Hanging in there: 24 new messages in 12 topics

comp.os.linux.advocacy
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy?hl=en

comp.os.linux.advocacy@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Survey: 52% Use Linux on Virtual Machines
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/15bb8743e199468b?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:11 am
From: Roy Schestowitz

Windows Predominates On Virtual Machines

,----[ Quote ]
| Many sites use more than one brand of operating system to run virtual
| machines. The runner-up was Linux, with 52% of the respondents using the open
| source operating system. Unix was third at 30% and Solaris fourth at 29%. The
| figures do not add up to 100% because sites in some cases are using multiple
| brands of operating system in their virtual machines.
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=C4UQRE0ZKJDVKQSNDLOSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=205207317
http://tinyurl.com/2mlzxu

Virtualization: A feature of the hardware, not the OS?

,----[ Quote ]
| "Even though Xen has been part of (Linux products) for a while, it's really
| just now getting ready for prime time," Haff said. "VMware is still very much
| the dominant player in virtualization."
`----

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6206867.html

Virtualization: Linux's killer app

,----[ Quote ]
| Think about it. Even Microsoft supports running Linux on its Virtual
| Server product. Why would it do that? Wouldn't an OS partitioning
| technology, such as that used by OpenVz or Sun Solaris, be more in
| keeping with the kind of homogeneous environments that Microsoft
| would like to see? Why would Microsoft invest its resources to
| support a virtual machine technology that can only open the
| door to Linux in the datacenter?
`----

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/02/19/08OPopenent_1.html

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Zipit (Linux Device) Review, Ubuntu 8.04 Preview
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/7a61ab35b732d09f?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:15 am
From: Roy Schestowitz

Review: Zipit Z2 Messenger

http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1005995

Hardy Heron Features

,----[ Quote ]
| The roadmap for hardy heron has a pretty big list of features, most of them,
| although very important, are technical and a bit uninteresting. Some of them
| should have been in Gutsy but couldn't meet the schedule. Hardy Heron is
| going to be a Long Term Support release, so there's also going to be a lot of
| fixes for existing features. So without further ado, the features which I'm
| anticipating the most are.
`----

http://mopedia.blogspot.com/2008/01/hardy-heron-features.html

Zipit Wi-Fi device adds text messaging

,----[ Quote ]
| A small South Carolina company says it has a cure for the modern plague of
| budget-busting cell-phone charges racked up by teenagers: a gadget for
| text-messaging that isn't a cell phone.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071218/ap_on_hi_te/text_messaging

Zipit gets Linux, gets on the web, teenagers around the globe
scream with glee

,----[ Quote ]
| Zipit, the WiFi Instant Messenger that lets kids IM and um, IM,
| has been stuffed with Pixil, a PDA Linux OS.
`----

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/zipit-gets-linux-gets-on-the-web-teenagers-around-the-globe-sc/
http://tinyurl.com/uor2d

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Free Software for Profit, Eclipse Foundation Does Swordfish
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/5896400ad9d1a5d9?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:14 am
From: Roy Schestowitz

Making money with free software ..

,----[ Quote ]
| We have also to mention that we have to be careful and not to mix the Free
| software concept and the free of charge meaning because Free software can be
| sold and bought and there are many paid linux distributions as RedHat and
| OpenSuse... So we have to stop mixing the term of "Free software" to "poor
| developers" because being a Linux savvy and an Open Source developer is very
| important on the professional scale and it will allow you get an important
| job someday!
`----

http://wddc.blogspot.com/2007/11/making-money-with-free-software.html

Eclipse Reeling in Swordfish as SOA Framework

,----[ Quote ]
| The Eclipse Foundation with its Swordfish project is developing an open
| source SOA framework intended for applications ranging from enterprise
| environments to embedded systems.
`----

http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E18002573C4007B5934.html?ref=technology

The secret to Red Hat's success

,----[ Quote ]
| How can Red Hat stay in business when CentOS is giving away Red Hat code for
| free?
|
| The answer is because Red Hat is also giving away Red Hat code for free.
|
| [...]
|
| CentOS stands a good chance of putting downward pressure on the price of
| RHEL, but only as one part of the commodification of operating systems and
| other software. Hardware has already been through this phase, and as the
| process works its way through the software stack, it will be helped by the
| growing trend to virtualization.
`----

http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/expert/KnowledgebaseAnswer/0,289625,sid39_gci1283663_tax305254,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/2sge6j

How to make money by giving stuff away

,----[ Quote ]
| RedHat CFO Charlie Peters said this week that the key to success
| is to "convince customers of the value of moving from free to paid".
| Largely because JBoss is a free download, an estimated 11 million
| people are using it. Now if they can move even a small fraction of
| those customers into the paying column, that will be a significant
| source of revenue.
|
| [...]
|
| There is something of a snowball effect here. As you bring more
| people into your "community", the community becomes more attractive
| (because of new content, shared knowledge, buzz, etc.), which drives
| even more people in.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=202

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Linux Nostalgia (0.01 Revived) and Linux Localisation
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/7e5309009ff682ef?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:17 am
From: Roy Schestowitz

Dusting Off the 0.01 Kernel

,----[ Quote ]
| Abdel Benamrouche announced that he has updated the original 0.01 Linux
| kernel to compile with GCC-4.x, allowing it to run on emulators such as QEMU
| and Bochs. After applying his series of small patches, Abdel explains that
| the 0.01 kernel can be built on a system running the 2.6 Linux kernel. He
| added that he's successfully ported bash-3.2, portions of coreutils-6.9,
| dietlibc-0.31 (instead of glibc), bin86-0.16.17, make-3.81, ncurses-2.0.7,
| and vim-7.1 all to run on his modified 0.01 kernel.
`----

http://kerneltrap.org/Linux/Dusting_Off_the_0.01_Kernel

The importance of delivering localized Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| Now, critics apart what can/should we do? If you agree with my point of view
| contact your distro (many of them have localized communities) and make them
| read this post, we just need to talk about the problem and we'll find how to
| solve it. Having a fully localized Linux delivering infrastructure can only
| bring more users to our beloved OS.
`----

http://fabrizioballiano.wordpress.com/2007/12/31/the-importance-of-delivering-localized-linux/

There's a lot of improvement in that area, as well as special localised
derivatives (examples below).

Open Source Computing in Indian languages

,----[ Quote ]
| So far Indian languages have received a rather step-motherly treatment
| in computing - a field created largely for the 26 alphabets of the
| Roman script rather than more complex Asian scripts.
|
| "Installing an additional language like Hindi now needs a mere 15
| minutes (of internet connectivity) with a 256 kbps broadband
| connection," says Srivastava.
`----

http://www.tech2.com/india/news/general/open-source-computing-in-indian-languages/4810/0

BOSS Linux makes new users feel at home

,----[ Quote ]
| BOSS Linux is a single-CD Debian-based distribution primarily designed
| for an Indian language user, though everything from the installer to
| the desktop defaults to English. BOSS 1.1, which was released last
| month by the Indian government-sponsored National Resource Center
| for Free/Open Source Software (NRCFOSS), includes several utilities
| and desktop enhancements, such as a document converter and the
| 3-D desktop Beryl, which make it a very usable distro, despite
| a few rough edges.
`----

http://distrocenter.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/03/12/1631206&from=rss

Open Source Computing in Indian languages

http://www.tech2.com/india/news/general/open-source-computing-in-indian-languages/4810/0

BharateeyaOO.o: Enabling OpenOffice.org for India

,----[ Quote ]
| Today as it stands, BharateeyaOO.o has completed localization of OOo
| in about 15 languages in its labs, of which about 5 are community
| supported. These languages are, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati,
| Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Mythili,
| Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
|
| Of these about 10 languages have already been submitted upstream
| as patches. OOo 2.1 has support for about 10 languages in its
| source. Our aim is to complete OOo in all 22 scheduled Indian
| languages by December 2007 and we are bang on schedule.
`----

http://www.openoffice.org/editorial/bharateeyaooo.html

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Mark Shuttleworth Spills Money to Increase Linux Adoption
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/6a9dc3aea6c1725b?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:34 am
From: chrisv

Linonut wrote:

>Shame on you for even suggesting it. Is business sabotage your regular
>line of work?

Well, he recommends Microshaft products. What does that tell you?

