August 23, 2005

• The new Windows Update validation was (or so I've heard) easily cracked the day it came out. You should be able to find a solution with a little digging. Or you could just have someone else burn it to a CD and install it from there. Or won't that work?
• Talk to your school bookstore. I got XP for $10 US from them because I was a student and my Uni has sold their sole to MS.
• Soul, soul! I have no idea if they sold their fish to Mr. Gates. Been doing class prep all. damn. day. My brain is fried crispy!
• I did a search on Google for "Windows Journal Viewer" and found a link to the downloader that doesn't seem to require the validation stuff. I downloaded it and it is just an .exe and started to install it and it didn't ask for validation. I aborted the update though, so who knows if it will install without it or not.
• You can get it here, MCT. While I'm not one who generally condones bypassing copyright protection (working for a li'l tiny software company comes with a conscience as part of the benefits package), I think that Microsoft's new little game is just going to lead to one of the biggest virus explosions of the internet age; it won't do a lick to stop the people who are really actively maliciously pirating their software, and is just going to lead to tons of computers with unfixed security flaws the next time some bored teenager decides to teach Bill a lesson.
• I tried InfraMonkey's link, and looks like it installed beautifully. You da (infra)monkey, InfraMonkey. I feel you on copyright protection, IM, as I myself am currently scheming with my father to build our own startup once I'm out of school, but it was academic desperation that led me to install my ethically dubious edition of XP in the first place. I tried to circumvent that requirement, but there was no way around it, and my school didn't offer a copy that I could afford. It's funny how few professors, who themselves are perennially broke, stop and think that some of their students might in fact also be pinching their pennies until Honest Abe's head explodes just like that dude in Scanners. Maybe they think we're all there on fat loans or daddy's money. For what it's worth, I do intend to move back to my perfectly legal XP Home, but I needed to get this set up by tomorrow at the latest. Thanks so much for your help. Now I'm off to buy overpriced mathematics software.
• Maybe I should keep my newbie mouth shut, as nobody else seems to agree... but I for one will forever (well, until the beer wears off) equate MCT with scofflaw.. or skirt-law, whichever you prefer. And to really seal it... I think you're a dick for stealing software, making excuses for it, and then somehow getting others to aid and abet. And as I climb off my soapbox, let me say that I hate MS and their idiotic tyrany as much as the next person.
• oh come on Tool... you're involved with some shady software already, why not go all the way and just take the math program? Then, from there, it will be an easy jump to cheating on your taxes. And after that you might as well start dealing heroin, because hey, it's not like you're going to pay taxes on some china white anyway. Of course, heroin is a high capital start up venture, so you might want to knock off a few banks and maybe get involved in a little white slavery on the side; you know, just until the H business starts rolling, then you'll want to get some guns. I'm not saying you should, I'm just... tossing out a few suggestions...
• next time you should install Ubuntu and Wine. And a wish for your overpriced software to work well. Souldn't we all insist on open source educational material? Brazil is going to kick CS ass in five years, with all those OS initiatives.
• Frankly, techsmith, your criticisms will carry much more weight with me if you (a) don't admit you're drunk when you throw them out, and (b) stick to honest criticism and leave the names like "dick" for the schoolyard. Perhaps I should have bought software I couldn't afford for the course. Ethically, that would have been the right thing to do. Given that the OS was going to cost me nearly as much as the class itself, so that I could fulfill just one single assignment, I got pissed and took the easy way out, yeah. Equate me with a "scofflaw" if you like. I don't know you from Adam, and couldn't give two shits if you do or don't. As for "dick," dry out, techsmith. I'm sure the alabaster purity of your own ethical past is unparalleled, and that your overbearing moralizing is all too merited and unhypocritical. If it isn't, then either clam out or go fuck yourself.
• Well, I guess that settles that!
• I'm with middleclasstool on this one. Or maybe I'm more sympathetic than that: I don't see a damn thing wrong with ripping off Microsoft, especially if you're in MCT's position. That's not too far away from stealing bread because you're hungry. A second bachelor's. In computer science. Ouch.
• I told you I was alone on this one! weee!! Bring some more MCT... I can take it. Least I'm not a thief.
• He should have been able to get academic versions of this stuff.
• In a sluggish economy Inflation, recession it's the land of the free Standing on employment lines blame the government for hard times we just get by however we can we all gotta duck when the shit hits the fan 10 kids in a cadillac stand in line for welfare checks Let's all mooch off the state "Gee! the money's really great!" we just get by however we can we all gotta duck when the shit hits the fan soup lines, free loaves of bread 5 lb. blocks of cheese bags of groceries social security has run out on you and me we do whatever we can gotta duck when the shit hits the fan doobity doo wop, say what, yeah...
