Posts by Chris Derson

Microsoft Windows patent will spy for advertisers

Google bashing...

Just scanned the posts, and I tend to agree with the thought that this won't be included in Office - way too much scope for backlash. I can't imagine a European bank/qango/govt. service/police force etc risking running foul of any DP laws, and the whole OpenDoc/OpenXML flap indicates MS will do pretty much anything to keep Govt contracts.

I don't buy the ad-ware bashing theory either. MS may talk that talk, but they want us to buy their anti-crapware crapware, they don't want to pay lawyers to clog up the courts - no proft for them (I don't think MS count 'goodwill' as proft).

I reckon that this is a move in the Google war, and probably aimed more at grabbing share-holders attention than developing product. That and sniffing around at the advertising market. This smells a lot like pre-FUD dis-information to me: "Hey, we're gonna take 'Adwords' out with our patent portfolio - better talk to us before Google go bust...", or similar.

Jonathan King in Harold Shipman song rumpus

Another 'poster with problems'.

Simple message: Mr King committed an extremely serious criminal offence. He was aware that his actions were criminal at the time. He was tried and convicted fairly by a court of law - not the media and not the police.

By committing this crime he has involved his victims in a process that they did _not_ consent to, nor could they be reasonably be expected to be able to deal with or foresee. It may be that, as adults, they are comfortable with their past - but Mr King could not have known that this would be the case at the time.

More importantly he was old enough and wise enough to accept that prosection was a possible and plausible outcome.

So, please, don't try and claim this is a moral grey area.

Oh, and "no harm in stoking up a bit of controversy"? Well, if were talking about Tracey Emin's 'art' then no. No harm at all.

Raking up the emotional pain and anguish of rape victims, or child abuse victims and the families and friends of murder victims? Yes. You cause a lot of harm Mr King. More than you can possibly know. Clearly more than you care about.

Fancy an earful? Click here for tech support

Had to check again....

...and now feel suitably foolish. I could justify my earlier blindness by waffling on about good UI design, and the use of colour/font/size changes to highlight section changes, but I'll just eat a little humble pie instead.

Had to check...

...and there is no download section in the LHS menu bar thingy.