I grew up knowing of Australia as this country that is about the same size as America - with a very free and independent spirit.
Then, in the mid 90s they come down with drastic firearms legislation, and now all we hear about is how obsessed with censorship many in the government there are - censoring film, games, etc to that point that some games aren't available or have to be changed, and they are trying again and again depite heavy Aussie and worldwide opposition to censoring the entire internet.
Is it just the same shift to authoritarianism that has occurred in almost all western countries? Is there enough outcry and clout among the public to put a stop to this stuff?
Good - The last thing we need is for this or any similar position to have some real authority; it's likely only going to be a matter of time before anonymity and freedom online are ruined in the name of "security" anyways.
It's not about "Republicans" or "Democrats;" if you haven't figured out that 95% of both of these parties are basically the same when it comes t things like this (and forms of insitutionalized corruption)...then...well, I guess you are like many in America.
This left vs right paradigm is very useful to those who do nothing but benefit while a good portion of the country fight about whatever the latest meaningless political outrage is, or how many holes Tiger Woods has 'sunk' off of the golf course this year.
Exactly, and unfortunately that's only one of many ironies that exist between things the NSDAP german government did and the actions of the Israeli government.
Israel has drifted even further into fascism than the US has - of course, the powers that be there don't like criticism and and tend to try to stifle any criticism on their dreadful human rights record and severe violations of international law by suggesting that any mention of any of the above is anti-semitism; when in fact - all that argument points out is that the person making it is either a total idiot that doesn't know the difference between a race/religion and a country (or political movement if zionism is the point in question), OR they are purposefully using the anti-semitism argument as a tool to stop all debate. Luckily, people are wise to this now.
So my point is that I think it's absolutely a bad idea for the people of Israel, and that, while no government is beyond misuse of such a tool (especially these days) the Israeli government is one of the last ones I would trust with such a resource.
Maybe Mr. Schmidt would do well to remember the time he complained in the media about the fact that a lot of his personal details, including his address, etc - were found in Google search. Apparently he was doing something wrong, and had devious plan - I mean, if we listen to Mr. Schmidt, his apparent concerns at the time were enough to justify many articles in the mainstream press....Hashe been investigated yet?
Maybe Mr. Schmidt shouldn't be the CEO of a company that deals with so much personal information if he doesn't understand the need for privacy and how important it is to most people.
The argument he makes is the weakest argument people who advocate destroying personal privacy can make - and one of the worst things about it, and something they never seem to consider is that it is a COMPLETELY UNAMERICAN argument, and the reason I say this is because it assumes that the authorities (government) are completely infalliable and should be trusted. One of the main premises of the way our system is supposed to work is checks and balances, they point of which is that we aren't supposed to trust authorities, this is WHY we have checks and balances....and corporations - please.
Are they so stupid they can't understand the user part of the equation? They will destroy their game like this because nobody will want to play.
It's like that Mafia Wars game on facebook - right now you can play it free and keep advancing and having fun, but you can also pay money for points that enable to you take shortcuts and jack your player up faster. This is accceptable to free players, because they can continue to play for free without having to pay for anything - however, when this sort of model is changed to the point that players HAVE to purchase something in order to continue to progress in the game, I'd say that 8 or 9 out of 10 people are going to quit playing because they don't want to start paying for something that has always been free to have the same experience, and on top of that many would quit out of anger and feeling betrayed by being sucked in by a freebie then baited and switched.
I can see the benefits, they're apparent; but basically what you've got is a dumb terminal....Zobeid is right, it's a niche product...but I would add that it's for a large niche. This will appeal to corporate users and people who don't like computers....
For some people and certain applications (particularly corporate applications) this may make a lot of sense....but I see fallacy in their comparisons to the standard PC, because this device wont be able to do 80% of the things a multipurpose PC can do. It may do the most common 20% faster, and with the benefits (and limitations) of "cloud computing" but it's not the same class of device...at least not as described...
The thing I love about my computers is that I can do so much with them, and they can do all of those things extremely well....
It ay make a lot of sense for certain things, and I like the concept, but it's not competing with a windows/mac/linux PC...it's not the same thing.
