the customer wants to acquire and digest their media not only doesn't work, it actually works against their bottom line in the end and ruins their image in the process.
We can speak out about this, write a million posts, contact congresspeople (who are mostly bought and paid for), but, like many things these days I get the feeling that the decision has already been made and that any "process" involved is likely just for show.
If this turns out to be correct, then since this government and it's corporate whoremasters doesn't listen to us, subvert our rights, sell us out to each other, and do a whole host of other illegal, extralegal, and unethical things - that I am just going to do what I want when it comes to my media regardless.
These media conglomerates can keep trying, but they're too big and too slow; and there will always be a way around DRM/restrictions -and that's not even looking at market based solutions; because if they cripple their devices there will always be somebody innovative enough not to cripple their offering to the public, or to at least leave back doors to easily enable features technically advanced users want, kind of like what Philips does with some of their products.
You've got to be fucking kidding me
Boy...They'd better pull out some digital eye wool for their digital politicians and pass a second life PATRIOT ACT....
Oh wait..this game is supposed to be fun - what do you do when your digital life starts to have all the 'fun" of your regular life (taxes, restrictive unconstitutional "laws," torture)?
I can explain:
Because intelligence agencies have deep pockets and a LOT of people who can do this thing. Random vandals are one thing, but a group of connected people with the means, skills, and tools to hide their identity and spoof their credentials and technical info about their location, etc
This means that someone can decide what viewpoint to put forth on controversial events, or what viewpoints or facts to silence.
Believe me, the intelligence agencies have compartments that are VERY interested in doing this sort of thing. Lending creedence to and discrediting different ideas is a core function.
I think to degree you are right.
I also think that seeing how backwards everything is (criminals in government corrupting and gaming the system for their own gain, seeing how the rich get richer and poor get poorer, how many large corporations pay no tax - how basically everything is back room deals and bullshit - seeing how (especially with the current administration) in some ways for the rich or connected America has become a kleptocracy.
People see that long enough, they see people taking advantage of their knowledge and connections keep the playing field *anything but level* and decide "hey, I can get a keymaker that bypasses activation when used with a particular process with this software and I won't have to pay for it. That's how I level the playing field for MYself" It's almost a given if any or all of the following hold true:
1. They can't afford to buy it, or would never pay that amount of money for the software if that was the only way to get it (and certainly, as you mentioned, wouldn't be familiar with it's use already). Piracy does not equate 1 to 1 to lost sales. Maybe 10 to 1...maybe.
2. They only need it for marginal/occasional use (like to deal with a proprietary format or do one conversion, etc).
3. It's actually quicker, easier, and more convenient to obtain and install a pirated version in many instances then to do all of the same with a full legit licensed version.
The thing is - as far as I am concerned, stopping piracy completely is one of those things that you need a police state aparatus in place to do. Kind of like smoking pot in a private home. The same way cops can't break into your house to check and see if you're smoking the devil weed, companies/authorities shouldn't be able to use invasive methods to find out of your software is legal after it's been installed. To allow these things has a greater price on society and our freedoms than the economic gain enforcement would provide. I am sure assholes like Giuliani, the RIAA, and other fascists/corporate supremicists would disagree - but seeing as how in the US/UK we're somewhat on the verge of a police state anyways, I wonder what will happen next as far as this arms race between pirates and corporations is concerned.
When you add in tolerating piracy, or even using it as a sort of marketing program - specifically, in addition to what BusinessWeek was talking about in Asia, etc , from what I have seen it seems like MS office (both 2003 and 2007) are pretty much tolerated to be pirated right now in the US. You can't pass a geniune advantage check with a pirated version without funny business, but you can certainly use and update them no problem, no pop-up... why is this? Likely because of all of the open source office alternatives gaining ground - it's surprisingly innovative for MS - it's the smartest thing they can do. Deviously smart kinda, but I guess you really can't complain about that if you're using pirated versions of their software.
Which is why if the price is too high and you have the skills you continue to use and not pay for it.
Why would anybody believe that this is about "protecting our children?" (And when did that become the job of the state)?
m a_executive_orders.htm); NSPD51, suspension of the constitution for a minimum of 6 months, etc.
This is about one thing: Controlling and censoring information on the internet. The internet is way too open for these people, it's too much of a bastion of free thought and provides the ability for the masses to coordinate, organize and disseminate information.
When they are done it will basically be like some sort of fucked up interactive television where you can buy shit - like a cross between MSNBC, Amazon.com and Cable On-Demand services and your email (which will be scanned by the state of course).
We have a DOJ that has just announced that they will not enforce a contempt charge even if it passes the house - so the cat is out of the bag, this administration is openly saying that they are above all laws; congress, instead of actually working to preserve separation of powers, due process, and the rule of law and talking about this shit?
