It's an artificial problem. Cable companies can and do allow/restrict channels by individual customer.
That they require you to bundle ESPN or other unwanted channels with what you do want to watch, is not a technical problem with the medium. It's a business decision, akin to your internet provider allowing/restricting the most popular web sites according to what internet "bundles" you subscribe to.
In short, if ESPN offers a standalone version of ESPN, it only encourages customers to cut the cord and move to less expensive (and less profitable) alternatives. If ESPN doesn't give customers what they want, they'll cut the cord out of frustration.
The former reduces costs for the 58% who don't want ESPN, but do want other channels.
The latter is an "ESPN tax" raising the prices of other channels, driving consumers away from them. ESPN is effectively shouting "IF WE'RE GOING DOWN, WE'RE TAKING EVERYONE ELSE WITH US!!!"
How about when Obama released info about who and how Osama was killed? That was classified (and with good reason.)
Yup. Osama, the Taliban and the Pakistani government would never have found out about the attack otherwise. No-one would have connected the crashed stealth helicopter to the US or any attack. "Damned kids and their RC toys. Say, has anyone seen the neighbors lately?"
Perhaps I just read too much into it, but TechDirt does have a left-leaning slant.
It may seem that way during a Republican administration, just as it would seem the opposite during a Democratic administration. Whichever party is power gets the most criticism for obvious reasons.
See the First Word post by Mike Masnik, "I miss the good old days when CNN called us an "extreme right wing" blog."
Under Obama, negative articles here were titled along the lines of "FCC Adminsitrator...". NOW they're titled "Trump's FCC Administrator...", as if Trump is personally at fault for the actions of others.
A quick search on the Obama meta-tag shows that "Obama's _____" got plenty of use.
The articles weren't daily during the Obama administration, but they were often. Just like now.
Not AS often, because Obama wasn't constantly ranting - as Trump does - about the "failing New York Times", "Failing CNN", etc. Heck, he didn't even criticize Fox News as much as Trump does. He didn't declare "fake news" every time - and perhaps not ANY time - every time he was asked a legitimate question. He didn't make suing reporters or reigning them in with legislation a campaign promise.
He didn't engage in the Trump administration specialty: Accusing reporters of "fake news" for mentioning something that Trump himself said on camera or tweeted earlier that day.
Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler's collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed ... Hitler's speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist," Marie Brenner wrote.
Because I seem to remember an "October Surprise" - the FBI Director (and Republican) James Comey announcing on October 29th that he was reopening an investigation of Hillary's email server. Not because of wrongdoing by Hillary, but as part of the Anthony Weiner investigation.
Nothing that couldn't have been done quietly or waited a couple weeks. Unlike say, all the evidence of foreign interference in the election itself.
Re: Really? While another minion this morning screams about a public joke Pai made, you can find no worry in the FBI undermining the Presidency by knowing misrepresentations to secret FISA court?
Yup. Marvel paid for it, so Marvel owns it. The director doesn't have any rights to it any more than a programmer keeps the rights to any code written working for Microsoft.
When Babylon 5 ended, Babylonian Productions was required to turn over all their digital models and CGI effects to Warner Bros. They were not allowed to keep a copy.
The show was one of the first filmed in wide-screen. Though broadcast in 4:3, for wide-screen they had the original Super-35mm negatives and the CGI effects would be re-rendered from the existing models.
Soon it was time for a spin-off show and a wide-screen DVDs. But Warner had LOST the digital models and effects. So the CGI on the DVDs looks awful, having been merely stretched from 4:3. And Warner forgot that they had the original Super-35mm negatives for the live-action parts.
For the spin-off show, the B5 folks recovered some models given to Sierra Online for a video game.
More interestingly they put out a call and used digital models created independently by B5 fans. Which copyright maximalists would consider a crime, but ultimately saved money for the copyright owner.
Even if you accept that there was a real coup attempt, it's obvious those involved make up a only tiny percentage of the tens of thousands arrested.
Erdogan used it to clear all opposition - reporters and newspaper editors, teachers and professors, police and judges, mayors and other politicians, etc.
