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Comment: Re:Cut. Try another scene. (Score 1) 704

by 6OOOOO (#15940627) Attached to: Teens Don't Think CD Copying is a Crime
Good post...

Another point to consider is the possibility that musical artists don't HAVE to make money doing it. I know plenty of amateur musicians (I'm one myself) who sound just great, and have fun doing what they're doing. The truth is that every time there's an RIAA thread on slashdot, some struggling musician crawls out of the woodwork and begins to groan, "oh, but I can't make a living this way!"

So don't! If that's the only reason you're making music, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Digital copying is essentially a modern extension to the concept of overhearing music. It's uncontrollable without violation of first-sale doctrine, so why fight it? Professional musicians: evolve, or die.

ESR Advocates Proprietary Software 422

Posted by CowboyNeal
from the well-not-all-the-time dept.
mvdwege writes "Apparently, Eric Raymond has decided that proprietary software is now a good thing, according to The Register. I must say it is rather revealing how easily he is willing to compromise on this particular freedom. Is his earlier vocal proclamation of the importance of freedom (still visible on his homepage) mere posturing? And if so, how about his vocal support of other freedoms?"

PR Firm Behind Al Gore YouTube Spoof? 777

Posted by ScuttleMonkey
from the new-intarweb-trolls dept.
mytrip writes to tell us ABC News is reporting that a supposed amateur video posted to YouTube.com may have actually been designed and posted by a Republican public relations firm called DCI. From the article: "Public relations firms have long used computer technology to create bogus grassroots campaigns, which are called 'Astroturf.' Now these firms are being hired to push illusions on the Internet to create the false impression of real people blogging, e-mailing and making films."

Google Shies Away from Digital Music Sales 112

Posted by ScuttleMonkey
from the world-domination-keeping-them-busy dept.
mytrip writes to tell us that Google has announced that they will not be getting in on the digital music sales market anytime soon. Analysts have been predicting the response of a "GTunes" service for months but Chris Sacca, head of business development at Google, dispelled those rumors in a recent address at the annual National Association of Recording Merchandisers conference in Florida. Sacca emphasized the need for "ecosystem development" and partnerships within the industry stating that they were the "big opportunity" in the digital music business.

Skype Protocol Has Been Cracked 279

Posted by Zonk
from the rising-in-the-east dept.
nsrCZ writes "The Skype core protocol has been reverse-engineered by a Chinese company. The interesting thing is, that although the protocol is closed, it is not patented and thus it is not against the law to crack it. If it's true, then it could affect the whole eBay/Skype business in many ways, including that they might not get their piece of the emerging Chinese cake." From the article: "By cracking the Skype protocol, the company claims it can also block Skype voice traffic, Paglee said. 'They could literally turn the lights off on Skype in China very, very quickly,' said Paglee, who is also a lawyer and engineer, speaking from California on Friday. The company could transfer the technology to the Chinese government, which has continually sought ways to tighten its filtering and control over the Internet. So far, the company doesn't have any plans to market its blocking capabilities, Paglee said."

Chip Power Breakthrough Reported by Startup 174

Posted by ScuttleMonkey
from the processor-still-suit dept.
Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "The Wall Street Journal reports that a tiny Silicon Valley firm, Multigig, is proposing a novel way to synchronize the operations of computer chips, addressing power-consumption problems facing the semiconductor industry. From the article: 'John Wood, a British engineer who founded Multigig in 2000, devised an approach that involves sending electrical signals around square loop structures, said Haris Basit, Multigig's chief operating officer. The regular rotation works like the tick of a conventional clock, while most of the electrical power is recycled, he said. The technology can achieve 75% power savings over conventional clocking approaches, the company says.'"

This Boring Headline is Written for Google 317

Posted by ScuttleMonkey
from the always-a-price-to-pay dept.
prostoalex writes "The New York Times is running an article on how newspapers around the country find their Web sites more dependent on search engines than before. The unexpected effect? Witty double entendres, allusions and sarcastic remarks are rewritten into boring straight-to-the-point headlines that rank higher on search engines and news-specific search engines. From the article: 'About a year ago, The Sacramento Bee changed online section titles. "Real Estate" became "Homes," "Scene" turned into "Lifestyle," and dining information found in newsprint under "Taste," is online under "Taste/Food."'"

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