1. You don't know how "the charts" for Apple's music store are established. For example, unsigned entertainment may be it's own "hobby" category compared to media conglomerate products.
2. Gaming the system generally means however the charts in question are calculated, they will probably throw out the data for a million reasons.
That's actually good. The less the media conglomerates know the better. That's how great music is born.
The summary trusts that the calculations are reliable.
1. Entertainment conglomerates can advance their story that piracy is out of control. Has the method they used changed recently? Did the apply the changes retroactively?
It's clear I don't trust them, so throw that one out.
2. It all depends on how you slice your stats.
Anecdote: The old "Mac's tiny market share" argument is one of those damn lies. I don't know what the numbers look like now, but a few years ago Apple was the number one laptop brand in the U.S. and consistently number 3-5 in desktop sales behind Dell and HP. So, they sold the most laptops year-by-year and did an excellent job in desktops and yet, this is spun into a "tiny" market share. Some people on Wall Street came to a similar conclusion before the iPod came along, so I'm not whistling Dixie.
And stating this isn't directly the entertainment conglomerates fault. It's a disingenuous game for sure.
I think the Entertainment conglomerates can plausibly claim at the PHB level, "there's no DRM standard and that's not our fault." This way they can maintain chaos and gain total control of the digital distribution channel when they pick a winner.
It also means that whoever is making these DRM schemes has to do a really good job creating code that has _lots_ of error condition controls. Which I just don't see anyone doing.
The end game is the media conglomerates to win unless the copyright law is meaningfully overhauled.
Apollo is targeted at allowing web developers to build and deploy web applications to the desktop.
Linux? Apollo 1.0 will not be available on Linux. We plan to release Linux support shortly after the 1.0. release.
Which means, like maybe when a big-fish pays us for the port.
Then there's very-non-free License terms: You may make a limited and reasonable number of copies of the SDK Components
The structure, organization and code of the SDK Components provided to you in compiled or object code form are the valuable trade secrets and confidential information of Adobe Systems Incorporated and its suppliers.
may be expressly permitted to decompile...it is essential to do so in order to achieve interoperability with another software program, and you have first requested that Adobe provide the information necessary to achieve such interoperability and Adobe has not made such information available. Adobe has the right to impose reasonable conditions and to request a reasonable fee before providing such information.
What about the malware factory you are creating? You shall not use the SDK Components to create, develop or use any program, software or service that (a) contains any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots or other computer programming routines
The immaturity posed by this comment being modded insightful is just sad.
While the sheer number of packages in the Debian repository is awesome, you are confusing _choices_ with a lack of focus. Debian's NOT pleasing everyone. They can't.
There will be many out there probably like you who are reassured with a self-contained environment that a Ubuntu provides. They have x number of apps configured a specific way that works okay in many situations but is really poor if more or something different is required.
In my business, I need to have log reports formatted a specific way. Well, there just so happens the log analysis package I use is in ubuntu's "universe." e.g. should work, but it's not an official distro package. Good news, it's quite well supported in debian's main package repo.
This is why ubuntu is kind of like AOL way back in the day or Microsoft server apps for good system administrators. Once you figure it out, you realize the limitations and move on.
That's the guy who came up with intermittent windshield wipers. The specifics of which, I have issue with, but the basic principal is sound.
I'm an inventor who comes up with a great idea. I patent it, then I shop it to companies who would likely use it to gain an advantage. The company can examine the novel idea in detail and the inventor is protected from wholesale theft and place a value on the idea. If the inventor and business agree on some terms, then both parties benefit.
The process is hampered by human organization mantras like "not invented here." At this point in time, the whole patent process is completely out of control so any semblance to the original notions are a long way gone.
The patent was never perfect but the principal and general application was sound. It allowed for actual innovation, protected it temporarily, and offered some transparency in the business world to value novel ideas.
The problem with the libertarian black-or-white view of marketplaces is that humans _always_ screw it up. Not sometimes, always. I imagine the number of people that screwed this one up is relatively small, but isn't it always the few who make misery for the rest.
History shows time and again that all unregulated markets mature to monopolies. From fish mongers to real estate agents, there's rarely an exception. The libertarian view then either accepts the monopoly or performs some logical gymnastics to allow regulation.
The libertarian ideal _will_ be as abused as every other political ideal that has come before it. Please consider a more moderate approach.
If you have the right kind of job, you can take vacations while you're on the clock. In other words, you can travel for fun and adventure and keep on working.
I think the term is called self-employed.
