Lemur z i l l a Zone News

Thursday, October 10, 2002

what's hot what's not

Let's stop screwing around here. DRM does not stand for Digital Rights Managment. It stands for DIGITAL RESTRICTION MONOPOLIES. Broadcast Flags, Palladium, Copy Protection Schemes (you notice that 'schemes' are bad things just like 'innovation' is) and other nonsense which has no place on the web.

The web is not about restriction, secrecy, controlled access, gated communities or any of the nonsense that failing industries would have you believe are leading us straight to hell with a modem. The web is an expanding renewable resource with the combined abilities of millions of participants, that is growing and connection in a truly democratic forum only dreamed about 10 years ago.

The only leg the entertainment industry is standing on is the belief in their divine right to pry the last few dollars remaining after working and feeding housing and clothing ourselves into the intellectually bankrupt offerings they produce. This is borne out by their own figures. Jack Valenti cries about only 1 in 10 movies breaking even, the recording industry has a dismal 5% success rate. They like to point out how vital to the economy they are. In 2001 their revenue was 8.4. billion Here is a little vitality for you. The Auto Wrecking Industry did 8.2 billion in 1997. They futher believe that they have god given and legislatively purchased rights to demand blind obedience to buy this or be branded as theives and liars. If they do not keep their stranglehold on what they call 'intellectual property' (and i use the term loosely) according to them the end of civilization is at hand and the Entertainment Armageddon has arrived.

Entertainment Armageddon has arrived and the entertainment industry will reap the whirlwind. Let's assume for a moment that we will agree to download music. One of the best thing that internet servers do real well is keep track of files that are accessed. The HTTP protocols that are allowing you to read this have recorded the fact that you have the complete file. This along with every artist demanding that a neutral third party count downloads will screw the recording industry as there will be no fat to charge against the artist for promotional and comp copies, or any of the myriad charges that appear on royalty statements.

We have the technology to rip, mix and burn. Napster, and it's successors are demonstrating that we want music, but we want to package it ourselves. Everybody I know likes 1 or 2 songs on an album. The recording industry doesn't seem to have figured this out.

We have the ability to please ouselves and others. We have the ability to tell you that you have no new clothes. Oh yeah, Stop calling me a consumer. shove your value proposition where the sun don't shine, and follow it.

This could be considered a public service if you wish. But is is really about my clients. This way I can ensure that my clients who are still using Windows are up to date.

Unchecked Buffer in Windows Help Facility Could Enable Code Execution (Q323255)
read here - go there
Source: Microsoft

The Register puts this into real speak.

Help! MS issues another critical security fix
read here - go there
Source: theregister.co.uk

This is interesting as Microsoft sends out HTML email with embedded ActiveX controls. The good news is that you can disable them.

It's Time to Stop the Music

I want you to stop buying Commercial Music and going to Movies for six months.
Because if You do not cut off their money they will cut off your Internet access. They have already killed Internet Radio.This is not about the short term pain of your favorite musician, they have already been screwed so royally that it is amazing that you can even recognize them.

It's Time to Stop the Music
read here - go there
Source: the head lemur

Shelley Powers
Some folks can work with technology, some folks can write, very few can do both. Shelley does.

p i x e l v i e w - Shelley Powers
read here - go there