I was reading that and wondering "So is Star Wars Galaxies any good or what?"
Listen, with a collection of over 600 games, he's obviously more qualified than anyone to explain the emotional make-up of our collective psyches.
I was reading that and tears flowed down my cheeks. YES, OF COURSE! He totally convinced me of shelling out for that game. I'm appalled of all the other comments here.
No I'm not laughing. I'm dead serious. This is golden. We just have to listen to Him.
Carmack and Bruce reads Slashdot, so does millions of IT-professionals. These are the same people who can quite accurately speak their mind about the subject. So all in all, I think Slashdot is pretty important in spreading the "news" about IT. It's a much more important site than any news channel out there, because here people can speak out their mind. So ideas can pop-up from any individual and spread quickly across the globe. This was unheard of before.
Now, if only the moderation system good like on K5... But I guess the editors don't trust the majority of the users here or something..
I don't force you to do anything, however those regulating and maintaining the law are, and they're changing the rules all the time..
One thing that I do see happening is creep in the meaning of the word "theft". It originally applied to physical good and services, but this does not seem an appropriate term for something that has no physical manifestation in and of itself. Perhaps we need to establish a new term that will have the appropriate meaning and arouse the same sense of indignation that theft does.
They call it piracy. I never liked that word either. I like copyright infringement, because it accurately describes what it is according to the law. If you go to court, they won't call it piracy anymore.. I don't think shame and guilt is necessary to be lawful, although it may help some. To cause that in others forcibly, is not moral in my book. That is a way to force your egoistical view and will on others through tricky means.
Btw, copyright expires after so-and-so many years after the death of the author. So, if we wait long enough, we will get to copy everything that is proprietary now. It is only a temporary governmental-sanctioned monopoly, not a natural right.
The forefathers of America understood that, in the longer term soceity benefits of sharing information freely. That is why they implemented the timeframe. But it has been pushed back by Disney, Sony and other big corporations many times. If we let them, they will take over as much as they can. That is how corporations work..
Re:One of the things I find annoying...
on
Masters of Doom
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· Score: 1
Wizardry, 1979... Ultima ][... then in '87, the Bard's Tale
Their 3d were even more primitive, if you can call that 3d. Like Eye of the Beyholder games. They don't really count, and you can find games like that going way back to the '70s (although even more primitive).
Ultima Underworld beat the crap out of Castle Wolfenstein, but had rather buggy rendering. But it beat Doom to have even more 3d-capabilities, although Doom is clearly more beautiful.
If I write a piece of code that is original, peculiar to my situation, and you decide to just up and take it without permission, implied or otherwise, then you are guilty of theft.
Not necessarily so. I am guilty of copyright infringement, not theft. Copyright laws are artificial monopolies created by the government to create a market for copyrighted texts. I don't object to copyright per se, it might be useful. It may be a good way to protect authors, but it is being extended unfairly under laws like the DMCA, Sony-Bono act, etc. We should never forget its origins, and that it is not theft to copy without authorization. Nobody is deprived of anything. That's the beautful thing about information and education: Everybody becomes richer by sharing it.
If you don't want me to copy something (into my brain for instance, or on my screen/web-cache), then don't make it accessible to me. Copying is a natural thing, and can't be helped.
Code is not necessarily always speech. It is an expression of ideas, but it can be copyrighted, which gives me ownership. It may not be right, it may not be ethical, but it is legal under the law, and that's all we've got to work with for now.
If it is not ethical, then I will break the law, if that is an ethical thing to do and appropriate to the circumstances. Ghandi didn't free his countrymen by becoming a lawyer. Laws that oppress do not deserve to be obeyed. It's like saying "we were under orders", which stops people to think for themselves. That always result in misery at one point or another. Sometimes following laws is the best way, other times they need to be broken (civil disobedience), in order to have them overthrown.
I find it sad to see how many here call sharing code for stealing. Without sharing code, there can be no further progress on computer science. Instead of having ad-hoc solutions, it can evolve into a fully fledged engineering science. But only if people can collaborate on standards and further its progress instead of being busy putting up tool-booths for inventing the inevitable.
You never drive over a bridge proprietary to BigCorporation(R)(TM)(C). You drive over an assembled construction errected by standardized plans, tools and mass. Instead, we have a mad goldrush that sinks the economy through the floor.
What we need to do is throw some of those nifty processors that make fuel from Martian air plus a few habitat modules at the red planet every time we can afford to do so. When there is enough there to provide basic life support for people for, say six months, ship off a load of people.
