Posts by deegee

Who's at fault, What's on second

The fault lies entirely with all of the people who pirate games and software.

If we didn't have people illegally stealing the game and passing it around, we wouldn't have DRM, there wouldn't be a need for it.

And don't give me the lame "justifications" that so many pirates do -- stealing is stealing, no matter how you try to sugar-coat it.

As to how this affects the legit buyers will depend on what system they are implementing. And blaming things like Ddos attacks on Ubi and their DRM is pointing the finger in the wrong direction.

Personally I use Steam all of the time (an "Internet DRM"), I've never had any issues with it at all.

not so popular...

All of this banter over "haz 2 b free w/ sauce soz I can recompile bugz cuz I'm l33t"... is pure B.S. No offense... or maybe some... ;-)

What, maybe 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of the population could even have a hope to fix any code bugs in even the simplest app and do a recompile?

Not to mention, 98% of the source code out in the world is undocumented poorly written crap.

This so-called reason for open source and free source code is pure baloney. I see lintards and open source advocates touting this all of the time, and except for an extremely miniscule amount of the population, no one else cares and no one else would ever use or need the source.

If you or your company are getting stuck with a developer who writes crap and never maintains it, then you or your company needs to rethink their position. And if you are that l33t of a programmer, then why aren't you just writing the software yourself?

Personally, I would rather have my software maintained by a professional, not some wannabe hacker dweeb in the building's basement. Oh, and I am a professional software developer in case anyone was wondering (used to do asm embedded OS's and drivers years ago, now do special vertical market tools and part-time IT)...

@Charles 9 12:02

You might like to try to read my post again, and perhaps do some research first yourself.

When you bought that car, did it come with a license that you had to agree to before using it that stating that you could NOT resell it? I'm sure that it didn't.

Well guess what, MOST software DOES. And when you bought and used that software YOU AGREED TO THAT LICENSE.

When you buy software it is NOT your property. You own THE MEDIA and a right to use ONLY, you DO NOT OWN THE SOFTWARE NOR DO YOU HAVE ANY RIGHTS TO THAT PROGRAM CODE OTHER THAN YOUR RIGHT-TO-USE AS DESCRIBED IN THE EULA.

Purchasing a car and purchasing software are NOT the same thing.

And if anyone here bothered to actually check up on it, all of the throwing around of First Sale Doctrine is false.

A EULA which prohibits resale is binding because the end user expressly consents to the terms of the EULA and Terms of Use by clicking 'I Agree'. If you don't believe me, check it out yourself. Look up clickwrap contracts.

You can also Wikipedia first-sale doctrine. Unfortunately, a few US judges believe they make the laws (they do not) and have passed a few cases where they went in favor of the end-user on resale.

Personally I would have no problem with people reselling software so long as they did not continue to use it themselves, but many people do. And many people purchase upgrades and resell the previous version, which is even further negatory.

I do take matter with the thought that you own the software itself though, you only own the media and right-to-use. It's like saying that I bought a movie so now I own that film product itself, or I bought a book so now I own that story.

c'mon people reel it in...

@Adrian Esdaile 05:08 "Autodesk licensing"

"I think you'll find in the small print that Autodesk own all of your work ..."

Complete B.S. Otherwise Autodesk would own the rights to millions of pieces of architectural and movie fx materials. Which they do not. You had better re-read the EULA or provide proof for your statement.

" ... pay and pay again, again, and again for software we don't "OWN" but a merely paying $7,000 per seat per title ..."

More B.S. No one is saying that you have to purchase the updated versions of any software, whether it be the next AutoCad or Max or the next MS Office. And $7000 per seat per title? What the hell are you buying? An app with every possible addon? Max is only around $3000 US for a new commercial license, usually ~1/3rd that for any upgrade. I pay only ~$500 per year for Subscription and I get EVERY version and update plus all of the Subscription benefits which are numerous videos, training material, addons, special applications, etc. Most people posting complaints on here probably pay more than that every year for their iPhone or for beer.

The only thing you did get right is that you don't own the software, which you don't, which is correct. What this means is that you have no rights to the code or source code, you can't sell it as your own, claim any rights or copyrights to it, reverse engineer or duplicate it, etc. Same as you don't have the rights to Rowling's Harry Potter books if you buy a copy -- you don't have the right to make copies, sell, re-write, claim the story as your own creation, etc. Same as movies, I can't claim that I "own" The Matrix because I bought the DVD, so now I have the full rights to it, that's garbage.

