VERY,VERY HOT READS, I Would Read The News In This Thread This Thead Is To post Any Thing Ye Want About The News,,NEWS WAS MOVED,READ MY FIRST POST..CHEERS
THE TECH NEWS NOW WILL BE POSTED HERE AT THE DVDXCOPY SITE,THE REASON I DECIDED THAT WAS THAT I CAN PUT EACH ARTICLE IN ITS OWN THREAD AND YE CAN PICK WHAT YE WANT TO READ,ALSO YE CAN MAKE COMMENTS IN EACH THREAD..IF YE CARE TO..
Please listen up,this board the Safety valve is a place to let some steam off..as it can be ridiculous ,stupid.Enjoyable,entertaining,boring,fun,jerky,childish,insane,
harebrained,asinine,juvenile,sensible,jokes,movies,baseball,basketball,hockey, sports of any kind or any thing ye can think of what it can be..so please lets not jump on any posters.
Lets make the Safety valve a fun place to be and to post..
lets have fun..even post pictures.AND ANY HOT NEWS....
A man was driving home late one afternoon, and he was driving above the speed limit. He looks in his rear view mirror and notices a police car with its red lights.
He thinks, "I can outrun this guy", so he floors it. The cars are racing down the highway -- 60, 70, 80, 90 miles an hour. Finally, as his speedometer passes 100, the guy realizes he can't outrun the cop so he gives up and pulls over to the curb.
The police officer gets out of his cruiser and approaches the car. He leans down and says, "Listen mister, I've had a really lousy day, and I just want to go home. Give me a good excuse and I'll let you go."
The man thought for a moment and said, "Three weeks ago my wife ran off with a police officer. When I saw your cruiser in my rear view mirror I thought you were that officer and you were trying to give her back to me!"
p2p news / p2pnet: Want to know why Patti Santangelo decided to take on Sony BMG, Warner Music, Vivendi Universal and EMI by herself?
Because of you.
When I posted this, $2,805.85 had been donated by 191 people. Go to Jason Rohrer's central tracking page for a running count.
Meanwhile, Patti replies to everyone who's made a donation, and here's what she says:
Dear Supporters,
When I decided not to accept a settlement with the RIAA it was of course because "I did not ever download or make available for mass distribution any music files" end of story. It seems to have become the beginning of a story. I learn something new everyday that makes me realize how wrong the "sue em all campaign" is.
The most important thing I learned (besides not to stutter when speaking in public) is that most people know and respect the difference between right and wrong. The support that you have given me reminds me that I am not alone with how I feel about these lawsuits and I cannot thank you enough for that. I was recently at a point that I thought it just did not matter what I believed and that the laws were not going to be on my side. It was the positive response from all of you that changed my mind about giving up.
Thank you for all of your support.
Sincerely, Patti Santangelo
It's going to take hell of a lot of money to help Patti go up against the Big Four multi-billion-dollar Organized Music cartel. And bear this in mind - even if a lawyer works pro bono, which means for nothing, there's still a ton of directly associated costs that have to be met.
Why else do you think Patti is the only one of the more than 17,000 RIAA victims to actually get to the point where she'll appear in a court before a judge and jury? Because the Big Four knew from day one that the very ordinary men, women and even children they were blackmailing didn't have the legal or financial means to take them on.
Some victims have settled. But not that many, although if you believe what many elements of the mainstream media say, with a little help from the RIAA, most of the people being pilloried have 'given in'. But that's just not the case. Of the 17,000 or so people being nailed, only about 3,500 have actually given into the RIAA extortion. Think about it.
RIAA is short for Recording Industry Association of America. But despite the name, only Warmer Music can be said to be American. The other three Organized Music members are from Japan and Germany (Sony BMG), France (Vivendi Universal) and Britain (EMI).
So much for Recording Industry Association of America.
Meanwhile, I'll tell you this. Patti is scared stiff, but she's going ahead with this anyway. So pump in a buck or two through the button below or even better, if you have a web site, post your own donations button.
p2p news / p2pnet: EMI digital restrictions software has crippled Coldplay's latest CD X&Y so much that it's virtually unplayable, says ConsumerAffairs.com.