It's not insanity, it's just incredibly stupid and a waste of tax-payers money. Provide basic life support for six months? How easy is that? What will the people do? What about accidents and needed repairs? It's not like it's easy to just stroll outside and "fix" everything. Mars is a harsh environment where you don't survive long without working equipment. If something goes wrong, where will the help come from? A new trip will probably take nine months. You've got to calculate that in the "food budget" too. They'll have to grow their own food on Mars to survive. We don't know enough about life on Mars. Heck, we can't even get the unmanned probes right.
Have the best guess at the necessary tools waiting for them and let them try and live there forever. You'd get hundreds of useful volunteers even if you only gave them a 50% chance of lasting a year. And by God, even if every last one of them died, we'd learn so much from them. Earth has about 5-6 BILLION people too many... throwing a few *volunteers* on a probable suicide mission in the name of knowledge and expanding human frontiers is NOT insanity.
Not to mention the bad PR and lawsuits. Leaving people to die with no chance of returning. It's an inhuman proposition. You'll risk the crew going insane and destroy everything, besides you just don't do that to people. If you seriously think this is the right way, you should really take a look at yourself.
It is not. Just because you have a point, doesn't make it nonsense.
Most authors of GPL programs never sell their programs. I think you have a valid point about commercial licenses, but these are exceptions, not the rule. I don't say that can't change though. Thanks for pointing that out.
No.. In datacenters the companies own their own data. Thus can make as many copies as they want.
The right to make one backup is in the "Fair rights" section. The right to one backup doesn't restrict you to make unlimited copies, if you're granted that permission from the author. The GPL license grants that, IF you accept its terms. Besides, how can a right ever restrict what you've already got? That's backwards.
SCOs claims are just a way to keep the boat from sinking a little while longer. It won't hold up in court.
Reading law in the strictest sense doesn't make any sense at all. There is lots between the lines. That's why you need to hire expensive lawyers, who are familiar with famous court cases making precedent. In the end, it's all a racket to make lawyers rich. They are usually the ones getting the best deal, no matter the result.
You're an anti-american bigot. Deal with it. The americans are not "other human beings" to you, they are the "spoiled brats" of the world to you.
I admit, it may seem like you have a point and I could tone down on it. However, I only say what I observe and have actually spoken to americans who have told me this themselves. Ie, I got this from educated american disgusted with their own society and leaders. I didn't come up with this myself..
Try to look at your own culture, what ideals you foster. It's very educational to take a critical look and ask others what they think. Where is the "American Dream" today? You have to admit, there's something strange going on these days..
I'm not saying Americans are the "bad guys". I'm just pointing out what is obvious to people here in Europe, just like you can spot how we can be, annoying and irritatingly socialist;-) Besides that, we never want to go to war, except when a maniac leader/fundamentalists/fascists starts one;-)
With the recent war and all, and the previous poster praising the winners, I can only say what I've learned about it. It might be unfair to single out America, but I'm no bigot. Nobody is the "bad guy", everybody does what they think is best with the limited understanding they have. That is why education and critical analysis is very important today.
OTOH, America is a very fine country in many ways. It has created alot of the ideals present in many countries all over the world. Shown the way to freedom, democracy, righteousness and action. It's got an abundance of positive qualities. The people are cool and caring, wishing to do the right thing and protect the world.
Now don't let that go up to your collective heads;-)
People see themselves as "winning", often when they trample on others. This is because of a mis-identification. People identify with THEIR OWN community, nationality, religion and other personal bias. Instead, if you identify with yourself being a human- or spiritual being, you will see that there are only other human beings around you. Not muslims, not christians, not japanese, not even lawyers.
America and UK is not really very secure. It doesn't help to have the best defence in the world, when you're acting like spoiled brats who decide for others what's "best for the world". America is supporting known terrorist groups worldwide, and have a history of occupying other nations for the worst reasons. Most international problems, America has generated for itself. It doesn't help to be so advanced and win, when you get the world to hate you.
It's all because of misidentification and ignorance. Especially in America, where people believe "USA is the world". Humility can be a hard lesson, one that is due for a long time "Over There".
You worked your ass off in school but didn't learn that some are NATURALLY smarter than others? All the time with the books but didn't pay attention to others to notice some are more adept at logic, music, art, athletics, etc.*? That it can take someone hours more to grasp the same concepts as someone else? Maybe some people are tired of being genetically disadvantaged in academics or arts?
There'll always be differences. This is what makes life fun. If everybody was the same, thinking the same, doing the same, it would be boring and bland. Limitation is fun, that's why we're here. It's fun when you know something others don't and it's fun to teach them. Sometimes you need to accept that you don't know something others do however. You have to accept yourself for who you are, without that stopping you from developing further.
You also need to learn that hard work without spending the time correctly slows progress. What's the problem with boosting intelligence so the effort is put to better use?
Faster, stronger, harder? How about enjoying life as it is? Be grateful for what you got, instead of doing what others says because you want to be like them. Instead of being filled by envy or belittling admiration, you can be filled by gratitude.
