Dad? Is that you? (Seriously, you had me going until I saw the part about the CRT preference.)
People who forage, salvage, and keep such stuff "just in case" are embryonic hoarders. Once every room of your home is lined with stuff you've picked up "just in case," you'll be approaching the point of no return.
The key word is "their".
Of *course* Time doesn't have a monopoly on the market, it has a monopoly on its product.
There's indeed something to be said about the concept that lowering the price of a brand lowers the brand's perceived quality, but I'm not sure if that applies here or not.
Seriously, what did you *do* to draw that much attention to yourself, eh?
I mean seriously, who reported it? Which neighbor, as a private citizen, was angry OR activist enough to cause *that*? That is, unless you were up to something no good . . . ;-)
"I regret to say that we of the FBI are powerless to act in cases of oral-genital intimacy, unless it has in some way obstructed interstate commerce."
~J Edgar Hoover
I submit that my downloading an "unautorized" digital copy of a book I own is not illegal because I am obtaining that copy for my personal use (most usually for "Find" functions). Sweat equity doesn't matter, wider distribution does.
While I find that reading a physical book or my Kindle1 to be superior to reading a computer screen, I can't just CTRL+F a physical book.
In my world (which seem to become quickly smaller and smaller) freedom of speech is exactly that, including allowing hate speech. If you want people to stop hating each other or be driven by such speech, the solution is education. In other words: hate speech and its effect are a symptom not a cause.
Holy sensibility, Batman! That's the first coherent defense of and explanation for "hate speech" that I've ever heard!
(Excluding "slippery slope" of course.)
This is exactly what I've been doing for years anyway. That and print-to-PDF to prove that I've not jacked with the text.
If paywalled sites can't figure out a way to create dynamic, share-able URLs based upon current login, then they will create their own deaths from disappearing readers and lack of ad revenue.
Eventually the paywall newspapers are going to realize that the only reasons to "pay" for news is to have access to:
(1) local news (2) in-depth and investigational work (3) an expanded-content CwF+RtB benefit to print subscribers (4) have a hard copy to carry around
If someone is internet-connected, at the very least he's going to have free access to:
(1) local news (via local television news websites)
(2) in-depth and investigational work at the Newsweek and Time magazine websites (3) inter/national news (via the big three cable news network websites)
Tell me: How much is a hard copy to carry around (only on the days you need it) actually going to be worth? I'd wager: Not much.
There's just not much reason for people outside of the New York Metro area to pay the NYT for online access except possible CwF+RtB content that is, by itself , unlikely to induce non-regional readers to purchase online subscriptions unless said CwF+RtB content is hands-down better than the Newsweek and Time magazine websites.
At most, I see the NYT getting a few more non-regional print subscribers out of this experiment.
Wow. I've been a TechDirt reader and Masnick fan for quite a while, so I've become familiar with the anti-TAM gang-up. I don't undertand the motivation behind it at all.
Yes, TAM is clearly an aspiring-to-professional-level contrarian, especially regarding the topics that Masnick tends to write about, so he might be a tad bit unpopular with the TechDirt crowd. That, I understand. What I don't understand is the mob behavior and sheer nastiness of other TechDirt readers towards him.
Generally TAM isn't ugly (resorting to personal attacks, etc.) until others, en-masse, provoke him without (apparent) provocation. Sometimes posters attack him before he even posts in a given thread (not this one, but I'm sure I've seen it in others).
Can someone explain the anti-TAM sentiment? Because I don't understand it, I find it distracting and a downer when reading TechDirt.
There are two broad categories of tax, (A) Direct tax & (2) Indirect tax.