This is fucked and exemplifies one of the major problems with beaurocrats and businessmen making crucial health coverage decisions - they uyse whatever excuse they can tonot have to pay for what they are supposed to have to pay for, and will weasel out of any claim they can.
A person can have acute/major depression and be on the verge of suicide, that doesn't mean that they will never smile or laugh.
I have (as we all have) heard many of these stories - but usually it's involving teens drinking or getting high or something and someone finding that on facebook - this situation, if were getting the full story, should never have happened, regardless of how she "looks in her photos."
With that said, unfortunately in this day and age you have to be careful what sort of info you put on social networks.
If you want to post pictures of yourself flashing at mardi gras, yet you aren't independently wealthy and still may need to get hired or do anything that someone night take as an invitation to look into your past/social life, you may wish to not post such photos, or post them under a pseudonym account.
with your "have traditional couples licked.." pun....
You're referring to cunnilingus.......yes, see, because the article is about lesbians...yeah...nicely done. You, sir, are a treasure...
But in all seriousness, I think that it ridiculous that people are against same sex parents; it's not like those of us who are heterosexual have done such a great job - plenty of people do, but plenty of people don't...If someone wants to raise a child and is going to give that child/children love and take care of them, then it shouldn't matter what their gender attraction is. Parents are parents, and the people who have this hatred or bias towards gey people need to get over it, because gay people have been around since the beginning of time and they'll be around - it seems to be inherent in nature.
It makes me wonder why people fight it, but then I remember that often the staunchest anti-gay legislators and politicians are the ones who are secretly gay.....
Actually, that's not that far fetched - to lock down some precedents...It would see to me that it would be a lot less expensive and have a much more certain outcome for them to create their own legal adversary and knock them out, thus establishing precedent....
I'd watch the RIAA/MPAA for something like this - maybe they've already tried this.
If this truly bothers you, then start looking for a new job.
I have been in this situation, and here is how I handled it:
I used free alternatives where possible, and explained the security risk and other issues associated with pirated sofware, then I explained that pirated software isn't really free when you consider the security risks and and support issues it creates. It costs more than a lot of people realize; but I am also a realist and not anal about that kind of stuff - so I am not going to sweat it if I can't see licensing details for a copy of acrobat - then again though, I work for a small company, and they're great about paying for things that are supposed to be paid for.
Between developer programs and other special deals (like academic versions, etc) you can always usually find a way to get legit software at an affordable price.
Personally I think that ratting them out to the BSA is fucked unless they screw you over or expect you to obtain pirated software or something like that. Sometimes people just don't realize the deal when it comes to software licensing, and educating them is better than ratting them out.
Especially because it's always possible that the president of the company is correct that some of it was paid for at some point. I guess my attitude is that unless you KNOW it was pirated, and see telltale signs of that, as long as you feel your workplace is treating you fairly and doesn't balk at paying for appropriate software going forward, I wouldn't wory about it.
Re:Sorry, what you're asking for is too easy to ab
on
Reusing Old TiVo Hardware?
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
I think maybe you didn't get what he was asking.
He isn't asking to "cheat Tivo" or use their service with the box when he is done......He's simply wanting to repurpose the hardware - the attitude that there is something wrong with this seems very out of place around here.
I could understand if he said he was trying to bypass paying for Tivo, or was somehow going to try to take advantage of the service in some way that isn't kosher; but no, that's not the deal - he just doesn't want to throw away what amounts to a computer...
I'm fairly interested in this as I have 2 series 2 tivos just laying around, they work fine and I would feel very wasteful just throwing them away......
- I upgraded to the series 3 (and I like it, and have been happy with the company as well as after I purchased a new HDTV I called them and told that I had owned 2 series 2's and wasn't about to pay $300 or more for an HD box, the deal they gave me was probably one of the best retention offers I've ever received from a company - not only did I get an HDbox for next to nothing, I got several months free and monthly fee reduction of over 40% for life)...
So I wouldn't ever advocate screwing them - but using perfectly good hardware for your own purposes (when it doesn't rip anyone off) rather than trashing it is something everyone should support - it's the sort of thinking I feel like a lot more people need to get with given the rampant consumerism and it's impact of the world and that people in it....