I think too many people don't understand the difference between owning the IP and owning the physical object you bought it on. You may own the Harry Potter book but you don't own the writing itself, if I want to eat the pages or burn it, I can as I own the physical paper. You may own a disc but you don't own the rights to the software or movie on it, if I want to use it as a coffee mug coaster or frisbee, I can. But in any of these cases I do NOT own the contents of the object nor do I have full rights to them. My purchase will allow me the various rights to view the movie or read the story or use the software, but anything else that I try to do may be legally limited depending on the license etc. This includes possible limits on resale, making copies, etc.

@Charles 9 10:56

"So code is different from books, music, and movies?"

Yes it is, if it is standard retail software (GNU, MIT, etc. licenses vary). With software you are buying a license to use the software under the terms of the EULA. You are agreeing essentially to a somewhat-contract when you purchase and install it.

"Last I checked, neither books nor music nor movies are licensed..."

Not all media and digital media are in exactly the same way as software, but the next time you purchase a regular VHS or DVD movie check out the license limitations. You have a limited right to personal viewing only, you cannot rent it, you cannot provide public viewing, etc., etc.; you can only make a single backup copy assuming you do not break the DRM; etc.

With books you normally do not agree to a shrink-wrap license when you buy them. However, some books do have limitations printed on them, especially books that include discs with source code, etc., limiting you from selling or publicly distributing the code, or claiming it as your own creation.

I have no doubt that if it were your authored book or movie or software, that you wouldn't want people exploting your rights to your IP, would you? It's always easy to steal someone else's hard work and money without seeing any impact from it on your own life. I'm always amazed at how free people's morals become when it is someone else's work and it's easy to take or exploit.

All of this information can be easily found online.

Next time before giving me the thumbs-down, check your facts before posting, or provide me with real proof for your comments. :-p

Failers failed

Some people need more of that there book learnin'... ;-)

Note that I am not referring to GPL, MIT, freeware, shareware, or any other variations on software licenses. This comment is referring to the common general retail software license, which is on topic since this is an Autodesk software discussion.

Software is not the same as hardware. It is sold and licensed differently. You own the media if there is any included but you never ever ever own the software. You only have a right to use the software under the terms and limitations of the EULA (End-User License Agreement). You have no other rights with the software -- at all. What you are purchasing when you pay your money for the software is a license to use it in accordance with the EULA.

So if you find a disc in the dumpster, or buy a copy off eBay or from a friend, or torrent yourself a copy, you DO NOT have a right to use the software because you do not have a valid license. The eBay exception would be a purchase from a valid online Ebay software reseller, and none are authorized Autodesk resellers.

Most software companies have licenses that do not allow you to sell or transfer that license to another person. Only a few companies will let you contact them to transfer the license to another party. Before the person who bought the used software can use it, they must contact the company and get the license transferred.

Most software companies also license upgrades with the limit that you own and retain the prior version(s) that you purchased the upgrade to. In other words, if you purchased WidgetSoft 1.0 Full, then WidgetSoft 2.0 Upgrade, you must retain version 1.0 in order to use version 2.0, since 2.0's license is only an upgrade extension to 1.0. This is why many upgrade software installs check for the existence of the previous version. You CANNOT purchase the 2.0 Upgrade and then sell off the 1.0 Full.

Regarding the "I have to open it to see the EULA" is almost always false. Most companies have a copy of their EULAs available on their web site. Also, almost all retail software is sold with a similar EULA so what applies to one software almost always applies to another since most use similar EULAs, and it is usually mentioned on the package that it contains a EULA allowing you to check online or with the company regarding the limitations of the EULA prior to purchase. So you can't use the bogus claim that you couldn't see the EULA without opening the package.

Regarding those who said that you can easily resell games and other software so Adesk is being dicks. Wanna bet?!? Try using an opened WinPC game where the person has already registered the CD Key for online play. Good luck on playing the game. Most will prevent you from online connections since the key is already registered. Go to some of the forums for online games and see how many people have been scammed by buying used copies of game software this way.

@Kurgan 09/29 18:57 "Windows home server?"

"Why don't they just use Linux?"

As soon as someone in the community releases a home server os that actually does "just work" and integrates better with Windows desktops, then maybe they will... but to think that the community ever will release something like that -- enjoy the really long wait...

There has been a number of linux-based "Home Server" competing products, but many were abandoned, some are still going like Amahi, but they will fail to capture the market for a number of reasons. The biggest being that almost all Linux apps are never finished, and many have poor interface design.

