What do you people think of this?
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Evil - immoral, corrupt, corrupting, inhumane, selfish, and wicked.
static int Sqrt(int x) { if (x<0) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(); int temp, y=0, b=0x8000, bshft=15, v=x; do { if (v>=(temp=(y<<1)+b<>=1)>0); return y; :omg:
Hmmm...I'd set the bar a little higher for my personal definition of evil, I don't see selfish as being "evil" per-se and immoral is the most slippery concept in the world. By that definition just about any thing or any one could be called evil. So I guess I understand where you're coming from.
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I think the article is well-thought-out and written. I think the author is naive if he/she thinks all software will come with source code. It's neither likely nor appropriate. I do think that DRM is a slippery slope. We should be on guard against the possibility that the wheels of justice could be subverted by "disappearing" email messages, etc. Still, we're not there yet.
Jim from NoVA wrote:
I do think that DRM is a slippery slope. We should be on guard against the possibility that the wheels of justice could be subverted by "disappearing" email messages, etc. Still, we're not there yet.
ISP's are required by law to keep all eMail messages and they can be granted access to if they are relevant to a lawsuit or criminal investigation and a subpoena has been granted Roswell
"Angelinos -- excuse me. There will be civility today."
Antonio VillaRaigosa
City Mayor, Los Angeles, CA -
Jim from NoVA wrote:
I do think that DRM is a slippery slope. We should be on guard against the possibility that the wheels of justice could be subverted by "disappearing" email messages, etc. Still, we're not there yet.
ISP's are required by law to keep all eMail messages and they can be granted access to if they are relevant to a lawsuit or criminal investigation and a subpoena has been granted Roswell
"Angelinos -- excuse me. There will be civility today."
Antonio VillaRaigosa
City Mayor, Los Angeles, CAThank you. I think we will continue to see these types of safeguards, so the slope may not be as slippery as it might appear. I should ask, though, how is the employee of a company protected when he executes an emailed order, but the email can't be referenced later because the company won't produce it (since they're covering their butts...)?
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So if you automatically discard the validity of the article, should others do the same to your comment, because you're a Microsoft MVP?
---------- Siderite
That's just dumb. What makes you think that a - I 'automatically' discarded it ( i.e. that I didn't consider it before deciding it was rubbish ) and b - that I ever implied anyone should be influenced by my opinion because of the MVP ? Are you suggesting that being an MVP means I'm not allowed to state my opinions ?
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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Everything on gnu.org, written about Microsoft is crap. They hate Microsoft, especally Stallman who wrote the article we talk about.
- Anders My new photo website[^]
That was pretty much my point - I'm sure there's stuff on gnu.org that makes sense and/or is cool, but they obviously have an anti MS agenda.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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Henize wrote:
Think about the evils that can be done with TRM.
Your government has an army . Think of the evil a government can do with an army. Does that mean they can't have one ?
Henize wrote:
Think more thoroughly about things and you will notice a lot more about everything.
I think you mean 'wear a tin foil hat'.... The tone of the article was building from what it regards as present day evils, and all of them related to software not being open source, and people who create intellectual property getting paid. Oh, or people who use download programs for piracy getting a little of what they deserve as a result.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
The tone of the article was building from what it regards as present day evils, and all of them related to software not being open source, and people who create intellectual property getting paid.
The point of the article was the trouble you get in when someone else controls your computer. When someone else can decide what you can do with *your* stuff, the things *you* create. F.x. a document that can't be read next month. Say you've written your code with Visual Studio 2010, and when version 2011 comes out, you just decide to go with Mono, or whatever. But, unfortunately, the code is stored 'safely', and without the key, which your computer controls, you can't read your own code. So it's upgrade or die, basically. Will Microsoft, or anyone else, do this? Well, they're doing it already. Want to read that 5-year-old Word document you wrote? Buy Word from Microsoft. Want to listen to that music you bougth before your computer crashed? Buy it again (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34523). The format is secret, you have to pay someone to access your own stuff. Unless we, as citizens and consumers, stand up for our rights, someone else will control what we can do with our own stuff. And all the culture we create today will be lost in 10 years. Remember that we can read books that are thousand of years old today. How many of today's books can be read in 3006? M. PS. There's no relationship between 'open source', 'creating intellectual property' and 'not getting paid'. This can be combined in various ways. F.x. Red Hat makes money (open source, creates) as does Microsoft (not open source, creates). Most artists don't (not open source, creates), but the records companies does (not open source, not creates).
