What is OpenDNS?OpenDNS is a safer, faster, smarter and more reliable way to navigate the Internet. Their service is free and requires nothing to download.
OpenDNS!
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Friday, August 31, 2007
For Safer Browsing... try OpenDNS!
What is OpenDNS?OpenDNS is a safer, faster, smarter and more reliable way to navigate the Internet. Their service is free and requires nothing to download.
OpenDNS!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Anti-Piracy: The arguments are hitting home...
...and the government isn't listening. Or are they?
Micheal Geist has a host of information regarding Canadian Copyright Law amendments and bill C-60 and opposition to it. This video talks about what the lobby groups are suggesting:
For me, Piracy is wrong, but I've been listening to a few friends who have arguments that don't dispute this but seem to justify (based on blank media levies, and legality of downloading) the receipt of what the law can suggest is "stolen goods" in the form of creative works (Music and Movies). Still others are wilful providers of source media from vast collections of movies, music, and books of all sorts because they don't feel any significant responsibility to support the creators of the products they enjoy.
While my perspective one of fair use and the video above talks in broad strokes, Bill C-60 seems to be much more constrictive, and the summary does not shed any light on the teeth our laws require. It goes a long way to eliminate arguments regarding fair use, closing doors on who can make a work available to file-sharing systems from a distribution stand-point. It places the ownership back in the hands of the owner of the work, the artist. The opponents to bill C-60 make a few presumptions, most notably around personal photography suggesting that a tourist who has a picture taken by a local would forfeit rights. This could arguably be called a commissioned work and the rights are retained by the film owner.
While we do need better Intellectual Property (IP) laws to protect copyright owners, the law proposed by C-60 needs to be considered carefully. It does not eliminate personal use clauses, but there's some insistence that the use be, in fact, personal. Also, "Downloading music files for personal, non-commercial use remains legal under Bill C-60, " according to the summary (below). Please note that this specifically states music is allowed.
Feeling particularly brave, have a look at the proposed legislation yourself: PDF, HTML, Legislative Summary (the government's take).
Lobbyists (and opponents) are good at inciting panic and running around like freaks, you need to take everything they yell from their soap box and verify it against the actual written word of the law. If you can examine both sides, the ramblings of the proposed law and those that oppose it and don't like what you see, Sign the petition to stop Bill C-60. No, really, it's a physical piece of paper that you really need to sign and send off by mail. Don't just lie there and copy those DVDs and MP3s, fight back by becoming active in protecting your rights to fair use.
Also, have a look at this site: Canadian Music Creators Coalition
If the musicians aren't on board, who is the CRIA representing? Oh, ya... The Recording Industry, but even that's changing it's tune.
Micheal Geist has a host of information regarding Canadian Copyright Law amendments and bill C-60 and opposition to it. This video talks about what the lobby groups are suggesting:
For me, Piracy is wrong, but I've been listening to a few friends who have arguments that don't dispute this but seem to justify (based on blank media levies, and legality of downloading) the receipt of what the law can suggest is "stolen goods" in the form of creative works (Music and Movies). Still others are wilful providers of source media from vast collections of movies, music, and books of all sorts because they don't feel any significant responsibility to support the creators of the products they enjoy.
While my perspective one of fair use and the video above talks in broad strokes, Bill C-60 seems to be much more constrictive, and the summary does not shed any light on the teeth our laws require. It goes a long way to eliminate arguments regarding fair use, closing doors on who can make a work available to file-sharing systems from a distribution stand-point. It places the ownership back in the hands of the owner of the work, the artist. The opponents to bill C-60 make a few presumptions, most notably around personal photography suggesting that a tourist who has a picture taken by a local would forfeit rights. This could arguably be called a commissioned work and the rights are retained by the film owner.
While we do need better Intellectual Property (IP) laws to protect copyright owners, the law proposed by C-60 needs to be considered carefully. It does not eliminate personal use clauses, but there's some insistence that the use be, in fact, personal. Also, "Downloading music files for personal, non-commercial use remains legal under Bill C-60, " according to the summary (below). Please note that this specifically states music is allowed.
Feeling particularly brave, have a look at the proposed legislation yourself: PDF, HTML, Legislative Summary (the government's take).
Lobbyists (and opponents) are good at inciting panic and running around like freaks, you need to take everything they yell from their soap box and verify it against the actual written word of the law. If you can examine both sides, the ramblings of the proposed law and those that oppose it and don't like what you see, Sign the petition to stop Bill C-60. No, really, it's a physical piece of paper that you really need to sign and send off by mail. Don't just lie there and copy those DVDs and MP3s, fight back by becoming active in protecting your rights to fair use.
Also, have a look at this site: Canadian Music Creators Coalition
If the musicians aren't on board, who is the CRIA representing? Oh, ya... The Recording Industry, but even that's changing it's tune.
Friday, August 17, 2007
When you're a little too helpful once, you're on the hook for everything.
ManagerDude: Hey - JackNow, was that a NICE "Thank-you" of did that exclamation point change the meaning?
ManagerDude: Do you know anything about our fax server here in SLC?
JackTheProgrammer: Not a thing. [waits for a response, then leaves for the day]
ManagerDude: Thank you!
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