Joke of the year!!!
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A Linux user who was jailed for uploading a film onto a peer-to-peer service has been told he will have to switch to Windows if he wants to use a computer again.
Scott McCausland, who used to be an administrator of the EliteTorrents BitTorrent server before it was shut down by the FBI, pleaded guilty in 2006 to two copyright-related charges over the uploading of Star Wars: Episode III to the Internet. As a result, he was sentenced to five months in jail and five months' home confinement.
McCausland--who also goes by the name "sk0t"--has since been released from jail, but on Tuesday he reported on his blog that the terms of his sentence meant he would have to install Windows if he wanted to use a computer during his probation. "I had a meeting with my probation officer today, and he told me that he has to install monitoring software onto my PC," wrote McCausland. "No big deal to me...that is part of my sentence."
"However, their software doesn't support GNU/Linux (which is what I use)," continued McCausland. "So, he told me that if I want to use a computer, I would have to use an OS that the software can be installed on. Which basically means: Microsoft and monitoring software or no computer. I use Ubuntu 7.04 now, and they are trying to force me to switch. First they give me two felonies, then they throw me in prison, and now this."
According to the Web site TorrentFreak, McCausland and his attorney will fight the situation. "It isn't the fact that I have to be monitored that bothers me, it is the fact that I have (to) restructure my life (different OS, different software on that OS) and that they would require (force) me to purchase software while I am currently unemployed and relatively unemployable with the two felonies that they gave me," McCausland said. "It is just a ridiculous situation."
http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-admin-monitored-by-us-government-forced-to-dump-linux
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6204348.html?tag=nl.e550
*speechless* -
wtf!!! so how much did the idiots get in bribes from microsoft
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They bought monitoring software that is non cross platform. Another win for
Microsoft. -
hmmz, found this one in one of the links.
http://torrentfreak.com/about/anonymous-bittorrent-and-internet-access/
does it work? -
Maybe not the bribes. You should ask what the hell are the programmers doing, what the hell are the police doing.
Or are they too afraid of the GPL licenses. -
No idea.Originally posted by hisoka:hmmz, found this one in one of the links.
http://torrentfreak.com/about/anonymous-bittorrent-and-internet-access/
does it work? -
its so ridiculous
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i dun understand.
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its just ridiculous, in case they didn't know, computer not == microsoft windows....Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Maybe not the bribes. You should ask what the hell are the programmers doing, what the hell are the police doing.
Or are they too afraid of the GPL licenses.
the way it's put, sounds like even if you used Mac you would have to switch to windows
I wonder whats the sentence, to install the spyware and be monitored or just be monitored or be monitored by the software.........
anyway some how monitoring of internet should be done by hardware or at ISP rather than as software on his comp which is tamperable -
Apparently so.Originally posted by hisoka:its just ridiculous, in case they didn't know, computer not == microsoft windows....
the way it's put, sounds like even if you used Mac you would have to switch to windows
I wonder whats the sentence, to install the spyware and be monitored or just be monitored or be monitored by the software.........
anyway some how monitoring of internet should be done by hardware or at ISP rather than as software on his comp which is tamperable
I suppose the software is smart enough to detect tamperings, otherwise the police wouldn't have suggested it. US people are smart, but sometimes they really used their talents wrongly. -
What a stupid condition...... they receive bribes from ms is it??? -
I doubt so. It's probably the reluctance of those idiots not to switch to Linux.
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but technically as a software it should still be tampered with without detection or erasing of traces. whereas hardware would not be possible or at least harder.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Apparently so.
I suppose the software is smart enough to detect tamperings, otherwise the police wouldn't have suggested it. US people are smart, but sometimes they really used their talents wrongly.
But actually for all you know it might all just boil down to this situation occuring cos of some arsine probation-officer. -
He is lucky he is living in a first world democracy so he can actually seek and might find justice...Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:*speechless* -
He's not a hacker, so the police would have reasonable confidence that he won't crack the software. If he is a hacker, he would have no chance to be near a computer. That's US logic, you can't use, you can't break (although someone will tell you this is some stupid theory).Originally posted by hisoka:but technically as a software it should still be tampered with without detection or erasing of traces. whereas hardware would not be possible or at least harder.
But actually for all you know it might all just boil down to this situation occuring cos of some arsine probation-officer.
But you may be right. It could be just the bloody probation officer. Most people aren't technically incline. -
Well... maybe he could get... but apparently, from his blog, he's not going to get it...Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:He is lucky he is living in a first world democracy so he can actually seek and might find justice... -
y no one expl to seoti.
wad happen?? -
if the local govt. servants are anything to go by, thats prob what happened. the officer gets a list saying install software on computer. the guy hardly tries and can't do it( i bet its not even a tech expert installing). and he goes it must be windows!!!! and throws it at the poor guyOriginally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:He's not a hacker, so the police would have reasonable confidence that he won't crack the software. If he is a hacker, he would have no chance to be near a computer. That's US logic, you can't use, you can't break (although someone will tell you this is some stupid theory).
But you may be right. It could be just the bloody probation officer. Most people aren't technically incline. -
What do you not understand? Quite clear leh I think.Originally posted by seotiblizzard:y no one expl to seoti.
wad happen?? -
Perhaps. Government always like that.Originally posted by hisoka:if the local govt. servants are anything to go by, thats prob what happened. the officer gets a list saying install software on computer. the guy hardly tries and can't do it( i bet its not even a tech expert installing). and he goes it must be windows!!!! and throws it at the poor guy -
some poor guy gets nailed with laws to specifically protect certain companies and penalise general consumers.Originally posted by seotiblizzard:y no one expl to seoti.
wad happen??
part of the punishment is to be under probation for 5 months. and he is told he must use windows(so that they can install some software) if he wants to use the internet. the problem is he uses ubuntu/linux and does not have the windows OS or the inclination to switch OS. -
Wow pwned! Now I hate Microshit even more =/