Like most things that are worth owning, Computers are an American invention. Look at any modern computer and you will see that the whole thing is the product of American brilliance.

For example, this rugged IBM laptop I am using was designed and built by an American company. It runs software built by Microsoft, one of America's most productive organizations. My computer does everything I could possibly want: I can do my work, submit my taxes and even search the Bible.

Like all the greatest American engineering, it's an example of innovation that makes a growing group of European and Chinese hackers jealous. They hate our lead in computing technology and will stop at nothing until they have control of all of our computers.

I'm talking about a project called 'Linux', something you may not have encountered, but might do some day.
It's a computer program that was initially developed in Finland as a means of circumventing valuable copyrights and patents owned by an American company called SCO Group.

(I don't think this was a joke)

Written by Tristan, posted by Shelley

Original Link looks to be taken down now
http://shuddery.blogspot.com/

'Fans who share music aren't thieves' - I am only buying from these people.

Important musicians such as Barenaked Ladies and Avril Lavigne have formed the Canadian Music Creators Coalition to among other things, support fans being sued by the Big Four Organized Music cartel. In their first white paper, the artists say, "Fans who share music are not thieves or pirates. Sharing music has been happening for decades."

OK, thats it. I am going to start buying music only from artists who are represented by groups like this. I hope other national groups are formed, especially inside the United States.

A note to artists. If you sign up with a group like this, you can GUARANTEE your music will be purchased by fans!

In fact, I may very well trash all the music I may have downloaded and only keep music from these artists. Why have old stale music around, from artists and publishing companies who do not respect the fans. I have bought lots of music, and downloaded lots of music. My downloads prompt me to buy from those artists who I truly enjoy, like Avril. Thanks for your support too!

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Piracy worse than child pornography - Are you kidding?

THE NEW look Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) seems to be giving the world an unusual moral code.

It seems that with the DMCA, and now the expanded DMCA legislation, it will actually be a less crime to physically steal a CD or DVD than it will be to digitally copy one. Child pornographers and Pedophiles get lesser sentances.

Banning digital media in this way, and the tools and software which make reverse engineering possible is a really bad thing.

I am NOT for pirating, and illegal distribution and sales of copyrighted works, but the DMCA provisions make what is legal and illegal a very grey area. Those of us who work in the computer industry and especially the security industry know that software which falls into this category shouldn't be illegal. You block innovation, reverse engineering, competition, and the free-market when you outlaw stuff like this.

The Sony Betamax case, and the consumer electronics protection act need to be also considered here. There should never be laws abrupting the legal sharing, personal backup, and use of your own purchased stuff.

I can see the wisdom in cracking down on a pirate trafficing, distribution and sales ring operating for profit. However, some Joe who is downloading music and/or video should not be considered in this legislation. It is incredibly difficult to distinguish downloading of "illegal" content, and that which is legal. As the laws may change rapidly due to DMCA, RIAA, and MPAA it gets so grey.

I have a Tivo, and I also have a Blockbuster subscription. I also buy many CD's and DVD's. I get media coming out my pores. Are those the only avenues where legal media may be obtained? If I download an episode of Alias from a source on the Internet, why is that illegal? I have a copy of it on my Tivo at home, possibly on more than one Tivo. If I buy an Avril CD, but then decide to download a copy of the CD contents from the Internet to place on my iPod, why is that illegal? I own the CD. Who makes the judgement that downloading content is wrong this way? Why are we so micro-managing our citizens that everything is told to them what is legal and illegal and you can only do certain things.

Please keep in mind that the more rules you place on society, the more times things will break. The more you make illegal, just makes that many more criminals.

The one thing I know, is that corporate entities such as the RIAA and the MPAA should NOT be allowed to continue and make policy such as the legisltation in the DMCA. They are only looking out for their monetary interests and are not protecting any person in the USA. When companies can start making laws which make people criminals, it is a bad day.

