h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tomorrow (payday) I plan to order an Archos Multimedia Jukebox 20, because it's just the sort of device which annoys the hell out of organisations like the RIAA and MPAA, despite me actually owning copies of all of the material that I will be putting on it.

Some backward countries have laws preventing you from using the material that you have bought and paid for in ways other than the manufacturer anticipates or allows. For instance, I can buy a compact disc from a record store, but I am not allowed to actually play it on my computer, because by doing so, I have to defeat the 'Copy Protection' they place on the disk. I put 'Copy Protection' in quotes there because the methods that they use are about as effective as a chocolate teapot. Besides it makes me even more determined to break their lousy 'protection'.

DVD's are another thing. I buy a DVD in the USA, I can't play it here. (Well, actually I can, because I have a region-programmable (not quite the same as region free) DVD player). I can play the disc on my PC's as well, however doing so is illegal under the law of the backward countries previously hinted at above, because I'm running Linux. It's not that I _cannot_ play it, but I _must_not_ play it, because doing so involves using an unauthorised copy-protection workaround. Still, I do it anyway. It's my DVD, I paid for it, and if I want to use it that way, I will.

At the moment, I don't live in a backward country, but thanks to recent moves by the copyright holders, that may soon come to pass. If you ever worried that big corporations wanted to take over the world, you're not worried enough. Time to move my secret plans for world domination forward, I think. As the motto of this page says, 'Beware the System Administrator' (incase you were wondering)

PS. My latin is very rusty, and my hovercraft is full of eels.

You are intensely funny. I wonder, do you mean to be? You made me laugh. Thank you.
-moth.
P.S. Thank you also for being able to spell. It is amazing, how few people can. Especially where I live.

Great steaming lumps of Eeee! A reply to a journal post.

Being a BOFH (see the top of my user page) tends to drive you to the sort of dry, sarcastic diatribe that I seem to churn out quite regularly. That and reading Dilbert (www.dilbert.com) and User Friendly (www.userfriendly.org).

As for spelling, it's never been something i've been particularly bad at, but my handwriting is awful, and always has been, much to the irritation of my school teachers many years ago. With the advent of the computer keyboard, atleast my writing is readable, but my handwriting has become even worse. However, I can't help feeling that it's calligraphy in comparison to the writing I see on job applications at Ladbrokes sometimes. (You'd think that people would atleast try and write neatly on a job application form, wouldn't you?). Besides, sometimes I agonise for minutes at a time trying to find the right word to finish a sentence. Perhaps I should go into writing? On second thoughts, perhaps not, The world is teetering on the brink of insanity as it is, without me giving it a shove.

I know what you mean. Actually, I find it very difficult to handwrite any more. I end up becoming dyslexic in my writing because I can type almost as fast as I can think but when I try to use a pen my fingers trip over themselves and I end up with words looking backwards and inside-out. Ironically, I *can* handwrite when I've been drinking, but can no longer type. Considering my daily alcohol intake, perhaps I ought to rethink this whole computer thing...
Thanks for talking to me. Sometimes h2g2 is a lonely place.
-moth

'sno problem.

If it helps, right now I am completely plastered as a result of drinking way too much at the BT Social Club. I have to get up in the morning and go to Ladbrokes at Hilsea, where muggins is managing for the second week in a row, with UK racing. Normally, we don't see UK racing on a Sunday ourside the May-November zone, but some lunatic at the BHB seems to thik it's a good idea. Never mind, it's money I suppose.

Jim

That reply was awfully coherent and well-typed for you being plastered.. not that I disbelieve, but I'm jealous. Of the typing *and* the plastering. Of course.

-moth

Anything is better than my handwriting, even when I'm sober.

I've been stitched up for another Sunday. Three in a row. However, they have given me Saturday off. I'm not sure I'd know what to do with a Saturday off. The last one I had was when the shops were closed for Princess Diana's funeral.

Anyway, off to post more journal rants...