I'm not surprised that Comcrap and Togers reserve the right to pwn your internet traffic. But then, I wouldn't use either of them if my life depended upon it... In any case, it just goes to show that one needs to read and understand the fine print in many of these EULA's.
Finally, my hat's off to Sonic.net for their policies, at least as stated. Too bad other ISP's aren't as clear and ethical in the treatment of their customers.
This sort of cruft is why I have changed the name of Comcast to Comcrap... My experiences with them, and from what I can tell from others of my acquaintance who subscribe to their services, are consistently horrid. They have no customer service worthy of the name, their internet service is unreliable, they unilaterally alter the channels that they provide for their various service plans, and there isn't much you can do about it except pay them more to get back the features you subscribed to in the first place.
These are only my opinions. Others may have had better experience with them than I have had, but honestly, I won't hold my breath to find out...
Dimbulbs like Frenel are the problem. He apparently has no understanding of computer systems, networks, or software. If he had, then he would have never signed off on this cruft!
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Oh, you were posting with your tongue in cheek... :-)
It's this sort of cruft that forces one to understand that the USPTO is clueless about software, and has no business making decisions about software patents. I actually have a software patent (owned by an 800lb corporate gorilla) that, IMHO, is an innovation suitably covered by patent protection. It deals with adaptive systems and solves some fundamental problems with them that are non-obvious even to highly skilled software engineers. So, I'm not against software patents per se, but I AM against most of the software patents that the USPTO issues as the vast majority are either covered by prior art, or are such obvious solutions to trivial problems that they should have been rejected out of hand.
Well, lawyers are for the most part definitely Morons in a Hurry... and this is what we get when we let Morons in a Hurry dictate corporate policy and common sense.
I used to make backup copies of my CDs which I would use while traveling, etc. Now, I make copies as disc images which I store on my network storage array and rip mp3 copies which I use for mobile purposes (car, phone, etc). I am purchasing a fraction of the numbers of CDs now that I did just a couple of years ago in preference to 2-4GB micro SD cards which I use for mobile storage.
Personally, I think a "media tax" is bogus, as is all DRM and restrictions on copying of music/video content legally purchased for personal use. That is why I don't own a Blu-ray device. It is time the content/labels started getting a clue, and stopped treating their customers like criminals...
We download and view on my computer a number of great BBC shows which otherwise are either not available in the US, or not available in a timely manner. Interestingly enough, when these are available here in DVD format, we purchase them. If we cannot find the shows we are interested in and can view without encumbrances on the net (we don't get cable, satellite, or broadcast TV), then BBC will lose from my family alone probably a $1000 USD per year in income. Their bad...
Because of the noxious behavior of the producers of Hurt Locker, they have lost at least a few sets of eyeballs (all of my family) and subsequent income. Piss on them!
I didn't catch the thing about it being in Ireland, so I don't know if they have a registry or not. They ought to. Personally, I'd vote for requiring that they sew a big red X (for "seX offender") on all of their shirts and other outerwear, kind of like the red A in "The Scarlet Letter"...
If he is a convicted sex offender then isn't he supposed to be registered? And isn't the sex offender registry supposed to be public so people who they have offended against can monitor their whereabouts after they have been released from prison? If that is the case, then what are the newspapers doing wrong here? I say throw the pervert back in prison for violating his parole by not registering his whereabouts if that is what happened.
They should also require wannabe politicians and sitting ones as well to pass a knowledge of law test, have a political science degree, and pass a polygraph test under the influence of sodium pentothal to prove that they are "honest"... What a pinhead!
As long as there are no severe repercussions for the management of the VA (such as losing their jobs, or jail time), then there is no incentive for them to change their behavior. Since the VA is an agency of the US federal government, it is up to Congress to put some teeth into the regulations that govern the VA and other agencies that are under their purview, and we know just how likely that is...
Driving While Talking. Pretty soon, we get pulled over for talking to ourselves. After all, if we are talking to ourselves, we must be distracted! Or maybe DWT means Driving While Thinking! Oh, that's right. Thinking is distracting. Must make it illegal... ;-{
If the theaters are so concerned with release windows, then maybe a reasonable compromise would be for them to be able to sell the DVD in the theater a little before it became generally available... Naw. Other distributors would howl about that! Personally, I would consider purchasing the Avatar DVD even though I recently saw it in 3D at the theater. It was a great theater experience, but the story is great also - worth keeping in the video collection at home. Release windows don't change that assessment at all, so as far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is just a bunch of money-grubbing asshats upset over nothing in particular.
I disagree with Anonymous Coward (at least one of them) that software should not be patentable. I say that because I hold one that I think is worthy of it, and to blanket agree would be at best disingenuous. In general however, most software patents are "patently" bogus! If the USPTO would subject software patent applications to the same rigor they subject hardware patents (non-obvious solution to a problem, no relevant prior art, etc), then the system would not be so FUBAR. Unfortunately, that situation does not seem to be in the stars.
