...Fry's makes you go to hell and back to justify returning a computer component...
I've never had a problem returning anything to Fry's here in Las Vegas.
I've dealt with my share of insolent, arrogant sales staff, but I've also been served by knowledgeable, helpful and friendly people in the same store.
I've probably cost the company several hundred dollars in time, effort and restock/resale-losses on my returns while
using their parts to troubleshoot some nagging problem.
It will transform the music industry, making it less lucrative at least for a while.
This is a very interesting point. What will happen - assuming the entertainment industry doesn't prevail and end up handicapping all digital electronic devices and criminalizing behavior of which they don't approve - is the end of mega-rich entertainment folk.
There really is no reason why someone like Sylvester Stallone should earn $50M for a movie - that was the result of the formerly artificial scarcity of copies of movies.
Instead of destroying the promise of future technical advances and business models, the entertainment industry is going to have to come to grips with this reality: More people will make more entertainment for smaller individual audiences. These people will, based on their talents, end up splitting the formerly egregious "scarcity" profits amongst themselves, with less left over for dinosaur "moguls" and "superstars".
1)The tax is negligible - no more than 2% of the total connection cost
2)The taxpayer is shielded from prosecution under copyright law and may download/upload copyrighted material at will.
Let the artists and the corporations fight the government over the cash and the rest of us can enjoy the internet without the threat of inane litigation.
(I am an artist and I derive income from my work. I agree wholeheartedly with the Masnick Doctrine)
The Mainstream Media Has No Shortage Of Resources...
...with which to annoy the public.
It would be funny to watch Old Media execs blather on about what an exciting new "space" the internet is if they weren't, at the same time, desperately trying to neuter it.
The sooner the corporations team up with the government and turn the internet into an extension of TV, the sooner we'll be done with embarrassing episodes like this.
Whoever thought that giving the public the ability to comment, discuss and share technology was definitely high.
Personally, as a struggling, procrastinating artist, I prefer automatic copyright which expires in 5-20 years.
I think most of the problems with copyright stem from allowing corporations to perpetuate copyright on works created by dead people.
Work created by/for a corporate entity with its copyright assigned to the corporation would expire 5 years after its creation.
If the copyright stayed in an individual's name, then the copyright would have to be renewed after 20 years, but only by the artist him/herself.
I think this strikes a great balance between corporate content, which should be dynamic and have a fast turnover and individually created content which (from personal experience) can take a long time to develop and bring to fruition.
However, actually taking advantage of what the technology allows, and making it so everyone can benefit, and you've run afoul of copyright law. Luckily, the majority overruled this tortured reasoning.
That is probably the biggest impact of modern information technology - Illuminating the dark corners of reason that hold that somehow only "corporations", "journalists", "experts", what-have-you are the only ones who should be allowed to create, manipulate and distribute information.
It is truly disturbing that the "broadcast" mentality so alive and well and that so many otherwise intelligent people can't seem to grasp that the this type of thinking is truly archaic.
Even if The A.P. sets standards, bloggers could choose to use more content than its standards permit, and then The A.P. would have to decide whether to take legal action against them.
Oops. Guess I should have read the whole thing before commenting
Has anyone else noticed that, in the linked NY Times article, there is absolutely no question that the AP gets to decide it's own "Fair Use" policy?
The article is written with the assumption that fair use is, in fact, up to the whim of the traditional news media, and not a bargain in which the American people are equal partners.
As an avid bicycle rider on city streets, I can assure you that just about any automobile, regardless of propulsion, weighing a ton or more, moving faster than 5MPH is making enough noise to be heard.
And my hearing is not quite as acute as I have read a blind person's is.
Did the printing press cause these kinds of continuous, major disruptions?
I suppose the scribe's guild probably had a collective coronary, but Jesus, stories like this are an astounding and somewhat frightening glimpse into the narrowness of some people's perceptions.
Speaking of Jesus, perhaps Gutenberg got something of a "pass" because the first thing he printed were copies of a bible.
Let's just say that they somehow manage to seriously curtail file-swapping over the internet.
What's to stop everyone who's pissed about it from just buying cheap thumbdrives, putting tons of content on them and then just leaving them lying around?
(Thank you, Trent Reznor)
What happens when 1GB thumbdrives cost less than a dollar? This would be so much fun!
If my car's going to refuse to let me drive, then it damn well better be able to do it itself.
Actually, I'd love to own a car that I could pile into with a bunch of friends after drinking all evening and have it take us wherever we want. Awesome.
On the post: Fry's Exec Funnelled $65 Million To Himself For Gambling Debts
Just Have to Say
I've never had a problem returning anything to Fry's here in Las Vegas.
I've dealt with my share of insolent, arrogant sales staff, but I've also been served by knowledgeable, helpful and friendly people in the same store.
I've probably cost the company several hundred dollars in time, effort and restock/resale-losses on my returns while using their parts to troubleshoot some nagging problem.
On the post: If You Sell An Unlimited Plan, Why Are You Telling Me It Will Be Limited?
Another Unfortunate Use of "Limited"
On the post: If You Sell An Unlimited Plan, Why Are You Telling Me It Will Be Limited?
