Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
from the care-to-comment dept
This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is Toom1275 with a response to Universal Music's copyright claim over a public domain song:
And this is the kind of thing that is accurately described by the term "copyright theft" - using copyright as an excuse to steal the work of others.
In second place, it's Thad with a simple response to Macmillan's war on libraries:
Pirates, as always, are unaffected.
For editor's choice on the insightful side, we start out with an anonymous comment that delivered an important update to the Macmillan story:
KCLS boycotts Macmillan Publishers’ eBook embargo
KCLS is the King County, Washington Library System. It has 50 libraries and serves more than one million residents.
KCLS boycotts Macmillan Publishers’ eBook embargo
Effective November 1, 2019, the King County Library System (KCLS) will no longer purchase newly released eBooks from Macmillan Publishers . . .
King County in Washington state, includes a large portion the Seattle metro area. KCLS is, however, a separate system from the Seattle Public Library (SPL). Nevertheless, KCLS is one of the busiest public library systems in the U.S., and in 2018—
For the fifth year in a row, KCLS was named the top digital circulating public library system in the country, with 4.8 million checkouts of eBook and audiobook downloads– a 23 percent increase over 2017.
Next, we've got Bloof responding to the latest failed attempt at suing for defamation over being called a racist:
Well, if there's one thing we all know by now it's that filing and losing a lawsuit over being called a racist is a surefire way to get people to stop calling you one, and surely isn't going to get the fact you're known for being a racist douchebag repeated across the internet until the end of time.
Seriously though, if you don't want to be called a racist douchebag, stop being racist douchebags. It's not hard, the vast majority of humanity manage to live their lives without making monkey noises and smashing watermelons to taunt African Americans.
Over on the funny side, our first place winner is Stephen T. Stone responding to that same lawsuit, and specifically to the argument that the behavior wasn't racist, it was a reference to the movie Castaway:
This is so much of a reach that it could be one of Dhalsim’s moves in a Street Fighter game.
In second place, it's an anonymous response to various silly proposals about hobbling libraries' use of digital materials to preserve some "original purpose":
The purpose of libraries is not to cut down trees and store paper. It is to store stone and clay tablets.
STOP INNOVATING TOO QUICKLY
For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out with an anonymous response to the notion that Universal Music's takedown of public domain material is okay because the notice only says it "may" contain unauthorized material:
It also "may" have turned him into a newt.
And finally, we've got Stephen T. Stone with a response to someone who suggested Twitter aim to filter out "someone who cannot read, write, speak in complete sentences, or express coherent thoughts":
How dare you suggest Twitter do something about @dril.
That's all for this week, folks!
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Modal Verb(knew there had to be a verb for this)
A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is: likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. Modal verbs always accompany the base (infinitive) form of another verb having semantic content.
In English, the modal verbs commonly used are can, could, may, might, must, will, would, shall, should, ought to, had better, "have to" and sometimes need or dare.
epistemic modality, concerned with the theoretical possibility of propositions being true or not true (including likelihood and certainty)
deontic modality, concerned with possibility and necessity in terms of freedom to act (including permission and duty)
dynamic modality,[2] which may be distinguished from deontic modality in that, with dynamic modality, the conditioning factors are internal – the subject's own ability or willingness to act[3]
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Wow...
An ECA post that's actually readable. Ah, it's entirely a copy and paste job. That explains why the only derp is in the subject line.
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Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries
Speaking of updates to the story…
As Macmillan declares its war against libraries and library readers — has anyone heard news whether authors are eager to sign on as footsoldiers and cannon-fodder in this combat?
That article linked Macmillan's letter to authors, but have authors written back to the corporation? Do authors march forward, yelling, “Hooray for embargo!” ?
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Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries
Given the greed and combative nature of the publisher I imagine most authors signed to them are keeping their heads down lest they incur some 'contract re-negotiations'.
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Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries
It would be interesting to contact all eligible authors to suggest that they exercise their right reversion, like:
https://www.authorsalliance.org/2019/11/12/rights-reversion-opening-classic-works-to-new-globa l-audiences/
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Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Librar
Following along the lines of That One Guy's suggestion, the Macmillan corporation, under the leadership of its CEO John Sargent, may issue strict decrees to all its troops against any ‘fraternization with the enemy.’
You don't want any authors shot, do you?
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Famous writers and artists are millionaires because of copyright. The bitter ones, who never made it, can't stand this and blame the "industry" for doing exactly what makes those who succeed wealthy. The talent gets paid UP FRONT when they deserve to, so their work can't be "stolen" as they have the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, etc. protecting their employment rights.
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Re:
Wrong, famous authors and artists are millionaires because their work resonated with an audience, and lots of people bought it.
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Piracy exists. Writers and artists still make money despite that fact. Copyright isn’t nearly as important to financial success as you claim, and you’d have to do one hell of a job in convincing me otherwise.
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The bitter ones... [was Re:
“The industry” being there always, in the thoughts of the bitter ones, the Hollywood-Military-Industrial-Library-eReader complex.
To give “the industry” its full due. In all its cold electric complexity. The bitter ones never made it there.
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Re: The bitter ones... [was Re:
Go back to bed. You're sleep-posting again.
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Re: Wow...
But those are the words we look for, or tend to find with there is a chance that you are going to be Upset/screwed...
Ever read Legalese as a programming language?? Love all the flaws..
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Yes so it's fine...
So the skills gets paid more soon or more later when people are deserved and able to receive that. So I agree with everything you said. By the way I don't saw any sentece related to any racist behavior so don't worry.
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Re:
So since you never made it, you're bitter? Thanks for own-goaling yourself again, John Smith.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Li
Considering that for 87 % of professional writers (in UK) their main source of income is something other than writing, and a large majority get negligible amounts in royalties, statistically there is a very high chance that any author you write to has nothing to lose rom their publisher getting angry at them.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/27/publishers-pay-writers-pittance-philip-pullman-a ntony-beevor-sally-gardner
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Agains
Authors have something significant to lose if their publishers go to war against them, and that is the availability of their published works. If they are working on a series, do they continue with it if their publisher has withdrawn earlier volumes from the market?
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Re: Re:
Correct, it's a popularity thing, not a rental thing.
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