-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Wine 1.2 Planned For Release In June
,----[ Quote ]
| Wine 1.0 was released in June of 2008
| after this free software project had
| already been in development since 1993.
| Over the past two years since that release
| we have continued to receive bi-weekly
| development snapshots, but no major stable
| releases have yet arrived. Fortunately, it
| looks like that soon may change with the
| release of Wine 1.2 as soon as next month.
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=ODI0OQ
Please don't port philosophy with code!
,----[ Quote ]
| One of my pet peeves is Linux installers
| for proprietary software requiring root
| permissions.
|
| Last time, Adobe got me into rant mode by
| requiring root not only to install the
| Adobe Air runtime, but to install any
| Adobe Air based application as well. This
| time it's Abbyy â makers of the famous
| Finereader OCR software.
`----
http://www.splitbrain.org/blog/2010-05/17-please_dont_port_philosophy_with_code
Skype Added In Official Ubuntu Repository
,----[ Quote ]
| Skype is finally coming in the Official
| Ubuntu 10.04 Partners Repository. The
| build process has already been finished
| and it is awaiting approval in NEW queue.
`----
http://techie-buzz.com/foss/skype-added-in-official-ubuntu-repository.html
Proprietary software relies on piracy
,----[ Quote ]
| On Monday I gave my first proper workshop
| with my gaggle of reclaimed laptops
| running Ubuntu Linux, under the auspices
| of my new training company.
|
| [...]
|
| Proprietary software, on the other hand,
| relies upon piracy to establish and
| maintain the status of de facto industry
| standard. So I am all in favour of
| stricter software piracy regulation, as
| this can only benefit Free Software.
`----
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/web-design-and-foss-10004587/proprietary-software-relies-on-piracy-10015732/
Recent:
If It's May It's Time For The Press To Parrot Bogus Stats Announcement From The BSA
,----[ Quote ]
| Like the swallows returning to Capistrano,
| every May is marked by the release of
| intentionally misleading and bogus stats
| from the Business Software Alliance (or,
| more accurately, the Bogus Stats Alliance)
| concerning software "piracy." As with
| every other year, the stats are compiled
| by IDC, despite the fact that even IDC has
| admitted in the past that the BSA is
| purposely misrepresenting their findings.
| You would think, at some point, that IDC
| would stop providing numbers that are
| blatantly misrepresented... but I guess if
| the money's green, IDC will give you the
| numbers you want.
|
| We've been covering these bogus stat
| reports for many years, providing a
| detailed look at how misleading the stats
| are, and pointing out how many in the
| press simply parrot the numbers without
| question. Two years ago, a VP at the BSA
| (who's now working at the Justice
| Department, of course) was kind enough to
| call me to try to explain the BSA's
| numbers (along with a PR person and a
| representative from IDC). When I
| challenged them on the whole "one copy
| equals one sale thing" they insisted that
| their numbers showed such a claim was
| accurate.
|
| [...]
|
| They just repeat the numbers -- the same
| numbers the US government just said were
| bunk -- as if they were pure fact. Just a
| sampling: the AFP, the BBC,
| ComputerWeekly, Computerworld, the UK
| Press Association, Network World, eWeek
| and many, many others.
|
| Business Week gets credit for being one of
| the very, very few sources that at least
| mentions the GAO's findings, though it
| does so in one sentence at the very bottom
| of the article. The National Journal also
| mentions the GAO report -- though neither
| seemed to ask (or get any responses from
| the BSA) to this rather crucial point.
| ITWire, at the very least, points out that
| the study is basically made up, noting
| that:
|
| "estimates of piracy rates are based
| mostly on inferences and the 'gut
| feeling' of the BSA's research
| organisation IDC;
|
| But that's about all I could find. For the
| most part, the press -- the one's we're
| told are supposed to be asking all the
| "tough" questions, simply reposted the
| BSA's press release as fact.
`----
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100511/1516059386.shtml
Open source against piracy
,----[ Quote ]
| There are a few good reasons why open
| source fans should support the Business
| Software Alliance.
|
| I've never made a secret of the fact that I
| dislike the Business Software Alliance
| (BSA). It's questionable statistics and its
| sweeping generalisations make for annoying
| reading at the best of times. But recently
| I've been thinking that perhaps open source
| advocates should get behind the BSA.
`----
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Software/11472.html
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
iEYEARECAAYFAkv5q+oACgkQU4xAY3RXLo5AbACdHxGBm+QlIDVgdL3iCk+jJVT3
Q7QAnRKqrBz/sTUg3Vqxw23G/y/hazri
=Tmi6
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
|
|
