The real question is at what point do these ideas become "common knowledge" enough that the patent should be no more. After all, every TV was rectangular with rounded corners in shape, with button (touch) controls in the lower right or right hand side. That's right, this is the USA where the patents are made up and the durations don't matter.
Sorry, couldn't resist fixing that for you.
Are your principles worth more to your than your career?
- In reply to "I dare the administration to tell me I have to teach this curriculum to my students. I'll give my own slant on it and end up teaching anonymous proxy, torrents, ripping, you name it..."
If they really are a teacher - yes (it's part of the job description).
But there's no need to concentrate on "anonymous proxy, torrents, ripping, you name it...", although they merit discussion - I'd just spend time on the public domain and how copyright can be, has been and is being used to steal from society.
They could just ask people to buy a license... It doesn't have to pirate-proof, just ask for a small payment in exchange for a license key, those who want will pay for it and those who don't want or can't afford will use a pirated key. Way back, I paid for an Opera license even though I could get a free Netscape or IE, because Opera was a much much better product IMO. I also drop some money into buskers' hats when I appreciate their performance, many other people do too. I'd pay for a solid spy-free Ubuntu as well.
Trouble is, it (the licence) isn't Canonical's to sell.
They can, however, charge for support, documentation, physical medium (the DVD set), access to their servers for downloading and a whole lot of other things I can't be bothered thinking up. But not for a licence. And if they charge too much for any of those things we can all look forward to the new free (as in beer) Tatmsa 9000 distribution (which will look a lot like Ubuntu).
I am not sure I understand this story: why US has its word to say about who is connecting Australia and New Zaeland? Aren't theses territories sovereign nations?
We like to think so, but we have our doubts (especially now that Tony is PM).
Who do you prefer listening into your communications? The US or China?
Given the inherent malignity of corporate entities, which is the least-worst?
An alternative and eqally valid wording.
You've just proven my point. Buy a linux friendly tablet then.
Serious question, are there any readily available tablets that are easily set up to run Linux natively without a trace of Android? All the ones I've seen do it in a chroot environment.
Really love my old HP netbook (Opensuse 12.3) - great for sitting on the couch and writing stuff during the breaks between the ads on TV. Hopefully by the time this one breaks down I'll be able to buy a cheap Chromebook, nuke Chrome and install some flavour of full Linux.
Chromebooks are great for their target market, your parents.
If my kids ever get me a Chromebook words will be said. Unpleasant words, spoken VERY LOUDLY.
But they probably won't, since they should know by now how I feel about crippled systems ("crippled" = "wiping existing OS and installing whatever I want needs more effort than booting from a USB device").
But what's the cost in special training and support?...
From my experience in my business - 3/8 of stuff all (for the initial changeover from office 95(?), ie less than the training needed after a new version of office came out).
Since converting - a lot less than if we stayed with microsoft office (comparing our training needs to those of people who stayed on the microsoft upgrade treadmill).
Google and Apple are the new Microsoft.
And microsoft is still the old microsoft.
I don't know about you but I'm looking for an exit from the Google and Apple islands.
And it is wise for you to do so - those islands are best avoided.
So it was wrong when Microsoft did it, but because Microsoft did it's ok for Google to do it?
Yes, provided the only "victim" is microsoft.
We need to get past the "sticking it to Microsoft" mentality and focus on the fact that it's wrong no matter who does it.
It's not wrong if it only happens to the monster that uses the technique as its standard way of doing business.
I must admit it is kind reinvigorating to see Microsoft getting the same kind of treatment only Microsoft could give to others just 5 to 10 years ago.
It's called karma.
I am not saying Google is better although, their turn might come some day too.
True, but while the enemy of our enemy may not be our friend they are, right now, doing us a good service.
We can worry about Google when they come to within three orders of magnitude of MS on the evil scale.
There were many better operating systems at the time Windows came into power and I'm sure you know that.
Really? On affordable microcomputers? Name one!
Without much looking up:
CP/M and GEM.
DR-Dos and GEM.
Linux (or as many prefer, GNU-Linux).
*BSD.
OS/2.
Does that count as 4, 4.5 or 5?
While I agree that some history is locked away in books that can't be copied, I think that many, many writers and artists are only able to devote time to their work because copyright allows them to charge for access to their work. All of the new books at my store-- including plenty of non-fiction-- is protected by copyright...
Tolkien's work is protected by copyright, but he doesn't seem to be devoting much time to anything new.
This isn't a legal alternative (at least according to US copyright law). "Song of the South" won't be in the public domain in the U.S. until 2039.
"Song of the South" is eighteen years younger than Mickey Mouse so will be in the public domain eighteen years after Mickey Mouse... ie never.
Black Sabbath Just go back together and released a new album with all original content. Oh, it sounds sick too.
I'm not up to speed with current hipster talk. Does that mean good or bad?
Yes.
It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.
