For greater certainty, the terms and conditions [for Windows Vista] remove any doubt about who is in control by providing that “this agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights.” For those users frustrated by the software’s limitations, Microsoft cautions that “you may not work around any technical limitations in the software.”

— Michael Geist

Vista’s legal terms are under scrutiny, and for good reason. Here’s some more juicy bits:

Vista also incorporates Windows Defender, an anti-virus program that actively scans computers for “spyware, adware, and other potentially unwanted software.” The agreement does not define any of these terms, leaving it to Microsoft to determine what constitutes unwanted software. Once operational, the agreement warns that Windows Defender will, by default, automatically remove software rated “high” or “severe,” even though that may result in other software ceasing to work or mistakenly result in the removal of software that is not unwanted.

— Michael Geist

Note that according to the above quote, you only get to avoid this behavior if Microsoft decides you can, even despite the fact that Microsoft may fully recognize the behavior is a “limitation” (or even an intentional limitation — see all the stuff around Vista’s content DRM). And people wonder why so many of the technically-savvy enjoy open source. To compare and contrast, here are some relevant sections of the GNU General Public License:

1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program’s source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program.

…

2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions …

Vista releases to the general public tomorrow. Friends, don’t let friends buy it. The licensing is only one of its many evils.

I didn’t make it to see Russ Feingold’s listening session on Sunday, due to movieage and related hanging out. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online, however, has a small write-up on the warm reception given to Feingold, from the perspective of one poor schmuck.

Would have been a hoot to be there. Maybe I can catch him in La Crosse.

Saw Children of Men today with some of the gang. Extremely excellent film. The mutterings of others made me think I would be upset with the ending, but I think it fit well for the film and tone set within. More people should see it. Voters NEED to see it. It’s a great movie on its own, but the political elements shouldn’t be ignored, either.

Begin dismissive sarcasm:
Oh, and today is 07/01/14, on which I’ve made one post. 7 + 1 + 14 + 1 = 23! Everything is connected!
End dismissive sarcasm.

Oh, and I finally made a front page for the site.

For all of us Feingold fans still lurking in town…

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will hold a listening session in Ozaukee County on Sunday, January 14. … His Ozaukee County listening session will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the Port Washington Senior Center, 102 East Pier Street, Port Washington. The meeting will last up to an hour.

— http://feingold.senate.gov/listening/advisories/07/ozaukee.html

For those not aware, Feingold hits every county every year for these little sessions. And Feingold, simply, is the man. I’m thinking of going on Sunday, just to bask in his awesomeness.

More Feingold stuff, while I’m at it:
U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH) Introduce Data Mining Reporting Bill
Feingold asks Bush to explain open mail signing statement

Guess what we did today.

Edit: more.