"Attorney General Says Wiretap LAW Must Be Thrown Out."...Of course, I still believe in the America I learned about in civics class....I must just be old fashioned...at 37.
Unfortunately I suspect that the story of all of this, that has happened since 9/11, will one day be a disgusting, cautionary tale about how an open and free society was slowly transitioned into an authoritarian fascist nightmare...I'm not sayuig we're completely there yet, but there is a progression - and once these rights, civiliberties, freedoms (whatever you call them) are taken, they never get given back without a severe upheaval or revolution or some sort. Once the security apparatus gets used to being able to list anyone at will for simply having divergent political or religious views (and we all know that is what is happening), good things do not follow.
Once torture (and the stuff we've heard about, sexual torture of children, people being tortured to death, people being tortured until they should have died but being kept alive only so that so they can be tortured further, people being boiled alive....severe psychological torture...It disgusts me and makes those who practice it no different than the most heinous members of the deathshead SS contingents and those who blindly support it share their shame.
I want my country back - but I fear we're in for some terrible days ahead..I hope I am wrong.
Your razor sharp marketing sense, coupled with your genuine concern for passenger safety is EXACTLY what my client's company needs to continue to stay profitable in the 21st century.
Whatever Delta and Southwest are offering you, we'll double it...(Will you take stock options)?
Regards,
Schiester & Smarmyham
Re:Just to get it out of the way ...
on
Caves of the Moon
·
· Score: 1
You could be right....I have a plan though....
We just need to aim some of those super sensitive long range microphones at the cave.......
The second we hear any mention of "Clearing bay 327" or "opening a magnetic shield" we run....
Rating is one thing - but from what I have heard about how australia handles video games, they actually reject them or force them to be changed...THAT is censorship, and if they'll do THAT with something as big budget as a console video game, they'll do it to a little mobile app.
I can say without a doubt that Kaiser Permanente is hated...for many reasons. All of the worst things you've heard about managed care/hmos, etc crystalled in one company.
Good. I don't want that vaccine, and won't take it - I would recommend that everyone research the vaccine and it's ingredients, because there is something that just in't kosher here.
The thing about this that really makes it so sad is that a lot of the time the politicians and well known religious spokesmen who are the MOST outspoken against ga rights, and the most fervent in their anti-gay votes and speeches are, more often than not, actually gay themselves, but are in the closet and can't deal with it.
I don't think that making public records available is a threat. If the people are that concerned about it being known that they support discrimination, then maybe they shouldn;t have signed it.
It's not like people are making threats. Now if this was private information that was NOT public and it was being released, I would have a problem with that.
I knew this was coming, i've posted about it here before, that one day the powers that be are going to want people to have a virtual, verifiable online ID that traces everything you do online back to your real identity that everyone who wants to go online will be forced to have. .
This absolutely has to be stopped, it obviously won't work, any system can be gamed or hacked p but the real issue (even if you believe something like this would help) is that it will stifle free speech - so many people go online to learn, to anonymously get info and talk to people about health issues and personal things that should always be anonymous if the person involved wants it this way.
Just think about political speech and organizing...Say goodbye to that - with the way the US federal government now behaves, just look at Pittsburg - tons of innocent people ]bombarded with LRADs (which can cause permanent hearing damage) for just coming out of their hosue to see what was going on...Police or agent provocateurs dressed up in black and knocking over trash cans - then riot police (and even hired military contractors like blackwater drressed as police) brtualizing innocent people... - SO with all of that sort of behavior, if this sort of thing gets mandated it will be the end of the last truly free medium of communication we have.
I believe that this is the biggest threat to freedom and to the internet, bigger even than network neutrality (which, in some respects can cause similar problems, with certain types of information being "downgraded" or even not served).
If this becomes a reality it will destroy the culture of the internet - digital culture will be dealt a death blow - and I expect now that it's been mentioned every organization from the RIAA and similar groups to the national security organizations to the financial sector will hop on board.
Slashdot Mirror
I grew up knowing of Australia as this country that is about the same size as America - with a very free and independent spirit.
