March 31, 2009
Last blog of the month - and how eventful has it been. Of special interest, the protest about the section 92a of the copyright act amendment has been so strong that the government scrapped it ahead of their own timeframe. This is very well done guys - all you who have been writing to your ISPs and MPs and whatnot, remember to write in appreciation.
It's not over. There is still a chance for insanity to retrench here. The section is to be re-written. It is likely that the re-write will just repeat the problem, but be specific and clear instead.
The issue is the percieved problems with internet file sharing breaching copyright.
Issues with copying and sharing files have been known for a long time. Even the BBCs "The Mighty Micro" mentions this as early as 1983. The issue with copyright stems from easy access to methods and tools previously reserved for publishers.
There are approaches besides caning the consumer, our representatives need to be reminded of this. More next month.
This months stats are in line with last months. I have a lot of web pages to update, which is probably detracting from site popularity.
There have been about 100 unique visitors, with hits falling sharply at the end of the month - I've been offline for too long - gahh!
US visitors have picked up but NZers have fallen off dramatically. That's unexpected. However, the number of people hiding their origins is starting to dominate the stats. Possibly a reflection of uncertainties over government and/or corporate snooping?
Windows is still being used by almost two thirds of you - but IE use is falling off! Yay! Something is going right!
The acer page is still the number one hit, but people still seem to be staying for the blog.
Next month, we have the Jaunty Jackalope release to look forward to. This means an update for the Acer and Ubuntu pages. There are some paradgm changes which I suspect will translate into some of the tips and tricks changing too. 'll have to see if the package changes will affect how that Acer runs.
Can I please have an indication of how many people would be interested in an installfest in the library and who just wants the notes? If there is a particular subject you'd like to see covered in the install notes, please let me know that too.
This also means there will be an installfest soon. Stay tuned: I hope to run this in the Orewa Library this time, but I havn't asked yet.
I'll also be completing the special effects in the neolite ship collections, and adding a couple of new ships. Hopefully, by the end of April, there will be a complete replacement set for the core ships and I'll have made a start on frontier cruisers (turreted ships) as well as the promised gunslingers oxp.
March 22, 2009
At long last - another entry! Since last post my car has broken down - again. The symptoms are wierd - the revs will spike then the engine dies. Though the rpm needle jumps, sometimes by 2000rpm, I don't hear any difference in the engine sound. No sign of missing. Tends to do this on idle - but if it happens while I'm driving, then, if I take my foot off the gas right away the engine starts up again.
The mechanics failed to find anything wrong - at least, the behavior vanished when they had it. Perhaps the process of limping the car to the garage did something else? So I waited for the problem to start up again and called the mechanic out to see.
Now someone with skill has actually seen this happen - but the car won't start at all. Right now, we suspect this is something to do with the ignition coil I replaced earlier. This was second hand and, breaking, will certainly prevent starting. Will also have to check the plugs.
This is looking like an episode of House. Perhaps it's something to do with the brain?
Recreationally - the neolite ship development is stalled on special effects - they are just so boring! I've put out a call for assistance - hopefully the FOSS effect will yeild results. Killing time - I've been playing Battle for Wesnoth - an old favorite turn-based strategy game with a fantasy feel. The longer scenario managed to absorb me for about 18 hours is a stretch, then I crashed. However, I have not made it past the valley of trolls in the Orc Attack scenario. I just end up outnumbered and swamped.
Remembering that March 27 is D-day on the S92a front - that gives four more days to act. Everyone on the front lines on this want everyone else to reiterate their position to the various powers.
Recall, Telstra Clear has withdrawn support for the TCF code of conduct. By TCFs own rules, the code needs TC to, at least, abstain in order to be adopted. This means that an agreement cannot be reached between TCF and Big Media (represented by NZFACT and RIANZ) which means that S92a would be suspended indefinately.
For this to actually happen, a number of steps are needed:
TC must cast a veto.
So far they have withdrawn - which could be interpreted as an abstention.
TCF must accept the result - vis: members cannot agree to the code.
They could try to sidestep this by adopting the finalized code unnofficially - perhaps as a reccomendation? Adoption of the code by members would be voluntary.
The Government must fulfill their promise.
The majority of ISPs (TCF members) subscribing to the resulting code could be taken as tacit agreement between carriers and media interests. We would like the government to take a hard line on this... since the law entered by underhand methods anyway, it should be hard for those who badly want it to keep it.
This last is the lynchpin: given the present situation remaining the same - the government position could be that Telstra Clear has withdrawn support - which means that broad agreement has not been reached, even with a majority, voluntary, code - which means no S92a.
