The Problem

In 2010, a Select Committee unanimously recommended that software be excluded from patentability. Clause 10A(1) of the Patents Bill will achieve this.

Unfortunately, the Government has decided to add clause 10A(2) at the last minute. While intended to preserve the availability of patents for inventions containing embedded software, ( Read more... )

So it seems Stephen Joyce, along with Chris Finlayson is planning to pass ACTA, and planning to keep section 92a which allows for the disconnection of individuals from the internet upon the mere accusation that they have violated copyright ( Read more... )

So I went to see Richard Stallman this afternoon. Lots of people have told me he's crazy, but he seemed pretty reasonable to me, maybe he only sounds crazy to people who buy into the whole "intellectual property" lie ( Read more... )

Through a few interesting turns, I discovered that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Tampa Florida provides a public service that allows anyone to access arrest records.

Here's a random example. Let's ignore the person themselves and look at how it is presented. The test at the top says :The data on this site provides only arrest and ( Read more... )

New tech via /. :

The world's first succesful ornithopter flight!

Admittedly it only flew for fourteen seconds, but as they point out that's longer than the Wright brothers first flight!

Also, sailing ships to return to the oceans, only with a bit of a difference :

SkySails' system consists of an enormous towing kite and navigationsoftware that ( Read more... )

Very important article by Doc Searls up at the Linux Journal :

Saving the Net: How to Keep the Carriers from Flushing the Net Down the TubesIt's long, the Doc says it's possibly the longest thing he's ever put on-line, and it's US-centric. But, of course, what ever happens in the US will forced onto everyone else, so the US is the front-line ( Read more... )

Several people have started writing novels on the net using software like blogger to allow people to provide criticism and corrections, and releasing the content under the Creative Commons license.

Here's a couple I've been reading recently :
Dingo by Michael Alan Nelson
Mistress of Dakao by Remittance Girl
( note Remittance Girl writes erotica ( Read more... )

Don't look at these links if you want to stay happy, or are already suicidely depressed.
Third one is not worksafe. You have been warned.

Via Billmon, is this Nation article discussing www.nowthatsfuckedup.com.

I'm not going to comment, except to say that Billmon expresses most of my thoughts and he has a greater right to express them than I.