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:05 am
From: "amicus_curious"

"Thufir" <hawat.thufir@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:9d1969e9-08d6-4382-abe2-d16c4d618a05@s8g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jan 2, 1:14 pm, "amicus_curious" <A...@sti.net> wrote:
>> "Thufir" <hawat.thu...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:aYRej.62071$DP1.27739@pd7urf2no...> On Wed, 02 Jan 2008
>> 10:49:18 -0500, amicus_curious wrote:
>>
>> >> Taking things out of order, it is
>> >> pretty well documented that MS came to the realization that a
>> >> one-stop-shop kind of platform product like Windows had to have an
>> >> integrated browser in order to be viable.
>>
>> > Why would it require an integrated browser?
> [...]
>> It needs a browser.
> [...]
>
> You're just asserting the same thing without giving an actual reason.
> No, I didn't snip the "reason" because you didn't provide anything
> beyond fluff -- there's no argument in what you wrote, just
> assertions.
>
Well surely you are just being difficult and cannot believe that MS could
sell an OS platform package without a browser, but go ahead and pretend.
Maybe someone will believe that you are cute.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: RIAA: It's 'Illegal' to Rip Your Own CDs to Your Own Computer
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/073f270ac3296b71?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:34 am
From: "Gilgamesh"

"jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message
news:tH4fj.60869$K27.48242@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
> (from
> http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/12/30/recording_industry_ups_ante_for_downloads/1429/)
>
>
> "Recording industry ups ante for downloads
>
> Published: Dec. 30, 2007 at 3:29 PM
>
> SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. recording industry has

<SNIP>

I thought US copy right law had something called "Fair Use" that let you
make backup copies of legitimatly purchased media. (Unfortunately that is
not part of Australian copyright law :-( )

> Just thought you'd like to know....
>
> jim
>

== 2 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:49 am
From: caver1

Gilgamesh wrote:
> "jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message
> news:tH4fj.60869$K27.48242@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
>> (from
>> http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/12/30/recording_industry_ups_ante_for_downloads/1429/)
>>
>>
>> "Recording industry ups ante for downloads
>>
>> Published: Dec. 30, 2007 at 3:29 PM
>>
>> SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. recording industry has
>
> <SNIP>
>
> I thought US copy right law had something called "Fair Use" that let you
> make backup copies of legitimatly purchased media. (Unfortunately that is
> not part of Australian copyright law :-( )
>
>> Just thought you'd like to know....
>>
>> jim
>>
>
>

That's why they want DRM and everything that goes
with it. A way to get around the law.
Saw an interview yesterday with one of the head
people of the movie industry(can't remember his
name). He said that fair use is no good because
you cannot know ahead of time if the person making
the copy is a pirate or not. So then there should
be no legal way to make copies.
Sounds like greed to me.
caver1

== 3 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:11 am
From: Stephan Rose

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:49:38 -0500, caver1 wrote:

> Gilgamesh wrote:
>> "jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message
>> news:tH4fj.60869$K27.48242@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
>>> (from
>>> http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/12/30/
recording_industry_ups_ante_for_downloads/1429/)
>>>
>>>
>>> "Recording industry ups ante for downloads
>>>
>>> Published: Dec. 30, 2007 at 3:29 PM
>>>
>>> SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. recording industry has
>>
>> <SNIP>
>>
>> I thought US copy right law had something called "Fair Use" that let
>> you make backup copies of legitimatly purchased media. (Unfortunately
>> that is not part of Australian copyright law :-( )
>>
>>> Just thought you'd like to know....
>>>
>>> jim
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
> That's why they want DRM and everything that goes with it. A way to get
> around the law. Saw an interview yesterday with one of the head people
> of the movie industry(can't remember his name). He said that fair use is
> no good because you cannot know ahead of time if the person making the
> copy is a pirate or not. So then there should be no legal way to make
> copies.
> Sounds like greed to me.

Sounds like someone that won't be receiving any of my business to me.
Matter of fact, it'll only make it more likely that I'd choose to buy an
illegal copy instead. An illegal copy won't have the restrictions of a
legal copy and would therefore likely be my preferred choice.

Take music for instance. I have all my songs in a huge library on my hard
drive. So if I want to listen to one particular song, I just have to type
in it's name. If I just want to listen to any one random song of one
artist but any album, I can do so too. If I want to listen to any random
song of my collection, which is usually how I have my media player set
up, I can do that as well.

Now let's compare this with what the RIAA and other DRM advocates would
like. They don't want me to copy the music from my CD. I can no longer do
*ANY* of the above. I'm only able to listen to songs that are on the CD
and nothing else.

Listen to a random song I own? Not possible.
Listen to a random song from any one artist (or selection of)? Not
possible.
Quickly find one particular song I'd like to listen to? While it may be
physically possible to locate the CD quickly, it's still a hassle to have
to switch physical media.

Bottom line, I *DON'T* want that. It makes life for me as a consumer more
difficult and reduces my ability to enjoy my content.

Now if I buy illegal copies...

Listen to a random song I own? Possible.
Listen to a random song from any one artist? Possible.
Quickly find one song? Possible.
Do anything else I like? Possible.

So why would anyone, in a DRM world, choose DRM content when non-DRM
content has clear advantages when it comes to actually using the content?

The same goes for movies. I actually have external hard drives that
contain copies of my movies. As I use my computer with a TV attached to
view my movies, this makes it very easy for me to watch any movie I want
which I *legally* own.

--
Stephan
2003 Yamaha R6

君のこと思い出す日なんてないのは
君のこと忘れたときがないから

== 4 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:13 am
From: caver1

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/01/riaa_behaving_b.html
caver1

== 5 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:17 am
From: "mikeyhsd"

as had been reported elsewhere. the individual had the ripped music in a download folder for a P2P program.
that's how they were found.

no where near the same thing as simply copying the music to your computer.

mikeyhsd@sprintpcs.com

"jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message news:tH4fj.60869$K27.48242@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
(from

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/12/30/recording_industry_ups_ante_for_downloads/1429/)

"Recording industry ups ante for downloads

Published: Dec. 30, 2007 at 3:29 PM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. recording industry has
intensified its fight against illicit downloading, saying it is illegal for
someone to transfer music from a CD onto a computer.

As part of the industry's ongoing legal effort against Jeffery Howell, a
Scottsdale, Ariz., resident accused of sharing nearly 2,000 songs, industry
officials said even legally owned discs should not be copied onto one's
computer, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

The Recording Industry Association of America's position that Howell broke
the law when he copied a legally purchased disc to his computer was
immediately attacked by a lawyer familiar with such charges.

"The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual
physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the
industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your
computer is a violation," said Ray Beckerman, a lawyer who has represented
several of the association's targets in the past.

The Post said the industry's announcement comes in the wake of October's
federal jury case in which a Minnesota woman was ordered to pay $220,000 to
record companies for downloading 24 songs.

(c) United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any
form."
----------------------------------------------------

Just thought you'd like to know....

jim

== 6 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:29 am
From: Mark Kent

Gilgamesh <gilgamesh@spam.me.not> espoused:
>
> "jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message
> news:tH4fj.60869$K27.48242@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
>> (from
>> http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/12/30/recording_industry_ups_ante_for_downloads/1429/)
>>
>>
>> "Recording industry ups ante for downloads
>>
>> Published: Dec. 30, 2007 at 3:29 PM
>>
>> SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. recording industry has
>
><SNIP>
>
> I thought US copy right law had something called "Fair Use" that let you
> make backup copies of legitimatly purchased media. (Unfortunately that is
> not part of Australian copyright law :-( )
>

If its based on England and Wales law, then you will have something
called the "fair deal".

--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/

|
| Cola trolls:

http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

|
| My (new) blog:

http://www.thereisnomagic.org

== 7 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:40 am
From: "HeyBub"

Gilgamesh wrote:
>
> I thought US copy right law had something called "Fair Use" that let
> you make backup copies of legitimatly purchased media. (Unfortunately that
> is not part of Australian copyright law :-( )
>
>> Just thought you'd like to know....

Contracts trump "fair use." If you agree (EULA) to not copy the CD, then
"fair use" flys out the window. But wait, it's worse.

If a company includes some sort of control over the product, and you
circumvent that control, you're guilty of violating the DMCA (Digital
Millenium Copyright Act). Lexmark put a chip in its toner cartridges which
prevented their being refilled (the printer interrogated the chip). A toner
re-fill company (Static Control) reverse-engineered the chip and Lexmark
sued under the DMCA. Lexmark ultimately lost the case and all the appeals,
but it didn't stop them from trying.

My view is that if you want to listen to music on your computer, iPod,
cell-phone, or audio system without bothering the rights of anyone else,
then WRITE AND RECORD YOUR OWN TUNES!

Or, do what I do. When contacted by one of those prissy outfits that wanted
me to pay $35/year for our "music on hold" stuff, I put her on hold for
about a minute, then asked: "Do you recognize that music?"

"No," she replied.

"It's Mozart. Being played by the Soviet National Symphony, a country that
no longer exists. Now answer me this: Just who the fuck would you be paying
royalties TO?"

"Never mind," she said.

== 8 of 8 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:51 am
From: "Beamguy"

This appears to be a new policy of the RIAA - and they have not yet had time to update their website. They go into more detail
elsewhere, but here it is from straight from their webpages...

http://www.riaa.com/faq.php

11. How is downloading music different from copying a personal CD?

Record companies have never objected to someone making a copy of a CD for their own personal use. We want fans to enjoy the music
they bought legally. But both copying CDs to give to friends and downloading music illegally rob the people who created that music
of compensation for their work. When record companies are deprived of critical revenue, they are forced to lay off employees, drop
artists from their rosters, and sign fewer bands. That's bad news for the music industry, but ultimately bad news for fans as well.
We all benefit from a vibrant music industry committed to nurturing the next generation of talent.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: longest without a reboot
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/623b9f74fb91b169?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 5:55 am
From: Ewok

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, Roy Schestowitz <newsgro...@schestowitz.com> wrote:
> I think I once read this tip in Linux Journal (Tom Adelstein?) or Linux.com
> (Bruce Byfield?). Either way, I made no adjustment to OOo. It runs with a
> GNOME-ish (GTK) theme under KDE, which means it has to load some extra libs in
> KDE, yet it takes just seconds to run without any preloading. As I said, don't
> ask me how, but I'm not lying. It takes me a little longer than 3 seconds
> because my RAM and swap is always nearly full (I multitask with little memory
> available).

