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Letters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 stereotyped. Why do you hate us so much? You’re making it way too easy for us to think you’re just mad that you’re not honors students. Your ill will is starting to sound like the projection of your frustrations onto the nearest scapegoats: honors students. Your hate letters aren’t as cathartic as you want them to be, but instead stir up further ire, fueling the schism between an already powerless student population. If we really want a voice in housing decisions, we need to cease the name-calling. It takes attention away from those in power fend weakens our already slim chances of changing university policy. JULIE K. MILLIGAN FOURTH-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT Chinese cared more about Sept. 11 In regards to Angela Diamond’s column last month, I have the same impression of Americans and their attitudes toward the world. They only care about themselves or things directly related to them. However, I’m surprised to know there are Americans like Diamond who have such foresight. After Sept. 11, it seemed more Chinese cared about the event than Americans (I’m from China). Diamond’s opinion is really great. She should run for U.S. president. HONGFEN LI GRADUATE CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT ' ' Sen. Hollings’ bill is next ‘Big Brother’ Sen. Fritz Hollings has introduced a bill known as the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act m that would force the electronics industry to embed copy protection software into everything digital. That includes cell phones, MP3 players, CD players, televisions and anything else with a microprocessor. In the digital industry of today, the code that operates your “objects-of-digital” comes from a variety of sources, but mainly from some commercial -software firm. However, there are other sources, such as the bored unemployed programmer. Remember your beloved Napster? That program was the product of a programmer with nothing but free time and an idea. If the CBDTPA passes, in less than three years, all code released would have to have U.S. government-approved copy protection software imbedded inside. The copy-protection software I’m referring to would inhibit any programmer from releasing non-government-approved code from being shared with any other computer. Those days of sharing MP3s with your friends would be over. Even if those MP3s are of your own musical creation, you wouldn’t have the right to share it. If you were to write a program of your own and actually had it approved and copyrighted, you wouldn’t have the rights to late distribute newer versions of your own code. Wait, there’s more. Because the United States seems to be the only country considering such ridiculous judicial actions, the CBDTPA would greatly prohibit file-sharing with anyone outside U.S. borders. Anyone living outside would continue to have free use of unapproved software. However, anyone living within U.S. borders wouldn’t be allowed to download any copy-protection free software produced by anyone elsewhere. So, if you purchased a version of Linux (or any other open-source-based OS) that had code written from outside the United States and didn’t contain copy-protection software, you would to face criminal penalties, which would range from a heavy fine ($250 to $25,000) to a possible prison sentence. This is the closest our government has ever come to becoming “Big Brother.” This goes above and beyond all forms of control it has ever instituted. Please do something to prevent this. E mail Hollings. Tell everyone that your rights are being flushed away. The battle of digital rights was small when it was being fought against the MPAA concerning Napster and free file sharing. That battle was lost. Whether CBDTPA is passed or not very well could determine who wins the war of open source. MARGARET HARRIS FIRST-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT Submission Policy Letters to the editor should be less than 300 words and include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. Send letters to the editor to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. Letters will be edited. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information. ou § g Cheerleading Tryouts April 4-6: 2002 APRIL 4&5: 5-9PM APRIL 6: lOAM Help Save A Life - Donate Plasma Today. It's The Right Thing To Do! And Each Month You Can Earn Up To $180 BIOLIFE PLASMA SERVICES 803.254.6683 1916 Taylor Street* Columbia, SC 29201 We Want YOU to Quit Smoking! k Health & Wellness is offering a smoking cessation support group. (Grant funded free medication) Mondays & Wednesdays April 8th - April 24th 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. To register, call 296-CARE or 777-8248 for more info. Student Health Services "Department of Housing & Student Development* Division of Student & Alumni Services * ^AY GRADUATES - ORDER NOW FREE CAP, GOWN, AND TASSEL WITH BASIC OR DELUXE PACKAGE FROM BALFOUR - SAVE $34.00 (MAYBE MORE!!!) ^gg^ BASIC PACKAGE ^ $59.50 INCLUDES 25 ANNOUNCEMENTS & ENVELOPES 25 THANK YOU NOTES 25 GOLD ENVELOPE SEALS 60 RETURN ADDRESS LABELS NO SHIPPING CHARGES!! - 6-8 DAY DEUVERY COMPARE PRICES!! UNDERGRAD CAP, GOWN & TASSELS (with tax): Lb--11" I I MASTERS AND DOCTORS CAN SAVE TOO! II WE ARE NO LONGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE RUSSELL HOUSE BOOKSTORE. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED THROUGH THE BALFOUR OFFICE/STORE. BALFOUR -1 609 BLOSSOM STREET (NEAR THE CORNER OF PICKENS & BLOSSOM) PHONE ORDERS ACCEPTED WITH MC/VISA 803-254-5330 OR 1 -800-526-0290 CONVENIENT PARKING OPEN DAILY 8:30-4:30