Can I go to the mall and other well-covered places? Yes. Can I go to the nice movie theater with it's crappy reception? No. This kind of thinking bleeds into pretty much every "where do you want to go?" discussion.
I'm saying it certainly changes the way you think. Definitely not complaining.
I actually automated the process so I don't know who's doing what because it's way outside my job scope. I don't want to know. _Really_ don't want to know.
But the company policy is clear, our computers, our network don't waste time on them.
Fortunately, your use cases lie outside the application's capabilities and the employee types it follows.
While I appreciate the discussion so far, the point the RIAA is making is to instill fear into the hearts and minds of digital media users.
DON'T SHARE OR WE'LL FIND YOU AND SUE
That's the take-home message for joe and jane sixpack with a pc that their little janie sixpack uses to load her ipod.
It's about maintaining the climate of fear, and making it okay to treat media consumers like criminals and foist complex DRM schemes on consumers. The RIAA is doing a heck of a job getting this point across.
As other posts will/have pointed out, your current thinking is a little misguided.
Here's some suggestions:
1. Corporate has a policy of "acceptable use" for their computers and networks right? 2. I'm running a small network, I log packets passing through the firewall and then filter for certified time wasters like fark.com and report usage by individual to their superiors. Waste of disk space? Waste of time setting up? yes to both. But you get an idea who's abusing and it's up to the manager to decide their fate. 3. I'm not perfectly familiar with Dan's Guardian, but maybe it's another way?
Unless management wants the approach you describe, I'd go at it a different way.
Whining about how the rich and powerful have it easy in the/. echo chamber is the easiest thing to do. It makes you and the moderators feel better too.
Meanwhile, it's our economy (that means your economic prosperity in comparison to others in the world) that is ultimately harmed when investors all over the globe invest their funds in more transparent markets.
Here in California we voted _lots_ of harsh penalties for violent and drug-related crimes. Who says we can't do the same for white collar crimes?
Oh wait. That means you and I would have to _do_ something about it. Nevermind.
Exactly how would it allow Microsoft to "contain" Linux Keeping market information out of the hands of business-minded folks like Shuttleworth only benefits Linux because then most PHB management-types don't know what to think because Netcraft didn't confirm it. Meanwhile it's use spreads. Anonymity only benefits linux.
As long as the code is free (and the standards patent-free), the other distros can also use it Not true. The entire tivo code base is a perfect example of "free" but useless. Linux through and through but with crypto functions that explicitly denies re-use. There's a million other examples just like tivo, but that's a high profile one.
1. Business guys like Shuttleworth view success in terms of volume adoption and profitability.
2. The vast majority of users don't understand that the hardware is separate from the OS. They can't comprehend that another OS will actually run on their hardware. PHB's included.
Which leads us to the conclusion that resellers like Dell are a gateway to _very_ many end users.
The guy is sinking big-money into a linux-based distro and that's not bad.
But, with comments like this he is intentionally creating a winner/loser environment in the Linux distro ecosystem. Raising the visibility of desktop linux at the expense of others.
Instead of a rich and varied distro ecosystem taking each others best ideas, there will be a couple of distros and the rest will be hobby-class systems. Microsoft is helping this along by picking a winner. (Novell) Dell appears to at least be mulling the idea over. I can't see them offering more than one distro.
This gives Microsoft the tools they need to contain another competitor. More importantly, what happens to the pace of innovation when there's one maybe two distros driving adoption?
I like a million distros. I don't like Mark's end game.
1. Communes do work. You simply aren't aware of any that do. More than just "some" religious order practice commune living. Seems to work for them and has been for a couple-hundred years or more in some cases. No, there's no Microsoft-sized commune that one can point to, but it definitely works. And then there's variations on communes like employee-owned businesses. SAIC is one _very_ large example of an employee-owned business.
2. GPL3 See Tivo and their novel exploit of the GPL2 and get back to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tivoization Intellectual property is a straw man argument.
1. I agree that if you use the tools Microsoft gives you and don't leave their walled garden, it can be easier. This is a pretty small jail cell though.
2. Linux suffers from the same problem Windows used to be derided for: services are on by default. You sir, are a funny guy. You seem to be under impression that there's the possibility of comparing security features between the two OS's. News Flash: There isn't.
2a. What are these "services" that are on by default on a Linux desktop? I've tried the big-3 and none, not one is a security compromise waiting to happen like giving a windows box a public IP.
1. How is anything (but the last line which can be applied anywhere) in this rant insightful?
2. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and the other name for him is Linux. Your bias has blinded you to objectively reviewing Linux benefits. You completely fail to comprehend the flexibility that is inherent in the operating systems (aka distros) made using the Linux kernel. No, it's not the best kernel for everything, but it sure is insanely useful from embedded to high-availability systems. And it's getting better.