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Siderite Zaqwedex wrote:
So if you automatically discard the validity of the article, should others do the same to your comment, because you're a Microsoft MVP?
I fail to see how his MVP status has anything to do with it. That article was written either by an overly paranoid user or someone who is desperately trying to promote Linux through the use of scare tactics (which may work on your average Joe Public but is less likely to affect the techy types that hang out here). I hold no MVP and think it's bull. Now, does that making me a sheep or demonstrate that the capacity for reasonable thought, not believing everything I read on the internet?
don't believe everything that you breathe
you get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve...
- Beck:Loser -
Christian Graus wrote:
The tone of the article was building from what it regards as present day evils, and all of them related to software not being open source, and people who create intellectual property getting paid.
The point of the article was the trouble you get in when someone else controls your computer. When someone else can decide what you can do with *your* stuff, the things *you* create. F.x. a document that can't be read next month. Say you've written your code with Visual Studio 2010, and when version 2011 comes out, you just decide to go with Mono, or whatever. But, unfortunately, the code is stored 'safely', and without the key, which your computer controls, you can't read your own code. So it's upgrade or die, basically. Will Microsoft, or anyone else, do this? Well, they're doing it already. Want to read that 5-year-old Word document you wrote? Buy Word from Microsoft. Want to listen to that music you bougth before your computer crashed? Buy it again (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34523). The format is secret, you have to pay someone to access your own stuff. Unless we, as citizens and consumers, stand up for our rights, someone else will control what we can do with our own stuff. And all the culture we create today will be lost in 10 years. Remember that we can read books that are thousand of years old today. How many of today's books can be read in 3006? M. PS. There's no relationship between 'open source', 'creating intellectual property' and 'not getting paid'. This can be combined in various ways. F.x. Red Hat makes money (open source, creates) as does Microsoft (not open source, creates). Most artists don't (not open source, creates), but the records companies does (not open source, not creates).
blirp wrote:
a document that can't be read next month
YEah, but the point is, that's just hysteria. It's *not gonna happen*.
blirp wrote:
Say you've written your code with Visual Studio 2010, and when version 2011 comes out, you just decide to go with Mono, or whatever. But, unfortunately, the code is stored 'safely', and without the key, which your computer controls, you can't read your own code. So it's upgrade or die, basically.
Would YOU upgrade to that IDE ? I sure as hell wouldn't. And that's the point. None of these supposed products would survive in the marketplace. One major reason this just ain't gonna happen.
blirp wrote:
Want to read that 5-year-old Word document you wrote? Buy Word from Microsoft.
How does that make sense ? If I wrote it in Word, I own Word, and I can still run it.
blirp wrote:
Want to listen to that music you bougth before your computer crashed? Buy it again (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34523). The format is secret, you have to pay someone to access your own stuff.
Copyright on music is another question - if you're dumb enough to pay the price of a CD to download mp3s then that's your problem. If your PC contains your licence and it crashes, that's your fault, too. I buy all my music, I buy it all on CD. I have a CD, no-one can take it from me.
blirp wrote:
Unless we, as citizens and consumers, stand up for our rights, someone else will control what we can do with our own stuff.
But we *will*. The examples you give are silly, and the future vision you have is one that is never gonna happen, because no-one will buy into it.
blirp wrote:
And all the culture we create today will be lost in 10 years. Remember that we can read books that are thousand of years old today. How many of today's books can be read in 3006?
