Sunday, September 14, 2003

Windows tech resource For technical questions that relate to the Microsoft Windows operating system, of which there are at last count about 4.23 million, an excellent resource is the Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals site.  Here over 600 recognized MVPs congregate to volunteer their time to answer these questions.  The site is not sponsored by Microsoft, although the designation of an MVP does require that one be recognized by the grace of the company's support engineers and team managers.  Linked from the home page are a number of useful substantive sites covering several MS products. Now if this volunteer corps could only band together to help Microsoft itself develop safe software.  7:58:42 AM     Silly-ass lawsuits, part 5 It's been a while (February of this year, to be exact) since we had an item under this feature, although it hasn't been for lack of material.  The Fox News v. Franken suit would have deserved mention in this category, but it was already the target of a hail of arrows in the blogosphere.  But this one deserves a prominent place in the Hall of Infamy. Toymaker Sues Paramount Over 'Dickie Roberts' - Wham-O, the company which manufactures the Slip 'N Slide, has sued Paramount over the "unauthorized" use of the toy in its recent movie, starring David Spade.  Wham-O has, incredibly, asked that the court prohibit the showing of the film as it is, order that the scene be removed from the film, or alternatively include a disclaimer advising viewers that Spade is using the toy in an unsafe manner. . . . In one key scene that appears in Paramount's trailers for the PG-13 film, Spade's character launches himself belly first across a dry Slip 'N Slide -- not realizing it's supposed to be wet first -- then rolls over with red welts on his chest, crying "Oooooh, it stings." In another scene, Spade lubricates the toy with vegetable oil, then slides into a fence. "Wham-O is concerned about the depicted misuse of its product in the film and its advertising, particularly the potential for injury to children and even adults who, after viewing the scene, might use the product in the same reckless manner," said Peter Sgromo, marketing director of Wham-O's toy division. He said the movie "violates all safety guidelines that are clearly marked on the product and the packaging." Those guidelines limit the slide's use to children aged 5 to 12, weighing less than 110 pounds and under 5 feet tall. In addition, the product must be inflated, wet and connected to a hose before being used. The suit goes on to say that advertising for the film may leave the public with the false impression that Wham-O in some way authorized or sponsored the Slip 'N Slide scenes.  (Source: Reuters) In truth, the last point may have some validity, given the common practice of paying for "product placement" in movies. 7:56:10 AM

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