About the same time it takes me. I do alot of multitasking myself, but
mine hardly takes any memory, since most of mine is done through
command line.

>
> > I didn't need to do this, but it may help, to get down the start up
> > time.
>
> > /Your friendly neighbourhood Ewok
>
> Tom Shelton is quite polite and intelligent, but he is usually here just to
> pour cold water on GNU/Linux, so prejudice should be justified. Suspicion
> rather...
>

I found that the best way of dealing with this kind of behaviour is to
be polite and kind in response. Otherwise we just give fuel to fire.
Plus, sometimes it may actually be someone who is a serious person. If
one isn't polite in that situation, it may come back to haunt you very
long. Internet trolls never forget, when it serves their purpose.

/Your friendly neighbourhood ewok

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Linux Dominates in Xmas Gifts, Volunteers Reach Out
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/cca19489ed330ee9?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:07 am
From: Tappit Hen

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:59:00 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:

> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com> espoused:
>> ____/ Mark Kent on Tuesday 01 January 2008 15:06 : \____
>>
>>> Buffering can't make up for a connection which is too slow, though
>>> - but as you say, the flash video format works well under even
>>> heavy congestion.
>>
>> You can watch it in lumps though (pause instead of jitter). You
>> can't do that with a complete download.
>>
>
> True, but with normal connectionless packet networks, you have no
> idea how long the next "lump" will take to come down, so it's not a
> particularly satisfactory way of doing things.
>
> You can see this behaviour quite often on eg., Youtube, when
> sometimes videos will play fine, but at other times, they get
> choppy, and randomly pause and resume. This is an inevitable
> consequence of connectionless packet networks. It can be solved, of
> course, by setting up connections, but so long as we have huge
> swathes of router manufacturers with products to push, this issue is
> not going to be "accepted".

Ahem, youtube uses tcp. If your player uses buffering then it works
great unless you have a really shitty connection. I never have a
problem with youtube and firefox.

The only problem I can think of is when you want to watch in
realtime. tcp is bad for that and hence udp tends to be used. The odd
packet loss is not normally that noticeable.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:22 am
From: Mark Kent

Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com> espoused:
> ____/ Mark Kent on Thursday 03 January 2008 07:59 : \____
>
>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com> espoused:
>>> ____/ Mark Kent on Tuesday 01 January 2008 15:06 : \____
>>>
>>>> Buffering can't make up for a connection which is too slow, though - but
>>>> as you say, the flash video format works well under even heavy
>>>> congestion.
>>>
>>> You can watch it in lumps though (pause instead of jitter). You can't do
>>> that with a complete download.
>>>
>>
>> True, but with normal connectionless packet networks, you have no idea
>> how long the next "lump" will take to come down, so it's not a
>> particularly satisfactory way of doing things.
>>
>> You can see this behaviour quite often on eg., Youtube, when sometimes
>> videos will play fine, but at other times, they get choppy, and randomly
>> pause and resume. This is an inevitable consequence of connectionless
>> packet networks. It can be solved, of course, by setting up
>> connections, but so long as we have huge swathes of router manufacturers
>> with products to push, this issue is not going to be "accepted".
>
> I'm not sure how we got this far off topic, but it's worth emphasising here
> that streaming is in a sense a superset of a so-called 'download services'.

I was driving at a rather different point, which is that 3-mode
networking is essential in order to get the full bouquet of services
properly functional.

> There are even graphical UIs for tools that download videos from YouTube, so
> the BBC shouldn't have gone with its 'alternate' solution _in the first
> place_, It's more versatile and it's cross platform.
>

I agree completely, but I think that the BBC were conned into handing
licence-fee cash, some paid by people of very limited means, over to
Microsoft, one of the world's largest and richest companies, by the
hundreds of millions, in order to buy a skin for the Silverlight player.

--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/

|
| Cola trolls:

http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

|
| My (new) blog:

http://www.thereisnomagic.org

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:27 am
From: Mark Kent

Tappit Hen <tappit.hen@gmail.com> espoused:
> On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:59:00 +0000, Mark Kent wrote:
>
>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com> espoused:
>>> ____/ Mark Kent on Tuesday 01 January 2008 15:06 : \____
>>>
>>>> Buffering can't make up for a connection which is too slow, though
>>>> - but as you say, the flash video format works well under even
>>>> heavy congestion.
>>>
>>> You can watch it in lumps though (pause instead of jitter). You
>>> can't do that with a complete download.
>>>
>>
>> True, but with normal connectionless packet networks, you have no
>> idea how long the next "lump" will take to come down, so it's not a
>> particularly satisfactory way of doing things.
>>
>> You can see this behaviour quite often on eg., Youtube, when
>> sometimes videos will play fine, but at other times, they get
>> choppy, and randomly pause and resume. This is an inevitable
>> consequence of connectionless packet networks. It can be solved, of
>> course, by setting up connections, but so long as we have huge
>> swathes of router manufacturers with products to push, this issue is
>> not going to be "accepted".
>
> Ahem, youtube uses tcp. If your player uses buffering then it works
> great unless you have a really shitty connection.

You cannot have connections on IP, IP is a connectionless protocol. It
doesn't matter what you try to do /on top/ of a connectionless protocol.
Think about it - you *will* lose packets.

tcp tries to get around this by operating and ack/nack approach,
however, this is *not effective* in real-time streaming, since it
causes pauses, which means that you are no longer real-time. The only
workable solution is to have a connection-oriented network at the
transport layer, which IP is not.

> I never have a
> problem with youtube and firefox.

Never ever? Either you don't use it much, or you're confusing "never"
with "sometimes".

>
> The only problem I can think of is when you want to watch in
> realtime.

Exactly... you're catching up.

> tcp is bad for that and hence udp tends to be used. The odd
> packet loss is not normally that noticeable.

Except for when it is. It would appear that you do understand that it
doesn't work, but have fallen into the usual traps.

Consider - television companies have been streaming video around telco
networks for 20 years without jitter and losses; telcos have been
transport voice 2-way digital for 30 years without jitter, packet-loss
and so on. Connection-oriented packet transport has been used in the
international voice networks for at least 15 years - look up DCME for
more information.

Simply put, you cannot do real-time streaming on connectionless
networks, unless the "network" is a trivial instance, ie., point to
point with no other traffic, in which case, it's not a network.

--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/

|
| Cola trolls:

http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

|
| My (new) blog:

http://www.thereisnomagic.org

==============================================================================
TOPIC: LONG [News Digest] Linux News Digest for the 24hrs preceding 02-01-08
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/3880bc1acfe2756c?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Jan 3 2008 6:18 am
From: Mark Kent

In today's digest, we have:
* Dyne:bolic (Linux) Tour and a Big World of Linux Audio
* New Version of Gobolinux Released, Foresight Linux Publishes
Newsletter
* [Rival] Microsoft Worked on Biggest Disappointment of 2007 for
6 Years
* Microsoft is Copying GNU/Linux, Piece by Piece
* Video: Nintendo Wii Runs GNU/Linux
* [SOT] Australia Becomes a Censor, Just Like China
* Multiple Formats, DRM Ruin Music and Video (Lesson on OOXML)
* GNU/Linux Grows a Lot in 2007
* Linux-based "Bug" Featured in NYT
* 2007 a Successful Year for the GNU GPLv3 (and Thus Freedom)
* Linux-based Eee PC is More Than Just a Laptop
* [Rival] Microsoft Windows Botnets a Huge Problem, Getting More
Sophisticated
* Shillnalysts Exposed (Forrester, Gartner, IDC, F&S and 'Gang')
* Got Old PC, Get GNU/Linux
* Op-ed: Windows Makes Dumb Generation with Technical Problems
* Another Open System Emerges, Runs GNU/Linux
* 2007 Was Bright for Linux, 2008 Already Looking Bright
* [Rival] Signs of Weakness in Vista: Microsoft Does Clearance Sale
* Free Open Courseware Now in More Than 100 Universities
* Intel's Graphics Driver for Linux Imporved, Windows Games Run
in Linux
* Netscape Makes Big Comeback 'as' Firefox
* Red Hat's Desktop GNU/Linux Coming This Month to Join Ubuntu's Growth
* New Perl Offers Plenty of Advantages
* Dan Lyons, Computing Caveman
* [Rival] Windows Vista Year in Review
* Video of the Brand-new KDE 4.0 Splash Screen
* GNU/Linux is Simple Enough for Young Kids
* Executives: GNU/Linux and Free Software Move into the Enterprise
* (Windows) Desktops Are Cannibalised by (Linux) Devices?
* Quake Wars 1.4 (Enemy Territory) Comes to Linux, Beyond The Red
Line Demo on Linux
* Mandriva 2008 and PCLinuxOS Are Big Winner on Former Windows Desktops
* Linux Products Among Top Products This Xmas in Aussie
* Korea Foresees Further Linux Growth
* Openness Becomes Crucial Selling Point (Freedom an Added Value)
* Linux-based Eee Laptops Expand Internationally
* Rich World of Photos with the Linux Desktop
* Rankings of Free Software, Free Speech & Privacy

This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some posters' articles might not appear.

Try the faq at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
for more information about cola.

