Slashdot

feranick writes "ASUS will be soon launching the eeePC with the larger screen and the choice between Linux or Windows. While this is nothing new, reading the announcement one cannot miss to notice the target of each OS. Surprizingly, the Linux eeePC is targeted to unexperienced user, while MS Windows for those "experienced" Windows users. I guess this explains why the Windows version come with a "fully featured" (and probably ad-sponsored) version of MS Works. No mention that the Linux version comes with a really fully-featured OpenOffice suite. Maybe unesperienced users don't really need that afterall. Or is it to make sure the Windows-based eeepc doesn't look bad in comparison with the Linux version? From the article:

"The Microsoft Windows version allows more experienced users to seamlessly utilize the Eee PC through the familiar Windows interface, and incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging; and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on the users desktop. Complementing this is Microsoft Works, which equips the user with numerous office applications to work efficiently.

The Linux version is useful for users who desire an icon-driven and easy point-and-click interface. Well suited for children or users without any computer experience, it provides a fast boot-up time- ideal for fast Internet access while waiting for public transport, or taking notes on-the-go.""

WikiWatcher writes "Online news service ElectronicIntifada (EI) breaks a story that an organization called the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) had been planning a long-term infiltration of Wikipedia in order to control content on articles related to Israel and Palestine. With a series of e-mail's (means of acquisition are not clear in the article), EI exposes a plot that was coordinated Gilead Ini of CAMERA, with the cooperation of an editor on Wikipedia named Zeq, who since has been blocked from Wikipedia for a period of one full year as well as topic-banned on issues related to Israel for a period of one year. According to EI's e-mails, Zeq had advised the group to avoid editing Israel-related articles for a period of time, writing "We will go to war after we have build our army, equiped it trained [sic],So please if you want to win this war help us build ou[r] army. let's not just rush in and achieve nothing, or abit more than nothing [sic].""

"There's free software and then there's open source," he suggested, noting that Microsoft gives away its software in developing countries. With open source software, on the other hand, "there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with." Open source, he said, creates a license "so that nobody can ever improve the software," he claimed, bemoaning the squandered opportunity for jobs and business. (Yes, Linux fans, we're aware of how distorted this definition is.) He went back to the analogy of pharmaceuticals: "I think if you invent drugs, you should be able to charge for them," he said, adding with a shrug: "That may seem radical."

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/04/23/bill-gates-the-gpl-which-we-disagree-with
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/04/23/bill-gates-the-gpl-which-we-disagree-with

An anonymous reader writes "If you are wondering how the boys at Microsoft. The are being kind enough to express them self quite freely in this article in the Redmond Channel Partner —

Of course, we're sure that Microsoft, uh, strongly encouraged a few delegates from a few nations to change their votes — which lots of delegates did. And, really, OOXML's acceptance isn't all that big of a deal for partners and users, practically speaking; after all, Microsoft document formats are also de facto standards.

But now, all of those government agencies charged with implementing standards-based computing are free to turn away from open source and run back to sweet mama Microsoft if they so choose. And whatever momentum open source had gained by taking the standards route in IT departments has certainly slowed — if not come to a screeching halt."
http://rcpmag.com/blogs/weblog.aspx?blog=2075

Anonymous Coward writes "The first discovery of the new NSA access system was made two years ago by British researcher Dr Nicko van Someren. But it was only a few weeks ago when a second researcher rediscovered the access system. With it, he found the evidence linking it to NSA."
http://www.mathaba.net/0_mail.shtml?x=586879

SQLGuru writes "Wired has a really good story on how the information age has lead to a world where (as a consumer) many items are now free. Check it out here: http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=all"

Kringle writes "After some careful consideration, Larry Lessig has decided not to run for Congress in California's 12 district, but will continue his activities with the Change Congress movement. According to the Lessig '08 web site, he feels that 30 days is not enough time to win support in his district, and that the publicity from the resulting loss might harm the Change Congress movement."

Not satisfied with pitiful potential penalties of $150,000 for infringing upon a $0.99 song, Congress is proposing new copyright cops in the "PRO IP" Act of 2007, specifically the creation of the Office of the United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Representative (USIPER). They also feel that the authorities need the authority to seize any computers used for infringement and to send copyright cops abroad to help other countries enforce US laws. MPAA boss Dan Glickman praised the bill saying that, "films left costs foreign and domestic distributors, retailers and others $18 billion a year," though Ars points out that it allegedly costs the studios only $6 billion. However, even with the support of most of the top members of the House Judiciary Committee, the bill may require more work before it passes: USIPER needs a cooler acronym that doesn't sound like a combination of usurper and Lucifer.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071206-congress-copyright-reform-seize-computers-boost-penalties-spend-money.html

Frosty Piss writes "

A lawyer for the U.S. government has told the British Court of Appeal in London that kidnapping foreign citizens is permissible under American law because the Supreme Court has sanctioned it, making it clear in a British court that the law applies to anyone, British or otherwise, suspected of a crime by Washington. The lawyer said that if a person was kidnapped by the U.S. authorities in another country and was brought back to face charges in America, no U.S. court could rule that the abduction was illegal and free him.

This is the first I've heard of this outrageous idea applied outside equally questionable "terrorist renditions". Many nations of the world may be surprised to learn the U.S. no longer believes in sovereignty."

