dave's blog

This clever info graphic provides a brief overview of the problem of patents in the US, particularly software patents, and the threat posed by NPEs (Non-Practising Entities), companies who hold patents (bought from innovative companies) with the sole purpose of generating revenue by suing (or threatening to sue) other companies, for a settlement and/or a royalty-based licensing agreement.

Some of you might've seen the recent foray into the complex issue of software patents on television. The heroic attempt was made by The Court Report on Channel 7, but it's really not the sort of discussion that's suited to a 5 minute collection of sound bites. It needs more like an hour long in depth expose to set the scene, providing suitable background explanation, and then demonstrate the total idioticy of software patents.

If you want to create lists with legal style numbering, here's a way to do it. It's quick, clean, and tidy. It results in lists that automatically do this sort of thing:

1. Section

    1.1 Clause

        1.1.1 Sub-Clause

            1.1.1.1 Sub-Sub-Clause

And here's some sample HTML Code:

Attached File: 

legal-list-sample.html

legal-lists.css

A few years ago, I had never even thought about software patents. I had started a company which produced commercial software in 1998, and working on it was still occupying most of my thoughts and creative energy. To me, the proposition was straight forward: sell the service of crafting business solutions from free and open source software (FOSS) components. We add as little or as much code as required to ensure that our software solutions fit our customers' requirements.

Cat stacking

The heroic practice of coordination or organising ("wrangling") obstreperous or otherwise uncooperative agents into a consistent, coherent pattern or unit e.g. wrestling those time sheets into a semblance of order was an exercise in cat stacking if ever there was one.

Just wanted to make sure that I claimed this term on behalf of myself and my colleagues who (we believe) coined it at Egressive where the term is in common use.

As a FOSS software developer in Christchurch, I have a strong interest in software patents - specifically their exclusion from patentability in New Zealand. What's more, I think that the NZICT Group Inc might be overstepping its authority...

Yesterday (28 August), Microsoft engaged in a stunning example of "truthiness" with their full page ad in the Dominion Post, Wellington's daily newspaper. They appeal to kiwi nationalism and the desire to "protect our heritage" and "secure our future" by supporting their OOXML file format for international standardisation. It would be laughable if they weren't so serious about it.

Hello TV3 and Target. I was extremely unimpressed by Target's recent (3 Nov 2009) segment on "Piracy". Aside from the fact that the segment pandered entirely to the corporate interests (as opposed to the creative artists) of so called "rights holders", it also used very misleading, and in fact, incorrect language.

Looks like my favourite corporation is at it again. Microsoft have announced a gift of "$1.4 million dollars worth" of Microsoft software to the Barnardos childcare charity. Like their widely promoted TechSoup program - which allows charitable organisations and other non-profits to acquire MS software for a mere "administration fee", it's great to see Microsoft's great beneficence to the poor under resourced voluntary sector...

Original blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/uspublicsector/archive/2009/07/17/open-government-...