And when buyers find this out, they won't be able to return the polluted discs.
Coldplay label Capitol Records, owned by EMI, "has installed extremely restrictive digital rights management (DRM) on the CD," says the story, going on:
"Although the disc packaging does clearly state that the CD is copy-protected, the buyer doesn't know exactly what the restrictions are until they've bought the CD and opened it up.
"Worse, the restrictions prevent the CD from being returned or exchanged unless there is a "manufacturing defect."
ConsumerAffairs.com says the DRM means the CD can't be played in "some" CD players, CD-recordable or rewritable hard drives, DVD players, game consoles such as a Playstation or Xbox, and prevents any attempt to copy the CD or "rip" the tracks to mp3 format.
"The CD's restrictions also prevent it from being played or copied on Macintosh PCs," the story adds.
EMI is a member of the Big Four Organized Music cartel which is currently using various 'trade' units such as the RIAA in the US and BPI in Britain, home to Coldplay, to try to sue customers into buying over-priced, lo-fi digital downloads.
Another OM member, Sony BMG, is currently in very public and on-going disgrace for using its music CDs to sneak hidden DRM spyware into buyers' computers.
Both companies, together with the other two OM mermbers, Warner Music and Vivendi Universal, are also presently the subjects of a download overpricing probe by New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer.
==================
UPDATE: "I've actually ripped it using two different audio programs with no problem," posts a p2pnet reader. "Audiograbber with LAME as an MP3 encoder and more recently (and much better IMHO) EAC to grab the uncompressed .wav files and then FLAC for a perfect lossless copy. EAC in secure mode with audio caching disabled is probably the best way to go for any disc DRM infected or not, haven't run into a problem yet. Also, Audiograbber, LAME, EAC and FLAC are all either open source or freeware so no need to buy any commercial software."
http://p2pnet.net/story/7506
Movies Top Ten File Share Downloads, Global
Week ending January 5, 2006
Ranking Movie Number of Downloads
01 >>> The Chronicles of Narnia + #3 1,019,157
02 >>> King Kong - #1 1,008,762
03 >>> Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire - #2 991,415
04 >>> Mr & Mrs Smith (unchanged) 960,046
05 >>> War Of The Worlds (unchanged) 942,745
06 >>> Fantastic Four + #8 936,970
07 >>> The 40 Year Old Virgin (unchanged) 932,882
08 >>> Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - #6 896,524
09 >>> Batman Begins (new) 887,885
10 >>> Fun with Dick and Jane (new) 883,403
Movies Top Ten File Share Downloads, USA
Week ending January 5, 2006
Ranking Movie Number of Downloads
01 >>> The Chronicles of Narnia (LWW) + #2 542,340
02 >>> King Kong - #1 534,725
03 >>> Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (unchanged) 526,033
04 >>> Mr & Mrs Smith + #5 516,232
05 >>> Fantastic Four + #6 502,077
06 >>> The Family Stone (new) 497,935
07 >>> Fun with Dick and Jane (new) 496,157
08 >>> The 40 Year Old Virgin (unchanged) 487,596
09 >>> War Of The Worlds - #7 475,593
10 >>> Yours, Mine and Our (new) 449,224
*(FREE)*Windows XP/System Tweak Guide 3.0 - OUT!
This is probably the most comprehensive tweak guide you can get.
After many hours of revising and rewriting, the new TweakGuides Tweaking Companion Version 3.0 is out. It is now possibly the most comprehensive free Windows XP/System guide available. The entire layout has been rearranged to be much more logical and easier to read. There are links to dozens of new free applications and sites, tons of new advice scattered throughout the guide, existing advice has been refined or re-written for clarity, and importantly everything is up to date and accurate. I urge all of you to download it as soon as possible. Even for existing users there are gems of information all through this guide which you may not have seen before.
The totally revised TweakGuides Tweaking Companion Version 3.0 is the complete system optimization guide for Windows XP users. It contains an enormous amount of detailed descriptions and resources together in one free 175 page downloadable PDF file. Everything from the correct installation of Windows and critical software and drivers, through to recommendations for every significant setting in XP, all the major performance, visual and convenience tweaks, and descriptions of XP's functionality. The guide contains dozens of links to major free applications for optimizing and maintaining your system, as well as to a vast range of resources for finding out more about your PC and troubleshooting PC problems. Basically the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion is the mother of all Windows XP tweak guides and system optimization guides.
