Posts by The BigYin

@AC at 13:45

"Strange how he always seems to be on the side of the fence for the software patent "abuser" then isn't it." On the fence? Can you cite, please? "FM is a FUD blogger - how much exactly and all the parties is not known, only some of them are. " Well, can you please cite what is known? I've barely heard of the guy, checking Wikipedia shouws he admitted to an MS study in Oct 2011, that's it. And thanks (whomever) for the downvote it was a genuine question.

A shill....

...for whom? He's anti-software patents it seems, so he can't be a shill for MS or Apple. Can you cite a source, please.?

@Allan George Dyer

I asked that too - the meters apparently use non-standard connectors and as one doesn't really want to pass the regulator (mains pressure in domestic pipes? Yikes!) it is actually easier/safer to steal the meter.

There's a rash of thefts around this way at the moment.

@Davidoff

Yes a basement would be nice, but they will break-in to steal the meter.

And one cannot secure the meter for obvious reasons (access may be required in an emergency). Although I did consider fitting a light-sensitive diode inside the cabinet connected to an alarm inside the house.

@sabba

Simple. They swap it for their meter, use power/gas for a while, then swap it back before the meter reader comes; makes them look like they've used less power/gas. Scrap has nothing to do with it.

Trust me, I was as shocked/puzzled as you were. TransCo told me it was pretty common. The scum will even break-in to get the meter!

However, rather than bare my private to a utility company I installed a decent security light.

If it makes...

...readers harder to steal, that's a good thing (I have been the victim of meter theft, the police don't regard it as a priority and the utility companies won't lift a figure without a police response; if it happens to you, you are in for at least a week without power/gas).

Umm...I think that's about the only benefit I can see with the things.

Security is fine

The customer's details and systems are 100% protected 100% of the time.

"Customer" in this case being the utility company who owns the meter.

The consumers security is of no corporate or regulatory concern. :-(

@AC at 06:50

Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one!

You are a cad and a rascal, sir. Keep up the good work.

@AC at 09:37

"Thieving is wrong"

Cool, we can agree 100% on that. Shame theft has nothing to do with the story.

Would you perhaps care to discuss copyright infringement instead? The curtailing of fair use, parody, remix and the diminishing of our future culture?

@LarsG

"How will they stop a legit EU site hosting something like PB in Germany? They declare the host undesirable, block it along with all the legitimate business that uses the host."

You are quite correct and that is, pretty much, "The Plan". Only one problem. This is Internet, progeny of Arpanet, survivor of nuclear attacks. SOPA is just another blockage, it will be identified and by-passed.

Maybe not legally by-passed, but technically and almost certainly morally.

If the companies started playing with their customers rather than booting them in the balls constantly, they may get more support (case in point, the absolute bollocking those illicitly torrenting the "Humble Indie Bundle" got from the community). If they also stopped manufacturing total dross (there's a reason the top 5 films on Netflix are non-USA and that big-media cinema numbers are falling). If they further stopped lying and committing near-frauds (e.g. "Harry Potter" was a loss-maker? Really?) And, finally, if they made sure some cash actually went to the creatives and not up the noses of the execs and the handful of mega-stars.

Big Media made this problem for itself, but rather than change their practices they have gone running to the legislature with stuffed brown-envelopes. Every time in history that money has made law and ignored the people there has been revolt and revolution. We already have the rise of various "Pirate Parties" who seek to protect our culture from these land-grabs. What will be next?

@BigYin - Typa

'How about the concept of "fair use" and where agreements over that can occur?'

Should, of course, read:

'How about the concept of "fair use" and where DISagreements over that can occur?'

@AC at 18:18

I agree. Pirates are scum and should be dealt with severely.

But tell me, what about people who breach copyright license? Which is (or was) a civil offence? How about the concept of "fair use" and where agreements over that can occur? What about the right to use a meme that passes into popular culture? To remix a work? To pass a copy of work on? Doctrine of first sale? etc.

This is an attempt at a land-grab of epic proportions to privatise our culture. It must not be permitted. Can you imagine a world where Mozart, Monet, Shakespeare, Confucius or any number of other creator's/thinker's works were still privately held? How weak, grey, dull and expensive would we be then?

This is the future people such as yourself wish to create.

You have not thought things through.

You are in error.

You must be opposed with all vigour.

Good

I'm glad it wasn't just me then. I thought this was going to be some clever way of reversing a virtual image out on to physical hardware or something else.

Instead it's just bizarre-o and IMHO wasteful. Games inside virtual machines? Over RDP? Yuck.

Full consumer PCs to simply remote into an XP image? Huh?

Maybe I too a missing something, but it strikes me that most of the issues could be resolved with a lot less complexity.

@stim

Try understanding what 100/100 means on the Acid3 test first and what it takes to actually pass the test.

@Daniel Johnson

He breached the terms of his license. That should be a civil matter at best, not criminal, as a license is basically a contract.

He may have caused loss (i.e. *some* downloaders did not buy the DVD or a cinema ticket who would otherwise have done so). OK, recover that loss from him. Once it can be quantified (and remember, 1 download!=1 lost sale).

He can't pay? Garnish his wages or use other measures open to the judge.

If the media companies want their productions dealt with like a physical product (e.g. "theft" etc) then they should also assign the rights of a physical product. e.g I can do what I want with it (cut it up, re-purpose it, whatever), I can give it away, it can be inherited and so on.

At the moment they want license terms in their favour (no copying, no format shifting etc) but product terms when it suits them ("theft", jail etc). They are trying to have it both ways and are getting away with it for now - this is not something that can continue. Our culture will eventually suffer, innovation will suffer, economies will suffer.

The biggest threat to the digital economy is not the license-breachers, it's the corporate trying to legally entrench their fiefdoms and create barriers to free-trade and innovation. These are the same morons who think the Internet should have been patented! My yes, what a bloody great idea that would have been! THEY are the one now benefiting from the freedom the Internet offers and they want to lock-it down.

It's so short-sighted it's like trying to monetise collaterised debt...wait a minute...

@irish donkey

"Was it any good?"

No. Never mind downloading it for free, you should be paid to compensate you for the wasted bandwidth!

"Buying 2nd hand DVD's since 2009."

I buy second-hand games, films come from the bargain-bin (I am a patient man).