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Comment Re:If MariaDB Cared (Score 1) 200

They used the AGPL for the server, but also told their users that it would not affect client code (the applications the users write). As a result, it was rather unclear whether you would even have to distribute modified server sources if you offered a public database service using the software.

Furthermore, the AGPL is only a deterrent against competition if the competition needs to modify the source code and does not want to share the modifications (assuming the the source code disclosure obligation actually kicks in at all). Neither of the cited organizations is vehemently opposed to sharing source code, so I do not think the AGPL (even applied as intended, which the original authors of the database software did not do) actually deters commercial competition here. It probably would not have prevented revenue seeping towards third parties offering services related to the software, either.

Comment Re:How come html5 but not on firefox? (Score 1) 71

HTML 5 video has many mechanisms to restrict media access based on client properties. For example, there is a robustness parameter which implementations are expected to evaluate according to their perceived ability to prevent user-controlled access to content.

I suspect that Widevine (the DRM plugin used by Firefox) did not provide a robustness level on Linux which Netflix was comfortable with. To a degree, this is still ongoing. I think the maximum resolution you can get on Linux still is 720p, while Windows will go to at 1080p at least.

Comment Re:Won't everything need to be recompiled? (Score 1) 85

Future efforts are likely to concentrate on the ppc64le architecture variant, which is little endian. There are still some differences to x86_64 at the C level (chars are unsigned by default, but you can compile with -fsigned-char), but it is reportedly not too difficult to port over C/C++ application code.

Comment Re:What's the point of the NSA knowing everything? (Score 1) 569

The NSA capabilities are still classified (leaks do not change that). Using classified capabilities for law enforcement purposes is difficult, both for operation reasons (you don't want to document publicly what is possible) and legal reasons (parallel construction is required to avoid disclosure).

Comment Ask others with the same condition (Score 1) 100

It is likely that your friend is not alone with her condition. Try to discuss it with others who are affected, and who have already been through the stages that lay ahead of her. People with motor control issues successfully use vertical mice, touch screens, keys for navigation, gaze trackers, voice recognition, non-standard input methods such as the Dasher accessibility tool, or tailored input methods.

Comment Content library? (Score 2) 437

Does the U.S. version of Netflix really use a library model, where they strive to keep content available indefinitely? Video streaming services here in Germany continually change the content they are offering, so it's more like a TV with very many channels and random access, and not really a replacement for a collection of your favorite movies and shows.

Comment Bad analogy (Score 5, Insightful) 185

An Argentinian chef is more likely to make great sushi than a Japanese automotive engineer.

You generally want to use programming languages designed by experienced programmers (even better, experienced language designers) who work closely with subject matter experts. Left to their own devices, experts are likely to get a lot of things wrong, and if the language is sufficiently popular, you are stuck with their mistakes for a long time to come.

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