I interviewed for a job with a law firm and one of them was talking about Wikipedia. When American lawyers catch onto something, you know you've penetrated the technophobosphere.
Not exactly, although I thought the same thing at first. The old headline is CSS Support Could Be IE7's Weakest Link. Here, we have left out the "Could Be" and changed it to "IE 7.0," so it's entirely different, and therefore it's not a dupe.
It's not dictionary abuse by anyone but you. The intended meaning in the GPL of "distribution" is clear and does include giving it to your employer. Your latest example is entirely irrelevant because that would be internal distribution of the code, which does not fall under the intent of the GPL's use of the term.
Merriam-Webster gives 'to distribute' as meaning "to divide among several or many."
You have object A. You give object A to person X. You have distributed object A to person X regardless of whether you work for person X or not. Your analogy fails, because there is no person X involved; all persons involved are yourself. In the case of giving code to your employer, there are other distinct persons involved in the transaction, and it is therefore distribution.
Before you make the argument that your employer is only one entity and thus the "among several or many" part of the definition doesn't apply, remember that the employer is but one person to whom the software has been distributed and, even if the only people with a copy are the author and his employer, that is still distribution among more than one person, since the author still has a copy.
The single best thing you can do is to find a good lawyer. Although you may personally be in violation of the GPL since it was your actions that brought about the violation (but see respondeat superior for why only your company can be sued for this, and not you personally), you may also have a claim that the oral agreement you entered into superseded your written IP agreement, or at least estopped your employer from violating the oral agreement and, by extension, the GPL.
But hire a lawyer. I am not a lawyer, nor is this legal advice. I just know what I know, and what I know is that a good lawyer will spot at least the things I've mentioned and probably more, and more importantly will know how to apply these ideas to cover your ass and, hopefully, keep your code GPLed.
In one of the Tom Swift Junior books, I think it was, they had a very immersive RPG with an advanced computer computing the outcomes of moves and such. The game seemed pretty interesting to me when I read it, but I was rather young, I do think.
Re:More incompatibilities on the way?
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It's been my experience that they only have a lack of respect for incorrect code. If your legacy code is incorrectly-written, then you assumed the risk to begin with, says me. Write to the standard.
You hit the nail on the head. I have a cell phone plan that costs not all that much and gets me roaming virtually anywhere in the continental US, calls anywhere in the US, unlimited nights and weekends, and plenty of daytime minutes. The cost to add SMS, not including medical treatment for the ensuing carpal tunnel syndrome, just isn't worth it when I can more effectively communicate by voice.
But I don't have a big problem with SMS. It's at least a form of communication, unlike Tetris. And the ring tones just make me laugh - I would never pay money for something that would make me want to kick my own ass every time my phone rings. (Of course, I have the phone on vibration mode virtually anywhere I go in public, anyhow, because I'm not an inconsiderate jackass when it comes to cell phone etiquette.)
I know this much - I once saw a cell phone ad where the guys are at a restaurant and the one uses the pepper grinder built into his phone. Then the ad cuts in, with the narrator asking, "Want a phone with the features you need?" before breaking into a list of just utterly useless garbage. Games, ringtones, a shitty camera, etc. My only thought was that the pepper mill would have been far more useful.
You have to remember - there are three kinds of Linux users. Those who want to keep usability down to try to impress themselves by using it, those who want to increase usability so that their grandmothers can use it, and your grandmother. The majority of users are not members of the first group. Incidentally, the majority of users also do not assume a moniker derived from women's clothing.
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I interviewed for a job with a law firm and one of them was talking about Wikipedia. When American lawyers catch onto something, you know you've penetrated the technophobosphere.
Not exactly, although I thought the same thing at first. The old headline is CSS Support Could Be IE7's Weakest Link. Here, we have left out the "Could Be" and changed it to "IE 7.0," so it's entirely different, and therefore it's not a dupe.
I don't ride motorcycles in London. I ride motorcycles on twisty mountain roads. And not at 50mph.
