No, seriously. This looks like a patent trap. I didn't read the article, but the sheer number of weasel words in the introduction alone and some posts (like the first, which I'm replying to) make it obvious that this is another attempt to trap and destroy FOSS and its developers. Steer clear!
2.0 ready? They're not even 1.0 ready. Shit, they're not even "computer-ready" if you believe some of the stories about how the Fed botches major IT projects, to say nothing of the deleted emails, etc.
How about the scrotum? Not that I'm implying this will make the politicians grow a set of balls, oh no; just that, if it's good enough for Gitmo, it's good enough for the White House.
Another recommendation for IceWM here. I have a modern machine (Athlon X2 3800+) and use it and KDE as my primary desktops. I also have a very nice Vista/KDE4 hybrid theme in the works for it (sorry for the plug!). IceWM is familiar to Windows expats (and Gnome and KDE users) and with a little effort it can look nearly as good.
It's great for older hardware too! No computer with a P2 and 64 MB or better specs is junk!
Know why? Because to a disturbing degree, the US has a third-world education system. Sure, our universities may be some of the best in the world, but the public school system is shithouse.
Forgive me if I feel no sympathy for a company that's an obvious ambulance-chaser and now sounds like it may be at best reluctant to support its userbase, and at worst stealing GPL code.
But the difference between Ubuntu and Windows or OS X is that you *can* pull down the kernel source, configure it to your liking, recompile, and reinstall. Linux takes more work if you want it exactly your way, but you can have it exactly your way.
I wouldn't be surprised if it led to decreased capabilities, if it were possible. "We're sorry, this brick has performed an illegal operation and will now fail due to compressive stress." Or "This brick is about to shatter across its short axis: Allow/Deny?"
*WE* need to teach them. We, the parents and future parents. School, in the US at least, is glorified babysitting, and our children sure as hell are not going to learn anything good from mainstream TV or community leaders. It's up to us.
Notwithstanding stupid adoption and marriage laws I think my girlfriend and I could do a better job than the bog-standard heterosexual Christian couple this country seems to fetishize as the epitome of "fammiwy valyoos." We've both studied a lot of holy scripture, history, psychology, and parenting books (I even took a 300-level psych course in child development as a college freshman), and I've been dreaming of a daughter since age 14, more than a third of my life. We could do this.
It seems that the problem is that no one educated the parents. They were either too busy (secular), too scared (religious), or too cynical (either one) to get a solid grounding in the timeless morals, the ones that are good for humans no matter when and where they live. People like us are probably pretty rare in that respect, but it's our duty to do what we can.
Osama bin Laden's method...you mean, be a friend of the people who are committing massive violations in the first place, have a long history with them, and agree to play "fake bad guy" for a while, in order to advance both your agendas? That would work, yes, considering it's not in the Bush dynasty's interests to actually capture one of their key players...
The problem is that surveillance, by definition, takes human beings. Cameras don't survey, they just record. All this means is that "surveillance by humans with their weird biases about race, dress, headgear, etc." gets to operate on a much larger, wider-based set of data, which means in addition to the usual bullshit that happens when people do this there'll be quotas and overwork stress.
That was one of the most depressing things I have ever watched in my life. I didn't laugh once, because I can see it happening. I did smile/sigh/"oh holy fuck" a few times, but only because *I can see something like this happening to the world,* and when it does, it'll be much, much worse.
Know what OTHER protocol is used for trading kiddie porn? HTTP! Not only that, but HTTP can be used to pirate software too! For a stronger, safer America we MUST ban the use of this dangerous, pirate-enabling protocol!
No one says you have to use this. The only reason this is even an issue is that most people are seeing Google's halo effect (and are taken in by "ooh, shiny, web 2.0!"). It should take even the least computer-savvy person less than 10 seconds of thought to realize that trusting any computer other than YOURS with YOUR DATA is a Bad Idea (TM). Especially when you can't physically get to the machine. What happens if your internet connection dies or is terminated? That's not even getting into the fact that trusting anyONE else with your information is an Even Worse Idea (also TM).
I stopped laughing at Dilbert a long, long time ago. I smile, but it makes me hurt inside. Crap like this is exactly why; it's not funny anymore when it's TRUE!
...think we can get a picture of the PHB throwing a chair, Scott?
I just got modded 0, Flamebait for this. Since WHEN does Jack Thompson hang out on slashdot anyway? I didn't know he knew how to use a computer!...or was that Fred Phelps?
I hope the bastard gets disbarred, and good riddance; he's one step away from Fred Phelps levels of idiocy. The collective IQ of the lawyersphere will go up several points. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.
Slashdot Mirror
Where is the "itsatrap!" tag?
No, seriously. This looks like a patent trap. I didn't read the article, but the sheer number of weasel words in the introduction alone and some posts (like the first, which I'm replying to) make it obvious that this is another attempt to trap and destroy FOSS and its developers. Steer clear!