As well as urging your telephone companys and ISPs follow TC, write again to govt. Here are the people to contact:
National:
j.key@ministers.govt.nz
s.power@ministers.govt.nz
c.finlayson@ministers.govt.nz
g.brownlee@ministers.govt.nz
s.joyce@ministers.govt.nz
United Future
p.dunne@ministers.govt.nz
ACT
r.hide@ministers.govt.nz
h.roy@ministers.govt.nz
Maori Party
p.sharples@ministers.govt.nz
BTW: Google has weighed in. Our little efferts could have global consequences - we are certainly getting global attention.
March 16, 2009
Richard Stallman is slated to return to NZ late September this year. The idea is to arrive in the last week, travel the NI, and be in WGT to take part in the
World Peace March. I don't know, yet, if there will be a SI leg. I will be working on generating some iwi interest in Free Software ideas though.
The relation of Maori to Software Freedom and thin copyrights is a curious one. Te Raupapaha's famous haka (ka mate, ka mate...) has recently become restricted by law as part of a Treaty settlement.
I can easily sypathise with Ngati Toa's exasperation at the misuse and userpation of "their" cultural icons. The consequent desire for some sort of redress is understandable.
STT (link) closes:
Because so many New Zealanders feel they already own the haka, they might dislike this. They should think how they would feel if a favourite part of their own heritage was used to sell sausages or cellphones. And if the deal leaves everyone else free to perform this beloved part of our shared culture in the way we always have, can anyone really complain?
Which suggests that the author (I didn't find the byline) has not seen Kenneth Branagh's Shakespear. Fact is that pakeha cultural icons have been used to sell anything and everything. Even that most sacred of Kiwi icons: the Holy All Black Jersy, is not exempt.
Restricting cultural artifacts like this cannot help the problem, and can only cause harm. The way to "protect" your culture is to make more of it. We don't try to restrict Shakespear's works to England and the English. Instead we encourage different interpretations in stage and film... and gets used in advertisements too.
When we don't like the result - the ad backfires, as Nike found out. You misuse cultural icons at your peril.
That haka is well recognised and associated with NZ worldwide. Presumably Ngati Toa won't stop the All Blacks from using it - but will they charge for a licence? It's use in ads around the World will not be covered by local law, and, anyway, hardly hurts it's proud associations. The settlement can only hurt local (commercial) use of the chant.
Much more harmful, however, is that Maori's are storing much of their recorded heratage in proprietary formats. The right to read/decode these formats is not owned by them - they merely rent it. This effectively places their culture under the control of a foreign power. What happens to traditional values? What happens to the tapu?
What happens when the prices change? The formats?
Why this resistance to Open formats?
The other thing needed to protect a culture is to make sure that it's recording are accessible - in the long term. This is not happening with Maori culture - if Iwi are not careful, they'll end up having to rely on private, pakeha, collections for access to their own culture ... again.
March 14, 2009
Section 92a of the Copyrights Amendments Act and the code of conduct progress have taken another hit - Telstra Clear
have abandoned the process! Take a look at this (from Chris Mirams - TC PR guy)
It is not our role to make bad legislation work. The industry had no input into section 92A. [The draft code] is bad for our customers. Customers and businesses have spoken via blogs and petitions and also directly to us. We have listened and we have agreed.
(My emphasis)
Writing to your ISP works - this is the time to send another batch. If your ISP is Telstra-Clear, write in support of their action. If not, ask your ISP why they have not been listening to their customers. Intimate that you'll switch to TC as a result ...
Since the TCF requires all members to be in-favor or abstain for the code to be accepted, we wonder what they will end up doing.
Technically, this should mean that no agreement is reached for a code of conduct - which means that S92a should be suspended. However - it is not the 27th yet, we can expect big media to respond. Perhaps TC will count as an "abstention"? Perhaps they will find themselves removed from the forum?
Simon Power's comments in Parliament look like a signpost to me:
I am advised that the rest of the Telecommunications Carriers Forum, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand, and other right-holders are making real progress on the code of practice. If TelstraClear wants to be excluded from the arrangement, that is its choice.
The spin is in - already. Expect more shifty footwork.
Meantime, there are outbreaks of similar legislation around the World. France, Ireland, Korea, the latest to fall ill. Locals are protesting along very similar lines to here. Good luck folks.
March 10, 2009
Cathy's brother (
Athol) wandered in during a breif hiatus in his international perambulations. Once more the Bridge houshold plays host to an international VIP but this time I did not have to arrange speaking events ;)
The visit also attracted Cathy's other brother (Tom) so it was a real family gathering for the Wellses. (Tom Athol and Cathy in one room? Well well well...) We managed a somewhat rarefied discussion on the nature of truth, reality and how they relate to measurements and uncertainty. The others got to join in when the discussion turned to books and literature.