You won't be happy when you're there. You can only be happy here and now..
Life is also about a lot of luck. And if some are luckier than others, what's wrong with trying to spread the wealth? But I'm still quite skeptical of their claims...
Agreed. We could be sharing more. Many people are so obsessed with getting more and more. It's contagious and rampant. It requires a shift in attitude and knowledge though.
When we stop comparing ourselves with others, we can start to know our self through others.
I say all this, because people always are looking for an easy route. They want to get some place, and forget to enjoy the path that leads there. Instead of joy, they get feverishness and misery.
I used to feel pretty much this way too. But, I now think you are wrong. There are some people who really are evil. There are more who are assholes. There are lots of others who are just mean.
I believe that we have more lives than just this one. Just because a person is an asshole one life, doesn't mean he can't be a saint in another. It's just two different ways to experience life, and be experienced. Without the bad guy, there can not be a good guy. Then everything would be bland.
I know, many of you don't agree with me here, but it doesn't matter. This is just what I sincerely feel is right, now. It goes way deeper than that too, but this is not the forum for that.
These are people who enjoy hurting others. They enjoy making others miserable.
Yes, because they are really miserable themselves. Look at a child who gets hit by another child, it hits back in spite which is then immediately released. Quite naturally it gets rid of the stress by hitting back, or crying.
But adults don't cry, at leat not as much as they could. Many bear their anguish and hide it. But it comes out in other forms and actions unconsciously. After many years, it has twisted the original personality very subtly. Just think of how much is hidden!
I don't buy the "deep inside everyone is an innocent child" thing. Children can be the worst.
Children are just what they are, quite natural and spontaneous. You can't blame a child for killing somebody with a gun, you blame the adult for loading it in front of the child. You say they can be the "worst", but they do not do what they do in spite and hatred. They don't have the knowledge and worldly experience. They are completely innocent. They learn hatres along the way to adulthood. Of course, every child is different and special. Some children have problems from an early age, but there is always a cause for everything, even when it is hidden.
Empathy is something most people learn, not something they are born with. The ones who don't learn it are the evil/mean/assholes.
What parents you have is crucial. Chose your parents with great care...:-)
It's easier when you know that people are the way they are because of their "life" - a series of circumstances from birth to death, you can accept them for who they are. Especially people who are not so aware, they're stuck in some triviality of life.
I don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but there is an awful lot of people out there who's sense of personal worth is enhanced when others lose. It's a painful truth I've had to accept these past few years.
You know, if you REALLY didn't want to burst my bubble, you would've kept quiet.;-)
I'm quite aware of the fact however. That's what I meant with addictive feelings. Some people get a high from climbing a huge mountain, others from victory over others. It's just an addiction to feelings developed over time, inherited from parents/peers, even from previous lifetimes etc.
I don't understand it either.
I do understand it, not fully as that would be to pretend I know everything and everybody, but I've also felt happy to win over others. I play chess, and in that game it is there all the time. You win, you get excited, you lose, you get MAD! (To get good you have to lose LOTS or be a natural;*)
Same with football-supporters, skiing, tennis, etc. The performers and the audience is hooked on a feeling-addiction they've obtain by the world around them.
I know it's cliche, but deep inside everybody is the same innocent child. Nobody truly want to hurt others, but their vision is distorted by pain and forgotten memories.
Such people have alot to teach us though, about humility and understanding against all odds. Without the bad, there can not be good.
A settlement is an agreement. Microsoft can agree to not appeal. It's up to the other side to judge if they get a good deal with that. They even mentioned that settlement "is in Microsofts court now" in the article.
Microsoft also settled for alot of cash to Netscape. They're walking a fine line with the law, but they're not stupid. They milk what they can without upsetting the cow too much.
You can call it something else, if you like, but then we're merely arguing semantics.
Agreed 110% all the way. Too much discussion going on is just about different definitions. It's good to see somebody _get it_.
However, evil certainly does exist. Microsoft isn't ignorant. They are well aware of what they are doing - it's a deliberate strategy.
They're a company. There are thousands more that would gladly switch places with Microsoft. Companies device strategies to maximize profits. If what they do is evil, then most of what happens in capitalism is evil. I would call it ignorance - the unability to see farther than one's tip of the nose. You might call it evil, but then you look at the world in a negative way. Ignorance is innocent and dumb, while evilness... well, you can have "cute" evilness, but then it loses its point (a href="http://www.sinfest.net">http://www.sinfest.n et);-)
Evil, (one of) thy name(s) is Microsoft. For the moment. In a past life, it was called IBM (now one of the good guys.) In the future, it'll be something else. But evil does exist.