They also tend to use the typical fanboi comments regarding their OS which is guaranteed to turn off a lot of people. For example Amahi has a selling point of "reliable and virus-free"... but tell me who is going to be logged on locally and surfing and catching viruses on Windows Home Server??

WHS is fine

Typical freetard comments were expected on this one...

@jeremey 3 11:46

@Bilgepipe 12:04

That was so fanboi that it isn't even worth reading... total nonsense.

I looked at Amahi, and like almost everything else Linux, it's 80% done and too many hassles for non-techies to bother with. Plus Amahi has the typical freetard attitude on their web site which does nothing but turn many people off.

@Daniel 1 13:08

I don't feel there is anything wrong with the name. I have Home Server on my home network strictly for a file server (much of the WHS toys are off or bypassed). I have also recommended WHS to other SOHOs.

@Peter 39 16:09 "I'm thrifty"

+1

I've also been saying that licensed owner's of Vista should get a massive discount on Win7.

But since that isn't going to happen, MS will just have to wait until I purchase a new computer to sell me a copy of Win7. I would replace (upgrade) my Vista x64 system to Win7 x64, but not if I have to toss away my Vista license and pay full pop for 7.

<- pic should be evil ballmer and not gates...

@The Original Steve 16:02 "@RW and @GreaseMonkey"

+100

Good reply. Some people just don't know what they are on about.

typical comments...

@AC 1:36 "If any Linux developer had ..."

"Linux devs need to ... focus on fewer distros and make them and the apps that run on them higher quality."

Yeah, like that is EVER going to happen... :-/

Try posting that comment on the various Linux forums or the Ubuntu Brainstorm area, and watch all of the Lintards jump all over you. "Linus doesn't want..." waah waah waah...

Monkeys will fly out of my arse long before the Linux communities get their crap together. Like so many others, I've pretty much given up on Linux distros.

@tuna 1 7:43 "Oh Joy!"

"now Linux can bog and BSOD just like your father's Windows."

I haven't had BSOD's on Windows in ages. Get educated or get out, Linux fanboi.

I have had more Kubuntu failures (1) on my dual-boot system than Win7RC (0).

@AC 8:50 "Too many me too's"

+1+

@Gulfie 9:12 "Never"

"Anybody who folds in a ... closed source component into their application/site is tieing themselves to the ... beast"

And Adobe's Flash is different how??

@AC 12:03 "If Microsoft want to stay..."

" I think that Microsoft will be missed by very few and I think that although they have lots of cash that their time is indeed limited."

If MS disappeared tomorrow and all Windows OS's stopped functioning, 95% of all businesses and computer users worldwide would grind to a halt. The world economy would crash.

Try keeping things in perspective. Until another OS(s) penetrates at least 50% market share, we will have to keep our love/hate relationship with MS.

My own final words...

I fail to see why so many people who post on here are so much at-odds or angry against Microsoft when all they are doing is what every other corporation does. Corporations exist to make boatloads of profit and to own a market. Microsoft is doing nothing different than any other large corporation like Nike, Exxon, GE, etc.

IE for me, see?

Personally I use IE8 about 80% of the time and Firefox3 the other 20%.

I don't care for any of the other browsers for a number of reasons, so "chroming" up my IE is pretty much never going to happen.

Not hot enough...

For those commentards who stated that they leave the shower run for a minute to get the hot water flowing before they get into it, that does _nothing_ at all to kill all bacteria, that will only kill a limited number of the various bacterium families, unless you like your showers scalding hot...

It takes at least 121C or 250F to kill most types of bacteria (~80%) -- and that is still insufficient to kill all types of bacteria. If your showers are at that temperature you won't have much skin left on you...

Plus water heaters are also stewing pots for certain types of bacteria, so bacteria-laden water is always spewing out of the shower head, which is also why you _never_ drink water from the hot tap -- always boil or nuke (microwave) hot tap water sufficiently before drinking.

If your immune system is so bad that water from your shower is killing you, then you are living in an area with extremely polluted water, and you're going to die anyway...

What MS shoulda done...

Windows 7 should not have been marketed as a full "new" OS. It's not really a Vista SP3 (it's more than that) and it's not really a full new OS (it's less than that).

It should have been sold as an inexpensive *update* for existing Vista users somewhere around $29.95.

On the retail shelves it should be sold as both full (for unlicensed users) and update (for existing Vista licenses) versions.