I was reassured that I was nothing like my father - one strives to leave home - why, my father is charming, urbane, and well dressed :/
Overall, a pleasant get together and a chance, for me at least, to step out of my usual rut. Rounded off by dinner at The Sahara in Orewa. It was quiet - normal for a Monday - staff were attentive and knowlegeable, food was good, portions ample. We all had stuffed mushrooms to start, I had the mango chicken for main course. You'd never know there was a recession on. If you want to pop by for a meal, say "Hi" from me - you won't get anything but the puzzled looks will be worth it.
Review: GNU/Linux Starter Pack ...as promised.
It's an easy-to-follow guide to installing and using Ubuntu. The information supplied is somewhat out of date now - newcomers may be confused when the screenshots do not match what's in front of them for example. However, it is not fatally out of date.
Overall, it would be a freindly intro for people who are a bit nervouse about the move.
March 6, 2009
Bored bored bored - so I've been trolling the internet for interesting things on the meadi line. Well, I spent a lot of time talking about how the big-media business models (create an artificial scarcity then gauge the customer on the price) is flawed. Let see what the emerging styles can do.
Text:
TuxRadar GNU/Linux Starter Pack: this is a free download. I havn't read the thing myself yet - I'll review it later. I only include it here for those who have written asking for an introduction. This is a mainstream production released gratis.
The Pirate's Dilemma: an exuberant exploration of the pirate mentality from punk to bloggers, from US independance to pirate bay. The author, Matt Mason, draws unevenly from his sources to create a collage which aims to reveal the emerging world, as created by do-it-yourself innovators bucking the system. This is well worth a look - and if you like it, you can even buy a paper edition - though the first link will let you pick your price (including zero) for the PDF copy.
Matt says: By treating the electronic version of a book as information rather than property, and circulating it as widely as possible, many authors such as Paulo Coelho and Cory Doctorow actually end up selling more copies of the physical version. Pirate copies of The Pirate’s Dilemma are out there online anyway, and they don’t seem to have harmed sales. My guess is they are helping. To be honest, I was flattered that the book got pirated in the first place.
Audio
Doctor Who Remixed on Whomix. The classic theme to the BBC TV Show "Dr Who" is subject to a huge outpouring of creativity as DJs play with the sounds. Since 1963, when it was created by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (and while "created" is the right word here, "engineered" would also be appropriate) there have been a half-dozen official versions with a similar number of Pop-music homages. The linked site alone has a few hundred versions in the last year or so. None of them have any negative impact on the show. If anything, they give the next composer a standard to meet.
Video:
Purchase Bros Escape from City 17 the acting is basic but solid, the special effects are all digital and state of the art, much of the content-themes are ripped off half-life 2 (the video game). Live location shots are enclosed, clautrophobic. Alternating with sweeping CGI-enhanced vistas, creates a sence of dislocation. The direction is urgent - fast. The overall effect is engaging.
But but but - the budget was, get this, $500! Hollywood should be frightened - very frightened.
Part 2 is not out - demand is high. Perhaps somone will be able to licence the game and fund the completion? Oh no, that's what would happen in a sane world where innovation is rewarded.
The Magnatune player this month is loaded with ambient sounds from Etherfysh. Relax.
March 4, 2009
Another month gone I hardly knew it.
Last month was dominated by the S92A protest on these pages - which was a qualified success with parliament giving weight to the code of conduct process.
The Creative Freedom Foundation welcomes the Government's decision to delay the Guilt Upon Accusation law Section 92A, however this delay also calls for two non-Governmental groups to decide the future of New Zealander's access to the internet. The two groups – the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF) and selected Rights Holders – have been asked to reach agreement on a S92A policy by March 27th. Although the TCF are currently calling for submissions on their draft policy, the public, artists and most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are not represented in the decision making process
Public submissions close March 6. The draft document is huge (33 pages) and unweildy and contains poorly written sections too. One huge clanger will give media companies the last word in disputes, so they get to be judge as well as accuser.
Read more
The players:
Last month was a slow blog month - and I didn't post all that much myself.
I got just under 1000 visitors generating around 14000 hits. About a third of these are blocking their IPs - a practise which will only increase as S92A-type laws spread around the world. (Curiously, the UK has completely scotched any ideas to do this there.)
I am seeing more hits from Europe - but mostly to download stuff. This will be the Oolite effect, with two major OXP releases last month.
Amazingly the acer-804 page is still the top request! That's Ubuntu 8.04 on the Acer Aspire 4315. Acer no longer appreciate this effort but skrew-em: to paraphrase Frank-N-Furter, I didn't make it for them.
This blog is second, with almost the same hit rate.
Sure enough, the oolite pages have jumped, with neolite and neolite-companion oxps topping the downloads.
And that was the month that was. We've even managed to survive the end of the World on February 14 ... I did a special celebration. Well... why not celebrate the continued existence of everything? With the professional psychics left in the dust, I leave you with this: The Onion, a humour rag, being uncannily psychic: look at the date.