A Direct Tax is a tax the payer pays directly to a payee (such as property taxes). An Indirect tax is the type of tax collected by a third party (such as a retailer collecting Sales Tax). Masnick is using Indirect Taxation as a metaphor for DRM-hidden/sunk/invested costs (in money/time/stress) that are otherwise not plainly revealed (such as price tags on retail goods that don't reflect sales tax). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_tax)
#67 "Marcus Carab" is correct in that Masnick is using a new-ish word to describe a new-ish concept. In fact, I've listed several versions of X-Tax below that I've heard/used/read over the last few years. It's an off-the-top-of-my-head list, but it is varied. That this article's X-tax reference is not the first one I've encountered, and that I've been reading on the DRM topic for several years is why I referred to Masnick's construction and it's topic as "new-ish" above.
#53 "The Anti-Troll" is correct on the "Microsoft Tax" history, I've heard the phrase for years. I've also been doing PC work for years. Go figure.
I am truly, truly exhausted with "developing country" charities. We have plenty of people here who need food, family planning, shoes, and myriad other such necessities.
Can we please crowdsource the improvement of American lives for a change?
"News at Seven gives you the news you want, the way you want it. Each day, News at Seven automatically generates a virtual newscast pulled from stories, images, videos and blogs all linked by a common news topic. News at Seven presents news, point/counterpoint, opinion, celebrity gossip and the occasional foray into the world of 3D gaming."
This was developed at the Northwestern University Intelligent Information Laboratory (InfoLab). IIRC, you can choose many news topics, and also IIRC (from the article I read about it before it went live), the concept was developed specifically to be sold, when ripe, to a commercial entity for a profit to the University. If the concept takes off commercially, I can't imagine it would be difficult to automate the creation of a printable PDF version of one's customized news broadcast.
On the post: The Problems With Letting Child Porn Victims Demand Cash From Those Caught With Their Images
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Judge Rejects Attempt To Fine Family For Picking Up Discarded Air Conditioning Unit
Re:
People who forage, salvage, and keep such stuff "just in case" are embryonic hoarders. Once every room of your home is lined with stuff you've picked up "just in case," you'll be approaching the point of no return.
Seriously, dude -- Just stop. For you own good!
On the post: Time Magazine's New Paywall? Buy The Paper Version Or The iPad Version To Read
Re: Re:
There's indeed something to be said about the concept that lowering the price of a brand lowers the brand's perceived quality, but I'm not sure if that applies here or not.
On the post: NY Hotels Upset Over More Efficient 'Home' Competition; Gets Politicians To Try To Outlaw Such Things
Re: I got screwed by this
I mean seriously, who reported it? Which neighbor, as a private citizen, was angry OR activist enough to cause *that*? That is, unless you were up to something no good . . . ;-)
On the post: NY Hotels Upset Over More Efficient 'Home' Competition; Gets Politicians To Try To Outlaw Such Things
Re: So what if..
On the post: TSA Admits That Body Scan Machines Can Record Images
Re: Re: Wow! Where is this conversation going?
~J Edgar Hoover
;-)
On the post: Misguided Outrage At NY Times' Ethicist Over Ethics Of Downloading A Book
Re:
On the post: Misguided Outrage At NY Times' Ethicist Over Ethics Of Downloading A Book
While I find that reading a physical book or my Kindle1 to be superior to reading a computer screen, I can't just CTRL+F a physical book.
On the post: Social Networking Rants Against Exes Turning Up In Court
Re: Re: online trails are long
On the post: Once Again: People Want To Share The News
Re: Is it true for All kind of news ?
If paywalled sites can't figure out a way to create dynamic, share-able URLs based upon current login, then they will create their own deaths from disappearing readers and lack of ad revenue.
On the post: Massive Disconnect: Paywall Analysis Claims It's Reasonable To Expect 66% Of Readers To Pay
(1) local news
(2) in-depth and investigational work
(3) an expanded-content CwF+RtB benefit to print subscribers
(4) have a hard copy to carry around
If someone is internet-connected, at the very least he's going to have free access to:
(1) local news (via local television news websites)
(2) in-depth and investigational work at the Newsweek and Time magazine websites
(3) inter/national news (via the big three cable news network websites)
Tell me: How much is a hard copy to carry around (only on the days you need it) actually going to be worth? I'd wager: Not much.
