You keep using that word... I do not think it means what you think it means...
-Fezzik
"Astroturfing" is when a company or group of companies arrange a fake "grassroots" campaign about a subject.
When a company arranges a campaign about a subject without trying to make it seem like a grassroots campaign, it's just called a "campaign."
That said, if the common folk get behind a company arranged campaign, it can become a grassroots campaign... UNLESS the company pretends it is grassroots from the beginning.
If you take my car and bring it back in the morning, you haven't violated my exclusive right to drive my car. You have made my car unavailable for me to use during the time in which you have it.
If you copy my car, bolt for bolt, but leave my car in my driveway, I still have full use of my car, no matter how long you keep your copy, even if you keep it forever.
...Really. Because I've never heard of an oxygen bar claiming relief from pollution. I've only ever heard faux medical claims of the health benefits of hyper-oxygenation. Mostly because they compress their oxygen on site. Sure, particulates are removed, but you could do the same with a paper mask.
For the people that don't believe it, the only benefit is (possibly) help for altitude sickness. Which would really only be temporary relief, and not worth it in the long run since you would just be increasing the amount of time it would take your body to acclimate.
Also, just because something is (effectively) infinite, doesn't mean you can't sell it. You just have to find people dumb enough to pay for it when it's free.
Maybe I've missed your point, but that gets said all the time, around here! You don't sell the infinite, you sell the finite. An author uses her good story, their own reputation for good writing, or his good name with other authors or reviewers (blurbs) in order to sell books.
In music you sell the artist's time, a seat at a show, a tangible good (like ol' faithful, the t-shirt), getting credit for supporting the artist, a vinyl record, etc.
We know the vocabulary sword cuts both ways. We keep trying to show the trolls that, but they don't listen.
Also: Way to miss the point of my last paragraph. As this article says, they are no longer going to be using SoundExchange, which paid artists 45% of revenue directly. Only indie artists and "recouped" artists will get anything from Sirius.
AND their licensing rates will be lower.
AND the monthly cost of their service is going up.
Really? Because I thought that's what the commercials were for: to cover the increased costs. When I first started using XM, it had little to no commercials. I was only willing to accept them in lieu of increased rates. I guess that turned out to be a mistake.
That's interesting. Because, frankly, Sirius/XM has now "cost-cut" themselves right out of my life.
First, they raised their rates by 75c-$1 per unit, because licensing rates went up. Price for 2 units, no premium "adult" channels, went up to $26.75 USD.
Next, they effectively raised rates again, by removing functionality from accounts. They now charge for their extremely limited, and (for me) useless, online listening/radio thing. To the order of ~$6/month. I dropped it, because it was pretty much only music (no comedy, no old-time radio, no book-on-tape).
Now, with my receipt of a "love letter" informing me of another rate hike (to the tune of $1-1.54/unit), I am no longer willing to pay for their service. Especially since XM has so many commercials now, that, if not for their periodic commercials saying that they are XM/Sirius, I can't tell the difference between XM and terrestrial radio.
Coupled with this story, I'm not just disappointed at the rising cost of an already expensive service. I'm angry they have the gall to raise their rates while shafting the actual artists at the same time. Indie artists are great, but XM plays little to no indie music, so the vast majority of artists they play (greater than 90%, I think) are now going to get a significant pay cut.
Re: Re: This is more how to manipulate customers than build good products.
Yeah. I wish Mike could just understand how hard it is to supply something cheap, or free, while putting a lot of time and effort into it, and then try to make money based on it. Like using a blog, or something, in order to create a customer base for a paid service...
Re: Just because one industry does NOT want to regulate...
...You are a sad, strange little man. And I pity you.
How are you supposed to change the establishment without working from inside the establishment? Other than another civil war. Which would be a bad idea. I hope I don't have to tell you why...
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
Re: "astroturfing"
-Fezzik
"Astroturfing" is when a company or group of companies arrange a fake "grassroots" campaign about a subject.
When a company arranges a campaign about a subject without trying to make it seem like a grassroots campaign, it's just called a "campaign."
That said, if the common folk get behind a company arranged campaign, it can become a grassroots campaign... UNLESS the company pretends it is grassroots from the beginning.
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re:
..."stepping up and admitting it's illegal" to ____________ stuff.
FTFY.
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re:
If you copy my car, bolt for bolt, but leave my car in my driveway, I still have full use of my car, no matter how long you keep your copy, even if you keep it forever.