Wouldn't it be convenient if there were a portable machine, say, a gun, that could do this? Someone should work on researching that...
I love the Power Grip. It's so bad...
2.0 ready? They're not even 1.0 ready. Shit, they're not even "computer-ready" if you believe some of the stories about how the Fed botches major IT projects, to say nothing of the deleted emails, etc.
How about the scrotum? Not that I'm implying this will make the politicians grow a set of balls, oh no; just that, if it's good enough for Gitmo, it's good enough for the White House.
"I bid slightly more than 4.5 penius on the newcomer!"
Another recommendation for IceWM here. I have a modern machine (Athlon X2 3800+) and use it and KDE as my primary desktops. I also have a very nice Vista/KDE4 hybrid theme in the works for it (sorry for the plug!). IceWM is familiar to Windows expats (and Gnome and KDE users) and with a little effort it can look nearly as good.
It's great for older hardware too! No computer with a P2 and 64 MB or better specs is junk!
None at all, if you're a large multinational with several tax shelters and a fat donation to the GOP.
Know why? Because to a disturbing degree, the US has a third-world education system. Sure, our universities may be some of the best in the world, but the public school system is shithouse.
It is, indeed, most definitely Morrigan.
The whole article could be summed up like this:
McAfee: BAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Forgive me if I feel no sympathy for a company that's an obvious ambulance-chaser and now sounds like it may be at best reluctant to support its userbase, and at worst stealing GPL code.
As anyone who's watched or heard of Mai-Hime knows, sperm and nanobots do not mix. Apparently prostate-specific antigen damages them somehow.
But the difference between Ubuntu and Windows or OS X is that you *can* pull down the kernel source, configure it to your liking, recompile, and reinstall. Linux takes more work if you want it exactly your way, but you can have it exactly your way.
I wouldn't be surprised if it led to decreased capabilities, if it were possible. "We're sorry, this brick has performed an illegal operation and will now fail due to compressive stress." Or "This brick is about to shatter across its short axis: Allow/Deny?"
*WE* need to teach them. We, the parents and future parents. School, in the US at least, is glorified babysitting, and our children sure as hell are not going to learn anything good from mainstream TV or community leaders. It's up to us.
Notwithstanding stupid adoption and marriage laws I think my girlfriend and I could do a better job than the bog-standard heterosexual Christian couple this country seems to fetishize as the epitome of "fammiwy valyoos." We've both studied a lot of holy scripture, history, psychology, and parenting books (I even took a 300-level psych course in child development as a college freshman), and I've been dreaming of a daughter since age 14, more than a third of my life. We could do this.
It seems that the problem is that no one educated the parents. They were either too busy (secular), too scared (religious), or too cynical (either one) to get a solid grounding in the timeless morals, the ones that are good for humans no matter when and where they live. People like us are probably pretty rare in that respect, but it's our duty to do what we can.
Osama bin Laden's method...you mean, be a friend of the people who are committing massive violations in the first place, have a long history with them, and agree to play "fake bad guy" for a while, in order to advance both your agendas? That would work, yes, considering it's not in the Bush dynasty's interests to actually capture one of their key players...
An entire new agency in charge of stopping copyright violations. Wonderful. I am SO glad to know our government has its priorities straight.
The problem is that surveillance, by definition, takes human beings. Cameras don't survey, they just record. All this means is that "surveillance by humans with their weird biases about race, dress, headgear, etc." gets to operate on a much larger, wider-based set of data, which means in addition to the usual bullshit that happens when people do this there'll be quotas and overwork stress.
That was one of the most depressing things I have ever watched in my life. I didn't laugh once, because I can see it happening. I did smile/sigh/"oh holy fuck" a few times, but only because *I can see something like this happening to the world,* and when it does, it'll be much, much worse.
Get that damn drilling rig away from my stove! I'm trying to cook dinner here! Sheesh...
Know what OTHER protocol is used for trading kiddie porn? HTTP! Not only that, but HTTP can be used to pirate software too! For a stronger, safer America we MUST ban the use of this dangerous, pirate-enabling protocol!
No one says you have to use this. The only reason this is even an issue is that most people are seeing Google's halo effect (and are taken in by "ooh, shiny, web 2.0!"). It should take even the least computer-savvy person less than 10 seconds of thought to realize that trusting any computer other than YOURS with YOUR DATA is a Bad Idea (TM). Especially when you can't physically get to the machine. What happens if your internet connection dies or is terminated? That's not even getting into the fact that trusting anyONE else with your information is an Even Worse Idea (also TM).
I just got modded 0, Flamebait for this. Since WHEN does Jack Thompson hang out on slashdot anyway? I didn't know he knew how to use a computer! ...or was that Fred Phelps?
*Ahem:* WAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHA!
I hope the bastard gets disbarred, and good riddance; he's one step away from Fred Phelps levels of idiocy. The collective IQ of the lawyersphere will go up several points. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.