You obviously know it's just a subjective label you put on someone. Just to get that out of the way.
Now, for a different perspective: Do you think the executives do what they do to make people's life miserable? Do they enjoy being evil, creating havoc, putting open source programmers out of job etc? Is that their goal in life?
I'd say everybody is in this life to be happy, and ultimately, they want people around them to be happy too. It's just that many are ignorant about what they do to others. They have not yet matured and realized what they do to others, in the end they do to themselves. It's all about maturity and acting instead of reacting.
If people are rash, angry, hating, rude, aggressive, violent or any such negativity, it's because of stress. A stress or hurt that is manifesting itself to the outside world. It can be just beneath the skin, or it may be a little deeper, but deep inside there's a person, a little child, who just wanted to be loved and happy. Somehow, people have become addicted to feelings of power, money, love, etc, then all the trouble starts!
"Evilness" is just part of the dirt that attach to us throughout a lifetime. It is easily removed when one matures, which might happen someday.
It was a rebuttal. Definately. I'll back it up a bit more here to make it clearer. I disagree with his view on intentions, because I don't see how you can defend the best intentions when you're doing wrong. And claiming monopoly on ideas is wrong/perversion in my book. Plain and simple.
Just you wait 'till companies like IBM with lots of IP starts sinking. The litigations-wars would leave a dry and barren wasteland of a formerly healthy IT-sector. Or they get bought up by somebody without scrouples. Then the former "intentions" are worth nothing.
Corporations are too big and have been given too much power.
Even when it's against someone "evil", like Microsoft. Which I don't believe for a second. Evilness doesn't exist, only ignorance.
I do however, also agree with you. I could have a different tone in my post. It's a way to get a message across I guess. Sorry. You're right, in a way, intentions are everything. If it goes wrong anyhow, it's usually because of bad luck or ignorance. However, don't take their word for their unproven "intentions". The Iraqi Information minister proved once and for all what people will say for the right incentive or beliefs. Believe me, all spokespersons have a little Iraqi Information Minister in them..
Do not give power to people with so-called "good intentions". Look at what they DO instead. Do they live what they preach? Most people don't, really. Then their word is worth nothing, because there is no experience behind it. It's empty without the experience and wisdom behind it.
It's an interesting paradox: Intention is everything, but don't count on it, it's also nothing.
The PTO is doing what all companies are for, maximizing profits in a capitalistic society. It makes sense for them to spend as little energy to examine the applications, and grant as many as they can per year.
It's more than the PTO that needs a "big" overhaul..
There is plenty the free software community can do to protect themselves. All they have to do is publish their work before any of the "megacoporations" go out and file their patents. The problem is that as far as I have seen the free software community doesn't care much about actual innovation, all they want is a free version of the products that every other company sells. If the free software community would stop trying to copy everything that Apple/Microsoft/Sun and countless others have made they wouldn't have to worry about nearly as much about patents.
Yet, Apple/Microsoft/Sun has done excactly as the Free Software community - copied technology. If you understand programming economics, it's the most economical thing to do: Copy and Extend/Innovate. To build from scratch is very, very, Very hard. And alot of work on top of that. You should try it. People will hate your software because it is "unusual". Most projects fail horribly.. What one needs then is a very strong theoretical foundation, coupled together with commercial ingenuity and a bunch of luck. Frankly, very few on this planet have all that. Programming's still a very new technology, and hardly a science yet. To make it science, you need to share innovation - catch 22. You don't have proprietary bridges by corporation XXX YYY, you have standards and companies doing real service.
There is alot of innovation going on in Free Software/Open Source. You're just looking at all the big glossy projects, which have had some catching up to do. There are myriads of small projects. Some very innovative, others just another editor. It's the way inventing always has been, and it's vibrant community.
Anyways, innovation is in the human creativity. To argue about creativity-differences in commercial/Free Software is pointless. All creativity comes from humans, and we should do everything we can to stop big corporations to highjack that and take the fun out of life.
It doesn't always work that way, and we shouldn't cheer stupidity either way. It's good to get some focus on the stupidity of the current patent system, but Microsoft will probably defend itself in every possible way within the current system. They have alot of interest keeping their IP-wealth status quo. Then they might buy up the company, like so many times before, and fire everybody. Sadly, no lessons learned there..
Slashdot Mirror
I just saw CowBovNeal!!
He's here. Live!!! *faint*
I'll never wash my eyes again.. hmm, I never wash my eyes! *DOH!*
I was reading that and wondering "So is Star Wars Galaxies any good or what?"
Listen, with a collection of over 600 games, he's obviously more qualified than anyone to explain the emotional make-up of our collective psyches.
I was reading that and tears flowed down my cheeks. YES, OF COURSE! He totally convinced me of shelling out for that game. I'm appalled of all the other comments here.
