"Recommendation does not actually dictate any DRM, it provides a hole in the specifications labeled "DRM magic happens here"."
That's correct. It's also why literally the only argument for why this should be part of the HTML standard is complete bullshit. The argument in favor is that by doing this, browser plugins will no longer be needed to access DRM'd stuff, since it will be standardized.
But that's just a lie -- it will not be standardized. All this does is standardize a brand new plugin system, so everything ends up just as it was without the standard.
I disagree, but this is a bit of a sideshow argument. For my entire career, when speed restrictions have been placed on network pipes, that has been called "throttling" even if those pipes begin and end in the same organization. It has no more negative connotations than "killing" a process.
I do this and recommend it highly. Not only does it allow you to easily block in-app ads, it also allows you to run a firewall on your phone that will prevent unwanted communications both to and from any apps you have installed, so you can not only get rid of the ads, you can also stop apps from phoning home.
The ability to do this is the only thing that makes smartphones acceptable to me.
That's a pretty large fault, though. An even larger fault is that there is no way for the customer to tell Netflix they would prefer to have higher streaming rates.
I think it's clear that Netflix made a misstep here. They may have had good intentions, but the execution is pretty bad.
I sure am, because of a simple calculus: I think that both Trump and Clinton are about equally bad for the nation. In very different ways of course (and several of the same ways).
But, in this case, it's not the consumer's traffic. It's under the legal control of Netflix and is coming from Netflix servers. I'm not sure how that equates.
What you're really complaining about is a company that has degraded the service that you're buying. That's a legitimate complaint, but it's not one that relates to network neutrality issues.
Particularly since you can easily just ditch Netflix and go with alternatives -- something that is impossible for many (most?) broadband customers.
"In fact, my mom once got a ticket for doing 70 in LA... NOT for speeding, but for impeding the flow of traffic."
That's the law in my state as well. My state is a "basic rule" state -- the correct speed to drive is not the one listed on the speed signs, but is the one that is the safest considering road conditions. That may be above or below the posted limit, and you can get a ticket for driving so fast or so slow that you are impeding or endangering other traffic.
The caveat: yes, it's technically possible to legally exceed the posted limits, but if you get a ticket when you're doing so, you'll have to prove in court that the speed you were driving was reasonable. In practice, that can be a difficult thing to do, since you have to document the road conditions at the time.
Oh, also, the production cost situation has changed enormously. In the old days, the cost of hardware was more important than the cost of software development. These days, hardware is almost free (comparatively speaking), so the "correct" business decision is to throw more transistors at a problem rather than engage in proper engineering.
It's an example of how the correct business solution can be a very incorrect solution overall.
"However, in the olden days when I was programming, my bosses only asked when the program was going to be done, not how I did the programming."
I'm a greybeard engineer myself, so I remember the same days you do. Things are not different so much these days in nature (businesses, by their very nature, focus on cost reduction and always have), but in degree.
They do, and it's more efficient to have a single hardware design that can work everywhere than to set up different designs for different markets.
It's done for the same reason that so many appliances use transformers that let them work on both 110 60Hz mains and 220 50Hz mains, even though that costs a bit more to manufacture. The savings in having a single design more than makes up for it.
"But now, "we hacked this phone" seems to be largely accepted. Why?"
I don't accept or reject the assertion. The FBI's word cannot be trusted, so there's no way I can determine how likely what they said is to be true.
But it also doesn't matter to me. I don't actually care one whit whether or not the feds manage to break into that phone. What I care about is preventing the feds from setting the precedent they were shooting for. Them dropping the case resolves that issue for me.
Although I completely expect that this will come up again. Next time, the feds will do their best to keep it out of the public eye.
On the post: Why Won't W3C Carve Security Research Out Of Its DRM-In-HTML 5 Proposal?
Re: Re
That's correct. It's also why literally the only argument for why this should be part of the HTML standard is complete bullshit. The argument in favor is that by doing this, browser plugins will no longer be needed to access DRM'd stuff, since it will be standardized.
But that's just a lie -- it will not be standardized. All this does is standardize a brand new plugin system, so everything ends up just as it was without the standard.
Except that HTML is made worse.
On the post: FCC Commissioner: Gov't Should Never Interfere In Private Markets...Unless ISPs Have A Chance To Mock Netflix
Re: Not Throttling
On the post: Why Won't W3C Carve Security Research Out Of Its DRM-In-HTML 5 Proposal?
Who?