The administration, DHS, and the mainstream media seem to know for certain that there is going to be a larger than 9/11 attack within the next month or two. Unfortunately if this happens martial law will likely be declared, all of these fucked up executive orders kick in (10990 - 12656, see http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/fe
I would assume that organizations such as this have armies of high end law firms - they type who golf with judges and politicians at 250k per year private golf clubs - on retainer. If the RIAA themselves don't have such lawyers on retainer, you can bet that the multinational entertainment conglomerates do and would gladly provide them.
My thinking on this is that:
1. This is clearly not well thought out. I believe it will become a real problem for the school in several ways:
A. First, how are they going to determine who is responsible for downloading something, (IE who was actually at the computer)?
B. Once they do, what about the other students who share the room? Are they SOL?
C. What about the student's classes? I am sure the net is quite integral, so basically they are removing a learning/research/interaction tool which I would say is necessary in today's collegiate environment.
D. Also, with the money students (more likely parents) are paying for a dorm and related - (including resnet or whatever) you can bet the school will be sued.
E. When checking out prospective universities, something like this is going to turn off a lot of kids - I know if I were considering schools I would cross this school off of my list - notm only because of this policy itself, but because think it's an indicator of how this school's administration thinks, and how they feel about protecting the rights of their sztudents.
F. Are they monitoring the students usage, or only responding to letters?
G. My guess is that the RIAA/MPAA got the school to take this ridiculously hard line. It seems likely to me that there may have been some sort of bribe or coercion here - either they are offering the school (or someone who has the authority to do this at the school) something, or threatening to remove something.
When you consider all of these things and how they will negatively impact the school and it's image, it seems to me that this isn't going to work. I could be wrong, but it just seems too drastic.
The casino always wins in the end; It is THEIR responsibility to make sure GAMES OF CHANCE are working properly.
This happened because either somebody didn't do their job, or there was inadequate quality control.
Personally, I think the casino should eat it, I don't think this is, or should be considered a criminal act - If charges end up being filed and this goes in front of a judge I don't think it's on the players to prove they just thought they were lucky, I think the casino would have to prove they they KNEW they were taking advantage, (and even if they did, I still think it's on the casino).
AFAIAC the furthest something like this should be able to go is civil court and ONLY if they can prove a player who made money off this didn't return it when asked.
I agree. The headline was a bit sensationalist and inaccurate, and it hasn't overturned the 5th amendment, true - but it has subverted it.
This order does undermine 5th amendment protections, clearly - and you don't need to be a lawyer to see it.
If any sort of news warrants attention grabbing headlines, Bush's dictatorial edicts which subvert constitutional protections do, although I feel tha this sort of headline does more harm than good because people will read it, see it isn;t entirely accurate, and then dismiss what the truth realy is - which is plenty scary.
You certainly aren't hearing about this stuff in the mainstream media. Pactically the entire Bill of Rights has been nullified in the past 6 years, and most people simply aren't aware of it.
The insurrection act was changed *literally* in the middle of the night with no process - posse comitatus is history. Why do you think all of these things are being done? Do you think it's to keep you safe from those big bad terrorists?
Because to me, looking at all of this stuff, - these are all laws tha apply to Americans in America, not even people who have been convicted of any crime. SO when you look at things like this recent executive order, and include the FEMA executive orders, NSPD51, the PATRIOT act, the Warner Defense Act and the Military Commissions act all taken together are a framework for martial law and dictatorial rule (no, I am not saying we are under full blown dicatorial rule now, but after the next terror attack you can bet we will be - and what will you say or do about it then)?
Also, as far as I understand it, the whole point of Slashdot is *not* to have some editor deciding what makes it and what doesn't - the community is probably the most intelligent and articulate on the web when it comes to what is covered here - and I think the community does a damn good job rooting through the crap and calling bullshit on stuff that doesn't hold water.
It's kind of off-topic, semantic, nitpicky, etc -
And I agreed with your point -
- but when pointing out what an idiot someone is, it really hurts your case to not be able to spell "you're."
I think that the multinationals (music industry etc) and their US government lackeys will continue to do whatever they have to do until they shut TPB down.
If that means having someone post purported or real child porn to the site and then raiding TPB, that is what they'll do. There is no doubt in my mind that they will create a situation to enable them to take action if necessary. The criminal and corrupt elements within the US government (of which there are many, and they are the same ones who would be taking money from RIAA lobbyists both on and off the record) have learned that this is the most effective way to get things done when they want to, but can't because people's rights get in the way.
Usually they try intimidation, if you see the letters page on TPB you can see the many attempts at this; while their responses are not the most professional thing in the world, I find them very enjoyable to read because these corporate lawyers are so used to being able to scare people into submission. It's especially enjoyable to read the ones where there has been a back and forth going on and you see the lawyers get more exasperated - yes, they are juvenile at times, and seem to be asking for further confrontation - but enjoyable nonetheless. You can see them at the link below.
http://thepiratebay.org/legal
At least in Sweden they can say "this is our law, if members of our government or police or US companies don't like it, too bad because the law trumps their opinion." It used to be that in the United States we had a constitution that protected us from government abuse. Now we don't - and the small portions of it which have not been completely subverted are just ignored at the whim of the powerful.