I much prefer a link to the book on amazon than a write up about how it exists there. Given that the book is "In Stock" for $15, I'm guessing this isn't the one remaining copy for sale :)

When it comes to writing stuff the way you say it - dollar signs are something everyone can agree are wrong :)

I would like to put a program on my laptop that will hold the cityrail timetable information, so I can check when trains are coming without needing the internet. I understand that the timetables are protected by copyright law, and that without your written permission I can't do this. So, could you grant me permission to create and distribute copies of the timetable? I don't have any intentions to do this for commercial reasons, but I would want to distribute the work I've done under a licence that allows others to do so if they choose. Thanks for your time.

Them:

I refer to your email requesting to use the CityRail timetable. Copyright of all CityRail timetables is owned by RailCorp. Any use of these timetables in a manner which breaches such copyright by a third party can only occur through the grant of a suitable licence by RailCorp. RailCorp is not currently entering into licensing arrangements for its timetables for the purpose specified in your enquiry. I trust this information is of assistance. Yours sincerely

Me:

I was surprised to receive the answer I did about timetables. What exactly are you trying to achieve by preventing people from using your timetables? Is there any reason why you don't want to make it easier for people to know when trains are due? The information I would like is just the information already on your website, made available for free to anyone. I just want to put it in a more useful format. Thanks for your time.

Them:

I refer to your further email requesting permission to reproduce CityRail timetables. To address your question, CityRail is not preventing the public from accessing its timetables. The fact that timetables are readily available at stations, and published on the CityRail website, should more than answer your query. While I appreciate the motives behind your request, I can only reiterate our organisation's previous position, namely, that we are unable to accede to your request for reasons of copyright. I am sorry that I am unable to answer you in more favourable terms. Yours sincerely

Me:

Thanks for getting back to me, it is much appreciated. Sorry to keep bothering you, however you seem to have misinterpreted my previous message. My first message asked for permission to use the timetables. To this, you said no. My second message asked why you said no. To this, you restated your original response. So for my third message, I'm restating the question from before: Why can't/won't you allow timetable information to be copied and used? Thanks for your time.

Them:

I refer to your further enquiry regarding the use of CityRail timetables on internet sites other than the www.cityrail.info and 131 500 infoline site. Please accept my apology on behalf of RailCorp if our previous responses have not dealt with this issue with sufficient clarity. Copyright of all CityRail timetables is owned by RailCorp. Any use of these timetables in a manner which breaches such copyright by a third party can only occur through the grant of a suitable licence by RailCorp. RailCorp is not currently entering into licensing arrangements for its timetables for the purpose specified in your enquiry. As explained in a previous response, this is because RailCorp wishes to ensure the information provided to customers is the most up-to-date and includes warning of trackwork. This is not currently possible even on our CityRail site until further internet and web management projects are completed. CityRail also runs several special timetables over Christmas/NYE, Easter etc. and for special events which, by our experience, are rarely updated in a timely fashion on unlicensed third party applications. This tends to cause confusion for our customers. I trust this response will be of assistance in explaining RailCorp's position on the issue of using RailCorp intellectual property on unlicensed sites. Thank you for your continued interest. Yours sincerely

Lovely people. Dumb policy.

The official position is that they don't want to confuse customers when timetables are out of date. I don't see why they don't just publish timetables along with a date saying how long it will be valid.... but that would require someone to actually take responsibility and make a decision, rather than just keeping things the way they have always been.

I don't see how UAC was supposed to prevent you from downloading said malware, nor should it prevent you from running it - what it should be doing is preventing it from doing anything you didn't authorize it to do.

What exactly is UAC then trying to protect people against? If protecting against malicious code isn't in the requirements, then it seems pretty useless.

The watermark doesn't even have to be high tech, it can just be a guid inserted at some point in the document, with a company policy that says when you can remove it (never?), when you should change it (when it crosses a boundary, like a departmental boundary) and how records should be kept (e.g. a central database of which event caused the creation of a new guid).