In the process of getting my patent, I had a wonderful opportunity to see how screwed up the US Patent Office is. It took 4 years to get granted, during which time the examiner was citing totally unrelated patents as prior art reasons why it should not be granted. I don't know how much legal time was wasted on the process since that was handled by the company I worked for at the time. In any case, from the examiner comments on the rejections I could tell that he/she was clueless about what we were actually trying to patent - a means to extend classes and behavior in compiled (binary code) systems by specification and not programming - a key component to truly adaptive systems.
My guess is that if it looks like he will prevail, then the school will compromise by correcting his grade, removing the disciplinary note from his school record, and paying some amount of $$, though not likely the entire amount. Usually in cases like this, the demand amount is a starting place for negotiation. So, I think he is dealing with this in the correct way, as long as he IS willing to compromise with the school.
The Art of Computer Programming, Vol. 3, Searching and Sorting by Donald Knuth, Copyright 1973. Sections 6.2.2-6.2.4 have numerous examples of multiple linked lists (binary & multiway trees) and discusses them in detail. In fact, he gets into the discussion of a degenerate binary tree being in effect a doubly-linked list...
I hope the SFLC gets involved with this, and smacks down IMAX about this. Now if I can just get my lawyer to pay his bill for fixing his network... :-)
Whether or not this was done purposely by Energizer, they are ultimately responsible for this fiasco, and should pay the price in cleanup of users' computers that got infected with this kit, and provide some tangible benefit (free batteries) for causing their customers to become at risk of serious security breaches.
On the post: Which ISPs Hand Private Surfing Info Over To Secretive Private Group Who Monitors It For The Feds?
Not surprised
Finally, my hat's off to Sonic.net for their policies, at least as stated. Too bad other ISP's aren't as clear and ethical in the treatment of their customers.
On the post: Comcast Cares: Pay Us The $0.00 You Owe, Or We Cut You Off
Why I call it...
These are only my opinions. Others may have had better experience with them than I have had, but honestly, I won't hold my breath to find out...
On the post: USPTO Deems Offshoring U.S. Tax Return Prep Jobs Worthy of U.S. Patent Protection
Re: Let's go to the source of the problem
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Oh, you were posting with your tongue in cheek... :-)
On the post: USPTO Deems Offshoring U.S. Tax Return Prep Jobs Worthy of U.S. Patent Protection
The Emperror (USPTO) has no clothes!
On the post: Would A Moron In A Hurry Confuse Military Equipment With A Bamboo Fishing Rod?
Morons in a hurry
On the post: People Aren't Buying Blank CDs Any More, So Collection Agency Demands Media Levy Expanded To Mobile Phones
So much data, too little space
Personally, I think a "media tax" is bogus, as is all DRM and restrictions on copying of music/video content legally purchased for personal use. That is why I don't own a Blu-ray device. It is time the content/labels started getting a clue, and stopped treating their customers like criminals...
On the post: UK Regulators Allow BBC To DRM Its Content
BBC Shoots Self in Foot
On the post: As Hurt Locker Producers Sue Thousands For File Sharing... They Claim Free Speech Rights To Copy Story Of Soldier
Thanks, but no thanks!
On the post: Armenia Decides It Needs Incredibly Strict Copyright Laws
Gotta wonder
On the post: Convicted Serial Rapist Goes To Court To Forbid Newspapers From Reporting On His Whereabouts
Re: Sex offenders
On the post: Convicted Serial Rapist Goes To Court To Forbid Newspapers From Reporting On His Whereabouts
Sex offenders
On the post: Michigan Politician Proposes Bill To Regulate Journalists So He Can Tell You Which Reporters To Trust
Registered whatevers
On the post: VA Continues Its Annual Tradition Of Losing Laptop With Unencrypted Sensitive Data
No incentive to change
On the post: Driving While Yakking Laws Looking More And More Like 'Help The Gov't Make Money' Laws
DWT
On the post: James Cameron: Innovation Trumps Any Piracy Threat
Re: DVD sales at the theater
On the post: Why Real Programmers Don't Take The USPTO Seriously: Doubly-Linked List Patented
Patentable software
In the process of getting my patent, I had a wonderful opportunity to see how screwed up the US Patent Office is. It took 4 years to get granted, during which time the examiner was citing totally unrelated patents as prior art reasons why it should not be granted. I don't know how much legal time was wasted on the process since that was handled by the company I worked for at the time. In any case, from the examiner comments on the rejections I could tell that he/she was clueless about what we were actually trying to patent - a means to extend classes and behavior in compiled (binary code) systems by specification and not programming - a key component to truly adaptive systems.
On the post: Student Punished For Facebook Study Group Files $10 Million Lawsuit
Settle
On the post: Why Real Programmers Don't Take The USPTO Seriously: Doubly-Linked List Patented
Re: To get technical
On the post: IMAX Threatens Open Source 3D Engine With Bizarre Reasoning
Lawyers, shmawyers
On the post: Energizer Introduces USB Battery Charger With Bonus Rootkit Feature [Update]
Ultimate responsibility
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