More hysteria. All of them can be read in 3006, I have no doubt of that.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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kulazfuk wrote:
That article was written either by an overly paranoid user or someone who is desperately trying to promote Linux
RMS dislikes Linux as well as Open Source. If you want to ridicule someone, at least get some of the facts straight. M.
blirp wrote:
If you want to ridicule someone
:wtf: Ridicule? Where? How?
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blirp wrote:
If you want to ridicule someone
:wtf: Ridicule? Where? How?
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That's just dumb. What makes you think that a - I 'automatically' discarded it ( i.e. that I didn't consider it before deciding it was rubbish ) and b - that I ever implied anyone should be influenced by my opinion because of the MVP ? Are you suggesting that being an MVP means I'm not allowed to state my opinions ?
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Quoting from yourself: >> http://www.gnu.org/, Gee - who'd have thought they would be the ones publishing this drivel. And you're right, that's just dumb. I consider this discussion over.
---------- Siderite
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blirp wrote:
a document that can't be read next month
YEah, but the point is, that's just hysteria. It's *not gonna happen*.
blirp wrote:
Say you've written your code with Visual Studio 2010, and when version 2011 comes out, you just decide to go with Mono, or whatever. But, unfortunately, the code is stored 'safely', and without the key, which your computer controls, you can't read your own code. So it's upgrade or die, basically.
Would YOU upgrade to that IDE ? I sure as hell wouldn't. And that's the point. None of these supposed products would survive in the marketplace. One major reason this just ain't gonna happen.
blirp wrote:
Want to read that 5-year-old Word document you wrote? Buy Word from Microsoft.
How does that make sense ? If I wrote it in Word, I own Word, and I can still run it.
blirp wrote:
Want to listen to that music you bougth before your computer crashed? Buy it again (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34523). The format is secret, you have to pay someone to access your own stuff.
Copyright on music is another question - if you're dumb enough to pay the price of a CD to download mp3s then that's your problem. If your PC contains your licence and it crashes, that's your fault, too. I buy all my music, I buy it all on CD. I have a CD, no-one can take it from me.
blirp wrote:
Unless we, as citizens and consumers, stand up for our rights, someone else will control what we can do with our own stuff.
But we *will*. The examples you give are silly, and the future vision you have is one that is never gonna happen, because no-one will buy into it.
blirp wrote:
And all the culture we create today will be lost in 10 years. Remember that we can read books that are thousand of years old today. How many of today's books can be read in 3006?
More hysteria. All of them can be read in 3006, I have no doubt of that.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
Would YOU upgrade to that IDE ? I sure as hell wouldn't. And that's the point. None of these supposed products would survive in the marketplace. One major reason this just ain't gonna happen.
You wish. But remember the big players in the industry wants a subscription-based model. So that 2010-version of the IDE will simply stop working if you don't pay.
Christian Graus wrote:
How does that make sense ? If I wrote it in Word, I own Word, and I can still run it.
As above. You won't *own* Word. You don't even own Word today. Read the EULA.
Christian Graus wrote:
I buy it all on CD. I have a CD, no-one can take it from me.
Luddite! :-D But seriously, how can you claim this? All the record companies add all sorts of ugly DRM on the CD's these days, creating all sorts of ugly problems. I mean, they actually use the error correction algorithm to try to stop you from making a backup. Now the first little scratch destroys the album. No, DRM and Trusted Computing will make us pay more for stuff we take for granted today. It will lock us to single vendors where a markedplace exists today.
Christian Graus wrote:
The examples you give are silly, and the future vision you have is one that is never gonna happen, because no-one will buy into it.
No-one buying into it? What's iTunes doing these days? Zune? XBox? That future is already here.
Christian Graus wrote:
All of them can be read in 3006, I have no doubt of that.