Important: The guide has now been significantly revised and rewritten, so users of all previous versions of the guide are urged to upgrade to the latest version. Note that this guide was formerly called 'The Windows XP Tweaking Companion' (XPTC), however the name has been changed due to legal action by Microsoft.
TweakGuides Tweaking Companion [Deluxe Edition]
The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion Deluxe Edition is a 215 page guide which can either be sent to you in PDF format, or purchased as a professionally printed and bound book. Find out more about the Deluxe Edition.
TweakGuides Tweaking Companion [Regular Edition]
To download the free 175 page PDF Regular Edition of the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion, click the button below:
Filename: TGTC_3.0.zip
Version: 3.00
Last Updated: 5 January 2006
Size: 1.9MB
Cost: Free
When downloading this file please be patient, the site may be quite slow due to heavy demand for the guide. Once downloaded, extract the TweakingCompanion_3.0.pdf file from the .zip file and use Acrobat Reader software to read and print the document. Note: you must use Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to open the PDF file otherwise you will receive an error message. If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can get it for free by clicking the button below:
WTF..........WTF (What's This File) is a simple method of checking what's running on your machine, researching any Task found, and then ending the Task if required. Best of all, unlike many tools in it's class, you don't need to study a large manual to use it. WTF is freeware, includes an installer/uninstaller and like all RCMedia Services applications, does not contain any spyware, adware or backdoor nonsense of any kind (but the site does play an obnoxious sound file when you go there).....(free).....GO THERE!
__________________________________________________________________
GO HERE
http://rcmedia.town-local.net/software/index.php?option=articles&... ___________________________________________________________________
You swine. You vulgar little maggot. Don't you know that you are pathetic? You worthless bag of filth. As we say in Texas, I'll bet you couldn't pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel. You are a canker. A sore that won't go away. I would rather kiss a lawyer than be seen with you.
You are a fiend and a coward, and you have bad breath. You are degenerate, noxious and depraved. I feel debased just for knowing you exist. I despise everything about you. You are a bloody nardless newbie twit protohominid chromosomally aberrant caricature of a coprophagic cloacal parasitic pond scum and I wish you would go away.
You're a putrescence mass, a walking vomit. You are a spineless little worm deserving nothing but the profoundest contempt. You are a jerk, a cad, a weasel. Your life is a monument to stupidity. You are a stench, a revulsion, a big suck on a sour lemon.
You are a bleating fool, a curdled staggering mutant dwarf smeared richly with the effluvia and offal accompanying your alleged birth into this world. An insensate, blinking calf, meaningful to nobody, abandoned by the puke-drooling, giggling beasts who sired you and then killed themselves in recognition of what they had done.
I will never get over the embarrassment of belonging to the same species as you. You are a monster, an ogre, a malformity. I barf at the very thought of you. You have all the appeal of a paper cut. Lepers avoid you. You are vile, worthless, less than nothing. You are a weed, a fungus, the dregs of this earth. And did I mention you smell?
If you aren't an idiot, you made a world-class effort at simulating one. Try to edit your writing of unnecessary material before attempting to impress us with your insight. The evidence that you are a nincompoop will still be available to readers, but they will be able to access it more rapidly.
You snail-skulled little rabbit. Would that a hawk pick you up, drive its beak into your brain, and upon finding it rancid set you loose to fly briefly before spattering the ocean rocks with the frothy pink shame of your ignoble blood. May you choke on the queasy, convulsing nausea of your own trite, foolish beliefs.
You are weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. You are grimy, squalid, nasty and profane. You are foul and disgusting. You're a fool, an ignoramus. Monkeys look down on you. Even sheep won't have sex with you. You are unreservedly pathetic, starved for attention, and lost in a land that reality forgot.