Just like other public, unmoderated discussion fora, cola has
its share of disruptive posters. This blog has been created by
a concerned cola netizen to assist newcomers in identifying them:
http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

In order to find the last week's digests, try:

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&num=10&q=group%3Acomp.os.linux.advocacy+insubject%3Alinux+insubject%3Anews+insubject%3Adigest+author%3Amark.kent%40demon.co.uk&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=w&safe=off&qt_s=Search

Alternatively, you can start at the first one, posted 3/Sep/06, and
work fowards:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/204520deb472e5ef/fa8c1f5e12433243?&hl=en#fa8c1f5e12433243

I very much hope that you find this digest useful. I also run a blog in
which I post occasionally, which you can find at http://thereisnomagic.org
It does tend to the philosophical end of free software, engineering and
economics, you have been warned!

You can email me at: echo mark@NOSPAM.ellandroad.demon.co.uk, removing
the obvious bit.

Happy reading, Mark Kent, Digest Editor.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message-ID: <2338120.f7uixrokVe@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Dyne:bolic (Linux) Tour and a Big World of Linux Audio
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:10:52 +0000

Dyne:bolic 2.5.2 - screenshots

,----[ Quote ]
| Dyne:bolic is a LiveCD Linux distribution, shaped on the needs of media
| activists, artists and creatives. It is distributed with a large assortment
| of applications for audio and video manipulation. Dyne:bolic is based
| entirely on free software.
`----

http://free-your-media.net/2007/12/31/dynebolic-252-screenshots/

The Sound Of Linux 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| In this article I've selected what I consider to be some of the past year's
| outstanding achievements in the world of Linux music and sound software. It's
| not really a "Best Of 2007", it's just my personal choices for what I found
| most interesting and significant in the past year.
`----

http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1005969

Review: dyne:bolic 2.4.2

,----[ Quote ]
| The dyne:bolic website, though it contains a lot of RASTA propaganda,
| is pretty good. The dyne:bolic online documentation is pretty useful.
| There are detailed instructions on docking (installing) dyne:bolic to
| your hard disk, and also using nesting. A wiki is also available
| that contains even more information.
|
| If you use a lot of multimedia applications, dyne:bolic could be
| perfect for you.
`----

http://www.triedit.org/review/review-dynebolic-242/

Dyne:Bolic 2.4.2: A live CD multimedia studio

,----[ Quote ]
| If you've ever wanted to make your own podcast, run a radio station,
| or edit movies, Dyne:Bolic is your free studio in a CD.
`----

http://distrocenter.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/03/29/1738243

Audio in Linux is awesome

,----[ Quote ]
| I can't wait for PulseAudio. I'm sure that will make all of this even easier.
`----

http://darkness.codefu.org/wordpress/2007/12/15/292

Commercial Sound And Music Software For Linux, Part 1

,----[ Quote ]
| As a result of this inquiry I decided to revisit the Linux soundapps site and
| check up on the commercial sound and music software for Linux. This article
| reveals and ponders some of the results from that visit.
`----

http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1005835

Commercial Sound And Music Software For Linux, Part 2

,----[ Quote ]
| I hope this article has been enlightening with regards to the presence of
| commercially available sound and music software for Linux. Speaking
| personally, I'd love it if these programmes were all free and open-source, but
| such decisions are best left to the programmers themselves. As mentioned,
| many of these programmers already contribute to the FOSS community.
`----

http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1005911

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1384837.ifC1Z2oW6O@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Version of Gobolinux Released, Foresight Linux Publishes Newsletter
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:12:49 +0000

Gobolinux 014 - Release Notes

,----[ Quote ]
| We are pleased to introduce GoboLinux 014, the new major release of
| GoboLinux, the Linux distribution featuring a rethinked file system
| structure. This release is the result of over an year of work. The Live CD
| build environment is highly customisable and packages were built using a
| dynamically-generated sandboxed environment which insulates the source code
| and its dependencies during compilation. Major upgrades include KDE 3.5.8,
| Glibc 2.5 and Xorg 7.2, as well as new versions of the GoboLinux management
| tools.
`----

http://www.gobolinux.org/?page=release_notes_014

Foresight Linux Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 9 (December 2007)

,----[ Quote ]
| Welcome to the December edition of the Foresight Linux Newsletter. This
| month we take a look at the initial launch of the GNOME Developer Kit based
| on Foresight Linux, a look back at the year in review, an update on the next
| alpha of 2.0, updates to developer
`----

http://wiki.foresightlinux.org/display/newsletter/2007/12/31/

GoboLinux presentation at Latinoware 2007 is online

,----[ Quote ]
| Last week Hisham Muhammad gave a talk at Latinoware 2007, the IV
| Latin-American Conference on Free Software, which took place at Itaipu, the
| largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The slides for the talk (in
| Portuguese) are available at the documentation page, in ODF and PDF formats.
`----

http://www.gobolinux.org/

Review: Foresight Linux - When nature calls!

,----[ Quote ]
| In conclusion, testing Foresight has been quite a pleasure and I've learnt
| some new things. If you hate to do things in a console, you should let
| Foresight update itself and not do it yourself, from the terminal. It
| contains useful software, such as the entire OpenOffice.org suite, two web
| browsers (Mozilla Firefox and Epiphany), Brasero for burning CD/DVDs, a
| powerful and sophisticated audio player/manager (Banshee). It also comes with
| a very beautiful theme, called Nimbus, and a nice collection of wallpapers.
| You should definitely give Foresight a try and, who knows, you may like it!
`----

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Review-Foresight-Linux-74527.shtml

Foresight Linux: A Distribution That Stands Out From The Crowd

,----[ Quote ]
| Foresight Linux has entrusted its package management to Conary. A few of the
| cool features about Conary are:
|
| # Dependencies are defined at the file level, which brings in only the
| components needed from other packages instead of entire packages.
| # During an update, Conary only installs the diff of the update, not the full
| binary again which makes downloads and updates faster
| # If anything went wrong with an installation or update, you can rollback
| your system to a previous state. If the command conary rollback 10 is
| issued, Conary will undo the last 10 things it has done for you.
| # When fresh installing an application, Conary downloads a binary package and
| install it, process which takes a whole lot less than compiling and
| installing from source code. When a new version of the application is
| available, it just applies the diff.
`----

http://www.linuxlove.org/2007/12/02/foresight-linux-v142-a-distribution-that-stands-out-from-the-crowd/

Foresight Linux Newsletter - News from Nov 30, 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| Welcome to the November edition of the Foresight Linux Newsletter. With the
| recent release of the first alpha of Foresight Linux 2, this month's
| newsletter will take a detailed look at the release, including changes from
| the 1.x releases, how to test both the GNOME edition and new KDE edition, and
| the next alpha of Foresight Linux 2.
`----

http://wiki.foresightlinux.org/display/newsletter/2007/11/30/

Foresight Linux 2.0 Alpha 1

,----[ Quote ]
| With its lime green theme, the appearance of Foresight 2.0 Alpha 1 is
| certainly distinct from most other desktop Linux distributions. However, it's
| colour theme is not all that's unique about this new development release.
`----

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=913&num=1

Foresight Linux 1.4 Review

,----[ Quote ]
| Foresight is really great for seeing the latest gnome; one can show off the
| bleeding edge desktop. Foresight also has a great out of box experience.
| Foresight is having a great theme and is quite user friendly. I would
| recommend it to every one, coming to me, asking for which Linux to start
| with.
`----

http://simplyjat.blogspot.com/2007/09/foresight-linux-14-review.html

Foresight Linux Review

,----[ Quote ]
| Foresight Linux is a relatively new distribution based on rPath Linux and
| featuring the latest Gnome and freedesktop.org desktop. This review of
| Foresight's latest version, 1.4, will attempt to show the strengths of this
| distro and why not, give you a reason to try it next time you go distro
| hopping!
`----

http://www.dvd-guides.com/content/view/215/104/

Foresight LiveCD GNOME 2.17.92

,----[ Quote ]
| Today marks the release of GNOME 2.18.0, and to commemorate today's
| release we have posted some screenshots from the Foresight LiveCD
| 2.17.92 GNOME Release Candidate, which is designed to be a demo
| GNOME LiveCD. This is also Foresight's first attempt at creating
| a bootable CD image.
`----

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=663&num=1

Foresight Linux (Review)

,----[ Quote ]
| I'm really impressed - as a long time Ubuntu user, this is the first
| distro that really makes me consider switching.
`----

http://www.silwenae.org/blog/?p=675

Review: Foresight Linux 1.0

,----[ Quote ]
| Installation of Foresight Linux was a snap. Under VMware Fusion
| Beta on my MacBook Pro and on my Athlon 64 x2 system with GeForce
| 7800GT the installation was flawless. The graphical installer
| popped up cleanly on both and easily walked me through the
| installation process with minimal questions.
`----

http://www.triedit.org/review/review-foresight-linux-10/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1541148.aV4gb8bcQq@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Worked on Biggest Disappointment of 2007 for 6 Years
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:15:45 +0000

Vista: even six years isn't enough

,----[ Quote ]
| How many years does it take to create an operating system that works? How
| many people does it take to do the work - in other words, how many manhours
| does this task consume? Would Microsoft like to cast some light on this?
`----

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15925/1148/

"Linux is a very complete and sophisticated operating system. And there is a
lot of work being done to improve it in and of itself, particularly to make it
easier to use and easier for people to set up on their personal computers."