The ones on paper? Maybe. The digital ones? No chance. Because you don't own it, you just have a lisence to read it. Once or thrice. M.
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Christian Graus wrote:
Would YOU upgrade to that IDE ? I sure as hell wouldn't. And that's the point. None of these supposed products would survive in the marketplace. One major reason this just ain't gonna happen.
You wish. But remember the big players in the industry wants a subscription-based model. So that 2010-version of the IDE will simply stop working if you don't pay.
Christian Graus wrote:
How does that make sense ? If I wrote it in Word, I own Word, and I can still run it.
As above. You won't *own* Word. You don't even own Word today. Read the EULA.
Christian Graus wrote:
I buy it all on CD. I have a CD, no-one can take it from me.
Luddite! :-D But seriously, how can you claim this? All the record companies add all sorts of ugly DRM on the CD's these days, creating all sorts of ugly problems. I mean, they actually use the error correction algorithm to try to stop you from making a backup. Now the first little scratch destroys the album. No, DRM and Trusted Computing will make us pay more for stuff we take for granted today. It will lock us to single vendors where a markedplace exists today.
Christian Graus wrote:
The examples you give are silly, and the future vision you have is one that is never gonna happen, because no-one will buy into it.
No-one buying into it? What's iTunes doing these days? Zune? XBox? That future is already here.
Christian Graus wrote:
All of them can be read in 3006, I have no doubt of that.
The ones on paper? Maybe. The digital ones? No chance. Because you don't own it, you just have a lisence to read it. Once or thrice. M.
blirp wrote:
But remember the big players in the industry wants a subscription-based model. So that 2010-version of the IDE will simply stop working if you don't pay.
I won't sign up for that either. I still have my VC6 CDs, I will be keeping the CDs of every version I own. Worst case - I go back to the last non-subscription one. Anyhow, how long do you think it will take for someone to write a patch to stop what you're talking about ?
blirp wrote:
You won't *own* Word. You don't even own Word today. Read the EULA.
But I DO own the Word CDs, and the CD's for every OS from 98 ( I lost the 95 one ). So, so long as I have a PC, I can read my Word doc.
blirp wrote:
All the record companies add all sorts of ugly DRM on the CD's these days, creating all sorts of ugly problems.
I have 850 CDs. I do not have *one* that I've failed to rip to mp3 as a backup. Including the ones that say they have DRM.
blirp wrote:
It will lock us to single vendors where a markedplace exists today.
Actually, I've been locked to a single 'vendor' since I liked music. Ozzy is on Sony, I can't buy his CDs via anyone else.
blirp wrote:
What's iTunes doing these days? Zune? XBox? That future is already here.
They are selling content and locking it because of file sharing. This does not flow into what you're claiming.
blirp wrote:
The ones on paper? Maybe.
Only maybe ?
blirp wrote:
The digital ones? No chance.
Wrong. You think that if Microsoft does this, creates a world where the books of the past are lost, that no-one will counter their efforts ? You think they will magically control our PCs so we can no longer write code for them ?
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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blirp wrote:
But remember the big players in the industry wants a subscription-based model. So that 2010-version of the IDE will simply stop working if you don't pay.
I won't sign up for that either. I still have my VC6 CDs, I will be keeping the CDs of every version I own. Worst case - I go back to the last non-subscription one. Anyhow, how long do you think it will take for someone to write a patch to stop what you're talking about ?
blirp wrote:
You won't *own* Word. You don't even own Word today. Read the EULA.
But I DO own the Word CDs, and the CD's for every OS from 98 ( I lost the 95 one ). So, so long as I have a PC, I can read my Word doc.
blirp wrote:
All the record companies add all sorts of ugly DRM on the CD's these days, creating all sorts of ugly problems.
I have 850 CDs. I do not have *one* that I've failed to rip to mp3 as a backup. Including the ones that say they have DRM.
blirp wrote:
It will lock us to single vendors where a markedplace exists today.