And what meaning do you expect your delusionally self-important statements of unknowing, inexperienced opinion to have with us? What fantasy do you hold that you would believe that your tiny-fisted tantrums would have more weight than that of a leprous desert rat, spinning rabidly in a circle, waiting for the bite of the snake?
You are a waste of flesh. You have no rhythm. You are ridiculous and obnoxious. You are the moral equivalent of a leech. You are a living emptiness, a meaningless void. You are sour and senile. You are a disease, you puerile one-handed slack-jawed drooling meatslapper.
On a good day you're a half-wit. You remind me of drool. You are deficient in all that lends character. You have the personality of wallpaper. You are dank and filthy. You are asinine and benighted. You are the source of all unpleasantness. You spread misery and sorrow wherever you go.
I cannot believe how incredibly stupid you are. I mean rock-hard stupid. Dehydrated-rock-hard stupid. Stupid so stupid that it goes way beyond the stupid we know into a whole different dimension of stupid. You are trans-stupid stupid. Meta-stupid. Stupid collapsed on itself so far that even the neutrons have collapsed. Stupid gotten so dense that no intellect can escape. Singularity stupid. Blazing hot mid-day sun on Mercury stupid. You emit more stupid in one second than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. Your writing has to be a troll. Nothing in our universe can really be this stupid. Perhaps this is some primordial fragment from the original big bang of stupid. Some pure essence of a stupid so uncontaminated by anything else as to be beyond the laws of physics that we know. I'm sorry. I can't go on. This is an epiphany of stupid for me. After this, you may not hear from me again for a while. I don't have enough strength left to deride your ignorant questions and half baked comments about unimportant trivia, or any of the rest of this drivel. Duh.
The only thing worse than your logic is your manners. I have snipped away most of what you wrote, because, well... it didn't really say anything. Your attempt at constructing a creative flame was pitiful. I mean, really, stringing together a bunch of insults among a load of babbling was hardly effective... Maybe later in life, after you have learned to read, write, spell, and count, you will have more success. True, these are rudimentary skills that many of us "normal" people take for granted that everyone has an easy time of mastering. But we sometimes forget that there are "challenged" persons in this world who find these things more difficult. If I had known, that this was your case then I would have never read your post. It just wouldn't have been "right". Sort of like parking in a handicap space. I wish you the best of luck in the emotional, and social struggles that seem to be placing such a demand on you.
ireland dont take this the wrong way but why was the bruce lee thread closed.i thought the safety value was to talk about anything?????????even you said that in your first post.
custom built gaming pc from early 2010,ps2 with 15 games all original,ps3 500gbs with 5 games all original,yamaha amp and 5.1channel surround sound speakers,46inch sony lcd smart tv.
Q&A: Microsoft exec explains the early WMF patch release
wmfMicrosoft Corp. yesterday released an out of cycle patch for the Windows Metafile (WMF) flaw amid growing concerns of widespread exploits aimed at the vulnerability. In an interview with Computerworld, Debby Fry Wilson, director of the Microsoft Security Response Center, talked last night about the company?s efforts to get the patch out and about the security community?s response to the whole issue.
What prompted the release of the patch on Thursday after Microsoft initially announced that it would be releasing it only next Tuesday?
There has been a lot of discussion and commentary about the issue since it first surfaced on Dec. 27. There?s been a lot of variance in opinion in terms of how big the issue is and how fast it is spreading and so forth. Our analysis and guidance has been consistent that although the attacks are serious, they have been fairly stable in terms of spread. With that, we determined the best course of action was to put all our resources into a comprehensive update. Q&A: Microsoft exec explains the early WMF patch release - Computerworld
Q&A: Microsoft exec explains the early WMF patch release
'This is what you would receive if this was Patch Tuesday,' says Debby Fry Wilson
News Story by Jaikumar Vijayan
JANUARY 06, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Microsoft Corp. yesterday released an out-of-cycle patch for the Windows Metafile (WMF) flaw amid growing concerns of widespread exploits aimed at the vulnerability. In an interview with Computerworld, Debby Fry Wilson, director of the Microsoft Security Response Center, talked last night about the company?s efforts to get the patch out and about the security community?s response to the whole issue.
