Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 5th Jul 2011 22:12 UTC
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RE[7]: Patents are patents
by lemur2 on Wed 6th Jul 2011 00:45
in reply to "RE[6]: Patents are patents"
Nobody forced them to gamble ... they didn't get ripped off ... most Casinos even explain the odds of you winning at any particular game ... if they still continue ... knowing that the odds are stacked against you ... that is their fault.
Most people have a regretably limited understanding of mathematics. Even some people who are reasonably good at arithmentic are still susceptible to the illusion that they might win at gambling. I am still amazed that people can walk in to a magnificent, opulent, extravagant casino and be impressed, somehow utterly missing the fact that it is gambler's money that pays for the extravagence. "Voluntary taxation" is how I like to think about it.
But anyway ... people can, and do, complain about gambling, even though as I pointed out, it is legal in many jurisdictions. This is the main point to take away ... one should not moan and complain that some people campaign against legal gambling, because there is good reason for those complaints, and many people are demonstrably harmed from the gambling industry.
The parallels with software patents are pretty clear. There is an alternative software industry called FOSS that pays programmers, produces innovative world-class software and reduces costs for everyone. The potential economic benefit to the entire economony is absolutely enormous. Software patents could kill this golden goose ... yet there are people still who somehow champion software patents. That is rather like barracking for the casino bosses and saying "ha ha" to the gamblers who suicide ...
In order to counter the argument that software patents are an economic burden rather than an economic boon (as some people like to pretend), you must read, understand and make intelligent comment on these topics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_scarcity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadweight_loss
Until you demonstrate a point against these concepts, you have NOT established any case for software patents.
Edited 2011-07-06 00:51 UTC
RE[8]: Patents are patents
by lucas_maximus on Wed 6th Jul 2011 07:43
in reply to "RE[7]: Patents are patents"
RE[8]: Patents are patents
by lucas_maximus on Wed 6th Jul 2011 18:21
in reply to "RE[7]: Patents are patents"
[q]Nobody forced them to gamble ... they didn't get ripped off ... most Casinos even explain the odds of you winning at any particular game ... if they still continue ... knowing that the odds are stacked against you ... that is their fault.
Most people have a regretably limited understanding of mathematics. Even some people who are reasonably good at arithmentic are still susceptible to the illusion that they might win at gambling. I am still amazed that people can walk in to a magnificent, opulent, extravagant casino and be impressed, somehow utterly missing the fact that it is gambler's money that pays for the extravagence. "Voluntary taxation" is how I like to think about it.
It is called an "idiot tax" ... those less able to see the scam for what it is end up spending more ... 90%+ of all business is done on this basis.
But anyway ... people can, and do, complain about gambling, even though as I pointed out, it is legal in many jurisdictions. This is the main point to take away ... one should not moan and complain that some people campaign against legal gambling, because there is good reason for those complaints, and many people are demonstrably harmed from the gambling industry.
And lots of people are harmed and stressed out everyday by things like their job, family, spouses etc ... You point is what ... at the end of the day it is still upto an individual to look after themselves once they are an adult and are mentally and physically able.
The parallels with software patents are pretty clear. There is an alternative software industry
There are no parallels.
called FOSS that pays programmers, produces innovative world-class software and reduces costs for everyone. The potential economic benefit to the entire economony is absolutely enormous.
For big businesses it does, they have the resouces to develop and support open source. Those who are smaller especially small teams have nothing to gain from open source ... if they open source their tech ... their largest competitor can take the application and support it ... the smaller company loses out almost immediately.
As for Software patents ... say If I am a sole developer and I develop an application and it is closed source ... how do I protect my the main selling point (assuming it is good) of say google or microsoft just taking the idea and creating their own ... they have many times the magnitude of resource???
Software patents could kill this golden goose ... yet there are people still who somehow champion software patents. That is rather like barracking for the casino bosses and saying "ha ha" to the gamblers who suicide ...
No it isn't ... you compairing suicide to a business asking for money that they are legally entitled to isn't directly comparable ... this is batshit insane to make that connection ... I honestly wonder whether you live in the real world at all.
One is tragic ... the other one is business ... other than the handing over of some cash money there is no loss in human life ... do you actually think before you write this drivel?
In order to counter the argument that software patents are an economic burden rather than an economic boon (as some people like to pretend), you must read, understand and make intelligent comment on these topics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_scarcity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadweight_loss
Until you demonstrate a point against these concepts, you have NOT established any case for software patents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_scarcity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadweight_loss
Until you demonstrate a point against these concepts, you have NOT established any case for software patents.
I have already addressed an example where software patents might actually be beneficial above.
HoweverI wasn't arguing for or against software patents ... I was actually arguing that you cannot compare various social problems like addiction to software patents ...
RE[8]: Patents are patents
by pantheraleo on Wed 6th Jul 2011 18:35
in reply to "RE[7]: Patents are patents"
The parallels with software patents are pretty clear. There is an alternative software industry called FOSS that pays programmers, produces innovative world-class software and reduces costs for everyone
Not this tired old argument again.... Name me one piece of "innovative world-class" software that has come out of FOSS. The vast majority of FOSS are clones of commercial products... And often rather poor clones with little documentation at that.
The potential economic benefit to the entire economony is absolutely enormous.
The UNIX companies that no longer exist, and the UNIX programmers that lost their jobs because commercial UNIX could no longer compete against a free alternative might beg to disagree with you about the benefits of FOSS to the economy... At least to their economy... Just sayin'...





Member since:
2009-08-18
Nobody forced them to gamble ... they didn't get ripped off ... most Casinos even explain the odds of you winning at any particular game ... if they still continue ... knowing that the odds are stacked against you ... that is their fault.
If you are talking about the problems of addiction they are too complex to talk here ... but ...
Many things in life one can get addicted to and it can be harmful ... Food, Alcohol, Sex, Drugs etc etc ... should we ban them all?
Every adult is responsible for theirselves ... Children should be protected from these things ... but adults make their own choices ... and everyone has a choice how much they want to indulge in these things, if at all.
No-one is forcing anyone to go into a casino, bookmakers or sit at a fruitmachine ... much like nobody forces an alcoholic to go to the off-license.
Nobody is ripping anyone off.
No it doesn't.
Edited 2011-07-06 00:23 UTC