Actually, I've been locked to a single 'vendor' since I liked music. Ozzy is on Sony, I can't buy his CDs via anyone else.
blirp wrote:
What's iTunes doing these days? Zune? XBox? That future is already here.
They are selling content and locking it because of file sharing. This does not flow into what you're claiming.
blirp wrote:
The ones on paper? Maybe.
Only maybe ?
blirp wrote:
The digital ones? No chance.
Wrong. You think that if Microsoft does this, creates a world where the books of the past are lost, that no-one will counter their efforts ? You think they will magically control our PCs so we can no longer write code for them ?
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
I still have my VC6 CDs, I will be keeping the CDs of every version I own. Worst case - I go back to the last non-subscription one.
Good plan, except you'll be writing code for what will compare to Windows 3.1 running on what would compare to a pentium with 240MB harddrive. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
But I DO own the Word CDs, and the CD's for every OS from 98 ( I lost the 95 one ).
Read the EULA. You don't really own it. Or at least Microsoft doesn't want you to own it. Same goes for most other companies, btw.
Christian Graus wrote:
So, so long as I have a PC, I can read my Word doc.
There are already a lot of old Word documents that won't work on the latest version. And none of the old versions will support the new XML-format.
Christian Graus wrote:
I have 850 CDs. I do not have *one* that I've failed to rip to mp3 as a backup. Including the ones that say they have DRM.
But of course! What I was pointing out was that the DRM actually removes the error correction on your CD's. So if you're unlucky and get even the smallest scratch, it could be ruined.
Christian Graus wrote:
Ozzy is on Sony, I can't buy his CDs via anyone else.
Well, you got good taste in music. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
They are selling content and locking it because of file sharing.
Nope, they're selling and locking so you can't play on the other guy's player.
Christian Graus wrote:
Wrong. You think that if Microsoft does this, creates a world where the books of the past are lost, that no-one will counter their efforts ? You think they will magically control our PCs so we can no longer write code for them ?
Excellent! But that someone should be us, you, me, the rest of the poeple here. We have to understand the threath and work to reduce it now. When it's too late, it's too late. Sitting back and doing nothing because the warning comes from a nutcase won't do us any good. M.
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Christian Graus wrote:
I still have my VC6 CDs, I will be keeping the CDs of every version I own. Worst case - I go back to the last non-subscription one.
Good plan, except you'll be writing code for what will compare to Windows 3.1 running on what would compare to a pentium with 240MB harddrive. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
But I DO own the Word CDs, and the CD's for every OS from 98 ( I lost the 95 one ).
Read the EULA. You don't really own it. Or at least Microsoft doesn't want you to own it. Same goes for most other companies, btw.
Christian Graus wrote:
So, so long as I have a PC, I can read my Word doc.
There are already a lot of old Word documents that won't work on the latest version. And none of the old versions will support the new XML-format.
Christian Graus wrote:
I have 850 CDs. I do not have *one* that I've failed to rip to mp3 as a backup. Including the ones that say they have DRM.
But of course! What I was pointing out was that the DRM actually removes the error correction on your CD's. So if you're unlucky and get even the smallest scratch, it could be ruined.
Christian Graus wrote:
Ozzy is on Sony, I can't buy his CDs via anyone else.
Well, you got good taste in music. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
They are selling content and locking it because of file sharing.
Nope, they're selling and locking so you can't play on the other guy's player.
Christian Graus wrote:
Wrong. You think that if Microsoft does this, creates a world where the books of the past are lost, that no-one will counter their efforts ? You think they will magically control our PCs so we can no longer write code for them ?
Excellent! But that someone should be us, you, me, the rest of the poeple here. We have to understand the threath and work to reduce it now. When it's too late, it's too late. Sitting back and doing nothing because the warning comes from a nutcase won't do us any good. M.
blirp wrote:
Good plan, except you'll be writing code for what will compare to Windows 3.1 running on what would compare to a pentium with 240MB harddrive
My point was that VC6 is the thing that's unsupported today that I can still use. And I can write code for any OS with VC6, I just have to use LoadLibrary to get to the APIs if I can't download an SDK.
blirp wrote:
Read the EULA. You don't really own it. Or at least Microsoft doesn't want you to own it. Same goes for most other companies, btw.