--Paul Maritz, senior vice-president, Microsoft

10 Worst Tech Products of 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| Windows Vista: Where to begin? Vista arrived in stores months late, forced
| untold thousands of users to upgrade their hardware, made mincemeat of
| software and drivers that worked perfectly well in XP, ended up lacking many
| of the bold-faced features we'd been promised, and came saddled with new and
| annoying set of video DRM schemes. At least Vista now boasts an option for
| downgrading back to XP.
`----

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/9908

The 15 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| #1. No Wow, No How: Windows Vista
|
| Five years in the making and this is the best Microsoft could do?
`----

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140583-page,5-c,techindustrytrends/article.html

Vista makes the list as one of the top-10 worst consumer tech products of all
time

,----[ Quote ]
| Pretty bad. But top ten of all time? That's mighty impressive.
`----

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9823042-16.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheOpenRoad

Microsoft admits Vista screwed - report

,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 is code named "Fiji", presumably after a pretty looking
| island which is paralysed by coups.
|
| In a statement regarding the service pack Microsoft admits that
| Vista has "high impact" problems.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37125

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1627954.vdiWi5f3V1@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft is Copying GNU/Linux, Piece by Piece
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:18:32 +0000

Microsoft to build an 'Emacs.Net' text editor

,----[ Quote ]
| Developers are puzzling over recent clues blogged by a few Microsoft
| employees regarding a new "Emacs.Net" tool the company is building.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1069

Quote for the day:

"I don't understand how IE is going to win. The current path is simply to copy
everything that Netscape does packaging and product wise."

--Jim Allchin

NT influenced by Unix

,----[ Quote ]
| (Gates:) "And through Windows NT, you can see it throughout the design.
| In a weak sense, it is a form of Unix. There are so many of the
| design decisions that have been influenced by that environment. And
| that's no accident."
|
| In light of the recent sabre rattling about Linux and patents, the "There
| are so many of the design decisions that have been influenced by that
| environment" sentence is particularly interesting if these patent
| threats include things that are prior Unix art. "In a weak sense, it
| is a form of Unix" is also telling. I said before that I don't think
| that's the case; I think the patent stuff is talking about things like
| Samba and Mono, but even there the "influenced by that environment"
| could be important in the court of public opinion if not in actual
| law.
`----

http://aplawrence.com/Unixart/gates_quote.html

This eWeek [on Servers]

,----[ Quote ]
| I asked Jason about Windows Server's newfound security: "The first time
| I heard about this new feature," he said, "I thought it was clearly a
| response to Linux.
|
| Windows Server 2008 isn't quite there yet, according to Jason's tests.
`----

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2134429,00.asp

Death of the command line

,----[ Quote ]
| It's hard for me to imagine using an OS without a strong command line.
| Even Microsoft has recognised the for that with their Monad Shell
| (though they are at least temporarily removing that from Vista). Linux
| of course has its Bash shell, Mac OS X has Terminal (which now defaults
| to Bash) - everybody knows you need a shell.
`----

http://aplawrence.com/Unixart/command_line_death.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2178117.H959zp4NjL@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Video: Nintendo Wii Runs GNU/Linux
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:20:37 +0000

Wii Been Hacked! Runs Cutest Linux Ever!

,----[ Quote ]
| We all knew it was just a matter of time, but now we have video evidence. The
| Wii has been totally haxored! That's right, just check out the video below
| and take a look at what these guys have accomplished. In all honestly, about
| half of what they say is Greek to me, but I'm impressed with the final result
| nonetheless.
`----

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/681818/Wii_Been_Hacked_Runs_Cutest_Linux_Ever.html

Hackers: 1; Nintendo: 0.

Recent:

Nintendo Wii fully hacked for native homebrew

,----[ Quote ]
| The Wii was compromised pretty early on to be able to play burnt discs and
| GameCube homebrew such as Linux, but until now Nintendo has managed to
| isolate Wii hardware such as the extra horsepower of the console and wireless
| connectivity from hackers. But the walls are coming down. Some hackers from
| Germany have just showed off their fully hacked Wii at the 24th Annual Chaos
| Communication Congress.
`----

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/nintendo-fully-hacked-for-native-homebrew/

Linux 3D graphics access on PS3 found

,----[ Quote ]
| A method has been found to reach Linux 3D Graphics on the PS3. A number of
| hackers have clubbed together to release a draft kernel module for this along
| with a relevant Xorg driver.
`----

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=23190

------------------------------

Message-ID: <23070431.HQkSFcFvIU@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [SOT] Australia Becomes a Censor, Just Like China
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:23:35 +0000

Conroy announces mandatory internet filters to protect children

,----[ Quote ]
| "Labour makes no apologies to those that argue that any regulation of the
| internet is like going down the Chinese road," he said.
`----

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/31/2129471.htm

Ignore the "child" sobbing. It's just an excuse to introduce censorship. The
Inquirer is now blocked in China. Welcome to the New World Order.

[ Labour should apologise for going down the same road as the Chinese
here. In fact, they should do far more than apologise. Ed. ]

Also new:

Beijing court sides with Baidu in music piracy case

,----[ Quote ]
| A Beijing appeals court has found top Chinese search engine Baidu.com not
| guilty of property rights infringement for posting links to websites offering
| illegal music downloads, state media said Monday.
`----

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j0hDkgX23htra1BY_kh5O9iLDgPw

Australia to get net censorship

,----[ Quote ]
| The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will be able to
| force content providers to take down offensive material and issue notices for
| live content to be stopped and links to the content deleted.
`----

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22959799-5005961,00.html

Major Aussie ISP Telstra BigPond shafts open source OpenOffice

,----[ Quote ]
| Australia's largest Internet service provider Telstra BigPond has removed the
| free open source office suite OpenOffice from its unmetered file download
| area following the launch of its own, free, hosted, office application,
| BigPond Office.
|
| [...]
|
| Our reader was outraged by Telstra's move, which he sees as an attack on the
| open source software movement.
|
| "The principle of the matter upsets me," he said. "The fact that BigPond has
| removed previously allowed open source software is un-ethical. They are
| discriminating against me, even though I pay the same as other customers.
| They are attacking the Free Software movement."
`----

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure
%20/2007/12/18/major-aussie-isp-telstra-bigpond-shafts-open-source-openoffice/

Australia to extend web censorship

,----[ Quote ]
| Privacy advocates take a dim view of this proposal, naturally. Roger Clarke,
| chair of the Australian Privacy Foundation, said "This government's extremism
| has reached new heights today." He asked "How can a politician claim the
| right to hold office if they set out to undermine the critical democratic
| right of freedom of speech, and blatantly decline to evaluate the impact of
| measures put before the Parliament?"
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/09/26/australia-extend-web-censorship

Suit against blogger weaves legal web in Paris, Texas

,----[ Quote ]
| But there is little case law in Texas or nationally to give judges a standard
| for when to expose anonymous postings on the Internet.
`----

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5149745.html

Web 'censorship' bill brings police state one stop closer

,----[ Quote ]
| Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has slammed moves to give the Federal
| Police powers to ban access to certain Internet content as "another step in
| Australia's descent into a police state".
`----

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/14570/1055/

Howard row over Wikipedia edits

,----[ Quote ]
| Staff in the Australian prime minister's department have been accused of
| editing potentially damaging entries in online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.
`----

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6961575.stm

AT&T admits it censored other bands

,----[ Quote
| It looks like Pearl Jam isn't the only band that has had its politically
| charged comments bleeped from concerts streamed from AT&T's Blue Room Web
| site.
|
| [...]
|
| AT&T quickly apologised for the incident and blamed the company that handles
| the Webcasting for performances on Blue Room.
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9759184-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

AT&T slams Google over open-access wireless proposal

,----[ Quote ]
| AT&T has asked Capitol Hill not to enable an open nationwide wireless
| spectrum, claiming that Google's lobbying of such a network is a bid by the
| search giant to obtain broadband airwaves at bargain-basement prices.
`----

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=B592E3C6-E5F3-4ECA-93C1-3A5A3392024A

Microsoft and MySpace join Govt's fight against online predators

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has joined the likes of MySpace and the child protection advocacy
| group Bravehearts to help launch an extension of the Federal Government's
| NetAlert initiative, the Consultative Working Group.
`----

http://www.securecomputing.net.au/news/61208,microsoft-and-myspace-join-govts-fight-against-online-predators.aspx

Australia's porn-blocking plan unveiled

,----[ Quote ]
| While individual filters will be available beginning later this month,
| ISP-level blocking may take some time to implement. The Australian
| Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is currently planning a trial of
| ISP-level filtering in Tasmania that will inform the government's decision on
| a national launch.
`----

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6202226.html

Yahoo!, Microsoft ink web pact with Chinese government

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft and Yahoo! have signed a pact with the Chinese government
| that "encourages" the big name web players to record the identities of
| bloggers and censor content. So says Reporters Without Borders, an
| organisation that fights for journalistic rights across the globe.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/24/yahoo_and_microsoft_ink_chinese_blogging_pact/

Chinese Internet dissident committed to mental hospital

,----[ Quote ]
| "It is not acceptable that Chinese authorities use such methods to silence
| citizens who have merely peacefully voiced their opinions", expressed the
| organisation in an announcement. Apparently authorities have not abandoned
| the practice of punishing those who have exposed the abuse of power and
| defied censorship by compulsorily committing them to mental institutions.
`----

http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/94864/from/rss09

------------------------------

Message-ID: <109024238.yPFLubsok9@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Multiple Formats, DRM Ruin Music and Video (Lesson on OOXML)
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:26:45 +0000

