News and Views
by Late Nite LeRoy
May 15, 2000
Mouse Cries Wolf
Why does a new mouse for my computer come with a 4 page legal contract that I have to accept before it will work? But ALL computer software comes with these "acceptance agreements" you say. However, when you read them, it merely says they aren't responsible for any damage their software or hardware causes if you try to use it.
Is there any wonder why we live in the most IRRESPONSIBLE generation in the history of the country. Not only are the social liberals refusing to blame the real causes of problems, it is being written into the legal contracts we must accept just to make our computers work.
In my years as a stock broker, I had to confront the dreaded "prospectus" that came with every public security. Fortunately the Securities Exchange Commission set down rules and guidelines that a prospectus has to follow. This was to prevent scamsters from snowing the public with irrelevant details in order to hide fraud. As much as I dislike big government and too much legislation, I fear it is time something be done to make these software companies follow a similar guideline with these lengthy acceptance agreements so we can find out to just what we are agreeing.
I don't have any web links to suggest with this article. But using a mouse is pretty basic for all of us to access the Internet at all. My old mouse burned out a bearing and I had to confront installing a new state of the art USB/PS2 optical mouse with scroll dial and tail light. It became obvious Bill Gates had buddies in college who majored in law that he has to keep employed whether needed or not.
But just like the tail light on my new mouse is there only because the unit had to have an internal light for the optical system to work, so a designer bled off the excess light into the tail light just for looks, so apparently the software companies do the same to utilize excess attorney time by writing these outrageous acceptance agreements while they are in between monopoly hearings.
--LateNiteLeroy
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