No I'm not laughing. I'm dead serious. This is golden. We just have to listen to Him.
Carmack and Bruce reads Slashdot, so does millions of IT-professionals. These are the same people who can quite accurately speak their mind about the subject. So all in all, I think Slashdot is pretty important in spreading the "news" about IT. It's a much more important site than any news channel out there, because here people can speak out their mind. So ideas can pop-up from any individual and spread quickly across the globe. This was unheard of before.
Now, if only the moderation system good like on K5... But I guess the editors don't trust the majority of the users here or something..
... and just one click! (Patented tech.)
Yeah, I know I'll rake in Karma now, but I'm at 50 so it doesn't do me any good..
I don't force you to do anything, however those regulating and maintaining the law are, and they're changing the rules all the time..
One thing that I do see happening is creep in the meaning of the word "theft". It originally applied to physical good and services, but this does not seem an appropriate term for something that has no physical manifestation in and of itself. Perhaps we need to establish a new term that will have the appropriate meaning and arouse the same sense of indignation that theft does.
They call it piracy. I never liked that word either. I like copyright infringement, because it accurately describes what it is according to the law. If you go to court, they won't call it piracy anymore.. I don't think shame and guilt is necessary to be lawful, although it may help some. To cause that in others forcibly, is not moral in my book. That is a way to force your egoistical view and will on others through tricky means.
Btw, copyright expires after so-and-so many years after the death of the author. So, if we wait long enough, we will get to copy everything that is proprietary now. It is only a temporary governmental-sanctioned monopoly, not a natural right.
The forefathers of America understood that, in the longer term soceity benefits of sharing information freely. That is why they implemented the timeframe. But it has been pushed back by Disney, Sony and other big corporations many times. If we let them, they will take over as much as they can. That is how corporations work..
Wizardry, 1979... Ultima ][... then in '87, the Bard's Tale
Their 3d were even more primitive, if you can call that 3d. Like Eye of the Beyholder games. They don't really count, and you can find games like that going way back to the '70s (although even more primitive).
Ultima Underworld beat the crap out of Castle Wolfenstein, but had rather buggy rendering. But it beat Doom to have even more 3d-capabilities, although Doom is clearly more beautiful.
Taking something without permission is theft.
Agreed.
If I write a piece of code that is original, peculiar to my situation, and you decide to just up and take it without permission, implied or otherwise, then you are guilty of theft.
Not necessarily so. I am guilty of copyright infringement, not theft. Copyright laws are artificial monopolies created by the government to create a market for copyrighted texts. I don't object to copyright per se, it might be useful. It may be a good way to protect authors, but it is being extended unfairly under laws like the DMCA, Sony-Bono act, etc. We should never forget its origins, and that it is not theft to copy without authorization. Nobody is deprived of anything. That's the beautful thing about information and education: Everybody becomes richer by sharing it.
If you don't want me to copy something (into my brain for instance, or on my screen/web-cache), then don't make it accessible to me. Copying is a natural thing, and can't be helped.
Code is not necessarily always speech. It is an expression of ideas, but it can be copyrighted, which gives me ownership. It may not be right, it may not be ethical, but it is legal under the law, and that's all we've got to work with for now.
If it is not ethical, then I will break the law, if that is an ethical thing to do and appropriate to the circumstances. Ghandi didn't free his countrymen by becoming a lawyer. Laws that oppress do not deserve to be obeyed. It's like saying "we were under orders", which stops people to think for themselves. That always result in misery at one point or another. Sometimes following laws is the best way, other times they need to be broken (civil disobedience), in order to have them overthrown.
I find it sad to see how many here call sharing code for stealing. Without sharing code, there can be no further progress on computer science. Instead of having ad-hoc solutions, it can evolve into a fully fledged engineering science. But only if people can collaborate on standards and further its progress instead of being busy putting up tool-booths for inventing the inevitable.
You never drive over a bridge proprietary to BigCorporation(R)(TM)(C). You drive over an assembled construction errected by standardized plans, tools and mass. Instead, we have a mad goldrush that sinks the economy through the floor.
Sad.
What we need to do is throw some of those nifty processors that make fuel from Martian air plus a few habitat modules at the red planet every time we can afford to do so. When there is enough there to provide basic life support for people for, say six months, ship off a load of people.
It's not insanity, it's just incredibly stupid and a waste of tax-payers money. Provide basic life support for six months? How easy is that? What will the people do? What about accidents and needed repairs? It's not like it's easy to just stroll outside and "fix" everything. Mars is a harsh environment where you don't survive long without working equipment. If something goes wrong, where will the help come from? A new trip will probably take nine months. You've got to calculate that in the "food budget" too. They'll have to grow their own food on Mars to survive. We don't know enough about life on Mars. Heck, we can't even get the unmanned probes right.
