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Re: [News] Toronto Subway: Linux - The "Wow" Starts Now

In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Roy Schestowitz
<newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 wrote
on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:25:00 +0000
<3875579.Vx7RQq40af@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> __/ [ The Ghost In The Machine ] on Tuesday 06 February 2007 16:17 \__
>
>> In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Roy Schestowitz
>> <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>  wrote
>> on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 04:51:08 +0000
>> <1300577.BvVRVbcQaS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>>> Linux Graffiti Spotted in Toronto Subway Station
>>>
>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>> | Regardless of what the general population may think of this, I have
>>> | to say that as a Linux user, it gave me a good laugh.
>>> `----
>>>
>>> http://www.loconet.ca/?p=64
>> 
>> Wow.  Talk about mixed messages.
>> 
>> On the one hand, someone's defaced a legally-enabled
>> advertising system designed to give revenue to the subways.
>> Presumably, this is a criminal act, though prosecution
>> thereof can be controversial.  I'm not familiar with
>> Toronto law, though http://www.toronto.ca/ might have
>> something.  Somewhere.
>
>
> Have a look at this, also from Toronto and just days old:
>
> Operation Cold Comfort Successful
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Throughout the exchange with the police, they mentioned something
> | about "stealing [Microsoft's] thunder," given that they paid for
> | their advertising and we clearly did not. Hmm.. one of these days,
> | I'll have to look up the law for competitive advertising. I'm pretty
> | sure it doesn't say anything about stealing thunder.
> | 
> | [...]
> | 
> | Our presence also attracted one of the Ice House employees. He
> | crossed the street, fully clad in Windows Vista sweater and hat,
> | and approached me. "Hey, are you guys promoting Linux?" he asked.
> | I nodded, smiling. "Can I get a CD? I'm curious, I'd like to try
> | it," he continued. Trying not to laugh at the irony of it all, I
> | gladly handed him a CD. He thanked me, and quickly ran back to the
> | Ice House before anyone saw him with the Linux people.
> `----
>
> http://dave-sullivan.com/entries/5/

Cute!

>
> Then, look at this:
>
> http://www.crncanada.ca/content/software/opinion-this-publicity-li.shtml
>
> Ouch. Still, better than peeing (*ahem*... spelling out) the word "Linux" in
> some pile of snow, right? An ex girlfriend told me the other day that it's
> minus 40 degress (centigrade) over there.

-40C = -40F, it turns out.  Cold no matter how one looks at it, unless
one's from Minnesota.  :-)

As for whether this sort of thing is encouragment or embarrassment...I
don't know, really.

>
>
>> Of course there was that little stunt about a week ago
>> back in Boston, which was even less destructive though it
>> was probably more expensive ($2M was mentioned in one news
>> report as a fine for Turner Broadcasting): a magnet with
>> some electronics attached to various metal structures,
>> which might go blink if the lighting's right.  But the
>> authorities got wind of it (after a few weeks!) and thought
>> it might be a bomb.  Paint doesn't explode, at least.
>
>
> Heard of the letter bomb that exploded in a financial firm in England?

No, missed that one.  Google finds it readily enough, and generally
downplays the incident.

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/05022007/325/ftse-flat-despite-letter-bomb.html

     LONDON (Reuters) - The benchmark FTSE 100 (news) <.FTSE> index
     stayed flat by mid-session as oil stocks and telecom shares held
     firm despite a letter bomb explosion at a London office.

though there was this report, which goes into detail; apparently
there was more than one bomb running around (if bombs can be said
to run around):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6338829.stm

     Police have warned firms and the public to take care when opening
     post after another mail bomb exploded in Swansea.

> The
> woman who opened it went frantic and promptly got relocated to a hospital
> bed. Let's hope it's not Unabomber all over again. It's hard to blame the
> deliverer as the criminals work through proxies... very much like the issue
> with Windows zombies. You can't blame the person whose PC was hijacked (at
> least 100-150 million such people) and it's hard to find the puppetmaster,
> who could be anywhere in the world.

It may not be that hard to find his website, though.  AIUI,
zombies have to "call home" occasionally.  Of course there
are a few tricks that they can use: IRC, for one.

> The system, be it a government or
> Microsoft's shoddy software, can take part of the blame. It could at least
> use some prodding.

It could also use a good thwack with a blunt instrument. :-)

>
>
>> On the other hand, it's a statement about the little OS
>> that could (and does), making the big OS that couldn't
>> look rather silly.
>> 
>> And of course they'll have to find the tagger/artist first.
>> If they're lucky, they will...and then the real fun starts.
>
> I'm sure they won't treat it using severe measure. It's just a friendly
> penguin, not a swastika.
>

The artwork was just the word "Linux", in a generally
sans-serif typeface (if one can call it that) done in
a light yellow.  It wasn't embellished at all.  (A lot
of street artists get fancy, using multiple colors and
"layering" their letters.  This wasn't fancy.  No birds
were harmed, either -- or even mentioned. :-) )

I'd have to agree, though.  The point was made, but not
in such a way as to render it "hate speech".  Anti-commercial
speech, maybe, but I don't think that's a crime per se.

Most likely at most he'll get a ticket for defacing public
property, and do some community service or something.
But the picture will remain.  :-)

-- 
#191, ewill3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
fortune: not found

-- 
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