I know what the EULA says. So what ? If we're talking about Big Brother style document control, don't you think there will be widespread rebellion ? I have the CDs, they can make it illegal, but they can't stop me.
blirp wrote:
And none of the old versions will support the new XML-format.
Obviously. But the point of XML is that once I save in XML, I can write my own viewer. No-one can stop me.
blirp wrote:
So if you're unlucky and get even the smallest scratch, it could be ruined.
OK - fair enough. I agree this situation totally sucks, but I play my CDs exactly once - to rip them. I have them because I prefer to own them physically, but I play them at my PC, generally via mp3. So, I have my backup - this is kind of leading to my point. The system is working in a way which could rob me of my rights to the music, but I have made copies and can reproduce them if need be.
blirp wrote:
Nope, they're selling and locking so you can't play on the other guy's player.
One way or the other, it's a response to file sharing, it's a response to piracy. If people obeyed the law, they wouldn't have done it at all.
blirp wrote:
We have to understand the threath and work to reduce it now
I don't think people whining on gnu.org is going to do much.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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blirp wrote:
Good plan, except you'll be writing code for what will compare to Windows 3.1 running on what would compare to a pentium with 240MB harddrive
My point was that VC6 is the thing that's unsupported today that I can still use. And I can write code for any OS with VC6, I just have to use LoadLibrary to get to the APIs if I can't download an SDK.
blirp wrote:
Read the EULA. You don't really own it. Or at least Microsoft doesn't want you to own it. Same goes for most other companies, btw.
I know what the EULA says. So what ? If we're talking about Big Brother style document control, don't you think there will be widespread rebellion ? I have the CDs, they can make it illegal, but they can't stop me.
blirp wrote:
And none of the old versions will support the new XML-format.
Obviously. But the point of XML is that once I save in XML, I can write my own viewer. No-one can stop me.
blirp wrote:
So if you're unlucky and get even the smallest scratch, it could be ruined.
OK - fair enough. I agree this situation totally sucks, but I play my CDs exactly once - to rip them. I have them because I prefer to own them physically, but I play them at my PC, generally via mp3. So, I have my backup - this is kind of leading to my point. The system is working in a way which could rob me of my rights to the music, but I have made copies and can reproduce them if need be.
blirp wrote:
Nope, they're selling and locking so you can't play on the other guy's player.
One way or the other, it's a response to file sharing, it's a response to piracy. If people obeyed the law, they wouldn't have done it at all.
blirp wrote:
We have to understand the threath and work to reduce it now
I don't think people whining on gnu.org is going to do much.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
At this point I think we're pretty much nitpicking each other's arguments. We both see the danger, I think it's more urgent than you to try to stop it. Fair enough. That's not how I perceived you at first.
Christian Graus wrote:
If people obeyed the law, they wouldn't have done it at all.
I don't think this is correct. The record industry could have opened online music stores many years ago. That would have countered the perceived effect of file sharing. And, btw. the link between drop in music sales and increased file sharing is very difficult to find. I might seem like an obvious link, but a lot of people end up buying a lot of music they've downloaded. Whether it's illegal or not, is also up for debate, and at least vary from country to country. But I'll agree that it's immoral, just like most record contracts are. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
I don't think people whining on gnu.org is going to do much.
Oh, come on! RMS wrote Emacs! :) Kidding aside, the GPL, GCC, C-libraries and make-tools from Gnu have made a large impact. M.
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At this point I think we're pretty much nitpicking each other's arguments. We both see the danger, I think it's more urgent than you to try to stop it. Fair enough. That's not how I perceived you at first.