Have the best guess at the necessary tools waiting for them and let them try and live there forever. You'd get hundreds of useful volunteers even if you only gave them a 50% chance of lasting a year. And by God, even if every last one of them died, we'd learn so much from them. Earth has about 5-6 BILLION people too many... throwing a few *volunteers* on a probable suicide mission in the name of knowledge and expanding human frontiers is NOT insanity.
Not to mention the bad PR and lawsuits. Leaving people to die with no chance of returning. It's an inhuman proposition. You'll risk the crew going insane and destroy everything, besides you just don't do that to people. If you seriously think this is the right way, you should really take a look at yourself.
Here's a BBC article detailing the soviet program for Mars-exploration.
This is nonsense.
It is not. Just because you have a point, doesn't make it nonsense.
Most authors of GPL programs never sell their programs. I think you have a valid point about commercial licenses, but these are exceptions, not the rule. I don't say that can't change though. Thanks for pointing that out.
The problem is in the "seek damages" compartment. How can you seek any damages of 0$? :-)
;-))
You can go to court to stop them from infringing, but if you don't make money on the code, how can you claim damage?
When the code in question is some tens of lines of millions, then we're talking really low damages (0 / 1000000)
No.. In datacenters the companies own their own data. Thus can make as many copies as they want.
The right to make one backup is in the "Fair rights" section. The right to one backup doesn't restrict you to make unlimited copies, if you're granted that permission from the author. The GPL license grants that, IF you accept its terms. Besides, how can a right ever restrict what you've already got? That's backwards.
SCOs claims are just a way to keep the boat from sinking a little while longer. It won't hold up in court.
Reading law in the strictest sense doesn't make any sense at all. There is lots between the lines. That's why you need to hire expensive lawyers, who are familiar with famous court cases making precedent. In the end, it's all a racket to make lawyers rich. They are usually the ones getting the best deal, no matter the result.
You're an anti-american bigot. Deal with it. The americans are not "other human beings" to you, they are the "spoiled brats" of the world to you.
;-) Besides that, we never want to go to war, except when a maniac leader/fundamentalists/fascists starts one ;-)
;-)
I admit, it may seem like you have a point and I could tone down on it. However, I only say what I observe and have actually spoken to americans who have told me this themselves. Ie, I got this from educated american disgusted with their own society and leaders. I didn't come up with this myself..
Try to look at your own culture, what ideals you foster. It's very educational to take a critical look and ask others what they think. Where is the "American Dream" today? You have to admit, there's something strange going on these days..
I'm not saying Americans are the "bad guys". I'm just pointing out what is obvious to people here in Europe, just like you can spot how we can be, annoying and irritatingly socialist
With the recent war and all, and the previous poster praising the winners, I can only say what I've learned about it. It might be unfair to single out America, but I'm no bigot. Nobody is the "bad guy", everybody does what they think is best with the limited understanding they have. That is why education and critical analysis is very important today.
OTOH, America is a very fine country in many ways. It has created alot of the ideals present in many countries all over the world. Shown the way to freedom, democracy, righteousness and action. It's got an abundance of positive qualities. The people are cool and caring, wishing to do the right thing and protect the world.
Now don't let that go up to your collective heads
People see themselves as "winning", often when they trample on others. This is because of a mis-identification. People identify with THEIR OWN community, nationality, religion and other personal bias. Instead, if you identify with yourself being a human- or spiritual being, you will see that there are only other human beings around you. Not muslims, not christians, not japanese, not even lawyers.
America and UK is not really very secure. It doesn't help to have the best defence in the world, when you're acting like spoiled brats who decide for others what's "best for the world". America is supporting known terrorist groups worldwide, and have a history of occupying other nations for the worst reasons. Most international problems, America has generated for itself. It doesn't help to be so advanced and win, when you get the world to hate you.
It's all because of misidentification and ignorance. Especially in America, where people believe "USA is the world". Humility can be a hard lesson, one that is due for a long time "Over There".
You worked your ass off in school but didn't learn that some are NATURALLY smarter than others? All the time with the books but didn't pay attention to others to notice some are more adept at logic, music, art, athletics, etc.*? That it can take someone hours more to grasp the same concepts as someone else? Maybe some people are tired of being genetically disadvantaged in academics or arts?
There'll always be differences. This is what makes life fun. If everybody was the same, thinking the same, doing the same, it would be boring and bland. Limitation is fun, that's why we're here. It's fun when you know something others don't and it's fun to teach them. Sometimes you need to accept that you don't know something others do however. You have to accept yourself for who you are, without that stopping you from developing further.