Then, in the mid 90s they come down with drastic firearms legislation, and now all we hear about is how obsessed with censorship many in the government there are - censoring film, games, etc to that point that some games aren't available or have to be changed, and they are trying again and again depite heavy Aussie and worldwide opposition to censoring the entire internet.
Is it just the same shift to authoritarianism that has occurred in almost all western countries? Is there enough outcry and clout among the public to put a stop to this stuff?
Good - The last thing we need is for this or any similar position to have some real authority; it's likely only going to be a matter of time before anonymity and freedom online are ruined in the name of "security" anyways.
It's not about "Republicans" or "Democrats;" if you haven't figured out that 95% of both of these parties are basically the same when it comes t things like this (and forms of insitutionalized corruption)...then...well, I guess you are like many in America.
This left vs right paradigm is very useful to those who do nothing but benefit while a good portion of the country fight about whatever the latest meaningless political outrage is, or how many holes Tiger Woods has 'sunk' off of the golf course this year.
Exactly, and unfortunately that's only one of many ironies that exist between things the NSDAP german government did and the actions of the Israeli government.
Israel has drifted even further into fascism than the US has - of course, the powers that be there don't like criticism and and tend to try to stifle any criticism on their dreadful human rights record and severe violations of international law by suggesting that any mention of any of the above is anti-semitism; when in fact - all that argument points out is that the person making it is either a total idiot that doesn't know the difference between a race/religion and a country (or political movement if zionism is the point in question), OR they are purposefully using the anti-semitism argument as a tool to stop all debate. Luckily, people are wise to this now.
So my point is that I think it's absolutely a bad idea for the people of Israel, and that, while no government is beyond misuse of such a tool (especially these days) the Israeli government is one of the last ones I would trust with such a resource.
Maybe Mr. Schmidt would do well to remember the time he complained in the media about the fact that a lot of his personal details, including his address, etc - were found in Google search. Apparently he was doing something wrong, and had devious plan - I mean, if we listen to Mr. Schmidt, his apparent concerns at the time were enough to justify many articles in the mainstream press....Hashe been investigated yet?
Maybe Mr. Schmidt shouldn't be the CEO of a company that deals with so much personal information if he doesn't understand the need for privacy and how important it is to most people.
The argument he makes is the weakest argument people who advocate destroying personal privacy can make - and one of the worst things about it, and something they never seem to consider is that it is a COMPLETELY UNAMERICAN argument, and the reason I say this is because it assumes that the authorities (government) are completely infalliable and should be trusted. One of the main premises of the way our system is supposed to work is checks and balances, they point of which is that we aren't supposed to trust authorities, this is WHY we have checks and balances....and corporations - please.
Are they so stupid they can't understand the user part of the equation? They will destroy their game like this because nobody will want to play.
It's like that Mafia Wars game on facebook - right now you can play it free and keep advancing and having fun, but you can also pay money for points that enable to you take shortcuts and jack your player up faster. This is accceptable to free players, because they can continue to play for free without having to pay for anything - however, when this sort of model is changed to the point that players HAVE to purchase something in order to continue to progress in the game, I'd say that 8 or 9 out of 10 people are going to quit playing because they don't want to start paying for something that has always been free to have the same experience, and on top of that many would quit out of anger and feeling betrayed by being sucked in by a freebie then baited and switched.
Bad move all of the way around.
I can see the benefits, they're apparent; but basically what you've got is a dumb terminal....Zobeid is right, it's a niche product...but I would add that it's for a large niche. This will appeal to corporate users and people who don't like computers....
For some people and certain applications (particularly corporate applications) this may make a lot of sense....but I see fallacy in their comparisons to the standard PC, because this device wont be able to do 80% of the things a multipurpose PC can do. It may do the most common 20% faster, and with the benefits (and limitations) of "cloud computing" but it's not the same class of device...at least not as described...
The thing I love about my computers is that I can do so much with them, and they can do all of those things extremely well....
It ay make a lot of sense for certain things, and I like the concept, but it's not competing with a windows/mac/linux PC...it's not the same thing.