[View more Windows WMF vulnerability coverage] What prompted the release of the patch on Thursday after Microsoft initially announced that it would be releasing it only next Tuesday? There has been a lot of discussion and commentary about the issue since it first surfaced on Dec. 27. There?s been a lot of variance in opinion in terms of how big the issue is and how fast it is spreading and so forth. Our analysis and guidance has been consistent that although the attacks are serious, they have been fairly stable in terms of spread. With that, we determined the best course of action was to put all our resources into a comprehensive update.
Because this is the first time we have gone on this fast of a track, we were somewhat conservative in our estimation, and we thought the best-case scenario was the Tuesday monthly release cycle. We put teams on this 24 hours, around the clock. They finished the testing this morning, and with the early completion of the testing and also with the very strong customer sentiment that we got, we decided to release it.
Is this the shortest time you have taken to develop and release a patch? This is the fastest we have ever produced and tested an update at Microsoft. We have completed it in approximately nine to 10 days. The development of the code fix actually ended fairly quickly. What takes a long time is testing through all of the complex testing matrices that we do today. We do that because customers have been very adamant that they want to install an update just one time. The other complexity, of course, is that we released simultaneously in 23 different languages and for all platforms.
Why did you call it a comprehensive update? This is a complete package, not a partial fix. This is what you would receive if this was Patch Tuesday -- a fully tested patch [released] simultaneously for all platforms and all languages.
How effective were the work-arounds that Microsoft suggested early on for the problem? In some cases, our work-arounds are more complex and maybe not the most effective means of protection. In this case, we had a workaround that was effective on the enterprise side but not the best for consumers.
What do you think in general of the security community?s response to this whole issue. Did it help or detract from your ability to get the real story out as far as the seriousness of the flaw was concerned? Our analysis remains consistent that the threat of infection had been contained and was not spreading rapidly. The data supports that, and we certainly expect that once all of the data is in, the statistical analysis will support that. In these situations, there is always a lot of information that is flowing around. In some cases, there is some misinformation; in some cases, information is being provided for self-serving reasons by individuals or organizations trying to draw attention to themselves. All of that chatter makes it difficult for customers to know what authoratitive source to put their confidence in.
At Microsoft, we want to be authoratitive, clear, consistent and transparent. With this issue, we have maintained active communication; we have always tried to be open and transparent. There are times when our guidance may be in conflict with some of the more inflammatory things you hear in newsgroups and press headlines. But if anyone was to do a backward look, you will see our guidance is always based very much on data and very much on analysis with the customer interest in mind.
For more on the WMF vulnerability, see:
* "Update: Microsoft releases WMF patch"
* "WMF FAQ: What you need to know"
* "Pre-release Microsoft patch for WMF flaw leaked"
* Computerworld's WMF continuing coverage page
Update for Windows XP (KB900485)
Install this update to resolve an issue in which you receive a ?stop 0x7e in aec.sys? error message on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2. The error may occur during startup, or after the system has started. AEC.SYS is the acoustic echo canceling driver. After you install this update, you may have to restart your computer.
Sony chief says the Sony/BMG XCP press beating was 'unfair'
Posted by Dan Bell on 07 January 2006 - 19:05 - Source: PC World
Man, you gotta hand it to Sony for saying what is on their mind, at least the people they pay to speak for them. At the CES, Sony Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer made some comments eluding that they need to "tread very carefully" when addressing the needs of consumers rights and also the artists rights.
Then, he makes it very clear that Sony BMG is a separate entity and due to that divisions reckless conduct with the XCP and SunnComm MediaMax fiasco, everyone was blaming Sony Electronics! Go figure.
We have to walk the line at Sony between the needs and technology of the customer and the rights of the artist, which we feel fairly strongly about," he said referring to Sony's dual role as both a major consumer electronics and a major music and movie publisher.
Stringer also said he was worried about the negative impact the controversy could have had on Sony as a whole because of Sony BMG's actions. Sony BMG is a joint venture with Bertelsmann.
"Every headline was about Sony, as if Sony Electronics was behind all of this and we took quite a beating but it was a Sony BMG copyright protection tradition and this was a bad situation. We obviously retreated from that position."
"Sony as a company took a bit of a beating for it, which was somewhat unfair," he said.