In the DVD War Over High Definition, Most Buyers Are Sitting It Out

,----[ Quote ]
| What if nobody wins the high-definition DVD format wars? That increasingly
| looks to be the situation for the next-generation DVD technology, which is
| available to consumers in two incompatible formats.
`----

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31dvd.html?ex=1356757200&en=5fd426e7a62710f4&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Digital album packaging should improve in 2008

,----[ Quote ]
| Digital music files just don't provide the same amount of content that a CD
| package does. That includes liner notes, extended album art and lyrics. Buy a
| digital album today and all you get are a list of tracks and (maybe) a
| thumbnail image of the album cover that you can't even read.
`----

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN3049009520071231

Director: Microsoft fueling HD wars

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is deliberately feeding into the HD disc format wars to ensure that
| its own downloads succeed where physical copies fail, says movie director
| Michael Bay in a response to a question posed through his official forums.
| The producer contends that Microsoft is writing "$100 million dollar checks"
| to movie studios to ensure HD DVD exclusives that hurt the overall market
| regardless of the format's actual merit or its popularity, preventing any one
| format from gaining a clear upper hand. Bay's own Transformers is available
| on disc only in the less popular HD DVD format despite his stated preference
| for Blu-ray. To the director, this is primarily a stalling tactic while
| Microsoft refines its own online-only technology.
`----

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/12/04/bay.on.microsoft.hd/

Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival

,----[ Quote ]
| But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive
| about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD
| DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but
| who asked not to be identified.
|
| The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional
| guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of "Shrek the
| Third" as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.
|
| Paramount and DreamWorks Animation declined to comment. Microsoft, the
| most prominent technology company supporting HD DVDs, said it could not
| ^^^^^^^^^
| rule out payment but said it wrote no checks. "We provided no financial
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever," said Amir Majidimehr,
| the head of Microsoft's consumer media technology group.
`----

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html?ei=5088&en=d4e1f285e2f41437&ex=1345348800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1187698143-B5wO3L/F+4r1NyAsum87vQ

Is Toshiba Giving Away The Razor [HD DVD] To Get You To Buy The Blades?

,----[ Quote ]
| I just received an e-mail tonight from the folks at the EMA (Electronic
| Merchant's Association), who are responsible for a big industry event next
| week, the Home Media Expo.
`----

http://www.dvddossier.com/2007/07/a2-toshiba-hd-d.html

Tosh to tempt laptop buyers with free HD DVDs

,----[ Quote ]
| Buy it and the company will send you the discs - worth £75, it said.
`----

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/21/toshiba_hd_dvd_offer/

Cringely the Unemployable on the fallacy of Web 2.0, Microsoft ruthlessness,
and the CB radio of our decade

,----[ Quote ]
| Davidson: Which software company would you hate to compete against? What
| makes you single them out?
|
| Cringely: Microsoft of course. They have the deepest of pockets, unlimited
| ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make
| sure that you don't make any money, either. And they are mean, REALLY mean.
|
| Davidson: Why do you think Microsoft is mean? Are you implying some kind of
| malicious intent rather than just ruthlessness?
|
| Cringely: Maybe "mean" is the wrong word to use for Microsoft. "Ruthless" is
| good. The company is built in the image of Bill Gates and Bill is a guy who
| gets caught-up in the game of business and doesn't typically see its personal
| cost. To use what might seem to be an obscure example, just look at all the
| various partnerships and industry consortia that Microsoft has announced
| through the years that never produced a product or even a usable
| specification. There have been literally dozens of these operations that are
| intended solely to freeze the competition until Microsoft can figure what the
| heck it actually wants to do. To Microsoft its a PR exercise that helps them
| compete but to customers it is just a damned lie. That's ruthless. There are
| plenty of other examples I can give but you get the point. I represent the
| concerns of users, not vendors, and Microsoft doesn't really care about
| users.
`----

http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html

,----[ Quote ]
| "Let me be clear, ladies and gentlemen, there is one company that will
| have to change its illegal behaviour as a result of this ruling, and
| that is Microsoft," Kroes said at a news conference.
`----

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/332064_msfteu18.html?source=mypi

Corrupt countries were more likely to support the OOXML document format

,----[ Quote ]
| Is this just a random coincidence? The median of the CPI index of the above
| mentioned 70 countries is 3.95. Of the most corrupted half (CPI index less
| than 3.95) 23 or 77% voted for approval (approval or approval with comments)
| and 7 or 23% for disapproval; 5 abstained. Of the least corrupted half (CPI
| index more than 3.95) 13 or 54% voted for approval and 11 or 46% voted for
| disapproval; 11 abstained - see the table below.
`----

http://www.effi.org/blog/kai-2007-09-05.en.html

Microsoft buying it's way into OOXML ISO certification?

,----[ Quote ]
| It appears that Microsoft is just buying the OOXML ISO certification!
`----

http://masuran.org/node/90

Ecuador Tax Agency Closes Microsoft Branch Offices For 7 Days

,----[ Quote ]
| "We have twice requested balances, payment reports and complete tax
| information, but the company hasn't given it to us, so in accordance with our
| laws we have proceeded with the closure," the SRI official in charge of the
| proceeding said.
`----

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200710041610DOWJONESDJONLINE000810_FORTUNE5.htm

Microsoft Office raid in Hungary

,----[ Quote ]
| "Such behaviour could lead to the exclusion of competitive products from
| the market and violate European Union rules, according to the authority
| known as the GVH."
`----

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3957835.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2324635.f2NXGiAim3@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] GNU/Linux Grows a Lot in 2007
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:27:31 +0000

Signposts of GNU/Linux Growth in 2007, Part 1

,----[ Quote ]
| It is sometimes forgotten that GNU/Linux is more than just a desktop
| operating system. Linux, being a well-engineered kernel, is used extensively
| and also funded for its important role in several different areas of
| computing. One needs to look for evidence of growth not only in desktops.
| Judgment must be based on multiple areas where GNU/Linux gains traction.
`----

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3719096

The top Linux/FOSS events of 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| Sure, it's been said before, but this time it's true: 2007 was undoubtedly
| the year which saw Linux go mainstream. Linux has long accepted as a server
| platform and a playground for tweakers, hackers and the adventurous, but 2007
| saw major events which entrenched Linux on the desktop. Let's look at what
| happened.
`----

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15922/1141/

Survey Says ... Linux Desktop Is Ever More Popular

,----[ Quote ]
| The first thing we can say about the Linux desktop in 2007 is that there are
| more users than ever. The Linux Foundation 2006 survey had fewer than 10,000
| people signing in. This year more than 20,000 Linux desktop users reported
| in.
`----

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2235654,00.asp

,----[ Quote ]
| Okay, now lets tie this all back in together. Novell claimed several months
| back in a video ad that Desktop Linux users accounted for upwards of
| 30,000,000 different people. That's 30 million. Recent statements made by
| some Novell representatives indicate that they expect there are upwards of
| 50,000,000 Desktop Linux users. Microsoft has never contested the number of
| Desktop Linux users, and if anything the deal Microsoft signed with Novell
| was tacit agreement that Microsoft believed those numbers to be accurate.
`----

http://zerias.blogspot.com/2007/11/desktop-os-vista-vs-linux.html

Linux Users Base More Than doubled Over Last One Year: Survey

,----[ Quote ]
| The number of Linux users has more than doubled over the last one year, says
| a new survey by DesktopLinux.com. The survey also said Ubuntu remains their
| Linux distribution of choice.
`----

http://www.sda-india.com/sda_india/psecom,id,22,site_layout,sdaindia,news,19940,p,0.html

Survey: Desktop Linux use grows

,----[ Quote ]
| DesktopLinux.com, which is a Web site devoted to, obviously, desktop Linux,
| has finished a survey that found more than a doubling of Linux desktop users
| in the past year.
`----

http://weblog.infoworld.com/techwatch/archives/013576.html

Desktop Linux on the Rise, Linux Foundation Reports

,----[ Quote ]
| For starters, almost 20,000 self-selected users filled out this year's survey
| compared with fewer than 10,000 in 2006's survey.
|
| [...]
|
| In those businesses and organisations that have deployed Linux desktops, 39.5
| percent are running Linux on more than half of their machines.
`----

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2220549,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1972273.nzSvhbOSMR@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux-based "Bug" Featured in NYT
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:29:25 +0000

Building Your Own High-Tech "Bug"

,----[ Quote ]
| Users could also turn their Bugs into open-source digital video recorders,
| game controllers, biometric security scanners or any thousands of devices
| that the big electronics companies haven't thought of or won't address
| because the market for such a gadget is perceived as being too small.
`----

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/building-your-own-high-tech-bug/index.html?hp

It runs Linux.