• The original fix for the Genuine Windows Validation was patched by Micro$loth within a couple days. Fear not though, there appears to be a fix for their fix. I have not tested this yet but here is the link. It comes complete with screenshots so it is n00b friendly :) http://home19.inet.tele.dk/jys05000/
• So, MCT, did you check around for student prices. My daughter got a $499 design program for like $90 last year from a real reseller. And, while it must comforting to you to get your thing for free, I bet you could haved searched for a spot which would have allowed you to contribute a mininum to the developer of the program without breaking yourself. And, you know what, if I were a developer, and people just ripped me off, I'd stop selling the thing just to get even.
• The ethical failure belongs to Microsoft and his University. Their ethical failure created this situation, and he's not ethically bound to overcompensate for their failures. They created the situation. Neither of them have a right to expect mct to cover for their ethical failures.
• I think someone should have asked the professor: "How the fuck are we supposed to finance your Microsoft-sycophancy, you dick?" In this country, at least, you can second-guess teachers without repercussions.
• Microsoft student discounts. Mr. Knickerbocker how is this an ethical failure on the part of the university? Is it unethical for a college course to require a textbook? MCT, since you plan on going into business with your Dad in the future, why don't you ask him to help you out with purchasing the software? When you go into business with him do you plan on buying liscenced software for your start-up, or will you "acquire" it? Techsmith while I might agree with you to a certain extent, "Dick" was a bit harsh. Do the smart thing and apologize tomorrow and blame it on the booze.
• Techsmith - it isn't theft. Technically, it is copyright infringement. We don't need to conflate the two. Now leaving the still-very-polite-for-the-internet-debate.
• Fuck kittens. This is fun. techsmith parries confidently, aggressively, only to be flipped suddenly onto his back by the ju jitsu-like rhetorical mastery of MCT! /play-by-play
• Zanshin, the link to MS resellers is like tits on a boar hog. Useless. Through sanctioned university connections, I can pay from $45 to $299 for the exact same Windows XP Pro (or $216 for "Home"). The universities are in the same state and roughly the same size. I have legitimate associations with 4 higher education institutions and so I shop for the best price on the software I buy, but I find absolutely NO reason for MS to justify the difference in price in the same channel. I am sure MCT doesn't need me on his bond, but those of you working on glass computers should not throw stones.
• Zanshin: Depends on the textbook. When the university is paid by a publisher, say McGraw-Hill, to require that publisher's overpriced book, then the university has unethically boned the students. The university's first priority belongs to the student. Their obligation is to the student. When the university enables the exploitation of the student, the university has failed to act ethically. middleclasstool: Microsoft has a program that allows students obtaining a degree in CS to have every piece of software they make (except MS Office products), totally free. Your school needs to put you in the database here, the msdn e-academy. Your instructor should have the name of the person you need to see to get entered into the database, if you aren't already. (I had the problem of not being entered in the database like I should've been last year, and had to go this route) Actually, I don't think it was required that you get a degree in CS, just be currently enrolled in a CS class. Regardless, MS offers the product you want free to people in your position. Because of this, you will be ethically clean no matter how you obtain the software. Sorry I didn't point this out sooner, I forgot they did this.
• middleclasstool: it's called the ELMS program. Ask your instructor. ANd it includes OSes and everything.
• It is at times like this that I wish we had a way to flag comments for being particularly good answers for the posed question, much like over at that other filter. Kudos to Mr. Knickerbocker for providing info which will benefit any CS student monkeys out there who were ignorant of this program and needed such applications (even if it does mean sucking at Bill's teats.)
• I despise Microsoft's business tactics. I really, really, don't like Windows, though more for technical reasons, and I don't run it on any of my computers (they are all OS X or Ubuntu on the desktop). Just so we know where I'm coming from. With that said, however, rampant and widespread use of unlicensed Microsoft software is good for Microsoft and bad for society as a whole. It helps to entrench their monopoly by getting their OS onto more computers. It minimises one of the biggest drawbacks to using Windows (the price), and prevents competitors from ever establishing a toehold. Worst of all, it encourages the hegemonic mindset that computer = Windows, which allows assclowns like the professors in question to require its use. Universities should not be secretarial colleges to train Windows operators - CS courses least of all. The sooner people stop relying on warezed copies of Windows and start using alternatives en masse, the sooner we can all have a healthy, variegated computer environment - and see some real innovation instead of monopolised stagnation. Windows is the computer user's abusive partner. But no matter how hard it seems, once you've abandoned that loathsome wretch, you'll feel so much better, and never want to go back.
• Ooga_booga, I did not need that mental image. I'm blaming you if I can't get to sleep tonight. ;)
• Agreed, Cali. It is an arousing image. Grrr.