He used a failed coup as a pretense to launch his own, seizing totalitarian power.
People need to know that a vote for a third party isn't a spoiled ballot. They still have influence.
Even with only a small handful of seats in Congress, a third party would often be the deciding factor in many votes. The two main parties would have to make deals or form coalitions with the third party to get their majority or supermajority. And that means adopting a few of the third party's policies.
Or the one of the two main parties will see a third party's policy earning them a better spot in the polls, and they'll adopt it for themselves. And so the third party's policy gets enacted without the party being elected. It also makes the two main parties seem less like one party with two heads.
This is how it works in Canada. Some of the best Canadian administrations have been minority governments - governments where they have to make deals with the other parties to stay in power.
Granted, those third and 4th Canadian parties (like the NDP) often form provincial governments. So they have a source of experienced politicians who can run federally. The 2016 US Presidential candidates for the Libertarian and Green parties were a joke.
The independents in Congress prevented Obama from enacting a public health option in 2009, and then allowed him to enact the ACA. In Canada the NDP is credited for creating the public healthcare system, even though they've never run a federal government.
with respect to a person’s name that are inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
That's at least a small bit of sanity, even if impractical in reality.
Consider the Yellow Pages, once important, now little more than an online scam. But their information propagates to many other sites.
I once created an online parts lookup system for a lawnmower distributor. Now, 20 years later, having never worked for the lawnmower manufacturer itself, thanks to the Yellow Pages I'm listed on many sites as their IT Manager. The Yellow Pages has even tried to bill me. And I can't correct their information let alone talk to them without agreeing to a contract.
Meanwhile I live in the (name changed for privacy) Charleswood part of the city. In the Charleswood apartments, in the suite next to the caretaker's office (which has no door number.) So the Yellow Pages site has my suite# listed as the caretaker, and I get a lot of their mail. And the description for the business listing they have for my address is the one for the Charleswood Restaurant a block away.
Again, I can't correct their information let alone talk to them without agreeing to a contract.
There's already been some harm done, where the government thought I was running a business.
While it would invite abuse, there ought to be at least some pressure on companies to correct inaccurate listings. Not the search engines; but the original inaccurate sites.
As for search engines, at most there should be (and probably already is) a way to tell it to re-index the original inaccurate site once THEY make a correction.
I could go either way for sites that propagate junk data from places like the Yellow Pages with no plans or ability to re-index.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Knew Techdirt would deny, so here's a link that covers ALL:
In this case the police already had the neighbor's house under surveillance before getting that questionable intelligence. The questionable intelligence came not just from someone with an axe to grind, but families who wanted an intervention. (The Trump dossier was commissioned first by Republicans, and then by Democrats.)
The police are on record telling the judge that the new intelligence was questionable, but they already had plenty of other intelligence.
Far from not finding anything when they busted down the door, they've already made a couple arrests and are being seen carting meth lab equipment out the door.
On the post: ESPN Still Isn't Quite Getting The Message Cord Cutters Are Sending
Re: Re: $7 / month seems like a bargain
That they require you to bundle ESPN or other unwanted channels with what you do want to watch, is not a technical problem with the medium. It's a business decision, akin to your internet provider allowing/restricting the most popular web sites according to what internet "bundles" you subscribe to.
On the post: ESPN Still Isn't Quite Getting The Message Cord Cutters Are Sending
The former reduces costs for the 58% who don't want ESPN, but do want other channels.
The latter is an "ESPN tax" raising the prices of other channels, driving consumers away from them. ESPN is effectively shouting "IF WE'RE GOING DOWN, WE'RE TAKING EVERYONE ELSE WITH US!!!"
On the post: Techdirt, Volokh Conspiracy Targeted With Bogus Defamation Claim For Publishing A Bunch Of Facts
Normally this is where one would say "This is why you should leave _____ to the professionals."
In the case of reputation management, the pros aren't doing any better.