Hack: The Bug

,----[ Quote ]
| Technology Review takes apart Bug Labs' modular open-source hardware system
| and explains how it works.
|
| [...]
|
| Linux Computer
| Most electronic devices, because of their limited memory and processing
| power, must be programmed using languages and techniques that are difficult
| to master. But the Linux computer at the heart of Bug Labs' modular device
| provides tools that let users programme applications more easily. The
| technically inclined can programme in Java, a widely known language, and make
| their programmes available to other users. The device has enough memory to
| store multiple programmes, so it can perform many different functions when the
| proper modules are connected.
`----

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/19873/

Open Source Hardware Gift Guide

,----[ Quote ]
| Open source 3D printers, TV-turn-off devices, iPod chargers, music players,
| wi-fi companions, educational electronic kits, and more! Let's get gifting!
`----

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/12/open_source_hardware_gift.html

Open source hardware comes out of closet

,----[ Quote ]
| EVER SINCE open-source software created a buzz, people have stroked chins,
| pondered and pontificated about the possibility of open-source hardware - and
| now it's becoming a reality.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/02/open-source-hardware-coming

The Future of Hardware is Open Source

,----[ Quote ]
| Open Hardware is the future of technology, and all we need to kick off this
| next great revolution in technology is to have the right tools in the right
| place at the right time. After that, the sky's the limit!
`----

http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=315

Perens set to tackle open-source hardware

,----[ Quote ]
| On Monday, Perens plans to announce the TAPR Open Hardware
| License, a document written by John Ackerman designed
| specifically to govern hardware designs that can be
| modified and redistrubuted. Perens plans to submit the
| license to the Open Source Initiative for its as an
| open-source licence.
`----

http://news.com.com/2061-10795_3-6156093.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/2noydh

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2837862.nPCx0PmqD4@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] 2007 a Successful Year for the GNU GPLv3 (and Thus Freedom)
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:33:31 +0000

GPL v3 Year in Review

,----[ Quote ]
| We welcome 2008 with open arms as we say goodbye to 2007. Looking back, since
| the release of the GPL v3, the licence has grow quickly and consistently
`----

http://gpl3.blogspot.com/2007/12/gpl-v3-year-in-review.html

Apathy/misunderstanding of freedom is still the main barrier.

Is converting a good idea?

,----[ Quote ]
| I have seen a sudden resurgence in articles dealing with the subject
| of "converting" non-GNU/Linux users. While the general idea is laudable, I
| wonder if the end result is anything but benign. Of course getting everybody
| liberated and free to shape their computing environment seems like the best
| thing to do. Who doesn't want to be free? The problem is that most people
| don't want to have a free computing environment, they rather have no
| computing environment at all. A computer to them is a necessary evil. They
| have to deal with it to get the stuff done they ultimately desire. Most
| people don't want to use a computer to process their information, but there
| are no other more cost and time effective alternatives available.
`----

http://warp35.blogspot.com/2007/12/is-converting-good-idea.html

Later on, DRM (data loss), remote death switches, forced upgrades (money), data
corruption and other things are better understood and ordinary people wake up
to see they are abused.

Free Software Foundation Releases GNU Affero General Public Licence Version 3

,----[ Quote ]
| The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today published the GNU Affero General
| Public Licence version 3 (GNU AGPLv3). This is a new licence; it is based on
| version 3 of the GNU General Public Licence (GNU GPLv3), but has an
| additional term to allow users who interact with the licensed software over a
| network to receive the source for that programme. By publishing this licence,
| the FSF aims to foster user and development communities around
| network-oriented free software.
`----

http://www.fsf.org/agplv3-pr

A Quick Guide to GPLv3

http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html

Mark Webbink On: GPLv3

,----[ Quote ]
| This week Mark Webbink, former Red Hat General Counsel discusses the GPLv3
| and talks about the limits of sharing, the mellowing out of Linus Torvalds,
| and issues with the LGPLv3.
`----

http://truthhappens.redhatmagazine.com/2007/10/26/mark-webbink-on-gplv3/#comments

Sun tiptoes into GPLv3

,----[ Quote ]
| Sun Microsystems will release its xVM Ops Centre virtualisation management
| application under the General Public Licence version 3 (GPLv3), the company
| revealed at the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco.
`----

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2203486/sun-tiptoes-gplv3

Why does Microsoft seem scared of GPLv3?

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is extremely keen to avoid "legal debate" over whether its recent
| partnerships with Linux firms such as Novell, Xandros, and Linspire, mean
| Redmond must assume any of the new licences' legal obligations.
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Why-does-Microsoft-seem-scared-of-GPLv3-/0,130061733,339279673,00.htm

FSF Says GPLv3 Means Microsoft Patent Protection for All

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's covenant not to sue users of Novell's SUSE Linux
| Enterprise will be extended to all General Public Licence v3
| users as soon as Novell includes GPLv3 code within its Linux
| distribution, according to the Free Software Foundation.
`----

http://www.computerwire.com/industries/research/?pid=E86B6EA6-EC51-43DF-A305-9939E5829EFC

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1969066.kTuaf7IjiB@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux-based Eee PC is More Than Just a Laptop
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:35:33 +0000

So, just what can you do with this ASUS Eee Linux PC thing anyway?

,----[ Quote ]
| The answer is lots. Sure, the things I said above are true. But don't be
| deceived by a small glimpse at its hardware specs - there's so much more
| which can be said. I'm definitely a fan, and the Eee PC's sales figures
| suggest I'm not unique.
`----

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15923/1143/

It also runs Compiz-Fusion and KDE 4 quite nicely.

The little computer that could ...

,----[ Quote ]
| After reading the post on planetkde about KDE4 running smoothly on an aged
| machine, I was tempted to try it myself. Although the EeePC is far from old,
| its CPU/memory and graphics card are relatively low end.
|
| I simply downloaded the latest KDE4 RC kubuntu live CD, and followed the
| instructions from the EeeUser wiki on how to make a "live" usb stick. A
| slight adjustment to the bios/boot order, installing the libgl1-mesa-dri
| package, and a short while later I was pleasantly surprised by the
| following...
`----

http://www.jespersaur.com/drupal/node/36

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2162545.kdz9A0MFkL@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Windows Botnets a Huge Problem, Getting More Sophisticated
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:05:42 +0000

Botnet gains, Web 2.0 pains

,----[ Quote ]
| Botnets, networks of compromised computers used for spreading spam and
| malicious software or attacking large corporations, easily became one of the
| biggest security stories of year.
`----

http://www.news.com/Year-in-review-Botnet-gains%2C-Web-2.0-pains/2009-7349_3-6223531.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/3xbcq9

Storm, Nugache lead dangerous new botnet barrage

,----[ Quote ]
| But this new piece of malware, which came to be known as Nugache, was a
| game-changer. With no C&C server to target, bots capable of sending encrypted
| packets and the possibility of any peer on the network suddenly becoming the
| de facto leader of the botnet, Nugache, Dittrich knew, would be virtually
| impossible to stop.
`----

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci1286808,00.html

In zombies we trust

,----[ Quote ]
| A little over a year ago, I wrote an editorial where in back-of-the-envelope
| style (.pdf) I estimated that perhaps 15-30% of all privately owned computers
| were no longer under the sole control of their owner. In the intervening
| months, I received a certain amount of hate mail but in those intervening
| months Vint Cert guessed 20-40%, Microsoft said 2/3rds, and IDC suggested
| 3/4ths. It is thus a conservative risk position to assume that any random
| counterparty stands a fair chance of being already compromised.
`----

http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=661

Over 50% of corporate desktops infected with malware: IronPort

,----[ Quote ]
| The report also reveals that more than 50% of corporate desktops
| worldwide are infected with some type of spyware with the rate of
| infection as high as 70% in the United States. Trojans or malicious
| system monitors represented over 7% of the infections. Rootkits and
| trick loaders, which reinstall spyware and other obfuscation techniques,
| make remediation very difficult thus prevention is the key to stopping
| these threats.
`----

http://www.crn-india.com/breakingnews/stories/66870.html

Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net

,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
| the BBC reports.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1569030.7Ltt7xzRT7@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Shillnalysts Exposed (Forrester, Gartner, IDC, F&S and 'Gang')
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:07:30 +0000

Other Underreported Stories: Analyst Integrity?

,----[ Quote ]
| There was a pretty interesting discussion with views on both sides. Some felt
| that the rumours have been so persistent that, well, where there's smoke
| there's fire. Others saying they have heard from someone who heard from
| someone that once they started paying their exposure improved. Others saying
| it's just like the rumours that magazine advertisers get better reviews, an
| accusation that has been levied to Ziff-Davis publications, as well as
| photography and stereo equipment magazines for years.
`----

http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/2007/12/other_underrepo.html?source=rss

[ The reason why Which magazine has such a committed following in the UK is
precisely because they do not "sell" reviews. Ed. ]

Good old article:

Credibility Of Analysts

,----[ Quote
| Research firms make their living by offering expert advice to business and
| technology people about the best ways to invest their IT dollars. It can be
| invaluable insight, but only if that analysis comes with no strings attached.
| And on that, there's no guarantee.
|
| Forrester, Gartner, IDC, and others insist their output is squeaky clean, yet
| they also rake in millions providing services to the very same companies they
| monitor, heavyweights like Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle. Which leads to
| a question that continues to dog the research firms: How much influence do
| technology vendors have over their work?
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CTCBZVQX5MTSCQSNDLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=178601879&queryText=analyst+influence

,----[ Quotes with annotation ]
| "(Microsoft manager:) I don't like the fact that the report show us losing
| on TCO on webservers. I don't like the fact that the report show us losing
| on availability (windows was down more than linux). And I don't like the
| fact that the reports says nothing new is coming with windows .net server."
|
| [...]
|
| "I don't like it to be public on the doc that we sponsored it because I
| don't think the outcome is as favourable as we had hoped. I just don't like
| competitors using it as ammo against us. It is easier if it doesn't mention
| that we sponsored it."
`----

http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/9000/PX09695.pdf

------------------------------

Message-ID: <7504406.Wshs18l91i@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Got Old PC, Get GNU/Linux
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:09:07 +0000

Suggestions for that old computer

,----[ Quote ]
| Wait a second! Maybe it is too old for the Windows world, but what about the
| Linux world?
|
| If you are a little bit adventurous, you might want to enter what I
| call "geek dome" and try installing one of the many Linux Distributions out
| there. Most of these are absolutely free.
|
| Now, the level of expertise required to install these distributions varies.
| You can check out a list of distributions at
| http://www.linux.org/dist/list.html.

