From bob at rsmits.ca Tue Jun 3 11:31:43 2008
From: bob at rsmits.ca (Robert Smits)
Date: Wed Jun 4 18:18:12 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Fwd: [d@DCC] [Fwd: "Fair Copyright for Canada - Ottawa
Chapter" sent you a message on Facebook...]
Message-ID: <200806030931.43303.bob@rsmits.ca>
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
--------------------
Subject: Copyright Bill Coming....
It is time to gear up for copyright.
We understand that the government will imminently introduce legislation
to amend the Copyright Act, and wants to push it through quickly. This
raises two concerns: process and substance.
Rushing the legislative process undermines Canadians? interests. When
we do get a copyright bill, we need (1) a period to study the bill, and
(2) thorough Committee hearings that offer a wide range of stakeholders
the opportunity to present their views to the Canadian government. This
government has chosen not to consult Canadians on copyright. Therefore,
it falls to the Committee reviewing the bill to hear from consumers.
Without comprehensive hearings, the bill has no hope of reflecting
Canadians? interest in balanced copyright policy. We can not let this
government circumvent that process.
Substantively, all signs suggest that the bill will be a Canadian
version of the American DMCA with a veneer of consumer concessions. The
bill will likely include laws modeled on the DMCA instead of the
approach adopted by Bill C-60, Canada?s last attempt to legislate these
kinds of laws, or even on ?gentler? versions of such laws, such as New
Zealand?s. Consumer concessions may include a time-shifting right and a
format shifting right, legalizing consumer use of the VCR and iPod after
all these years. However, by protecting DRM at the same time, the
government kills those consumer rights where the content is locked down!
Substantively, this bill is likely to be a wolf in sheep?s clothing.
What can you do? Advocacy! Contact your MP ? use the advocacy tools at
http://www.copyrightforcanadians.ca/ and this Facebook group, Fair
Copyright for Canadians, to make sure Ottawa knows your views. And get
others to do so, as well ? we?ll need a summer full of copyright
advocacy to make sure that Ottawa knows that Canada?s copyright laws
have to put Canadians? interests first!
--------------------
--
Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant:
Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property
rights as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition!
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/petition/ict/
"The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or
portable media player from my cold dead hands!"
_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
Discuss@list.digital-copyright.ca
http://list.digital-copyright.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss
-------------------------------------------------------
From bob at rsmits.ca Tue Jun 3 13:29:08 2008
From: bob at rsmits.ca (Robert Smits)
Date: Wed Jun 4 18:22:47 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Net Neutrality Bill Tabled in House of Commons
Message-ID: <200806031129.08361.bob@rsmits.ca>
Net Neutrality Bill Tabled in House of Commons
In light of rumours that the Conservatives are poised to bring in a draconian
copyright bill that will give away all consumers rights, here's an article
about a net neutrality bill introduced by the Member for Timmins.
If you'd like to tell him of your support for his bill, you can contact him at
Angus.C@parl.gc.ca and that of our local MP, Jean Crowder is
Crowder.J@parl.gc.ca
Net neutrality bill hits House of Commons.
By Peter Nowak CBC News
NDP digital spokesman Charlie Angus doesn't believe the CRTC has all the tools
it needs to prevent interference in the internet by service providers.NDP
digital spokesman Charlie Angus doesn't believe the CRTC has all the tools it
needs to prevent interference in the internet by service providers. (Fred
Chartrand/Canadian Press)
The NDP has followed through with its promise to introduce legislation to the
House of Commons that seeks to keep the internet open and free from control
by service providers.
"This bill is about fairness to consumers," said Charlie Angus, the NDP's
digital spokesman, in the House of Commons on Wednesday. "The internet is a
critical piece of infrastructure not just for Canada but for the world ...
this bill protects the innovation agenda of Canada."
The private member's bill, C-552, is in reaction to moves by some of Canada's
largest internet service providers (ISPs), including Bell Canada Inc. and
Rogers Communications Inc., to limit their customers' uses of the internet.
Bell, Rogers and a few others say a small percentage of customers have been
congesting their networks by using peer-to-peer applications such as
BitTorrent, so they have slowed the internet down at peak times of the day.
The ISPs' actions have provoked outrage from internet users, with about 300
protesters taking to the steps of Parliament Hill on Tuesday. Critics have
said the targeting of peer-to-peer applications is just the tip of the
iceberg. If ISPs are allowed to decide which internet applications can and
can't be used, innovative new companies that were born from experimentation ?
such as Google, Amazon and eBay ? may not happen in the future.
"Net neutrality affects everybody, every person, every business, every
hospital, every institution is involved in the exchange of information over
the internet," Angus told CBCnews.ca. "This shouldn't be about party lines."