You also need to learn that hard work without spending the time correctly slows progress. What's the problem with boosting intelligence so the effort is put to better use?
Faster, stronger, harder? How about enjoying life as it is? Be grateful for what you got, instead of doing what others says because you want to be like them. Instead of being filled by envy or belittling admiration, you can be filled by gratitude.
You won't be happy when you're there. You can only be happy here and now..
Life is also about a lot of luck. And if some are luckier than others, what's wrong with trying to spread the wealth? But I'm still quite skeptical of their claims...
Agreed. We could be sharing more. Many people are so obsessed with getting more and more. It's contagious and rampant. It requires a shift in attitude and knowledge though.
When we stop comparing ourselves with others, we can start to know our self through others.
I say all this, because people always are looking for an easy route. They want to get some place, and forget to enjoy the path that leads there. Instead of joy, they get feverishness and misery.
I used to feel pretty much this way too. But, I now think you are wrong. There are some people who really are evil. There are more who are assholes. There are lots of others who are just mean.
:-)
I believe that we have more lives than just this one. Just because a person is an asshole one life, doesn't mean he can't be a saint in another. It's just two different ways to experience life, and be experienced. Without the bad guy, there can not be a good guy. Then everything would be bland.
I know, many of you don't agree with me here, but it doesn't matter. This is just what I sincerely feel is right, now. It goes way deeper than that too, but this is not the forum for that.
These are people who enjoy hurting others. They enjoy making others miserable.
Yes, because they are really miserable themselves. Look at a child who gets hit by another child, it hits back in spite which is then immediately released. Quite naturally it gets rid of the stress by hitting back, or crying.
But adults don't cry, at leat not as much as they could. Many bear their anguish and hide it. But it comes out in other forms and actions unconsciously. After many years, it has twisted the original personality very subtly. Just think of how much is hidden!
I don't buy the "deep inside everyone is an innocent child" thing. Children can be the worst.
Children are just what they are, quite natural and spontaneous. You can't blame a child for killing somebody with a gun, you blame the adult for loading it in front of the child. You say they can be the "worst", but they do not do what they do in spite and hatred. They don't have the knowledge and worldly experience. They are completely innocent. They learn hatres along the way to adulthood. Of course, every child is different and special. Some children have problems from an early age, but there is always a cause for everything, even when it is hidden.
Empathy is something most people learn, not something they are born with. The ones who don't learn it are the evil/mean/assholes.
What parents you have is crucial. Chose your parents with great care...
It's easier when you know that people are the way they are because of their "life" - a series of circumstances from birth to death, you can accept them for who they are. Especially people who are not so aware, they're stuck in some triviality of life.
I don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but there is an awful lot of people out there who's sense of personal worth is enhanced when others lose. It's a painful truth I've had to accept these past few years.
;-)
;*)
You know, if you REALLY didn't want to burst my bubble, you would've kept quiet.
I'm quite aware of the fact however. That's what I meant with addictive feelings. Some people get a high from climbing a huge mountain, others from victory over others. It's just an addiction to feelings developed over time, inherited from parents/peers, even from previous lifetimes etc.
I don't understand it either.
I do understand it, not fully as that would be to pretend I know everything and everybody, but I've also felt happy to win over others. I play chess, and in that game it is there all the time. You win, you get excited, you lose, you get MAD! (To get good you have to lose LOTS or be a natural
Same with football-supporters, skiing, tennis, etc. The performers and the audience is hooked on a feeling-addiction they've obtain by the world around them.
I know it's cliche, but deep inside everybody is the same innocent child. Nobody truly want to hurt others, but their vision is distorted by pain and forgotten memories.
Such people have alot to teach us though, about humility and understanding against all odds. Without the bad, there can not be good.
They have no power, that you haven't already given up. Just take an old version and patch it up without the SCO-patch, and you're done.
It's a bit silly to put politics in patches though.
A settlement is an agreement. Microsoft can agree to not appeal. It's up to the other side to judge if they get a good deal with that. They even mentioned that settlement "is in Microsofts court now" in the article.
Microsoft also settled for alot of cash to Netscape. They're walking a fine line with the law, but they're not stupid. They milk what they can without upsetting the cow too much.
You can call it something else, if you like, but then we're merely arguing semantics.
n et) ;-)
Agreed 110% all the way. Too much discussion going on is just about different definitions. It's good to see somebody _get it_.
However, evil certainly does exist. Microsoft isn't ignorant. They are well aware of what they are doing - it's a deliberate strategy.
They're a company. There are thousands more that would gladly switch places with Microsoft. Companies device strategies to maximize profits. If what they do is evil, then most of what happens in capitalism is evil. I would call it ignorance - the unability to see farther than one's tip of the nose. You might call it evil, but then you look at the world in a negative way. Ignorance is innocent and dumb, while evilness... well, you can have "cute" evilness, but then it loses its point (a href="http://www.sinfest.net">http://www.sinfest.
