Who knows if this is just a way for the "good folks" at MS to get a look at their client's common files, and use it as some sort of marketing ploy for spam and whatnot.
I say this, because the ISP I used to work for, whose name I won't mention, used to scan customer e-mails, and require that we ask for alternate e-mails for spamming purposes.
Honestly, if this is MS's scheme, it really wouldn't surprise me.
If it isn't the case, and this is just for the sake of competition, then MS should realize that they're name and quality has been smeared enough, and they should try to improve on their current merchandising ventures instead of dabbling with new ones. For God's sake, make what you already have actually function, don't just make more and more useless crap.
This is just a case of an industry losing potential buyers, because said buyers have found a means of getting the product they desire without having to go to the local store to buy or rent it. Needless to point out, this goes hand in hand with the RIAA's crusade against music piracy, which would explain their involvement in this.
But one thing I have noticed is that coming back from the days where you would have to hold a tape recorder up to a radio to get a copy of your favorite song, actions taken against piracy in general, while showing some form of momentum, have essentially come up with almost nil progress in a grander scale.
People still copy music/movies/applications, and while some are sanctioned for it, the vast majority go unchecked. This is why I believe that the process of putting a stop to piracy will never really see any culmination, unless certain rights of privacy are violated (and hey, look! They already have on some cases. Coincidentally, they were the cases that saw most action of prosecution).
I honestly don't think the media industries are losing SO much money due to media pirates that justifies cause for such rash decisions.
To put it bluntly: We've been doing this stuff so much, and for so long, that putting an end to it would be near impossible.
I remember back in my first year of college, I had this old nun for an English teacher. We always thought she was extremely paranoid, because she kept telling us about how the Illuminati were scheming on giving everyone in the world a "number", or something like that.
Now that I hear that individual codes can be given to RFID chips, not just a uniform barcode for a set of products, I begin to wonder if maybe she wasn't such a windbag after all...
Think about going into the doctor to get your annual flu shot, and unbeknownst to you, the shot carries with it the newest version of the RFID chip. Sure it sounds insane, but you gotta wonder...
I've been reading through these posts and some of their replies, and I have come up with an interesting little scenario that will hopefully spark some more doubts/arguments as to what can be considered "theft". Note that I am merely a neutral party here, so don't take things out on me.
Here we go...
You're walking down the street one day, and as you stride past the local pharmacy, you see a bum sitting down next to the entrance. This is no ordinary beggar though, this one is "working" for his earnings. He has a guitar in his hands, and he's strumming a catchy song he wrote, and singing along. Infront of him is his hat which holds a few coins, and a crisp dollar bill. Standing by him, you listen to his playing and tap your foot along, while singing the song in your head. Glancing again at the hat, you shake your pockets and hear the familiar jingling of loose change, but the long walk has left you mighty parched, and you instead decide you'll just go inside the pharmacy and buy yourself a drink. You get your refreshment, walk out, and continue to wherever it is you were heading...Still singing that song the bum was playing.
Later that day, you meet up with your friends. You tell them of the bum infront of the pharmacy, and sing to them the song he was playing. They enjoy it as much as you did, and spend the rest of the day singing it to themselves...They tell their friends of the song, and their friends tell their other friends, ect., and they all enjoy the song, but NO ONE ever decides to go to the pharmacy, to the bum, to give him some spare change.
Now, based on the definitions of "theft" that I have read here, I ask:
Does this count as theft?
Keep in mind:
1. The bum is doing this as a form of work.
2. The bum wrote the song himself. I.E. It's original.
3. Everyone enjoyed the song, and continued to enjoy it at their leisure (sp?).
4. Everyone had plenty of spare change.
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Who knows if this is just a way for the "good folks" at MS to get a look at their client's common files, and use it as some sort of marketing ploy for spam and whatnot.
I say this, because the ISP I used to work for, whose name I won't mention, used to scan customer e-mails, and require that we ask for alternate e-mails for spamming purposes.
Honestly, if this is MS's scheme, it really wouldn't surprise me.