This is fucked and exemplifies one of the major problems with beaurocrats and businessmen making crucial health coverage decisions - they uyse whatever excuse they can tonot have to pay for what they are supposed to have to pay for, and will weasel out of any claim they can.
A person can have acute/major depression and be on the verge of suicide, that doesn't mean that they will never smile or laugh.
I have (as we all have) heard many of these stories - but usually it's involving teens drinking or getting high or something and someone finding that on facebook - this situation, if were getting the full story, should never have happened, regardless of how she "looks in her photos."
With that said, unfortunately in this day and age you have to be careful what sort of info you put on social networks.
If you want to post pictures of yourself flashing at mardi gras, yet you aren't independently wealthy and still may need to get hired or do anything that someone night take as an invitation to look into your past/social life, you may wish to not post such photos, or post them under a pseudonym account.
An old "Tempest" video game perhaps?
with your "have traditional couples licked.." pun....
You're referring to cunnilingus.......yes, see, because the article is about lesbians...yeah...nicely done. You, sir, are a treasure...
But in all seriousness, I think that it ridiculous that people are against same sex parents; it's not like those of us who are heterosexual have done such a great job - plenty of people do, but plenty of people don't...If someone wants to raise a child and is going to give that child/children love and take care of them, then it shouldn't matter what their gender attraction is. Parents are parents, and the people who have this hatred or bias towards gey people need to get over it, because gay people have been around since the beginning of time and they'll be around - it seems to be inherent in nature.
It makes me wonder why people fight it, but then I remember that often the staunchest anti-gay legislators and politicians are the ones who are secretly gay.....
Actually, that's not that far fetched - to lock down some precedents...It would see to me that it would be a lot less expensive and have a much more certain outcome for them to create their own legal adversary and knock them out, thus establishing precedent....
I'd watch the RIAA/MPAA for something like this - maybe they've already tried this.
If this truly bothers you, then start looking for a new job.
I have been in this situation, and here is how I handled it:
I used free alternatives where possible, and explained the security risk and other issues associated with pirated sofware, then I explained that pirated software isn't really free when you consider the security risks and and support issues it creates. It costs more than a lot of people realize; but I am also a realist and not anal about that kind of stuff - so I am not going to sweat it if I can't see licensing details for a copy of acrobat - then again though, I work for a small company, and they're great about paying for things that are supposed to be paid for.
Between developer programs and other special deals (like academic versions, etc) you can always usually find a way to get legit software at an affordable price.
Personally I think that ratting them out to the BSA is fucked unless they screw you over or expect you to obtain pirated software or something like that. Sometimes people just don't realize the deal when it comes to software licensing, and educating them is better than ratting them out.
Especially because it's always possible that the president of the company is correct that some of it was paid for at some point. I guess my attitude is that unless you KNOW it was pirated, and see telltale signs of that, as long as you feel your workplace is treating you fairly and doesn't balk at paying for appropriate software going forward, I wouldn't wory about it.
Dear MPAA,
Fuck Off. (Seriously).
Warmly,
Everyone
I think maybe you didn't get what he was asking.
He isn't asking to "cheat Tivo" or use their service with the box when he is done......He's simply wanting to repurpose the hardware - the attitude that there is something wrong with this seems very out of place around here.
I could understand if he said he was trying to bypass paying for Tivo, or was somehow going to try to take advantage of the service in some way that isn't kosher; but no, that's not the deal - he just doesn't want to throw away what amounts to a computer...
I'm fairly interested in this as I have 2 series 2 tivos just laying around, they work fine and I would feel very wasteful just throwing them away......
- I upgraded to the series 3 (and I like it, and have been happy with the company as well as after I purchased a new HDTV I called them and told that I had owned 2 series 2's and wasn't about to pay $300 or more for an HD box, the deal they gave me was probably one of the best retention offers I've ever received from a company - not only did I get an HDbox for next to nothing, I got several months free and monthly fee reduction of over 40% for life)...
So I wouldn't ever advocate screwing them - but using perfectly good hardware for your own purposes (when it doesn't rip anyone off) rather than trashing it is something everyone should support - it's the sort of thinking I feel like a lot more people need to get with given the rampant consumerism and it's impact of the world and that people in it....