Another Unfortunate Use of "Limited"
On the post: Yes, Actually, Music Can Be Free
Re: not speaking the same language
This is a very interesting point. What will happen - assuming the entertainment industry doesn't prevail and end up handicapping all digital electronic devices and criminalizing behavior of which they don't approve - is the end of mega-rich entertainment folk.
There really is no reason why someone like Sylvester Stallone should earn $50M for a movie - that was the result of the formerly artificial scarcity of copies of movies.
Instead of destroying the promise of future technical advances and business models, the entertainment industry is going to have to come to grips with this reality: More people will make more entertainment for smaller individual audiences. These people will, based on their talents, end up splitting the formerly egregious "scarcity" profits amongst themselves, with less left over for dinosaur "moguls" and "superstars".
On the post: Italian Authors Want A 'You Must Be A Pirate' Tax On All DSL Connections
Equitable?
1)The tax is negligible - no more than 2% of the total connection cost
2)The taxpayer is shielded from prosecution under copyright law and may download/upload copyrighted material at will.
Let the artists and the corporations fight the government over the cash and the rest of us can enjoy the internet without the threat of inane litigation.
(I am an artist and I derive income from my work. I agree wholeheartedly with the Masnick Doctrine)
On the post: Officials In Hong Kong Arrest 14-Year-Old For Music Sharing
Anybody Here Wanna Give me $5k for my MP3 Player?
According to the recording industry, these tunes are worth about $1 apiece.
How about $1k and I'll throw in the little velcro pouch?
On the post: Retailers Blame eBay For Driving Good People To Shoplift
Unless...
On the post: The Mainstream Media Has No Shortage Of Resources
I Thought You Were Going to Say...
...with which to annoy the public.
It would be funny to watch Old Media execs blather on about what an exciting new "space" the internet is if they weren't, at the same time, desperately trying to neuter it.
On the post: Credit Card Companies Gagged Mythbusters Over RFID Vulnerabilities?
Enough Already
Whoever thought that giving the public the ability to comment, discuss and share technology was definitely high.
Honestly.
On the post: How About Five Year Renewable Copyrights With A Use-It-Or-Lose-It Clause?
In My Lousy Opinion
I think most of the problems with copyright stem from allowing corporations to perpetuate copyright on works created by dead people.
Work created by/for a corporate entity with its copyright assigned to the corporation would expire 5 years after its creation.
If the copyright stayed in an individual's name, then the copyright would have to be renewed after 20 years, but only by the artist him/herself.
I think this strikes a great balance between corporate content, which should be dynamic and have a fast turnover and individually created content which (from personal experience) can take a long time to develop and bring to fruition.
On the post: Court Says CD-ROMs Of Magazine Archives Don't Violate Copyrights Of Article Authors
That is probably the biggest impact of modern information technology - Illuminating the dark corners of reason that hold that somehow only "corporations", "journalists", "experts", what-have-you are the only ones who should be allowed to create, manipulate and distribute information.
It is truly disturbing that the "broadcast" mentality so alive and well and that so many otherwise intelligent people can't seem to grasp that the this type of thinking is truly archaic.
On the post: Associated Press Digs Its Own Grave Deeper; Wants To Create Its Own Fair Use Rules
Never Mind
Oops. Guess I should have read the whole thing before commenting
On the post: Associated Press Digs Its Own Grave Deeper; Wants To Create Its Own Fair Use Rules
To the Core
The article is written with the assumption that fair use is, in fact, up to the whim of the traditional news media, and not a bargain in which the American people are equal partners.
Just serves to show how deep the delusion goes...
On the post: Your Electric Vehicle Is Too Quiet; Congress May Force It To Be Louder
This is Stupid
And my hearing is not quite as acute as I have read a blind person's is.
Maybe this is for blind DEAF people?
On the post: If Consumers Will Pay $50 To Remove It, What's It Doing There In The First Place?
Hey, It's a New Year
On the post: Comcast Tests DVR That Watches You... Literally
On the post: West Virginia Tax Official Tries To Stop Website From Posting Public Tax Maps
Does anyone know?
I suppose the scribe's guild probably had a collective coronary, but Jesus, stories like this are an astounding and somewhat frightening glimpse into the narrowness of some people's perceptions.
Speaking of Jesus, perhaps Gutenberg got something of a "pass" because the first thing he printed were copies of a bible.
Sheesh.
On the post: A Modest Proposal: ISPs Should Stop Any Activity That Hurts A Business Model
Possible Future
What's to stop everyone who's pissed about it from just buying cheap thumbdrives, putting tons of content on them and then just leaving them lying around?
(Thank you, Trent Reznor)
What happens when 1GB thumbdrives cost less than a dollar? This would be so much fun!
On the post: The Internet Is Making It Hard To Be A Gangster
Suggestion...
On the post: 'Autonomous' Driving Could Turn The Old-Fashioned Kind Into A Hobby
Bring It!
If my car's going to refuse to let me drive, then it damn well better be able to do it itself.
Actually, I'd love to own a car that I could pile into with a bunch of friends after drinking all evening and have it take us wherever we want. Awesome.
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