There's just not much reason for people outside of the New York Metro area to pay the NYT for online access except possible CwF+RtB content that is, by itself , unlikely to induce non-regional readers to purchase online subscriptions unless said CwF+RtB content is hands-down better than the Newsweek and Time magazine websites.
At most, I see the NYT getting a few more non-regional print subscribers out of this experiment.
On the post: Econ 101: Study Shows That If Record Labels Lowered Prices On Music, They Would Sell A Lot More
Confusion
Yes, TAM is clearly an aspiring-to-professional-level contrarian, especially regarding the topics that Masnick tends to write about, so he might be a tad bit unpopular with the TechDirt crowd. That, I understand. What I don't understand is the mob behavior and sheer nastiness of other TechDirt readers towards him.
Generally TAM isn't ugly (resorting to personal attacks, etc.) until others, en-masse, provoke him without (apparent) provocation. Sometimes posters attack him before he even posts in a given thread (not this one, but I'm sure I've seen it in others).
Can someone explain the anti-TAM sentiment? Because I don't understand it, I find it distracting and a downer when reading TechDirt.
On the post: Despite Awful Customer Service, Woman Felt Forced To Buy Another Sony eBook Reader... Thanks To DRM
Explanation of X-Tax
(2) @ #53 "The Anti-Troll" & #82 "Marcus Carab"
There are two broad categories of tax, (A) Direct tax & (2) Indirect tax.
A Direct Tax is a tax the payer pays directly to a payee (such as property taxes). An Indirect tax is the type of tax collected by a third party (such as a retailer collecting Sales Tax). Masnick is using Indirect Taxation as a metaphor for DRM-hidden/sunk/invested costs (in money/time/stress) that are otherwise not plainly revealed (such as price tags on retail goods that don't reflect sales tax). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_tax)
#67 "Marcus Carab" is correct in that Masnick is using a new-ish word to describe a new-ish concept. In fact, I've listed several versions of X-Tax below that I've heard/used/read over the last few years. It's an off-the-top-of-my-head list, but it is varied. That this article's X-tax reference is not the first one I've encountered, and that I've been reading on the DRM topic for several years is why I referred to Masnick's construction and it's topic as "new-ish" above.
#53 "The Anti-Troll" is correct on the "Microsoft Tax" history, I've heard the phrase for years. I've also been doing PC work for years. Go figure.
Other X-Taxes:
---------------------
Microsoft Tax:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_tax#Licensing_agreements (last two words, third paragraph of anchored section)
Poverty Tax:
http://www.brianflemming.org/archives/000962.html
Stupidity Tax:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=stupidity%20tax
Asshole Tax:
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2006/12/taxi_driver_speaks_an_asshole_1.html
Laziness Tax:
http://www.sistahant.com/?p=130
On the post: Folks Can Digg Shoes For Needy Kids
Help Here, @ Home
Can we please crowdsource the improvement of American lives for a change?
Please?
--insert sound of crickets--
Damn.
On the post: Would A Customized Newspaper Save The Industry?
Halfway There Already?
"News at Seven gives you the news you want, the way you want it. Each day, News at Seven automatically generates a virtual newscast pulled from stories, images, videos and blogs all linked by a common news topic. News at Seven presents news, point/counterpoint, opinion, celebrity gossip and the occasional foray into the world of 3D gaming."
This was developed at the Northwestern University Intelligent Information Laboratory (InfoLab). IIRC, you can choose many news topics, and also IIRC (from the article I read about it before it went live), the concept was developed specifically to be sold, when ripe, to a commercial entity for a profit to the University. If the concept takes off commercially, I can't imagine it would be difficult to automate the creation of a printable PDF version of one's customized news broadcast.
I'd say this makes us halfway there already.
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