Strange posting about ebooks

[Ross Bamford]

You gather mostly wrong. PDFs themselves cannot contain executable code
that can affect the operating system, even with the Acrobat Javascript
capabilities.

Ahh, my bad. I saw this thread:

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/08/08/1327204&mode=thread

but missed the part about it only affecting the full Acrobat program.
(Not that I cared much anyway, I don't even have a Windows machine, let
alone Adobe Anything.)

Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[Hal Fulton]

I bought the pic axe which I don't like, and it is not the first time I
am disappointed in a book bought over the internet. I borrowed sam's
teach yourself but I did not buy it yet in the hope an update will come
in 2006

Very interesting. I think you're the first person I've heard say "I don't
like the Pickaxe."

The _Teach Yourself_ book is actually pretty good. I don't think there
is a 2nd edition in the works; and anyway not much of it would change
even so. What did you think of it, anyhow?

And what did you think of _The Ruby Way_, if you looked at it?


Cheers,
Hal

 

[anne001]

Yes, I was a clear minority on this one! I was surprise by the response
of this list. "Me using a copy I have not paid for. Oh no!" And yet on
a talk on rails, the presenter said one of the advantage of web
applications was that the user did not have a copy of the program to
give to his friends. This is presumably a site with computer folks and
they --- Oh Never -- bootlegged something? They must all be old and
established earning good salaries who have therefore gotten religion.
Or the others did not say anything.

Here is my problem with the pickaxe, as posted recently on a pickaxe
book discussion
"I have no use for databases, and the whole book uses one single
database example, it
seems -- I am allergic to the word "song", it shows up too many time
in that book, every
other word it seems -- "

and I had one person in agreement.

If I can learn ruby in another book, it sounds like the pickaxe will be
good as reference. So all is not lost.

I have had no access to the ruby way, so I can't say. It is not clear
from this list if the files could be compromised. In any case I would
want to wait for this summer when the ruby way second edition is
expected.

Bummer for the Sam's teach yourself ruby not beeing updated.

 

[Ross Bamford]

Yes, I was a clear minority on this one! I was surprise by the response
of this list. "Me using a copy I have not paid for. Oh no!" And yet on
a talk on rails, the presenter said one of the advantage of web
applications was that the user did not have a copy of the program to
give to his friends. This is presumably a site with computer folks and
they --- Oh Never -- bootlegged something? They must all be old and
established earning good salaries who have therefore gotten religion.
Or the others did not say anything.

Well, I for one am currently unemployed, and skint (or 'broke' as they
say). I certainly have no religion, and can't say I've never stolen
anything (can anyone?). But as a creative person (I like to think so,
anyway) I cannot condone copyright theft. Sometimes people *need*
things, but they never *need* books / software / music / etc.

In truth I don't get to buy that many books, but that doesn't mean I'm
going to start ripping off people for whom I have tremendous respect,
right in front of their faces, just so I can get something to read.
Especially when those same people go to great lengths to make sure I can
get the info I need anyway, by being active in the community.

 

[Mubin Aktan]

Hi there,

It's me, "the Witch".

I was shocked when I saw the messages posted upon my "illegal" mails. I
didn't think that people could take account them so seriously.

Those mails had no virii and I sent them just for "helping" people.
That's all.
Was this right? I thought it was.

Of course, I knew that it was an illegal action, I am not so stupid.
And I also knew that Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt and the others would be
angry.

But the point which I missed was this: I thought that my illegal
attachments could hurt the authors or publishers just as much as "a
fly's bite", not more.

I see, however, that I was wrong. My activities made them hurt much
more than I thought. I gave Andy Hunt "a promise" that I will never
repeat this actions again,
"the promise" is important for me.

By the way,

So you have libraries in which you can read these books?
How lucky you are...

I don't know him. Is he master? You should be thankful that I didn't
send the books to Matz. I only know Matz, Dave, Andy and Chris Pine.
good; I was going to pay or this, but now I won't", is quite small.

Yep!!! Definitely !!!
indeed go after them.

*Gulp!* Ohmigod! You want to send me to "Green Mile"?

 

[Matthew Moss]

But the point which I missed was this: I thought that my illegal

attachments could hurt the authors or publishers just as much as "a
fly's bite", not more.

I have very strong opinions about theft/piracy and arguments such as
this (or "info wants to be free" or "I wouldn't have paid for it
anyway" arguments)... but such opinions usually fall on deaf ears.
Anyway else want to try that, go ahead...

However, here's what I will say. When you received those documents,
there is an implicit trust (and, more likely, explicit) that both you
and the authors/publishers enter into when you purchased those
documents. You broke that trust. Maybe that means nothing to you, but
to most everyone else on this list, you have harmed the community, not
just now, but also for the future. Think about that next time before
you act.

 

[Hal Fulton]

Hi there,

It's me, "the Witch".

I was shocked when I saw the messages posted upon my "illegal" mails. I
didn't think that people could take account them so seriously.

Those mails had no virii and I sent them just for "helping" people.
That's all.
Was this right? I thought it was.

Of course, I knew that it was an illegal action, I am not so stupid.
And I also knew that Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt and the others would be
angry.

But the point which I missed was this: I thought that my illegal
attachments could hurt the authors or publishers just as much as "a
fly's bite", not more.

I see, however, that I was wrong. My activities made them hurt much
more than I thought. I gave Andy Hunt "a promise" that I will never
repeat this actions again,
"the promise" is important for me.

Well, it was an inappropriate action and illegal. Of course,
<sarcasm>none of the rest of us have ever pirated books
or software or MP3s.</sarcasm>

The fact is, most of those were probably available already in "bootleg"
form for anyone who searched hard enough (I know TRW was). Your primary
crime was to make it a lot easier to find them.

What is more, you were rude. You sent the pirated works to the authors
themselves and to their personal friends, in addition to possibly
hurting sales.

However, speaking only for myself: Apology accepted, let's forget it.


Hal

 

[Jon A. Lambert]

Of course, I knew that it was an illegal action, I am not so stupid.

I guess that throws out any affirmative defense. And confirms my intuition
that...

*Gulp!* Ohmigod! You want to send me to "Green Mile"?

Sorry I've heard of the book but haven't read it yet. And no, that is not a
request for you to email me a stolen copy.

Since you've established that you knew very well what you were doing, I
certainly do hope the lawyers from the owners and publishing houses are able
to use your confession to "take you to the cleaners". In other words, take
your property and earnings from you in just recompense.

A fly's bite for a fly's bite.

 

[Daniel Harple]

It's me, "the Witch".

So, did you use your new found knowledge of Ruby, gained from the e-
books, to collect everyones email address?

-- Daniel

 

[Mubin Aktan]

What is more, you were rude. You sent the pirated works to the authors themselves and to their personal friends, in addition to possibly hurting sales.

I didn't do it intentionally. I just copied the email addresses and
pasted them. Didn't even read most of them.

Yes I made a piracy, I am a bad man but I am not so dishonorable:
"Look, I have your book! And guess what? I didn't pay for it! Hahaha!
Don't you believe? Look! Hahaha!".

No. I refuse.