Date: 03/04/2004 03:36 PM
Name: Brad Kruse (brad.kruse@pobox.com)
Subject: SCO Launches Dual Legal Attacks
Hurray! I am happy to see that SCO is reaping its just reward -- shrinking revenue ("SCO Launches Dual Legal Attacks," March 3, 2004).
It seems obvious to me that when SCO decided to call the world of software a thief and fair game for legal shenanigans, people would be less inclined to do more business with SCO. I think this is fair. Any company that determined to close markets, irritate pools of developers willing to work on its products (and make recommendations to managers) deserves to be allowed to shoot itself in the foot.
I am waiting for SCO to announce that its falling revenue is due to losses related to infringed code. SCO could reduce its operating costs and boost marketing a bunch by firing its lawyers, its CEO and head of marketing, and work on making its products competitive.
Hopefully SCO's legal misconduct, and the RIAA, will bring about a needed reform to copyright and patent law.
By the way -- when does the AT&T copyright on Unix kernel expire, anyway?
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Date: 03/04/2004 06:45 PM
Name: G Dudley (rustye111@yahoo.com)
Subject: SCO Says Microsoft Memo Is Legit
What is all this suing about ("SCO Says Microsoft Memo Is Legit," March 4, 2004)? When I was working for a company in the R&D department, we used to buy the competitor's product, tear it apart and analyze it to find ways to make our product better and cheaper. I am sure they did the same. This was a plus for all concerned -- customers, us and them. Innovation was continuous; products were manufactured at better quality and lower prices. Everyone benefited. That is the problem with copyrights and patents. Stale stuff, no innovation.
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Date: 03/05/2004 04:32 AM
Name: Andy Wiernusz (exsic@epix.net)
Subject: Rich-Media Ads Cause Bellyaching
This is what I don't get about the online advertisers: If we use pop-up stoppers to stop getting annoying pop-ups, what makes them think we want to see annoying Flash animations ("Rich-Media Ads Cause Bellyaching," March 5, 2004)?
If we don't want to see it, we find a way to get rid of it, and they come out with something else to annoy the crap out of us. Basically, all I am saying is if we don't want to see it, why show us? If I go to a website and a Flash advertisement shows up on every page (which, by the way, is more annoying than a pop-up), I probably won't go there anymore.
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Date: 03/05/2004 09:11 AM
Name: jerry joyce (gpj@normandyholdings.net)
Subject: Pigs May Hold Key to Diabetes
Breakthrough stories like this replenish my reservoir of hope for a cure ("Pigs May Hold Key to Diabetes," Feb. 27, 2004).
Perhaps one super-sized fund-raising initiative could be run to fully fund this effort and several others right through a cure.
For example, let's run a 40- to 50-state Powerball lotto where the profit portion is publicized as dedicated to funding the cure for diabetes. I suspect a payoff covering that many states could attract millions of players and generate $500 million in profit for funding the cure.
Why not? We're due for innovative ideas to make the cure happen.
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