3. "..deliberate conspiracy to deceive.." That's just what it takes to be in Sales. Microsoft's marketing practices aren't deceptive? Red Hat's? I've been in the room as the "technical person" thankfully when deals have gone down for both and deception is the name of the game.
4. Stick with what you believe and don't ever change. It's a positive feedback loop after all.
Your role as IT cubicle dweller is to recommend the right tool for the job within the constraints given. Give that task your best effort, document your recommendations, and your role in the decision process is done. Send the email, print the document and distribute then move on.
Once you cross the gray area between recommendation and advocacy you will be assuming an awful lot of responsibility for something that you may not be charged with. I have forgotten the number of times I've made recommendations that were not implemented because:
1. My boss wasn't comfortable with the idea 2. Her boss wasn't comfortable with idea 3. My boss wouldn't stick his neck out on the idea 4. The CEO had a friend who....
I could go on and on. This is why I'm paid a decent (not great yet) salary for admining win32 POS servers that require too much babysitting compared to the linux I've been running for years on 1/10th the effort at home. Linux is not maintenance free for sure. But once you get reporting/auditing in place you know what's happening everyday. The same cannot be said for Microsoft products.
Now, I've got to figure out how to get freevo to run on it. The Intel framebuffer is not playing nice on my freevo/mythtv box and this is one answer.
This came as no surprise to me "August 2006: Inclusion of FBUI windowing system into the Linux kernel has been blocked by Linux framebuffer developers. This illustrates one major defect of how the Linux project is managed: those who control it are no more responsive or responsible to the public's needs or wants than are Microsoft's managers." People....
Slashdot Mirror
Novel idea, but there's a couple of problems:
1. You don't know how "the charts" for Apple's music store are established. For example, unsigned entertainment may be it's own "hobby" category compared to media conglomerate products.
2. Gaming the system generally means however the charts in question are calculated, they will probably throw out the data for a million reasons.
That's actually good. The less the media conglomerates know the better. That's how great music is born.
The summary trusts that the calculations are reliable.
1. Entertainment conglomerates can advance their story that piracy is out of control. Has the method they used changed recently? Did the apply the changes retroactively?
It's clear I don't trust them, so throw that one out.
2. It all depends on how you slice your stats.
Anecdote: The old "Mac's tiny market share" argument is one of those damn lies. I don't know what the numbers look like now, but a few years ago Apple was the number one laptop brand in the U.S. and consistently number 3-5 in desktop sales behind Dell and HP. So, they sold the most laptops year-by-year and did an excellent job in desktops and yet, this is spun into a "tiny" market share. Some people on Wall Street came to a similar conclusion before the iPod came along, so I'm not whistling Dixie.
And stating this isn't directly the entertainment conglomerates fault. It's a disingenuous game for sure.
I think the Entertainment conglomerates can plausibly claim at the PHB level, "there's no DRM standard and that's not our fault." This way they can maintain chaos and gain total control of the digital distribution channel when they pick a winner.
It also means that whoever is making these DRM schemes has to do a really good job creating code that has _lots_ of error condition controls. Which I just don't see anyone doing.
The end game is the media conglomerates to win unless the copyright law is meaningfully overhauled.
They're running Linux. Netcraft confirms it: http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?host=labs.ado be.com
Clearly the best tool for the job.
Now, when will the PHB's at Adobe get the message that the only best tools run on Linux natively?
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Apollo
Apollo is targeted at allowing web developers to build and deploy web applications to the desktop.
Linux?
Apollo 1.0 will not be available on Linux. We plan to release Linux support shortly after the 1.0. release.
Which means, like maybe when a big-fish pays us for the port.
Then there's very-non-free License terms:
You may make a limited and reasonable number of copies of the SDK Components
The structure, organization and code of the SDK Components provided to you in compiled or object code form are the valuable trade secrets and confidential information of Adobe Systems Incorporated and its suppliers.
may be expressly permitted to decompile...it is essential to do so in order to achieve interoperability with another software program, and you have first requested that Adobe provide the information necessary to achieve such interoperability and Adobe has not made such information available. Adobe has the right to impose reasonable conditions and to request a reasonable fee before providing such information.
What about the malware factory you are creating?
You shall not use the SDK Components to create, develop or use any program, software or service that (a) contains any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots or other computer programming routines
That'll stop em.
The immaturity posed by this comment being modded insightful is just sad.