The four-page bill seeks to amend the Telecommunications Act and "prohibit
network operators from engaging in network management practices that favour,
degrade or prioritize any content, application or service transmitted over a
broadband network based on its source, ownership or destination, subject to
certain exceptions."
It also looks to prohibit "network operators from preventing a user from
attaching any device to their network and requires network operators to make
information about the user's access to the internet available to the user."
The proposed bill makes exception for ISPs to manage traffic in reasonable
cases, Angus said, such as providing stable speeds for applications such as
gaming or video conferencing.
"There are areas where telecoms have to be able to exercise rights, but that
doesn't give them the ability to arbitrarily interfere or discriminate,"
Angus said.
NDP wary about government intervention
The NDP is "very wary" about the government intervening in the internet, Angus
told the House of Commons. But the bill isn't about regulating the internet,
it's about ensuring there will be scrutiny of those who provide access to it,
he said.
Now that the bill has been tabled, it has to wait to be called up in private
members' business in the House. Angus is far down on the randomly generated
list that determines the order in which members are scheduled to present
their bills or motions, but he said he will try to trade positions with
another party member to bring it up the list for discussion.
The point of the bill, Angus said, is to give MPs who otherwise have no idea
what net neutrality is a reference point. It also gives critics a focal point
for their arguments.
Officials at Bell and Rogers did not immediately return requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Minister of Industry Jim Prentice also did not immediately
return a request for comment. The spokesperson also did not reply to requests
for comment on the net neutrality rally.
Prentice earlier this month told the House that the government was against
regulating the internet and would leave the matter to be resolved by ISPs and
their customers.
Below is a commentary from Michael Geist about the bill.
The Angus Net Neutrality Bill
Wednesday May 28, 2008
NDP MP Charlie Angus introduced his private member's net neutrality bill in
the House of Commons this afternoon. The short bill seeks to add
transparency, neutral network management, and open devices to the Canadian
telecom law framework:
Network operators shall not engage in network management practices that
favour, degrade or prioritize any content, application or service transmitted
over a broadband network based on their source, ownership or destination.
The bill includes several notable exceptions to this general principle,
including action to provide computer security, prioritize emergency
communications, offer differentiated pricing or bit caps, anti-spam filters,
handle breaches in terms of service, and to prevent violation of the law.
The bill also focuses on open devices and greater transparency. It provides
that "network operators shall not prevent or obstruct a user from attaching
any device to their network, provided the device does not physically damage
the network or unreasonably degrade the use of the network by other
subscribers." Further, it requires that "network operators shall provide and
make available to each user information about the user?s access to the
Internet, including the speed, nature, and limitations of the user's
broadband service at any given time." The bill is hardly the "regulate the
Internet" approach anti-net neutrality advocates would suggest, but rather is
a measured response that deserves broad support.
--
Bob Smits, Ladysmith BC Linux user and Open Source Supporter
Gee, you seem to be under the impression that computer magazines are produced
for the benefit of computer users - who want to find out whether the
computers and software are effective, safe, reliable, as fast as they claim,
user friendly, etc. Computer magazines are produced so that magazine
publishers make money - as much as possible. Computer "journalists" want to
keep their jobs, so they want the magazine to make as much money as possible.
Computer magazines make as much money as possible by selling advertising to
computer and software manufacturers - who make as much money as possible by
selling new computers and software. So, in order for magazines to sell as
much advertising as possible, it is necessary for the journalists to keep
talking/writing/hyping all the new stuff coming out of the computer factories
and software producers so that readers will continue to buy the computers and
software that advertise in the magazines that support the "journalists".
Anything that is really of value to computer users is there by accident - or
as the bare minimum to keep computer users paying for computer advertising. I
mean, sheesh.....doesn't everybody know this stuff....:-)
From kari at kostamo.com Mon Jun 16 09:54:11 2008
From: kari at kostamo.com (Kari Kostamo)
Date: Mon Jun 16 07:54:50 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Meeting Tonight
Message-ID: <001e01c8cfc0$d65d7a60$83186f20$@com>
Yes, there is a meeting tonight.
I forgot to update the website to show this.
Kari
From labour at telus.net Mon Jun 16 18:06:06 2008
From: labour at telus.net (Robert Smits)
Date: Mon Jun 16 16:06:15 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Meeting Tonight
In-Reply-To: <001e01c8cfc0$d65d7a60$83186f20$@com>
References: <001e01c8cfc0$d65d7a60$83186f20$@com>
Message-ID: <200806161606.06489.labour@telus.net>
On June 16, 2008 07:54:11 am Kari Kostamo wrote:
> Yes, there is a meeting tonight.