How about:
"Attorney General Says Wiretap LAW Must Be Thrown Out." ...Of course, I still believe in the America I learned about in civics class....I must just be old fashioned...at 37.
Unfortunately I suspect that the story of all of this, that has happened since 9/11, will one day be a disgusting, cautionary tale about how an open and free society was slowly transitioned into an authoritarian fascist nightmare...I'm not sayuig we're completely there yet, but there is a progression - and once these rights, civiliberties, freedoms (whatever you call them) are taken, they never get given back without a severe upheaval or revolution or some sort. Once the security apparatus gets used to being able to list anyone at will for simply having divergent political or religious views (and we all know that is what is happening), good things do not follow.
Once torture (and the stuff we've heard about, sexual torture of children, people being tortured to death, people being tortured until they should have died but being kept alive only so that so they can be tortured further, people being boiled alive....severe psychological torture...It disgusts me and makes those who practice it no different than the most heinous members of the deathshead SS contingents and those who blindly support it share their shame.
I want my country back - but I fear we're in for some terrible days ahead..I hope I am wrong.
Sir,
I represent a large American national airline.
Your razor sharp marketing sense, coupled with your genuine concern for passenger safety is EXACTLY what my client's company needs to continue to stay profitable in the 21st century.
Whatever Delta and Southwest are offering you, we'll double it...(Will you take stock options)?
Regards,
Schiester & Smarmyham
You could be right....I have a plan though....
We just need to aim some of those super sensitive long range microphones at the cave.......
The second we hear any mention of "Clearing bay 327" or "opening a magnetic shield" we run....
I guess how you feel about that depends on whether you have or can afford good health insurance now.
Rating is one thing - but from what I have heard about how australia handles video games, they actually reject them or force them to be changed...THAT is censorship, and if they'll do THAT with something as big budget as a console video game, they'll do it to a little mobile app.
I can say without a doubt that Kaiser Permanente is hated...for many reasons. All of the worst things you've heard about managed care/hmos, etc crystalled in one company.
Lol....but..but that was a serious post......
Good. I don't want that vaccine, and won't take it - I would recommend that everyone research the vaccine and it's ingredients, because there is something that just in't kosher here.
The thing about this that really makes it so sad is that a lot of the time the politicians and well known religious spokesmen who are the MOST outspoken against ga rights, and the most fervent in their anti-gay votes and speeches are, more often than not, actually gay themselves, but are in the closet and can't deal with it.
I don't think that making public records available is a threat. If the people are that concerned about it being known that they support discrimination, then maybe they shouldn;t have signed it.
It's not like people are making threats. Now if this was private information that was NOT public and it was being released, I would have a problem with that.
I knew this was coming, i've posted about it here before, that one day the powers that be are going to want people to have a virtual, verifiable online ID that traces everything you do online back to your real identity that everyone who wants to go online will be forced to have. .
This absolutely has to be stopped, it obviously won't work, any system can be gamed or hacked p but the real issue (even if you believe something like this would help) is that it will stifle free speech - so many people go online to learn, to anonymously get info and talk to people about health issues and personal things that should always be anonymous if the person involved wants it this way.
Just think about political speech and organizing...Say goodbye to that - with the way the US federal government now behaves, just look at Pittsburg - tons of innocent people ]bombarded with LRADs (which can cause permanent hearing damage) for just coming out of their hosue to see what was going on...Police or agent provocateurs dressed up in black and knocking over trash cans - then riot police (and even hired military contractors like blackwater drressed as police) brtualizing innocent people... - SO with all of that sort of behavior, if this sort of thing gets mandated it will be the end of the last truly free medium of communication we have.
I believe that this is the biggest threat to freedom and to the internet, bigger even than network neutrality (which, in some respects can cause similar problems, with certain types of information being "downgraded" or even not served).
If this becomes a reality it will destroy the culture of the internet - digital culture will be dealt a death blow - and I expect now that it's been mentioned every organization from the RIAA and similar groups to the national security organizations to the financial sector will hop on board.