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re:
Yup. Osama, the Taliban and the Pakistani government would never have found out about the attack otherwise. No-one would have connected the crashed stealth helicopter to the US or any attack. "Damned kids and their RC toys. Say, has anyone seen the neighbors lately?"
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re: Re: Re: Whining again, Techdirt
It may seem that way during a Republican administration, just as it would seem the opposite during a Democratic administration. Whichever party is power gets the most criticism for obvious reasons.
See the First Word post by Mike Masnik, "I miss the good old days when CNN called us an "extreme right wing" blog."
A quick search on the Obama meta-tag shows that "Obama's _____" got plenty of use.
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whining again, Techdirt
Not AS often, because Obama wasn't constantly ranting - as Trump does - about the "failing New York Times", "Failing CNN", etc. Heck, he didn't even criticize Fox News as much as Trump does. He didn't declare "fake news" every time - and perhaps not ANY time - every time he was asked a legitimate question. He didn't make suing reporters or reigning them in with legislation a campaign promise.
He didn't engage in the Trump administration specialty: Accusing reporters of "fake news" for mentioning something that Trump himself said on camera or tweeted earlier that day.
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re: Re:
Yes, the Mein Kampf reference is out of line. It's Hitler's collected speeches, My New Order, that he keeps by his bed.
Business Insider:
Thank you for pointing this out.
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re: Whining again, Techdirt
Really? Which one?
Because I seem to remember an "October Surprise" - the FBI Director (and Republican) James Comey announcing on October 29th that he was reopening an investigation of Hillary's email server. Not because of wrongdoing by Hillary, but as part of the Anthony Weiner investigation.
Nothing that couldn't have been done quietly or waited a couple weeks. Unlike say, all the evidence of foreign interference in the election itself.
On the post: The Nunes Memo Has Effectively Destroyed Intelligence Oversight
Re: Really? While another minion this morning screams about a public joke Pai made, you can find no worry in the FBI undermining the Presidency by knowing misrepresentations to secret FISA court?
Same old claim, same old response:
Wikipedia: Links between Trump associates and Russian officials
133 citations.
Wikipedia: Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
407 citations.
On the post: Director Of Thor: Ragnarok Pirated Clips For His Sizzle Reel
Re:
Your point?
On the post: Director Of Thor: Ragnarok Pirated Clips For His Sizzle Reel
Re: Re: Re: Even I read this one TWO WEEKS AGO.
Yup. Marvel paid for it, so Marvel owns it. The director doesn't have any rights to it any more than a programmer keeps the rights to any code written working for Microsoft.
When Babylon 5 ended, Babylonian Productions was required to turn over all their digital models and CGI effects to Warner Bros. They were not allowed to keep a copy.
The show was one of the first filmed in wide-screen. Though broadcast in 4:3, for wide-screen they had the original Super-35mm negatives and the CGI effects would be re-rendered from the existing models.
Soon it was time for a spin-off show and a wide-screen DVDs. But Warner had LOST the digital models and effects. So the CGI on the DVDs looks awful, having been merely stretched from 4:3. And Warner forgot that they had the original Super-35mm negatives for the live-action parts.
For the spin-off show, the B5 folks recovered some models given to Sierra Online for a video game.
More interestingly they put out a call and used digital models created independently by B5 fans. Which copyright maximalists would consider a crime, but ultimately saved money for the copyright owner.
On the post: Single-Pixel Tracker Leads Paranoid Turkish Authorities To Wrongly Accuse Over 10,000 People Of Treason
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Erdogan used it to clear all opposition - reporters and newspaper editors, teachers and professors, police and judges, mayors and other politicians, etc.
He used a failed coup as a pretense to launch his own, seizing totalitarian power.
On the post: Single-Pixel Tracker Leads Paranoid Turkish Authorities To Wrongly Accuse Over 10,000 People Of Treason
I expect that next time, Trump will put appoint someone to ensure that people clap. Jeb! has experience.
On the post: On The Internet, Everyone Is A Creator
Re: Whatever happened to the LAST site you started on this same basis?
1) ??????
2) ??????
3) Profit!
Nevertheless, step 3 happens.
