Computer
Info –
(** obtain handouts at http://www.hdprint.co.uk/ftp/florida **)
This Week’s Program
John Watkins is back and will be
hosting the meeting today. The topic
will be a question and answer session dealing with Windows XP. So bring your questions.
Special Notice
The
library will be replacing the carpeting in the main library area during the
first two weeks of May – therefore, they will be moving all of the books to the
auditorium. So, there will be no meeting
on May 8th and May 15th.
Kazaa Review by ZDNet
(
ZDNet
News revealed last week that KaZaa bundles piggyback
software that could allow third parties to use your computer to distribute
their own content. Even if you're savvy
enough to disable the extra software, you can't opt out of installing it, and
we can't endorse any application that abuses the trust of its users
Granted,
peer-to-peer file-swapping applications have long pushed the boundaries of
tolerability. Take iMesh, for example, which includes
software that reports your site visits to a central server, and BearShare Kazaa installs software from Brilliant Digital
Entertainment that allows Brilliant to use your computer as a node in a giant
network, distributing software for other companies or aiding with complicated
computing tasks. It's hard to get too outraged.
KaZaa is, after all, a free app designed to
let you download files that are also free. However, you can't opt out of Brilliant
Digital's piggyback app. That's simply wrong.
The
install wizard lists four optional pieces of software that don't have anything
to do with KaZaa but that do deliver ads. You can't
opt out of Brilliant Digital's app.