It's not dictionary abuse by anyone but you. The intended meaning in the GPL of "distribution" is clear and does include giving it to your employer. Your latest example is entirely irrelevant because that would be internal distribution of the code, which does not fall under the intent of the GPL's use of the term.
Merriam-Webster gives 'to distribute' as meaning "to divide among several or many."
You have object A. You give object A to person X. You have distributed object A to person X regardless of whether you work for person X or not. Your analogy fails, because there is no person X involved; all persons involved are yourself. In the case of giving code to your employer, there are other distinct persons involved in the transaction, and it is therefore distribution.
Before you make the argument that your employer is only one entity and thus the "among several or many" part of the definition doesn't apply, remember that the employer is but one person to whom the software has been distributed and, even if the only people with a copy are the author and his employer, that is still distribution among more than one person, since the author still has a copy.
Giving code to your employer is just another form of "distribution."
What I should have said is that they should only sue his employer, because frankly we all know how deep the pockets of an IT employee are.
The single best thing you can do is to find a good lawyer. Although you may personally be in violation of the GPL since it was your actions that brought about the violation (but see respondeat superior for why only your company can be sued for this, and not you personally), you may also have a claim that the oral agreement you entered into superseded your written IP agreement, or at least estopped your employer from violating the oral agreement and, by extension, the GPL.
But hire a lawyer. I am not a lawyer, nor is this legal advice. I just know what I know, and what I know is that a good lawyer will spot at least the things I've mentioned and probably more, and more importantly will know how to apply these ideas to cover your ass and, hopefully, keep your code GPLed.
Good luck, and again: hire a lawyer.
I hadn't heard that it had been leaked at all, and am still not tempted to download it. So I guess the buzz generation didn't work very well.
Alright, I checked and it was the "Tom Swift IV" series, Book 4 of 13 "The DNA Disaster," published in 1991.
Page about the books
Half.com to order it
In one of the Tom Swift Junior books, I think it was, they had a very immersive RPG with an advanced computer computing the outcomes of moves and such. The game seemed pretty interesting to me when I read it, but I was rather young, I do think.
Anyone else remember this?
Og am hungry! Me need big food!
A compiler that ignores syntax errors isn't really "better."
You're sure cowardly like a Frenchman.
And many of those people have two or more.
It's been my experience that they only have a lack of respect for incorrect code. If your legacy code is incorrectly-written, then you assumed the risk to begin with, says me. Write to the standard.
You hit the nail on the head. I have a cell phone plan that costs not all that much and gets me roaming virtually anywhere in the continental US, calls anywhere in the US, unlimited nights and weekends, and plenty of daytime minutes. The cost to add SMS, not including medical treatment for the ensuing carpal tunnel syndrome, just isn't worth it when I can more effectively communicate by voice.
But I don't have a big problem with SMS. It's at least a form of communication, unlike Tetris. And the ring tones just make me laugh - I would never pay money for something that would make me want to kick my own ass every time my phone rings. (Of course, I have the phone on vibration mode virtually anywhere I go in public, anyhow, because I'm not an inconsiderate jackass when it comes to cell phone etiquette.)
I know this much - I once saw a cell phone ad where the guys are at a restaurant and the one uses the pepper grinder built into his phone. Then the ad cuts in, with the narrator asking, "Want a phone with the features you need?" before breaking into a list of just utterly useless garbage. Games, ringtones, a shitty camera, etc. My only thought was that the pepper mill would have been far more useful.
I didn't think he was posting from France.
Put back on your tinfoil toque, eh!
Interesting.
Your grammar and spelling are both atrocious. Hell, you didn't even get the "I before E except after C" rule right.
Oh my goodness. Ohio is officially off of my "states I can live in" list. Thanks for the heads-up.
You have to remember - there are three kinds of Linux users. Those who want to keep usability down to try to impress themselves by using it, those who want to increase usability so that their grandmothers can use it, and your grandmother. The majority of users are not members of the first group. Incidentally, the majority of users also do not assume a moniker derived from women's clothing.
So it's not free as in speech or free as in beer. It's more like free as in carbonation.