MozeeToby writes "Microsofts new Anti-Spyware tool (currently in beta) identifies Firefox as spy ware with a high security risk. To quote the author, "I strongly believe Mozilla Foundation should sue Microsoft for defamation.""
http://www.maneelgrover.com/blog/2007/11/28/microsoft-thinks-firefox-is-spyware/

theodp writes "BusinessWeek reports that higher education is increasingly a tale of two worlds, with elite schools getting richer and buying up all the talent. Thanks to endowments like the one that netted Harvard $5.7B in investment gains just last year, the Ivy Plus colleges — which account for less than 1% of students — have been able to lift their spending into the stratosphere, including extravagances like $272,000-a-bed-dorms and even a $4M student-horse-housing rehab. 'People used to look at every penny,' says a Yale Dean. 'The mind-set is different now.' Meanwhile, reports BW, public colleges and universities struggle to educate 75% of the country's students in an era when most states are devoting a dwindling share of their budgets to higher ed."

unitron writes "In the back of what's left of my mind I've been thinking "Halloween's coming up, time to change the clocks again", and I just tripped over a HuffingtonPost story by Robert J. Elisberg (whoever he is) that reminded me that it's not just Spring that's gotten screwed up, it's Fall as well.

For those of you outside of, or in certain sections of, the U.S., YMMV. Excuse me while I check to see if my Tivo's gonna be screwed up."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/the-daylight-saving-glitc_b_70021.html

Rothfuss writes "I actually opened and read one of the 'Updates to my Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions' that I received from Verizon today. I have no idea why. This one explains that they will be upgrading my service by assuming (unless I tell them otherwise) that I am willing to let them sell my Customer Proprietary Network Information or give it to anyone they choose. Apparently that will help me. However, the FCC won't let them do this without your permission — like, for example *not* calling them and opting out. If you are a Verizon customer and would like to opt out, you can do so by calling 1-800-333-9956. Ask to speak to Mr. Prosser."

Recently, the OSI announced that they were planning to "crack down" on people who misuse the term "Open Source". I found this particularly intriguing because I am well aware (as are most other long-time geeks) that the term 'Open' was around long before the OSI was even a dream. Another element of that conversation that was quite interesting is that Bruce Perens claims to have invented the term 'Open Source'. Can this possibly be true?

Bruce didn't give a date anywhere in the discussion as to when he might have invented the term, but his document The Open Source Definition does provide some clues. For example, he states that "The Open Source Definition started life as a policy document of the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution." [...] "I was the leader of the Debian project, at that time, and I addressed these problems by proposing a Debian Social Contract and a Debian Free Software Guidelines in July, 1997." He also states in relation to ESR's involvement that "Raymond and I had met occassionally at the Hacker's Conference, a by-invitation-only gathering of creative and unconventional programmers. We had corresponded on various subjects via e-mail. He contacted me in February of 1997 with the idea for Open Source."

These statements would seem to put the origin of the term, therefore, between February and July of 1997 — But Eric Raymond's recollection is different. In The Origins of `Open Source' , a portion of his book Revenge of the Hackers he writes "Hence the term `open source', which the first participants in what would later become the Open Source campaign (and, eventually, the Open Source Initiative organization) invented at a meeting held in Mountain View the offices of VA Research on 3 February 1998." That's right, Perens' ostensible source for the idea of the term Open Source himself places the event in February of 1998, not 1997.

This isn't the end of the claimants to the origin of the term "Open Source", however - and to find the next one, I don't even have to talk about a different group of people. In chapter 11 ("Open Source") of the book Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software Christine Peterson, then-president (now the vice president) of the Foresight Institute, also claims to have invented the term - or at least to have a better claim to it than ESR. "Looking back, Peterson says she came up with the open source term while discussing Netscape's decision with a friend in the public relations industry. She doesn't remember where she came upon the term or if she borrowed it from another field, but she does remember her friend disliking the term." The book also quotes her as saying that she was "hesitant about suggesting it", adding "I had no standing with the group, so started using it casually, not highlighting it as a new term." The last relevant slice of the chapter claims that "Raymond says he didn't publicly use the term "open source" as a substitute for free software until a day or two after the Mozilla launch party, when O'Reilly had scheduled a meeting to talk about free software."

All of the events mentioned here happened during or after January of 1998. So it seems that ESR has the more correct interpretation of events than Perens; but in turn, Peterson's claim is shown to be the stronger.

However, none of these people has a better claim to the term "Open Source" than, of all places, Caldera - which we now know as the SCO Group. But back then, Caldera was a leader of the Open Source movement, as you can see from this mailing list archive entry which includes a press release from Caldera announcing their "Open Source" distribution of DOS, to which they had recently acquired rights. The title? CALDERA. ANNOUNCES OPEN SOURCE CODE MODEL FOR DOS The date? September tenth, 1996. That's right, over a year before the most reputable claims of invention.

To be absolutely fair, only ESR and Perens actually claim to have invented the term. Peterson says that she doesn't remember where she got the idea, which while potentially disingenuous is at the least not an outright lie, and at best is entirely true - assuming that there is any truth to the story to begin with. Believing everything you read is probably (to say the least) a mistake.

Regardless, we are left only with a mystery. Where did the term originate? Who out of these three — Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens, and Christine Peterson — is telling the truth? It can only be one of them, as each of them makes contradictory claims of one nature or another.

I formerly posted a comment asking these questions of Bruce Perens, in response to the comment in which he claims to have done the inventing, but he either did not see that I made the comment (ostensibly, a slashdot message should have been sent to him notifying him of a reply) or did not feel that it was worthy of response, so I am asking this question of the larger Slashdot community. Does anyone have any better information than I've already tracked down?

Shatter36 writes "Following on from the clever hack of John McCain's MySpace page on Wednesday, a slashdot subscriber decided to do a follow up, tricking the page maintainers into displaying an embarrassing comment on McCain's page for 18 hours. Not that exciting, except that today he was raided by the FBI and had all of his computer equipment seized, even though he didn't actually "hack" anything! — all the images that appeared in the comment were hosted on his website. He's posted a short account of the afternoon's events on his website (probably NSFW — he sounds a little upset). This is just ridiculous. I am lost for words, though I guess one should never underestimate the stupidity of politicians..."