Week of December 14, 2001
Friday, December 14, 2001
An interesting article at CSharpToday.com on an http packet filer. Of course, if you don't read this today or Monday, you have to subscribe to get it. I read daily to keep up and save off the ones I like for later reference. Maybe one day I'll get around to implementing most of them.
Thurday, December 13, 2001
On fair use of content, I found a site at Stanford that is a good starting point, unfortunately, it's written for lawyers. You can see it at http://fairuse.stanford.edu/. Also found another site at The Copyright Website where Benedict O'Mahoney has done a good job summarizing many of the issues. I've also got an article underway that I hope to submit to Slashdot and get some geek commentary.
Broke the key to my car off in the door lock. Luckily there was a little stub and a locksmith is about a block from my office. They got the stub out. Just for these reasons, I keep a spare in my wallet. You might want to get one as well.
Wednesday, December 12, 2001
A few somewhat interesting articles on Slashdot, one on the future of home computing and one on satellite radio and one on a security hole in IE. A few comments...
On satellite radio: I checked into this earlier this year, but it lacked a number of syndicated programs that I would want to hear, notable Jim Rome and Howard Stern. There are a few others I wouldn't mind hearing as well, but those are the biggies. I'm not sure why not and if these guys will get added, but that would be a huge draw for me. The other item is that I'd want a portable device. I listen in my car, at home, at work, and on my bike. If I could get the same programs everywhere, I'd do it. Right now, I suffer through horrible AM reception in so many places, including my car. I'm asking for a new AM/FM portable (digital) for Christmas from my wife, so we'll see if that works better.
A couple years ago, there was a trial in Denver with a company that buit a device that received broadcasts that you subscribed to. It was basically a digital device like an MP3 player that you setup to subscribe to any number of programs, including a great many talk shows, and it would receive the information and store it for you to hear later. I almost bought one, but they were $100 and it was a trial for only a year. It's ended now and I haven't heard anything else about it, but that was close to my ideal device. What I'd really like is to be able to easily record or get a broadcast of Jim Rome, for example, and hear it when I can. Right now I hear some at work, but I get interrupted, so I miss a bunch. This was a TIVO like device that seemed to solve all my problems. Hopefully it will come back someday. The company was Command Audio.
There was also a story sometime in the last day about the Federal raids on software pirates. It's interesting to see the slashdotters respond to this, but I am amazed by the opinions out there. First of all, using warez, copying software, etc. is illegal. Not only that, it is a huge infringement on the rights of those who have produced the software.
A few comments I can speak about. One was about someone who purchased a game and subsequently broke the CD. He called the company and they would not replace the CD for him. He was somewhat upset. Also, another commentor mentioned something about since they did not replace the media that the CD was the item that was being charged for and not the data. Absolutely nonsense. When I grew up, we bought records, good old fashioned vinyl LPs. If we scratched one, dropped one, etc. you were S-O-L. Not two ways about it. Why is digital media different? If the record player from Sony scratched the Polygram LP, too bad. Now I would like to see the ability to backup digital media, but why do you think that you should be able to get another copy when yours is ruined? Is this another advance that is your right? No way. Sucks to be you, but you dropped it, you lose. You drop any physical device you paid for, tough luck.
Another comment was from a student who said he couldn't afford the software, but shouldn't he be permitted to "learn" Studio 3D or whatever software he mentioned. NO. What the #$%#$^# do you think gives you any right to work with someone's product if they do not want you to? This is so ludicrous, I can't believe I'm wasting time on this.
One more comment and my take. Someone mentioned something about using warez (pirated software) to try before you buy. Absolute baloney. I do believe there are people that do this, but it ain't anywhere near the majority. Not even close. Not a chance. People are ripping this stuff off and using it because they want to. Also, not even a defensible arguement.
What's my take? Well, I think companies should be able to defend their IP and pursue pirates. They should be able to implement security or schemes to prevent unauthorized use of their products. However, and this is a BIG HOWEVER. They also have to stand by their products. They have to have some responsibility for their products and there should be "software" or "digital" versions of consumer protection laws to enforce this. Too many bugs (not sure how this would be quanitfied) and they recall or patch their product. Consumers should be able to return opened software. And their should be fair use, like Jerry Pournelle proposed, it should be "like a book". I can install multiple copies, but I can only use one at a time. Not sure how to enforce this, but I'm sure there are some smart people who could come up with ways.
Not only that, but a consumer OWNs the software. Not a license, not a rental (unless that's agreed upon), but OWNs. Like a car, like a radio, like any other product. Boot the DCMA, SSCCA, etc. and build real consumer protection laws that protect consumers AND software publishers.
Sports
Dan Issel, the current coach of the Denver Nuggets was caught on tape by the local TV station dropping a racial epithet on a fan after his teams loss last night. First, I'm a lukewarm Nuggets fan, mainly because I live in Denver. Second, I'd like to have them get successful, but their performance over the three years I've lived in Denver has been disappointing.
That being said, I'm not Issel fan. He was a great player, but IMHO, not a very good coach, about average. However, you CANNOT drop racial slurs on fans. He should be fired immediately. If not for his poor performance, then definitely for this outburst.
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
Not too much happening here today. Kind of a slow day. Spent most of the day tracing down the way that an AICC compliant course tracks its progress.
Monday, December 10, 2001
Back at work after a four day vacation. Nice to get away and spend some time with the kids and my mom. I barely touched a computer for 4 days, though I did finish reading The Nudist on the Late Shift. Interesting, but not the lifestyle I'd like, not even for a couple years. Not worth the time away from my family.
An interesting debate on Slashdot conerning Paypal. Some good points because Paypal isn't a bank and they have no liability. Wired did a good article on this before as well.
I read Jerry Pournelle's columns on Byte. An interesting one on MS this week. I tend to agree with Mr. Pournelle. While MS has the right to charge for every copy of XP and limit piracy, they are really overreaching their bounds ethically here. At some point their monopoly (and it is a monopoly) needs to have some moral and ethical additions to the profit motive. I believe that companies must include some type of morality to their functioning as we become more and more civilized and advanced.
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