If it isn't the case, and this is just for the sake of competition, then MS should realize that they're name and quality has been smeared enough, and they should try to improve on their current merchandising ventures instead of dabbling with new ones. For God's sake, make what you already have actually function, don't just make more and more useless crap.
When they came up with the word "petaflop"...Couldn't they have come up with something a little more phonetically scientific?
I'm not one to argue about etimology, but that sounds like something you would use to measure bunny ears.
"Hey Frank, you get a chance to check the stats on those rabbit ear movements?" "Yeah! We're at 2.3 petaflops Mike!"
Some cheese for Algernon?
Rain Mouse!
You have a fishbowl.
Hence: You have fish.
Hence: You like animals.
Hence: You like people.
Hence: You like women.
Hence: You like sex with women.
Your friend does not have a fishbowl.
Question: Is your friend gay?
Note: This is only a joke, don't flame me about it. >_>
This is just a case of an industry losing potential buyers, because said buyers have found a means of getting the product they desire without having to go to the local store to buy or rent it. Needless to point out, this goes hand in hand with the RIAA's crusade against music piracy, which would explain their involvement in this.
But one thing I have noticed is that coming back from the days where you would have to hold a tape recorder up to a radio to get a copy of your favorite song, actions taken against piracy in general, while showing some form of momentum, have essentially come up with almost nil progress in a grander scale.
People still copy music/movies/applications, and while some are sanctioned for it, the vast majority go unchecked. This is why I believe that the process of putting a stop to piracy will never really see any culmination, unless certain rights of privacy are violated (and hey, look! They already have on some cases. Coincidentally, they were the cases that saw most action of prosecution).
I honestly don't think the media industries are losing SO much money due to media pirates that justifies cause for such rash decisions.
To put it bluntly: We've been doing this stuff so much, and for so long, that putting an end to it would be near impossible.
That's the way I see it.
I remember back in my first year of college, I had this old nun for an English teacher. We always thought she was extremely paranoid, because she kept telling us about how the Illuminati were scheming on giving everyone in the world a "number", or something like that.
Now that I hear that individual codes can be given to RFID chips, not just a uniform barcode for a set of products, I begin to wonder if maybe she wasn't such a windbag after all...
Think about going into the doctor to get your annual flu shot, and unbeknownst to you, the shot carries with it the newest version of the RFID chip. Sure it sounds insane, but you gotta wonder...
I've been reading through these posts and some of their replies, and I have come up with an interesting little scenario that will hopefully spark some more doubts/arguments as to what can be considered "theft". Note that I am merely a neutral party here, so don't take things out on me. Here we go... You're walking down the street one day, and as you stride past the local pharmacy, you see a bum sitting down next to the entrance. This is no ordinary beggar though, this one is "working" for his earnings. He has a guitar in his hands, and he's strumming a catchy song he wrote, and singing along. Infront of him is his hat which holds a few coins, and a crisp dollar bill. Standing by him, you listen to his playing and tap your foot along, while singing the song in your head. Glancing again at the hat, you shake your pockets and hear the familiar jingling of loose change, but the long walk has left you mighty parched, and you instead decide you'll just go inside the pharmacy and buy yourself a drink. You get your refreshment, walk out, and continue to wherever it is you were heading...Still singing that song the bum was playing. Later that day, you meet up with your friends. You tell them of the bum infront of the pharmacy, and sing to them the song he was playing. They enjoy it as much as you did, and spend the rest of the day singing it to themselves...They tell their friends of the song, and their friends tell their other friends, ect., and they all enjoy the song, but NO ONE ever decides to go to the pharmacy, to the bum, to give him some spare change. Now, based on the definitions of "theft" that I have read here, I ask: Does this count as theft? Keep in mind: 1. The bum is doing this as a form of work. 2. The bum wrote the song himself. I.E. It's original. 3. Everyone enjoyed the song, and continued to enjoy it at their leisure (sp?). 4. Everyone had plenty of spare change.