Gates Tries to Explain .NET  "Speaking to financial analysts and reporters, Bill Gates admitted that .NET hadn't caught on as quickly as he had hoped."  [Slashdot.org]

The Slashdot story goes on to point to a New York Times article where it is reported: "Microsoft also warned today that the era of 'open computing,' the free exchange of digital information that has defined the personal computer industry, is ending."

That cuts right to the heart of the matter.  It shows what we US citizens stand to lose from the Entertainment Oligopoly's campaign to lobotomize the personal computer.  If we don't buy their crippled products, if we don't let them purchase laws making open alternatives illegal, we can stop them from taking open computing away from us.

11:48:16 AM   

AP: "Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Calif., formally proposed legislation that would give the industry unprecedented new authority to secretly hack into consumers' computers or knock them off-line entirely if they are caught downloading copyrighted material." If this bill becomes law I'm going to join Saddam Hussein in calling for the destruction of the United States. [Scripting News]

Heh.  The best part of this proposed legislation is that IM-based file sharing networks owned by giant corporations like AOL-TimeWarner and Microsoft are exempt.  Yes, apparently it's okay for AOL and MS to benefit from alledgedly illegal file sharing.  Which makes sense, I guess, when you realize they paid for the legislation.  That's only fair, right?

Could our wholly-owned legislators be any more obvious in handing our rights over to the Entertainment Oligopoly on a silver platter?  Geez.  At least be subtle about it.

10:24:16 AM   

Feds gunning for WorldCom honchos. Indictments coming soon [The Register]

Am I the only one relieved to see Adelphia execs in handcuffs and WorldCom guys under indictment?  Damage to their reputations isn't enough.  I wanna see real penalties for these criminals.  They did benefit from this fraud before they were caught, right?  That was their motivation for doing it.  Now that inducement to hurt others for personal gain is tempered by the realization they could actually go to jail.

10:15:15 AM