While the sheer number of packages in the Debian repository is awesome, you are confusing _choices_ with a lack of focus. Debian's NOT pleasing everyone. They can't.
There will be many out there probably like you who are reassured with a self-contained environment that a Ubuntu provides. They have x number of apps configured a specific way that works okay in many situations but is really poor if more or something different is required.
In my business, I need to have log reports formatted a specific way. Well, there just so happens the log analysis package I use is in ubuntu's "universe." e.g. should work, but it's not an official distro package. Good news, it's quite well supported in debian's main package repo.
This is why ubuntu is kind of like AOL way back in the day or Microsoft server apps for good system administrators. Once you figure it out, you realize the limitations and move on.
When you are ready, Debian's there. Still Free.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/02/25/0053 98.html
That's the guy who came up with intermittent windshield wipers. The specifics of which, I have issue with, but the basic principal is sound.
I'm an inventor who comes up with a great idea. I patent it, then I shop it to companies who would likely use it to gain an advantage. The company can examine the novel idea in detail and the inventor is protected from wholesale theft and place a value on the idea. If the inventor and business agree on some terms, then both parties benefit.
The process is hampered by human organization mantras like "not invented here." At this point in time, the whole patent process is completely out of control so any semblance to the original notions are a long way gone.
The patent was never perfect but the principal and general application was sound. It allowed for actual innovation, protected it temporarily, and offered some transparency in the business world to value novel ideas.
The problem with the libertarian black-or-white view of marketplaces is that humans _always_ screw it up. Not sometimes, always. I imagine the number of people that screwed this one up is relatively small, but isn't it always the few who make misery for the rest.
History shows time and again that all unregulated markets mature to monopolies. From fish mongers to real estate agents, there's rarely an exception. The libertarian view then either accepts the monopoly or performs some logical gymnastics to allow regulation.
The libertarian ideal _will_ be as abused as every other political ideal that has come before it. Please consider a more moderate approach.
If you have the right kind of job, you can take vacations while you're on the clock. In other words, you can travel for fun and adventure and keep on working.
I think the term is called self-employed.
Can I go to the mall and other well-covered places? Yes. Can I go to the nice movie theater with it's crappy reception? No. This kind of thinking bleeds into pretty much every "where do you want to go?" discussion.
I'm saying it certainly changes the way you think. Definitely not complaining.
I actually automated the process so I don't know who's doing what because it's way outside my job scope. I don't want to know. _Really_ don't want to know.
But the company policy is clear, our computers, our network don't waste time on them.
Fortunately, your use cases lie outside the application's capabilities and the employee types it follows.
While I appreciate the discussion so far, the point the RIAA is making is to instill fear into the hearts and minds of digital media users.
DON'T SHARE OR WE'LL FIND YOU AND SUE
That's the take-home message for joe and jane sixpack with a pc that their little janie sixpack uses to load her ipod.
It's about maintaining the climate of fear, and making it okay to treat media consumers like criminals and foist complex DRM schemes on consumers. The RIAA is doing a heck of a job getting this point across.
As other posts will/have pointed out, your current thinking is a little misguided.
Here's some suggestions:
1. Corporate has a policy of "acceptable use" for their computers and networks right?
2. I'm running a small network, I log packets passing through the firewall and then filter for certified time wasters like fark.com and report usage by individual to their superiors. Waste of disk space? Waste of time setting up? yes to both. But you get an idea who's abusing and it's up to the manager to decide their fate.
3. I'm not perfectly familiar with Dan's Guardian, but maybe it's another way?
Unless management wants the approach you describe, I'd go at it a different way.
Whining about how the rich and powerful have it easy in the /. echo chamber is the easiest thing to do. It makes you and the moderators feel better too.
Meanwhile, it's our economy (that means your economic prosperity in comparison to others in the world) that is ultimately harmed when investors all over the globe invest their funds in more transparent markets.
Here in California we voted _lots_ of harsh penalties for violent and drug-related crimes. Who says we can't do the same for white collar crimes?
Oh wait. That means you and I would have to _do_ something about it. Nevermind.
Exactly how would it allow Microsoft to "contain" Linux
Keeping market information out of the hands of business-minded folks like Shuttleworth only benefits Linux because then most PHB management-types don't know what to think because Netcraft didn't confirm it. Meanwhile it's use spreads. Anonymity only benefits linux.
As long as the code is free (and the standards patent-free), the other distros can also use it
Not true. The entire tivo code base is a perfect example of "free" but useless. Linux through and through but with crypto functions that explicitly denies re-use. There's a million other examples just like tivo, but that's a high profile one.