Maybe people are confused because both "companies" are using the name Sony and since Sony isn't stopping Sony from using their name in that weird deal with BMG, that we just figure it's the same company? This kind of reminds me of when I book a plane ticket with American Airlines or any of the major carriers. If it isn't a direct connection, they dump you off at their hub from the 747 you flew in on and direct you to the gate for the puddle jumper from American Eagle. Then, when the puddle jumpers flight is canceled due to whatever reason and you are stuck in the terminal until further notice, they are real quick to tell you that American Eagle is a separate entity from American Airlines and you have no right to complain to American Airlines. Give me a break.
I'll tell you what's unfair. It's the way honest citizens are being jerked around by giant corporations that place profits ahead of peoples rights and getting away with it by using this type of quasi legal mumbo jumbo. In my eyes Sony Electronics is just as guilty of Sony BMG actions against the public. After all, a parent is held responsible for their childrens actions when they download an MP3 and you sure as heck don't see anyone bat an eye when the RIAA sues the pants off the parents. You can't have it both ways Sony, but nice try.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12919
- New: Improved the function to remove unreferenced VOBUs.
This fixes problems (Error message "invalid navigation
structure") with DVDShrink and Nero Recode with some titles.
- Fix: Alpha DVD copyprotection detection. Some titles (e.g.,
"The Fifth Element - Remastered Deluxe Edition" R2, German)
were incorrectly identified as protected with the "Settec
AlphaDVD" copy protection.
- Updated languages
p2p news / p2pnet: I've been quite saddened by some of the responses I've come across towards the Fight Goliath campaign set up to help Patricia Santangelo battle the RIAA in court.
As most people reading this are aware, this New York mom is just one of the people being targeted by the RIAA under their bizarre theory that if enough ordinary people are litigated into the ground then everyone will go back to buying CDs like the good little consumers they used be.
Doing the rounds on my favourite forums, I've come across a lot of scepticism about Patti. Here are three examples:
"Last time [I] donated any money to a cause like this it was scam. So no $$$ from me."
"methinks its a con"
"anybody remember lokitorrents?" and "Yup. First thing I thought when I saw this thread..."
I thought I might take some time to shoot down some of the unfounded doubts people may be having.
A) Patricia Santangelo wasn't running a torrent site. She's said to have been sharing music through Kazaa. No huge advertising revenue. No huge user-base. No huge facilitation of copyright infringement. Just one tiny node on a network of millions.
B) Patricia Santangelo isn't a p2p developer. She didn't come up with some great way to share billions of files with millions of other users, nor is she bundling spyware/adware with her non-existent application.
C) Patricia Santangelo can't afford a lawyer. She used to have one, but an affidavit to Judge Colleen McMahon her now ex-lawyer, Ray Beckerman, says "(a) defendant does not appear to have the financial resources that would be required for the pretrial discovery, and summary judgment and/or trial work, that lay ahead, and (b) it is clear to the undersigned that the plaintiff's case is frivolous, so that it would be unwarranted for defendant to go to extraordinary means to finance her defense of this case."
D) Patricia Santangelo still has legal expenses. Retaining a lawyer is not the extent of the total legal fees that can be racked up fighting a civil lawsuit. Need to file a document with the court? Pay up. Need to subpoena a RIAA "piracy investigator"? Pay up. Need a one-off conversation with an expert in a particular legal or technical field? Pay up. It's not a "Lawyer costs $100/hour x 35 hours = $3,500 in legal fees" kind of situation.
E) Patricia Santangelo isn't some anonymous name on your screen, begging for money. All her details are publically available through the court documents on her case. We have photos of her with the court documents. We have videos of her on NBC, CBS, Fox, CNN and MSNBC.
F) Patricia Santangelo has opted for a trial by jury. As in turn-up-at-the-court-and-watch-the-whole-thing-with-your-own-eyes kind of trial by jury.
Now that we can see Patti isn't asking for us to "please send bank details an i will deposit 1 million dollars 2 yor acont" what are some best or worst case scenarios?
Worst case - Patricia Santagelo runs off with all the money. The RIAA spends hundreds of thousands of dollars tracking her down so they can drag her back to court and bankrupt her.