Evil, (one of) thy name(s) is Microsoft. For the moment. In a past life, it was called IBM (now one of the good guys.) In the future, it'll be something else. But evil does exist.
You obviously know it's just a subjective label you put on someone. Just to get that out of the way.
Now, for a different perspective: Do you think the executives do what they do to make people's life miserable? Do they enjoy being evil, creating havoc, putting open source programmers out of job etc? Is that their goal in life?
I'd say everybody is in this life to be happy, and ultimately, they want people around them to be happy too. It's just that many are ignorant about what they do to others. They have not yet matured and realized what they do to others, in the end they do to themselves. It's all about maturity and acting instead of reacting.
If people are rash, angry, hating, rude, aggressive, violent or any such negativity, it's because of stress. A stress or hurt that is manifesting itself to the outside world. It can be just beneath the skin, or it may be a little deeper, but deep inside there's a person, a little child, who just wanted to be loved and happy. Somehow, people have become addicted to feelings of power, money, love, etc, then all the trouble starts!
"Evilness" is just part of the dirt that attach to us throughout a lifetime. It is easily removed when one matures, which might happen someday.
It was a rebuttal. Definately. I'll back it up a bit more here to make it clearer. I disagree with his view on intentions, because I don't see how you can defend the best intentions when you're doing wrong. And claiming monopoly on ideas is wrong/perversion in my book. Plain and simple.
Just you wait 'till companies like IBM with lots of IP starts sinking. The litigations-wars would leave a dry and barren wasteland of a formerly healthy IT-sector. Or they get bought up by somebody without scrouples. Then the former "intentions" are worth nothing.
Corporations are too big and have been given too much power.
Even when it's against someone "evil", like Microsoft. Which I don't believe for a second. Evilness doesn't exist, only ignorance.
I do however, also agree with you. I could have a different tone in my post. It's a way to get a message across I guess. Sorry. You're right, in a way, intentions are everything. If it goes wrong anyhow, it's usually because of bad luck or ignorance. However, don't take their word for their unproven "intentions". The Iraqi Information minister proved once and for all what people will say for the right incentive or beliefs. Believe me, all spokespersons have a little Iraqi Information Minister in them..
Do not give power to people with so-called "good intentions". Look at what they DO instead. Do they live what they preach? Most people don't, really. Then their word is worth nothing, because there is no experience behind it. It's empty without the experience and wisdom behind it.
It's an interesting paradox: Intention is everything, but don't count on it, it's also nothing.
The PTO is doing what all companies are for, maximizing profits in a capitalistic society. It makes sense for them to spend as little energy to examine the applications, and grant as many as they can per year.
It's more than the PTO that needs a "big" overhaul..
I wouldn't call them maggots. It's demeaning to the maggots. They're quite useful you know.
There is plenty the free software community can do to protect themselves. All they have to do is publish their work before any of the "megacoporations" go out and file their patents. The problem is that as far as I have seen the free software community doesn't care much about actual innovation, all they want is a free version of the products that every other company sells. If the free software community would stop trying to copy everything that Apple/Microsoft/Sun and countless others have made they wouldn't have to worry about nearly as much about patents.
Yet, Apple/Microsoft/Sun has done excactly as the Free Software community - copied technology. If you understand programming economics, it's the most economical thing to do: Copy and Extend/Innovate. To build from scratch is very, very, Very hard. And alot of work on top of that. You should try it. People will hate your software because it is "unusual". Most projects fail horribly.. What one needs then is a very strong theoretical foundation, coupled together with commercial ingenuity and a bunch of luck. Frankly, very few on this planet have all that. Programming's still a very new technology, and hardly a science yet. To make it science, you need to share innovation - catch 22. You don't have proprietary bridges by corporation XXX YYY, you have standards and companies doing real service.
There is alot of innovation going on in Free Software/Open Source. You're just looking at all the big glossy projects, which have had some catching up to do. There are myriads of small projects. Some very innovative, others just another editor. It's the way inventing always has been, and it's vibrant community.
Anyways, innovation is in the human creativity. To argue about creativity-differences in commercial/Free Software is pointless. All creativity comes from humans, and we should do everything we can to stop big corporations to highjack that and take the fun out of life.
It doesn't always work that way, and we shouldn't cheer stupidity either way. It's good to get some focus on the stupidity of the current patent system, but Microsoft will probably defend itself in every possible way within the current system. They have alot of interest keeping their IP-wealth status quo. Then they might buy up the company, like so many times before, and fire everybody. Sadly, no lessons learned there..
Don't count on anybody doing the job for you.