The major corporations who have overwhelming power over the W3C, that's who.
On the post: FCC Commissioner: Gov't Should Never Interfere In Private Markets...Unless ISPs Have A Chance To Mock Netflix
Re: The problem...
On the post: Why Are People Using Ad Blockers? Ads Can Eat Up To 79% Of Mobile Data Allotments
Re: Re: Problem is, I use a lot of apps
The ability to do this is the only thing that makes smartphones acceptable to me.
On the post: The Cable Industry Wants Netflix Investigated... For Throttling Itself
Re:
On the post: The Cable Industry Wants Netflix Investigated... For Throttling Itself
Re:
I think it's clear that Netflix made a misstep here. They may have had good intentions, but the execution is pretty bad.
Poor job, Netflix.
On the post: Compare And Contrast: Treatment Of Thomas Drake & Hillary Clinton For Having Classified Info
Re: Let us clarify this:
On the post: The Cable Industry Wants Netflix Investigated... For Throttling Itself
Re: Re: Re: How long has this been going on?
What you're really complaining about is a company that has degraded the service that you're buying. That's a legitimate complaint, but it's not one that relates to network neutrality issues.
Particularly since you can easily just ditch Netflix and go with alternatives -- something that is impossible for many (most?) broadband customers.
On the post: Turkish Government Summons German Ambassador Because Of A Silly Satirical Video... That's Now Getting More Attention
He should sue himself
I'm waiting for him to take appropriate legal action.
On the post: Router Company Lazily Blocks Open Source Router Firmware, Still Pretends To Value 'Creativity'
Re:
On the post: In the Wake Of The Latest Terrorist Attacks, Here's A Rational Approach To Saving Lives
Re: Re:
That's the law in my state as well. My state is a "basic rule" state -- the correct speed to drive is not the one listed on the speed signs, but is the one that is the safest considering road conditions. That may be above or below the posted limit, and you can get a ticket for driving so fast or so slow that you are impeding or endangering other traffic.
The caveat: yes, it's technically possible to legally exceed the posted limits, but if you get a ticket when you're doing so, you'll have to prove in court that the speed you were driving was reasonable. In practice, that can be a difficult thing to do, since you have to document the road conditions at the time.
On the post: The Cable Industry Wants Netflix Investigated... For Throttling Itself
Re: How long has this been going on?
But it's not the same thing at all. Netflix is throttling it's own traffic, not other people's. It's an enormous difference.
On the post: Namespaces, Intellectual Property, Dependencies And A Big Giant Mess
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Is left-pad even good code?
It's an example of how the correct business solution can be a very incorrect solution overall.
On the post: Namespaces, Intellectual Property, Dependencies And A Big Giant Mess
Re: Re: Re: Re: Is left-pad even good code?
I'm a greybeard engineer myself, so I remember the same days you do. Things are not different so much these days in nature (businesses, by their very nature, focus on cost reduction and always have), but in degree.
On the post: In the Wake Of The Latest Terrorist Attacks, Here's A Rational Approach To Saving Lives
Re: Re: Re: Re: What does "instead" mean?
On the post: Why Are People Using Ad Blockers? Ads Can Eat Up To 79% Of Mobile Data Allotments
Re: GQ? Wired? Forbes?
I dunno who they think they are, but I know who I think they are -- they're nobodies to me, because they have rendered their sites worthless.
On the post: Router Company Lazily Blocks Open Source Router Firmware, Still Pretends To Value 'Creativity'
Re: Re: Powah to 11
It's done for the same reason that so many appliances use transformers that let them work on both 110 60Hz mains and 220 50Hz mains, even though that costs a bit more to manufacture. The savings in having a single design more than makes up for it.
On the post: DOJ To Court: We Got Into The iPhone, So Please Drop Our Demand To Force Apple To Help Us... This Time
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Nice security
Just because the lock on your front door can be bypassed using trivial methods (and it can) doesn't mean you should leave your key under the mat.
On the post: DOJ Says That The Crack Of Syed Farook's iPhone Only Applies To That Model Of iPhone
Re: Something I don't understand
I don't accept or reject the assertion. The FBI's word cannot be trusted, so there's no way I can determine how likely what they said is to be true.
But it also doesn't matter to me. I don't actually care one whit whether or not the feds manage to break into that phone. What I care about is preventing the feds from setting the precedent they were shooting for. Them dropping the case resolves that issue for me.
Although I completely expect that this will come up again. Next time, the feds will do their best to keep it out of the public eye.
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