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: IP Is Not Property
For the people that don't believe it, the only benefit is (possibly) help for altitude sickness. Which would really only be temporary relief, and not worth it in the long run since you would just be increasing the amount of time it would take your body to acclimate.
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re: Re: Re: IP Is Not Property
Oxygen bars, anyone?
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re: Re: IP Is Not Property
In music you sell the artist's time, a seat at a show, a tangible good (like ol' faithful, the t-shirt), getting credit for supporting the artist, a vinyl record, etc.
We know the vocabulary sword cuts both ways. We keep trying to show the trolls that, but they don't listen.
On the post: Misleading Metaphors That Drive The War On Online Sharing
Re: misleading..
Online sharing is when files, ideas, and opinions are distributed among a group of people (in this case, anyone on the internet that can find it).
On the post: How Sirius' Move Towards 'Direct Licensing' Is Bad For Artists
Re: Re: Re: Cost-cutting measure? Really?
AND their licensing rates will be lower.
AND the monthly cost of their service is going up.
On the post: How Sirius' Move Towards 'Direct Licensing' Is Bad For Artists
Re: Re: Cost-cutting measure? Really?
On the post: Royalty Collection Agency SABAM Demands 3.4% 'Piracy License' From Belgian ISPs
Of COURSE piracy would still be illegal!
That's like saying, "It's illegal to drive on a road without paying your road tax!"
Well, duh. That's why it's included in the price of gas. And ethanol.
On the post: Royalty Collection Agency SABAM Demands 3.4% 'Piracy License' From Belgian ISPs
Of COURSE piracy would still be illegal!
On the post: DailyDirt: Measuring Important Stuff...
Re: "Speed Of Gravity" -- wow.
Think of gravity as a wave. The wave travels the same speed, no matter what. The amplitude, however, changes based on mass.
On the post: How Sirius' Move Towards 'Direct Licensing' Is Bad For Artists
Cost-cutting measure? Really?
First, they raised their rates by 75c-$1 per unit, because licensing rates went up. Price for 2 units, no premium "adult" channels, went up to $26.75 USD.
Next, they effectively raised rates again, by removing functionality from accounts. They now charge for their extremely limited, and (for me) useless, online listening/radio thing. To the order of ~$6/month. I dropped it, because it was pretty much only music (no comedy, no old-time radio, no book-on-tape).
Now, with my receipt of a "love letter" informing me of another rate hike (to the tune of $1-1.54/unit), I am no longer willing to pay for their service. Especially since XM has so many commercials now, that, if not for their periodic commercials saying that they are XM/Sirius, I can't tell the difference between XM and terrestrial radio.
Coupled with this story, I'm not just disappointed at the rising cost of an already expensive service. I'm angry they have the gall to raise their rates while shafting the actual artists at the same time. Indie artists are great, but XM plays little to no indie music, so the vast majority of artists they play (greater than 90%, I think) are now going to get a significant pay cut.
On the post: How Just Talking About Your Creative Experiments Can Help Them Succeed
Re: Great! Now somebody scrape together a $100M...
This time, I just don't know what you're talking about in the first part of your comment.
On the post: A Glimpse Of The Future Under SOPA: Warner Bros. Admits It Filed Many False Takedown Notices
Re: Re:
Did you even read his comment, or was it too much trouble, boy?
On the post: Viacom Exec: 'Everyone Knows A Rogue Site When They See One'… Except He Doesn't
Re: More legalistic nit-picking. Most of the time, "obvious" is true.
Damned evil corporations and their wicked plans to decipher muddy texts for cheap...
On the post: Viacom Exec: 'Everyone Knows A Rogue Site When They See One'… Except He Doesn't
Re:
The judges seem to be saying that YouTube is NOT, in fact, "based on illegal behavior."
But I guess that doesn't matter, since you don't like them.
On the post: Lessons Learned From 'Pay What You Want'
Re: Re: Re: This is more how to manipulate customers than build good products.
On the post: Lessons Learned From 'Pay What You Want'
Re: Re: This is more how to manipulate customers than build good products.
On the post: Rep. Darrell Issa Joins Rep. Lofgren In Saying That SOPA Is A Bad Idea
Re: Just because one industry does NOT want to regulate...
How are you supposed to change the establishment without working from inside the establishment? Other than another civil war. Which would be a bad idea. I hope I don't have to tell you why...
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