I definitely haven't made enough money supporting Linux yet, so I'm not ready to jump. But I've already triple-booted my laptop for just this reason.
The BSD's have some excellent tools.
1. Business guys like Shuttleworth view success in terms of volume adoption and profitability.
2. The vast majority of users don't understand that the hardware is separate from the OS. They can't comprehend that another OS will actually run on their hardware. PHB's included.
Which leads us to the conclusion that resellers like Dell are a gateway to _very_ many end users.
The guy is sinking big-money into a linux-based distro and that's not bad.
But, with comments like this he is intentionally creating a winner/loser environment in the Linux distro ecosystem. Raising the visibility of desktop linux at the expense of others.
Instead of a rich and varied distro ecosystem taking each others best ideas, there will be a couple of distros and the rest will be hobby-class systems. Microsoft is helping this along by picking a winner. (Novell) Dell appears to at least be mulling the idea over. I can't see them offering more than one distro.
This gives Microsoft the tools they need to contain another competitor. More importantly, what happens to the pace of innovation when there's one maybe two distros driving adoption?
I like a million distros. I don't like Mark's end game.
1. Communes do work.
You simply aren't aware of any that do. More than just "some" religious order practice commune living. Seems to work for them and has been for a couple-hundred years or more in some cases. No, there's no Microsoft-sized commune that one can point to, but it definitely works. And then there's variations on communes like employee-owned businesses. SAIC is one _very_ large example of an employee-owned business.
2. GPL3
See Tivo and their novel exploit of the GPL2 and get back to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tivoization Intellectual property is a straw man argument.
How many schools in America? I've lost count...
How many children going to school in America? I've lost count on that too.
Anecdotes are a nice way to form biases that ultimately harm you.
1. I agree that if you use the tools Microsoft gives you and don't leave their walled garden, it can be easier. This is a pretty small jail cell though.
2. Linux suffers from the same problem Windows used to be derided for: services are on by default.
You sir, are a funny guy. You seem to be under impression that there's the possibility of comparing security features between the two OS's. News Flash: There isn't.
2a. What are these "services" that are on by default on a Linux desktop? I've tried the big-3 and none, not one is a security compromise waiting to happen like giving a windows box a public IP.
Funny how you give no concrete examples of each claim because the EXACT same things could be said about Microsoft or Apple OS's.
I know. I support all three Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays for the damn Windows servers.
Really
1. How is anything (but the last line which can be applied anywhere) in this rant insightful?
2. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and the other name for him is Linux.
Your bias has blinded you to objectively reviewing Linux benefits. You completely fail to comprehend the flexibility that is inherent in the operating systems (aka distros) made using the Linux kernel. No, it's not the best kernel for everything, but it sure is insanely useful from embedded to high-availability systems. And it's getting better.
3. "..deliberate conspiracy to deceive.."
That's just what it takes to be in Sales. Microsoft's marketing practices aren't deceptive? Red Hat's? I've been in the room as the "technical person" thankfully when deals have gone down for both and deception is the name of the game.
4. Stick with what you believe and don't ever change.
It's a positive feedback loop after all.
how can we NOT advocate it?
Why is this modded +5 insightful?
Your role as IT cubicle dweller is to recommend the right tool for the job within the constraints given. Give that task your best effort, document your recommendations, and your role in the decision process is done. Send the email, print the document and distribute then move on.
Once you cross the gray area between recommendation and advocacy you will be assuming an awful lot of responsibility for something that you may not be charged with. I have forgotten the number of times I've made recommendations that were not implemented because:
1. My boss wasn't comfortable with the idea
2. Her boss wasn't comfortable with idea
3. My boss wouldn't stick his neck out on the idea
4. The CEO had a friend who....
I could go on and on. This is why I'm paid a decent (not great yet) salary for admining win32 POS servers that require too much babysitting compared to the linux I've been running for years on 1/10th the effort at home. Linux is not maintenance free for sure. But once you get reporting/auditing in place you know what's happening everyday. The same cannot be said for Microsoft products.
Holy smokes! Thanks for that tip. FYI: http://home.comcast.net/~fbui/
Now, I've got to figure out how to get freevo to run on it. The Intel framebuffer is not playing nice on my freevo/mythtv box and this is one answer.
This came as no surprise to me "August 2006: Inclusion of FBUI windowing system into the Linux kernel has been blocked by Linux framebuffer developers. This illustrates one major defect of how the Linux project is managed: those who control it are no more responsive or responsible to the public's needs or wants than are Microsoft's managers." People....