Seegras 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: The MP3 Is About As 'Dead' As Pepe The Frog

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 03:24pm

    Re:

    Any such patent may be active, but illegal anyway.

    When will you realize that software patents are illegal? Even in the US? And it doesn't matter whether anyone has it, because as soon as somebody challenges it, the lawsuit will be withdrawn. An illegal, but presumed active, patent is still worth something to make gullible people pay.

  • On the post: The MP3 Is About As 'Dead' As Pepe The Frog

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 03:17pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: poor Pepe

    Can't help. But .gif should have died years ago. No reason to shun .mp4 containers just because firefox is bad at it. Download it, mkvtoolnix fixes those pesky .mp4-containers into shiny .mkv.

  • On the post: The MP3 Is About As 'Dead' As Pepe The Frog

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 03:13pm

    Re: Re:

    Could. But probably it's a miserable piece of assembler targeted at 32bit x86 MS-DOS.

    Only tell me what it is if there's source code available and compiles with a contemporary compiler (because that is the definition of "runs on modern computers") .

    If it qualifies, it's probably good.

  • On the post: Microsoft Is PISSED OFF At The NSA Over WannaCry Attack

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 07:55am

    Re: Re: Re:

    It's not only that. It's because the Linux ecosystem itself is fragmented. An exploit running on Ubuntu 16 might work on Debian 9, but won't work on SuSE 12 or Fedora 27. And of course, only on the same architecture, so the Raspbian running things like train tables might be immune.

    So even when most of the worlds servers are running Linux (which they do), which ones are you going to target? Answer: The 20% running Microsoft products. Because it's still the biggest uniform ecosystem.

    It's like the music charts. The hits on top might be the lousiest miserable excuse for music there is, but it its 15% market share is the biggest, it's still the financially most interesting segment. You get the most market penetration for the least amount of effort. It's also why pop (and Windows) sucks ;).

  • On the post: Microsoft Is PISSED OFF At The NSA Over WannaCry Attack

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 07:34am

    Re: Actually, they play both sides

    It in a sense adds blame to wikileaks too.

    Why would you say that? Are you just misinformed or are you doing propaganda against Wikileaks?

    Because the exploit ETERNALBLUE was leaked by the Shadow Brokers. https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/04/nsa-leaking-shadow-brokers-just-dumped-its-most-damaging-release-yet/

  • On the post: Microsoft Is PISSED OFF At The NSA Over WannaCry Attack

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 07:26am

    Linux

    Yes, on the whole the Linux ecosystem would be more resilient against these kinds of attack. Because of fragmentation, and because security updates don't tend to break the systems, and are mostly applied automatically.

    Then again, some people are hellbound to have some ancient system running. "Our door controls only works with RedHat 4" (even if they don't but they were only certified for RH4). And these would be exactly the same shops that would do things like running Windows XP.

    And don't even get started with Android. Now there's a lot of systems out there having the same vulnerabilities and are not updated any more.

  • On the post: The FCC Spent Last Week Trying To Make Net Neutrality Supporters Seem Unreasonable, Racist & Unhinged

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 02:42am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Freedom is not the freedom of everyone to purchase his own monopoly. But your "internet should be free" obviously means exactly that, so yes, we accuse you being a stooge for supporting the "freedom to exploit everyone else"

  • On the post: The MP3 Is About As 'Dead' As Pepe The Frog

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 02:26am

    These patents have been granted illegally anyway

    I can't see what the deal is, and frankly, I can't see why anyone bothered. The reason is that " (2) The following in particular shall not be regarded as inventions within the meaning of paragraph 1: (c) schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programs for computers; "

    https://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/epc/2016/e/ar52.html

    In other words, all these patents to Fraunhofer have been granted illegally by the EPO. The trouble with the EPO is that it's not a government body, but only exists as a result of the EPC treaty, and THERE IS NO JURISDICTION. So you can't actually hold them responsible for criminally granting patents.

    On the other hand if you ever challenge such a patent, it will immediately become void, as there is no legal base for it's existence in the first place. And of course Fraunhofer and all beneficiaries of these illegally granted patents try to avoid any challenge to its patents, so they actually don't enforce them at all. They just try to convince people that they could enforce them, and have them pay voluntarily. It's fraud in essence.

    And that is why you completely ignore any and all patents on software in Europe.

    (Be advised that the situation in the US is slightly different, as some courts have actually upheld illegally granted patents on software, due to a different definition of algorithm in patent law than in mathematics. Actually, patent courts have defined algorithms as something not belonging to mathematics. You can't argue with such nutcases).