Christian Graus wrote:
If people obeyed the law, they wouldn't have done it at all.
I don't think this is correct. The record industry could have opened online music stores many years ago. That would have countered the perceived effect of file sharing. And, btw. the link between drop in music sales and increased file sharing is very difficult to find. I might seem like an obvious link, but a lot of people end up buying a lot of music they've downloaded. Whether it's illegal or not, is also up for debate, and at least vary from country to country. But I'll agree that it's immoral, just like most record contracts are. :)
Christian Graus wrote:
I don't think people whining on gnu.org is going to do much.
Oh, come on! RMS wrote Emacs! :) Kidding aside, the GPL, GCC, C-libraries and make-tools from Gnu have made a large impact. M.
blirp wrote:
. That would have countered the perceived effect of file sharing
No, it wouldn't. So they were slow to move into new areas. But do you think the ability to buy tracks online has stopped people from stealing them ? Being able to buy tapes never stopped me copying them as a kid.
blirp wrote:
And, btw. the link between drop in music sales and increased file sharing is very difficult to find
My local music store lost 30% when Napster hit. That 30% never came back.
blirp wrote:
but a lot of people end up buying a lot of music they've downloaded.
Sure - some do. I certainly do. But most don't. And the people that do, download it to see if it's any good, so there's a proportion of people who buy music, who download any particular album, and do not buy it. Fair enough, if it sucks, it sucks ( I did this with Metallica - St Anger ). But, free music doesn't make dishonest people buy it. That's just silly.
blirp wrote:
Whether it's illegal or not, is also up for debate, and at least vary from country to country.
Sure - some countries don't support copyright at all.
blirp wrote:
But I'll agree that it's immoral, just like most record contracts are.
*grin* I'd love to see a world where musicians have greater power, because the net allows them to release their own music. Record companies are basically a middle man, of use more to people with less talent ( to sell music that won't sell itself ). The internet is death to the middle man, where-ever you look.
blirp wrote:
Kidding aside, the GPL, GCC, C-libraries and make-tools from Gnu have made a large impact.
And aren't they all examples of people providing software and models that conform to what they think is fair ? If Microsoft did what's being suggested here, do you have any idea how many people will join ( and contribute to ) the GNU camp ? This is exactly why what the article claims as a worst case could never happen. Too many people will both want to jump ship, and be willing to help provide a platform to jump to.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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I sure hope that this never gets put into people's computers. http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html[^]
static int Sqrt(int x) { if (x<0) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(); int temp, y=0, b=0x8000, bshft=15, v=x; do { if (v>=(temp=(y<<1)+b<>=1)>0); return y; :omg:
What do I think? To ALL readers: this is not just about stopping people from copying music! :laugh: Computers will soon be Spies in your own homes, controled by other entities out in this world (oops, it's already happening) :suss: Sure, we are using them, but the "Control" is from another. Basically they can collect data, cause something to happen on our PC, and use it for their good, not ours. Being followed by Police doesn't feel good, even when you are completely innocent. Most of us don't know the Police are there in our PC's doing the following. :( It's funny, if we were to get into their* PCs and format their hard drive, we would be called hackers and could face Jail, definitely get a fine large enough to be Bankrupt. :(( * "their" meaning, a software company. BUT, if the software created by their company accidentally corrupts our whole hard drive, or a flaw alows others to get to us, exploit etc... we can do nothing about it, they are protected by a solid EULA that we have to agree to else get nothing anyways :sigh: So, Palladium is just a great way for them to control more, not get into trouble doing it, while squeezing every last cent out of us. There are some good points to Palladium, but it can just make villians like Kazzaa, or the next Kazzaa type company stronger in the future. Weird thing, people come and ask me why they had so many viruses, computer running slow etc... so I look into their system and find Kazzaa running in systray, heh, they have no idea what is going on :((. We are all just blind sheep; they will use us for wool and manure, then when our value runs short they eat us. ;P