I cannot say this enough. The more laws put in place, making more things illegal, open up the doors for more criminals and abuse by law enforcement. The local street cops, and even the FBI will simply be enforcing BAD legislation. This has become a TRUE Police State when wiretaps can be performed simply for downloading what my be considered pirated content. Where the laws are harsher for these offenses than the physical act of stealing the same CD/DVD.

Please see that these types of laws are not productive. All of us want to be good citizens, but we don't want to be put in a box. We don't want to always be told what to do, and just exactly how we may enjoy our media.

http://digg.com/.../

http://www.theinquirer.net/.../

http://www.ipdemocracy.com/.../


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Save the Internet

Congress is pushing a law that would abandon Network Neutrality, the Internet's First Amendment. Network neutrality ensures that the public can view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate website by preventing companies like AT&T from rigging the playing field for only the highest-paying Web sites. [Can we stop this?]

Yes, but the Internet started out mostly as a bunch of people connecting together using high speed lines. The carriers like AT&T, Sprint, C&W can only cause QOS headaches for packets going across their own circuits. For instance a vendor like Vonage can pay for their VOIP traffic to be carried at a higher prioroty, when web traffic is lower.

Companies and individuals still pay for their own circuits. If I have service from AT&T then they will be required to provide me the service level they promised me. If I have service from Comcast, then they too will be providing me with the service level they promise.

The BIG, BIG thing to take from this is that when businesses lobby heavily for something, it is usually to drastically save money and pocket even more. They want to make short-cuts in their own R&D and not have to shell out as much cash later. Heh, let the government share some of the burdon here. It is absurd when these companies lobby, because they are always up to no good.

If these companies were not going to make any money at it, or have some kind of long-term agenda, why on earth would they spend all the money and effort lobbying in the first place?

I don't trust these companies making politcal policy, because it never get written down and enforced properly. Look at the DMCA or other such legislation. Absolute rubbish!

So although I would say the whole Net Neutrality thing is being reported a little skewed, the underlying reasons from the carrier are dead wrong. They think they want to make things better, but they are really just looking our for their bottom line.

Personally, I think a wireless mesh system would be awesome. I just think that someday the government and business alike would find somehow to take that over too. Anything which has a possibility for making money will eventually get corrupted by some no good corporation.

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List of Freeware Replacements for Commonly Warez'ed Programs

Don't steal when you can get the good stuff for free. Great list of free apps. Bookmark it.

wow, +digg for excellent information. Check it out!

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Your Reasoning Behind Procrastinating

"The procrastinator is often remarkably optimistic about his ability to complete a task on a tight deadline; this is usually accompanied by expressions of reassurance that everything is under control." Don't lay this article off to the side, you need to read it now.

My goodness, they somehow interviewed and diagnosed me using remote viewing or something. +digg for well written article. I am printing this out, and reading it a couple more times. I know it will take a while to actually get this sinking in, but at least I have something outlining this for me.

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At Last, Legal Movie Download That Makes Sense!

Six major studios plan to begin selling movies over the Internet today that buyers can download and keep for watching at any time (Price starting at $10...)

So, what do you have to install to keep the DRM working? Is there going to be another Rootkit laden software required? Somewhere in the article it suggested a backup DVD could be made, but yet it still cannot be played in a normal DVD player. The price is also set at the same as a DVD. Why on Earth would I buy a download which takes a long time, costs the same, and I can only play it on a computer?

I might as well take a trip down to the video store and buy the DVD, or better yet order it off of Amazon.

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Town of 12,000 calls in bomb squad over Super Mario power-up cubes

Town of 12,000 calls in bomb squad over Super Mario power-up cubes

Nobody mentioned this yet, but the Police Chief McCoy is quoted "Even though no harm was intended by the girls, they could face criminal charges for their actions".

Ummm, hello? Does it seem like police departments and public prosecutors nationwide are criminalizing anything regardless of intent? It seems to me that trends like this tend to get far worse sooner than later. We end up in a police state and martial law, without an actual declaration from the powers that be. Just keep tightening down the system, and soon EVERYONE will become a criminal. Then it makes it really easy to tell everyone a part.

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