  • On the post: Thailand Demands More Proxy Censorship From Facebook

    Seegras ( profile ), 16 May, 2017 @ 02:05am

    It's not even about the King

    It's actually the Thai government who has found a way to kill off unwanted criticism against themselves via this law.

    The King just seems to be oblivious to the fact that his subjects in the government are bullying his people.

    Kinda like Queen Elizabeth II being oblivious to the fact that her Secret Services are going full fascist against her people.

  • On the post: Hollywood Helps China Set Up National Surveillance And Censorship System To Tackle Copyright Infringement

    Seegras ( profile ), 15 May, 2017 @ 08:27am

    Hollywood financing Chinas fascist regime

    Hollywood thinks China is going their way, when in fact, China uses Hollywood to set up a better censorship and surveillance infrastructure.

  • On the post: Leaked NSA Hacking Tool On Global Ransomware Rampage

    Seegras ( profile ), 14 May, 2017 @ 02:03am

    Re: NSA: The Best Defense is a Good Offense

    "The Best Defense is a Good Offense" is complete bogus in this environment.

    Because every zero-day you know, is at the same time a vulnerability.

    You think it's nice to be able to penetrate systems at will for your surveillance wants? Well, you're putting your hospitals, electrical grid, power plants, all other government agencies, the military, everything at risk at the same time.

    You can only choose to have everyone vulnerable or nobody.

  • On the post: This Makes No Sense: US To Ban Laptops On All Flights From Europe

    Seegras ( profile ), 12 May, 2017 @ 09:00am

    Re: Re: Re:

    One. Queen Mary 2. The other, QE2, is laid up in Dubai.

  • On the post: This Makes No Sense: US To Ban Laptops On All Flights From Europe

    Seegras ( profile ), 12 May, 2017 @ 08:57am

    Re: Re:

    Maybe you don't, but the British have.

  • On the post: Austrian Court's 'Hate Speech' Ruling Says Facebook Must Remove Perfectly Legal Posts All Over The World

    Seegras ( profile ), 12 May, 2017 @ 08:43am

    Re: Re:

    Nah, the Germans got the Bavarians for being redneck. The Austrians are actually usually more like the old Virginia patricians ;)=

  • On the post: Police Union Sues Toy Gun Maker For Not Doing Enough To Keep Cleveland Cops From Killing 12-Year-Old Boys

    Seegras ( profile ), 05 May, 2017 @ 03:53pm

    Statistically

    ... policemen are now apparently the biggest group shooting innocent people. I guess you should withdraw their licenses to wield guns.

  • On the post: Appeals Court Says Prior Restraint Is Perfectly Fine, Refuses To Rehear 3D-Printed Guns Case

    Seegras ( profile ), 22 Mar, 2017 @ 02:58am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Liberal governors and senators are calling for gun control.

    You got it wrong. "Liberals" are not calling for "control". Either they're liberal, or they're calling for control, but the two are mutually exclusive.

    As it happens "Liberal" means "standing in for liberty" which means less control and less regulation.

  • On the post: Appeals Court Says Prior Restraint Is Perfectly Fine, Refuses To Rehear 3D-Printed Guns Case

    Seegras ( profile ), 22 Mar, 2017 @ 02:49am

    Antiques

    This is actually similar in most parts of Europe, although the manufacturing date is usually "before 1871". And yes, this also includes muzzle-loading revolvers in some countries.

    Here in Switzerland its "single-shot muzzle loaders manufactured before 1871".

  • On the post: Facebook Sued In Israel For Blocking All Links To Site Critical Of Facebook & Suggesting Site Was 'Unsafe'

    Seegras ( profile ), 18 Mar, 2017 @ 02:21am

    Re: Israel

    We need a flag for "incoherent rant".

  • On the post: Bill Gates And Other Major Investors Put $52.6 Million Into Site Sharing Unauthorized Copies Of Academic Papers

    Seegras ( profile ), 17 Mar, 2017 @ 10:42am

    Re: the irony

    a man with money made from copyright That's nothing. Actually, Bill Gates is a man who also made copyright from money! Really. Several nations were made to change their copyrights in the 80ies, on account of the US software producers lobbying. So for instance here in Switzerland, we've got the "software exemptions" in copyright. It goes like this: (rights on loans) 13.4 this does not apply to computer programs. (private copies) 19.4 this does not apply to computer programs. And so on. Of course. it's the rights of the people which software is exempt of.

  • On the post: Phone Searches Now Default Mode At The Border; More Searches Last Month Than In All Of 2015

    Seegras ( profile ), 15 Mar, 2017 @ 05:18am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Effectively, the USA is ruled over by terrorists, because the government will promptly oppress its own citizens and make new totalitarian laws every time terrorists launch an attack, or even just utter a threat.

    In contrast, what does it take for citizens to change the law?

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