You lose your $5 donation. The RIAA lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Patti loses everything.
Another worst case scenario - Patricia Santagelo caves in to the RIAA and hands over all the money. You lose your $5 donation. The RIAA lose hundreds of thousands of dollars net because they've already forked out that much on legals, so they don't make a profit on the deal. Patti is spared the fate of all the others who've been sued, thanks to the kindness of people who, every day, still do exactly what she's in trouble for.
Best case scenario?
Patricia Santagelo wins. She doesn't have to pay the RIAA anything. Instead, she gets her court costs back and you get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing your $5 donation helped stick a nail in the RIAA's coffin. Patti gets the benefit of not being bankrupted and can to go back to being a mother and a provider instead of an RIAA PR piece.
The RIAA? It gets a lot of very bad press on top of the very bad press it's already getting, and it loses a chunk of money and the ability to victimize people like you.
Unfortunately, this thing is bigger than you. Or me. Or Patricia Santagelo.
I don't have a crystal ball that will tell me if its "worth" donating to this cause. What I am doing, though, is imagining myself standing in the Valley of Elah holding a betting slip with "David - 100 Shakels To Win" written on it.
We all knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Maybe not one in the first thousand, maybe not one in the first ten thousand, but we all knew that eventually, some ordinary person was going to fight back against the huge corporate bullies.
But in fact, Patti isn't just some ordinary woman.
She's extraordinary.
Alex H, p2pnet - Sydney, Australia
[Alex is an operations manager for an ATM (automatic teller machine) supplier and he specialises in infrastructure development and maintenance, and logistics. He?s also an[other] active member of the Shareaza community who's just started his own blog called Tech Loves Art where you'll find past p2pnet posts, together with other goodies to come ; ]
=================
NOTE: - As we post this, 244 people have donated $3,659.46 from 13 sites. Go here to see the sites and the exact amounts.
Meanwhile, use the button below to contribute whatever you can afford and if you're a webmaster, go here to get the code that'll allow you to put a Fight Goliath button on your site.
p2p news / p2pnet: While everyone's been covering Verizon's new VCast music service, PCS Intel says it's been investigating, "some of the things Verizon may be brushing under the rug".
Like?
Like, "The VCast Music Store is an extension of Microsoft's PlayForSure system. VCast Music phones connect to Windows Media Player 10, and transfer DRM music as well as a customer's existing music library. Purchased music is $1/song (when purchased on the PC and sent to the phone), or, can be purchased on the handset and later transferred back to the PC for $2/song.
"However, the 'dirty little secret' is that MP3 support is gone from these devices, VCast Music phones will not play MP3 files, regardless if in memory or on a memory card."
PCS Intel says it figures Bill and the Boyz agreed, :"to engineer VCast Music phones as WMA-only devices, in order to lock out iTunes and other competition from most interaction with the device that does not involve burning, ripping, and integrating into Windows Media Player.
"This type of monopolist tatic is something that iTunes has avoided, but Windows Media Player embraces."
But, the story goes on, "It appears Verizon knows internally that this is a liability. In a leaked internal memo from Verizon's corporate intranet, Verizon states that customers that want MP3 support should be issued a refurbished VX-8100 with V04 firmware. However, the average consumer is to not be informed that there is a difference between what VX-8100s support formats, and customers are encouraged without prior warning that MP3 support will be lost with the V06 update. Presumably a Mac or Linux customer could be downgraded to V04 firmware."
In an update post, "Many are sending in a Verizon claim that MP3s are supported," says PCS Intel, adding:
"However, you need to read the statement carefully. The statement says that MP3s are supported provided you use Windows Media Player 10. What is actually happening is WMP10 is converting the MP3s to WMA, much like WMA files are converted to MP3 when sent to the iPod via iTunes. However, unlike the iPod and iTunes, there is no such solution for VCast Music phones on Mac or Linux.
"In addition, viewers are also sending in Verizon press releases which promote the Samsung SCH-A950 and LG VX-8100 as having built-in MP3 player support via the memory card. Removing this feature via software update can easily be considered false advertising."