>
>
>
> I forgot to update the website to show this.
>
>
>
> Kari
>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss@nanlug.org
> http://lists.nanlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Anyone interested in seeing openSUSE 11.0 RC1 ?
I have it on my new Lenovo T61.
--
Robert Smits CEP525G
Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council
Box 822 Nanaimo, V9R 5N2 Ph 250-753-0201
Fax 250-753-2954 Email labour@telus.net
From kari at kostamo.com Mon Jun 16 19:34:06 2008
From: kari at kostamo.com (Kari Kostamo)
Date: Mon Jun 16 17:34:44 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Meeting Tonight
In-Reply-To: <200806161606.06489.labour@telus.net>
References: <001e01c8cfc0$d65d7a60$83186f20$@com>
<200806161606.06489.labour@telus.net>
Message-ID: <00a501c8d011$da33abe0$8e9b03a0$@com>
I'm interested in seeing this.
Kari
-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces@nanlug.org [mailto:discuss-bounces@nanlug.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Smits
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 4:06 PM
To: discuss@nanlug.org
Subject: Re: [Discuss] Meeting Tonight
On June 16, 2008 07:54:11 am Kari Kostamo wrote:
> Yes, there is a meeting tonight.
>
>
>
> I forgot to update the website to show this.
>
>
>
> Kari
>
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss@nanlug.org
> http://lists.nanlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Anyone interested in seeing openSUSE 11.0 RC1 ?
I have it on my new Lenovo T61.
--
Robert Smits CEP525G
Nanaimo, Duncan & District Labour Council
Box 822 Nanaimo, V9R 5N2 Ph 250-753-0201
Fax 250-753-2954 Email labour@telus.net
_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
Discuss@nanlug.org
http://lists.nanlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
From bob at rsmits.ca Thu Jun 19 11:50:40 2008
From: bob at rsmits.ca (Robert Smits)
Date: Thu Jun 19 09:51:01 2008
Subject: [Discuss] URL for Copyright Discussion List
Message-ID: <200806190950.40638.bob@rsmits.ca>
Here's the url for the copyright discussion list....
http://list.digital-copyright.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss
--
Bob Smits, Ladysmith BC
* The First Law of Intelligent Tinkering
* Save all the Parts!!!
From billeuze at shaw.ca Sun Jun 22 11:33:03 2008
From: billeuze at shaw.ca (Bill Leuze)
Date: Sun Jun 22 09:28:14 2008
Subject: [Discuss] Move your tux
Message-ID: <1214152383.18298.19.camel@homer.spring>
Hi all
For your information, an ubuntu forum in France has started a movement
to carry a small stuffed tux around the globe, passed from person to
person, ending up on Linus Torval's desk. (and also to carry a stuffed
gnu around the globe to Richard Stallman)
The discussion forum is here: http://move-your-tux.fr.nf/forum (look at
Announcements >> English)
the website is here: http://move-your-tux.fr.nf it is brand new today
and is really just a placeholder which should be filled out some what in
a few days they say. At the moment the only working link on the site is
the forum
The original french ubuntu forum thread that gave birth to this project
is here: http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?id=229574&p=1
enjoy,
Bill
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: parrains.linux@free.fr
Subject: Vous avez un message
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:11:45 +0000
Un(e) visiteur(-euse) de Parrains.linux vous envoie ce message :
-------------------------
De : fibi
Objet : Move you Tux Move your Gnu
Bonjour,
Un d?fie fou vient d'?tre lanc? sur Le Forum Ubuntu . Fr
http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?id=229574&p=1
Pour d?montrer que Linux n'est pas qu'une chaine de donn?es mais aussi
une chaine humaine
Le forum: http://move-your-tux.fr.nf/forum
l'URL du projet sera
http://move-your-tux.fr.nf
et
http://move-your-gnu.fr.nf (normalement a venir)
Nous comptons sur toutes les personnes int?ress?es pour:
-Faire passer l'info autour de lui (elle).
-Participer au projet selon ses disponibilit?s.
-Venir nous rencontrer sur le Forum et les sites (en cours de
r?alisation).
Merci.
-------------------------
Je vous remercie de NE PAS R?PONDRE ? CE MAIL, mais bien ? la personne qui
vous a envoy? le message, soit : ph.bi@voila.fr
Si vous ne voulez plus ?tre contact?(e), vous pouvez vous retirer de la
liste des "Marraines et Parrains Linux" en allant ici :
http://parrains.linux.free.fr/desinscription.php?id=8brBnDZ1brmJ6
Thrystan.
--
Bill Leuze
Gabriola Island, BC,