On the post: Trump's FCC Pats Itself On The Back For A Historically Stupid Year
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Nelson and Baucus may not have technically been independents, but they weren't team players.
Which meant nothing without a supermajority.
That's my point. Independents or a 3rd party can be the deciding factor, wielding extraordinary power.
On the post: Trump's FCC Pats Itself On The Back For A Historically Stupid Year
Re: Re: Re: Re:
If your vote was counted, then your vote counted.
People need to know that a vote for a third party isn't a spoiled ballot. They still have influence.
Even with only a small handful of seats in Congress, a third party would often be the deciding factor in many votes. The two main parties would have to make deals or form coalitions with the third party to get their majority or supermajority. And that means adopting a few of the third party's policies.
Or the one of the two main parties will see a third party's policy earning them a better spot in the polls, and they'll adopt it for themselves. And so the third party's policy gets enacted without the party being elected. It also makes the two main parties seem less like one party with two heads.
This is how it works in Canada. Some of the best Canadian administrations have been minority governments - governments where they have to make deals with the other parties to stay in power.
Granted, those third and 4th Canadian parties (like the NDP) often form provincial governments. So they have a source of experienced politicians who can run federally. The 2016 US Presidential candidates for the Libertarian and Green parties were a joke.
The independents in Congress prevented Obama from enacting a public health option in 2009, and then allowed him to enact the ACA. In Canada the NDP is credited for creating the public healthcare system, even though they've never run a federal government.
On the post: Canadian Privacy Commissioner Report Says Existing Law Already Gives Canadians A Right To Be Forgotten
That's at least a small bit of sanity, even if impractical in reality.
Consider the Yellow Pages, once important, now little more than an online scam. But their information propagates to many other sites.
I once created an online parts lookup system for a lawnmower distributor. Now, 20 years later, having never worked for the lawnmower manufacturer itself, thanks to the Yellow Pages I'm listed on many sites as their IT Manager. The Yellow Pages has even tried to bill me. And I can't correct their information let alone talk to them without agreeing to a contract.
Meanwhile I live in the (name changed for privacy) Charleswood part of the city. In the Charleswood apartments, in the suite next to the caretaker's office (which has no door number.) So the Yellow Pages site has my suite# listed as the caretaker, and I get a lot of their mail. And the description for the business listing they have for my address is the one for the Charleswood Restaurant a block away.
Again, I can't correct their information let alone talk to them without agreeing to a contract.
There's already been some harm done, where the government thought I was running a business.
While it would invite abuse, there ought to be at least some pressure on companies to correct inaccurate listings. Not the search engines; but the original inaccurate sites.
As for search engines, at most there should be (and probably already is) a way to tell it to re-index the original inaccurate site once THEY make a correction.
I could go either way for sites that propagate junk data from places like the Yellow Pages with no plans or ability to re-index.
On the post: Trump's FCC Pats Itself On The Back For A Historically Stupid Year
Re:
If you need a fix:
Yup. Sean Hannity Found A Way To Blame Obama For The Stock Market Drop
On the post: Devin Nunes Releases Memo That Doesn't Show The Surveillance Abuses He Hypocritically 'Cares' About
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Knew Techdirt would deny, so here's a link that covers ALL:
In this case the police already had the neighbor's house under surveillance before getting that questionable intelligence. The questionable intelligence came not just from someone with an axe to grind, but families who wanted an intervention. (The Trump dossier was commissioned first by Republicans, and then by Democrats.)
The police are on record telling the judge that the new intelligence was questionable, but they already had plenty of other intelligence.
Far from not finding anything when they busted down the door, they've already made a couple arrests and are being seen carting meth lab equipment out the door.
On the post: Devin Nunes Releases Memo That Doesn't Show The Surveillance Abuses He Hypocritically 'Cares' About
Re: Re: Re: Re: Two key points from the Nunes memo
That's a false narrative from the Trump crowd.
Washington Post: Justice Dept. told court of source’s political influence in request to wiretap ex-Trump campaign aide, officials say
Repeating it endlessly doesn't make it true.
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