• For the record, I had only checked with the campus bookstore, knowing that you can get discounted software if you buy it through the school. Their copy was still expensive, at least by my standards. Somebody in the class said he could help me out, the instructor almost literally plugged her fingers in her ears, and I agreed. I'm not going to lie and say it's the first time I installed software I hadn't paid for, but neither am I a member of filesharing networks. Hell, I installed bittorrent so I could try to post that short film I made awhile back, and I still haven't finished learning how to use it. To answer your questions, Zanshin, no, I fully intend to purchase all the software I use to make money in the future, and I really didn't feel like running to daddy for money. Stupid pride, perhaps, but there it is. None of that is to excuse it, though. What I did was ethically wrong, and I don't defend it. Techsmith's right to call me on that. My objection was not to his *legitimate* criticisms, but to his drunken namecalling and flamebaiting. That came at the end of an up-and-down, very stressful day, and set me off. Thought I should get a good night's sleep before I responded again. Normally I don't let that kind of shit get to me, but last night it did. So I apologize sincerely to techsmith and everyone else for blowing up in my last comment. For you in particular, techsmith, I'll add that if you wish to change minds, you might work on your delivery a bit. If, however, you mean only to shout into the void, then proceed. Regardless, I am honestly sorry for blowing up at you last night.
• No dice, bitchachi! You shooped the shoop, now we have to have you killed. I'm sorry but rules are rules.
• "Bitchachi" is my new favourite word BTW. Basically, it combines all the sassy, mysogynist vitriol of the word "bitch" with the cool, urban romanticism of Charles "Chachi" Arcola from TV's Happy Days. "Yo, you wanna be my little jizzjoanie tonight, bitchachi? I gonna fonz up your ralph-malph with my hot potzierocks. Shoop!"
• That gives "sit on it" a new and unsavory meaning ...
• MCT is Jean Valjean, and techsmith is Javert.
• MIDDLECLASSTOOL: Microsoft will give you XP Pro free. Talk to your instructor about ELMS. You'll get it free, along with any other Microsoft product you want, besides MS Office. They'll give it to you free. No charge what-so-ever. FREE There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting something free that is being given out free. You have violated no ethics. It is totally nonsensical to act as if some ethic has been broken. And again, just because you seem to have missed it the earlier times: Microsoft will give you the product you want free of any charge.
• Hey, it's all good. I figured you posted this FPP for public commenting. I've reread my post and I stand by it with the exception of the name calling. That's pretty much par for my normal speech, but I can see it as being harsher then I intended. Let's switch out "dick" for "silly head". I think that captures more accurately my sentiment.
• allows students ... to have every piece of software they make (except MS Office products), totally free. Hey, that's great. And news to me. Thanks for the info.
• God I love it when you bitchachis make up after a fight. It makes me howard my kinky tuscadero like a little loribeth-tits.
• /points and laughs as techsmith
• Chy and I fought once. Then he showed me his "Mr C". I joanied all night long.
• Hey, only I can point and laugh as me!
• Chyren is a master of disguise. He also has kung-fu grip, changes color in sunlight, and IIRC a fetish-wear chestpiece, Australian accent, and a flirtatious relationship with the Baronness.
• Quid, love, her name was Pinky Tuscadero.
• Where were all you people when people posted stories about bittorrent and stealing music and movies? Personally, I think if the class makes you use someting you don't have any intention of using otherwise, I don't have a problem with it. However, I would complain to the prof first. I don't think it should be a university's job to promote monopolies. Hell, I enourage my studients to electonically submit their papers in rtf format instead of doc.
• Thanks, techsmith. jccalhoun, I agree about promoting monopolies. I have no idea what Mac or *nix users did for that class, if there were any. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if plain vanilla versions of OS X and Linux didn't come standard with the stuff that only "Professional" Windows has. Now, if you'll excuse me, quidnunc needs a good malphing right inside his potsie.
• Whatever, bitchie cunningpants.
• Why don't you go eat Al's, you marions.
• okay Buck-o's . . . *crowd reaction*
• petebest, go to your room!
• Why don't you go eat Al's, you marions. Waitaminute, how did I get involved in all this? o_O
• Go bang on your jukeboxes. Malphamundo.
• Aaaaayyyyyyyyy!
• Oooh! Oooh! Mr. Kotter... oops, wrong show. I hang my head in '70's shame
• Quid, your just plain perfect.
• ... and it is apparently here, apropos of nothing, that I jump in to recommend voodoo as the proper response to Dr. Skippy. No. I don't mean any program or OS. I mean voodoo. I mean bad mojo. I mean pins and needles, man, pins and needles! ;D (incidentally, I was lookin' for the one that is shaped like a kb and monitor. but they don't seem to carry it anymore.)
• Couldn't you just eliminate the middleman and stick the pins DIRECTLY into your keyboard and monitor? You'd have to find some crevices, or use nails, but still, I think it would be more satisfying. Same goes for Dr. Skippy.