`----

http://www.gulfnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=93826&sc=343

Stop! Don't trash those old PCs

,----[ Quote ]
| Interestingly enough, there is another operating system that most people are
| not familiar with called Linux. Linux (and its earlier version UNIX) have
| been around for a long time helping us place phones calls and providing
| access to the Internet. Linux, up until this point, has been mostly behind
| the scenes just doing its job and doing it well. You can get started with
| Linux at www.linux.org.

`----

http://www.reporter-times.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=91254&format=html

Linux For An Old Laptop

,----[ Quote ]
| I have such a machine (Pentium 266 MMX, 80 MB RAM, 4 GB HD) which still
| sports a "Designed for Windows 95" sticker.
`----

http://www.pcdailytips.com/2007/07/23/linux-for-an-old-laptop/

Apple //c as a Dumb Terminal to my Mac mini

,----[ Quote ]
| The //c spends basically all of its time serving as an IRC chat terminal,
| displaying a shell session of either irssi or Rhapsody, both terminal-based
| IRC clients, running on my remote Linux server by way of a secure shell
| connection. It's a rather abstracted approach, but it's great to twiddle
| the //c's keys in a meaningful way every workday.
`----

http://www.bytecellar.com/archives/000113.php

Turn your computer into a media centre PC with GeeXBoX 1.1

,----[ Quote ]
| GeeXBoX 1.1 is a mere 8.9MB ISO download. Its hardware requirements are
| minimal -- a Pentium II 400MHz processor and 64MB of RAM are enough to power
| GeeXBoX -- and of course you'll need a CD/DVD drive to play your media.
`----

http://www.linux.com/feature/118210

Performance Duel: Koolu 500 MHz vs. Pentium III 666 MHz

,----[ Quote ]
| We also use Ubuntu in our Monastery office. If you read the minimal
| specifications for Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn, it states you need at least a 500 MHz
| machine. We are interested in using computers that are low power, so a
| modern, general-purpose Operating System that has such modest requirements
| suits us fine, as it will run on older, less power-hungry computers.
`----

http://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-RkGSoVA1brWtXrVH9Gr5CzgVujwwGg--?cq=1&p=61

The Year Of The Small Distro

,----[ Quote ]
| 2007 may well be the year of the small distro.
`----

http://www.oreillynet.com/linux/blog/2007/08/the_year_of_the_small_distro.html

How to keep your old PC alive

http://www.pramnos.com/story69-2331.html

ReviewLinux.Com: First Look at MEPIS AntiX 7.0 Beta 2

,----[ Quote ]
| I am always looking for a faster Linux OS that just does the basics. I want a
| low-overhead Linux distro that can run on almost any machine be it a Pentium
| 2 to a Pentium 4. MEPIS AntiX 7.0 Beta 2 might just be the one. Check out my
| short little review about this Linux distro plus my flash video showing off
| this fast and lightweight Linux OS.
`----

http://www.reviewlinux.com/index.php?m=show&id=6903

10 ways Linux can breath life into your old PCs

http://icanhaslinux.com/2007/09/07/10-ways-linux-can-breath-life-into-your-old-pcs/

Put your old machine to good use

,----[ Quote ]
| PCLinuxOS, which, along with Kubuntu and Ubuntu is one of the best
| Linux distributions around, only requires an old Pentium II (!) to
| run nicely. The entire cost of Linux is the cost of the blank disk
| you'll need to burn yourself a copy, so it's worth it to play around.
| There's a good chance you'll like what you see.
`----

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2007-05-25-old-machine_N.htm?csp=34
http://tinyurl.com/292b73

How To Revive An Old PC With Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| Sure, it could go to the landfill, or you might be able to get a
| tax deduction from donating it to a local school. Or, using a
| Linux-based operating system, you could turn it into a
| functional desktop, browser, and e-mail client, and put it
| back to work.
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198500289

How to revive an old PC

,----[ Quote ]
| For better performance, most LiveCD distros can be installed onto a hard
| disk, but the process isn't as easy as it is with a conventional distro.
| There's still some hope, though. Currently the Ubuntu Lite project is working
| on a special customised release of Ubuntu for very low-end PCs. Similarly,
| the RULE Project offers a way to install current and recent releases of Red
| Hat's Fedora on low-end machines.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40532

How to revitalise mature pentiums

,----[ Quote ]
| Hardware that is obsolete in Windows World is not obsolete in the real
| world!
`----

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/free_computing

Build This Cheap But Effective Firewall

,----[ Quote ]
| Fight the bad guys without busting your budget. Here's all you'll
| need to create a low-cost, super-secure firewall using
| Linux-based freeware and an old PC.
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197001131&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
http://tinyurl.com/ypqfrz

Expert shares secrets to saving thousands with K12LTSP

,----[ Quote ]
| The K12 Linux Terminal Server Project (K12LTSP) is a thin client
| distribution designed for use in schools.
|
| [...]
|
| Arkiletian estimates that his lab cost only $4,000 to set up --
| about a tenth the cost of buying replacement workstations.
`----

http://enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/01/16/1717243&tid=23&tid=46

Column: Linux lets you avoid upgrading computer

,----[ Quote ]
| Combine the alternative of using a Linux desktop with being able
| to use older computers often donated by Fortune 500 companies when
| they cycle to new systems every three to four years and you start
| to have a financially compelling argument for not having the same
| technology as everyone else.
|
| If you have a very large network, the finance picture needs to take
| into account the fact that your technicians would need to be familiar
| with another technology, but for smaller nonprofits and schools
| systems, I would seriously consider this desktop platform.
`----

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/NEWS01/701080307

------------------------------

Message-Id: <3515971.IlitiIhSdy@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Op-ed: Windows Makes Dumb Generation with Technical Problems
Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:18:08 +0000

Unblocking Blockheads or, Some People Should Not Use Computers or, "The
Marching Morons" Comes True

,----[ Quote ]
| A sizable number of humans have devoted their lives to erecting barriers to
| learning anything new. You can see it when you talk to them- when something
| as simple as "click this button" produces a glazed expression and drool, you
| know you've lost them forever. Of course they'll waste hours of your time
| complaining about how stupid computers are. But even though it's easy money
| to nod and pretend to listen, and then bill them for every minute wasted on
| empty complaining (I never had enough nerve to charge a whining penalty, and
| I wish I had), it's not how I want to spend my time. Life is too short.
`----

http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/97649/index.html

If the "click [of] this button" doesn't work, expect hours of troubleshooting
or a reinstallation.

10 Reasons Why the Command Line is More User-Friendly than the Desktop

http://penguinpetes.com/b2evo/index.php?title=10_reasons_why_the_command_line_is_more_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Linux on the line: musings on the CLI / GUI flip-flop

,----[ Quote ]
| People are a funny lot. One person's trash is another person's treasure. And
| one person's primary means of instructing a computer is met with disdain by
| another. There's a perennial battle between mousers and keyboard jockeys,
| and "what's in" appears to go in cycles.
`----

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15449/1141/

Geek to Live: The command line comeback

,----[ Quote ]
| The advent of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) forever
| revolutionised personal computing. A windowed system with point
| and click icons made computers usable for anyone who couldn't deal
| with a black screen and a prompt waiting for arcane textual commands.
| But in recent years, this enormous interface change is coming full
| circle. Amongst power users - and more and more, regular Joe's - the
| command line is making a comeback in modern web and desktop
| applications.
`----

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/command-line/geek-to-live--the-command-line-comeback-226223.php
http://tinyurl.com/y88w3w

Fear and loathing at the command line

,----[ Quote ]
| Whatever the reasons, fear and loathing of the command line is so strong that
| the claim that GNU/Linux still requires its frequent use is enough to
| convince many people to stick with their current operating system. The claim
| is no longer true, but you can't expect people to understand that when the
| claim plays on so many of their basic fears about computing.
`----

http://brucebyfield.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/fear-and-loathing-at-the-command-line/

How to completely ditch GUI internet applications for the command line

,----[ Quote ]
| Today, terminal-based programmes have almost disappeared. GUIs are taking over,
| whether we like it or not. However, there is still a place for the old
| command line. Take the internet as an example: everyone's using Firefox,
| Thunderbird, and Pidgin for their internet activities. Even though these are
| great, quality, free software apps, they tend to be bloated. That's where the
| terminal comes in.
`----

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/ditch_gui_apps_for_command_line

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2384229.Dp3i5ISM4W@sch

Thursday, January 3, 2008

24 new messages in 12 topics - digest