I just ran into this beauty from Adobe:
When you go to the website it asks you to "Manage options" or "Enable all".
So far, pretty standard.
When you click "Manage options" though, you get the 4 kinds of cookies you can (de)select and then you have 2 options "Don't enable" or "Enable all"...
"Confirm selection" was too straightforward? This seems skirt dangerously close to tricking you into inadvertently allowing all cookies.
It is not necessarily "fucking stupid" it is, as mentioned, the market at work. Obviously there is an argument to be made that is has some ethical issues but to me there is also a difference between luxuries and primary needs. If somebody started driving up the price for food or energy, sure let the government step in. Somebody is scalping concert tickets? Not so much. The unintended consequences of such measure are most likely big.
While I'm sympathetic to the idea of reducing scalping it is an issue for the retailers/manufacturers. They need to put measures in place to reduce it. While the retailers maybe do not have much incentive to do so, manufacturers certainly do. Also artists, specifically big ones, could push ticket resellers to do more.
And, it is not as if it is only the scalpers... It needs two to tango. The scalpers can do this because people are buying from them. So, if you ever bought from a scalper, you are part of the problem.
I'm one of those people who has been looking for a PS5 since it launched. Trust me, I could've bought one if I wanted to, but I refuse to buy from anything other than an official source at the official price. Not because I cannot afford to buy it of a scalper but because I don't want to give oxygen to those practices. Would I like Sony or retailers to do more to stop it? Sure, but also my life doesn't end because I have to use my PS4 for a bit longer.
Right now cops get a lot of trust from the legal system. However, if this keeps going on:
"Well, your honor, I understand it is his word against mine. I am, however, an upstanding citizen with no prior arrests. The witness for the prosecution though is...a cop. The defense rests."
If they're afraid of safety they could, of course, let the next update provide that in a safe way.
Personally I think that if an exercise machine has a large display and an internet connection, it is insanity to not provide access to Netflix, youtube etc. It wouldn't even occur to me to NOT do that. Every gym has TVs all over the place so people have some distraction. Do you think people working out at home would like to watch the wall while working out? And don't tell me people enjoy working out.
I'm slightly confused how it makes sense from MacDonalds' standpoint to work with Taylor. I don't go to Mac often but I heard this "the ice cream machine at Mac is always broken" thing so often I though it was a meme, not reality.
How does it make sense for them that every time they make a commercial for the McFluffy, or whatever it is called, everybody is reminded of their crappy service?
If I was a negotiator for MacDonalds I would negotiate fixed rates for maintenance and a minimum up-time requirement, especially if I heard every other day that the damn machines are always broken. I understand that many are franchise holders but that is the point of franchising isn't it, collective bargaining power?
Well those arguments would get much more weight if they came from a place of intellectual honesty and consistency. There is a significant overlap between the anti-choice people and the people that are absolutely and totally fine with post-natal abortion, a.k.a. the death penalty.
Also contrast this to stand-your-ground laws. Many people that say that a woman has to carry another "human being" to term if it inadvertently wanders in her uterus unwanted, also say it's fine to shoot someone if they're vaguely threatening you. Trayvon Martin was an actual human being, not a clump of cells, with feelings and a functioning heart and brain and still Zimmerman was allowed to shoot him unpunished.
And don't get me started on police shootings.
So, if Texas Repugnantans are open to discussing protection of all live they can talk otherwise it's clear that protection of the sanctity of human life is not their goal.
I'm always a bit confused why exploited workers don't look at police unions and think "Hey, perhaps a union would be a good idea!"
On the one hand we have unionized police that are practically free from consequences whatever they do, while on the other hand we have non-unionized Amazon workers who can't even negotiate a toilet break...
I'm not saying that unions are the panacea to runaway globalized capitalism but perhaps if there is a significant power imbalance they might play a part.
We can't have a society where people have no personal responsibility or obligation to make proper risk assessments. That way madness lies.
Most cars can go (way) over the legal speed limit. There is a reasonable expectation that if you buy a car that can go that fast, some people will go that fast. You can't sue your car manufacturer for the consequences of irresponsible driving though. Note that speed limiters are an extremely easy and existing fix for driving over the speed limit but nobody sued Ford because they didn't build them into each car.
The interesting part about that particular list is that for sure people tried to prevent the information from getting out. But, once it was out, there was no coordinated effort to disappear it again. Or, if there was, it was very unsuccessful.
The Abu Graib pictures were all over, Weinstein accusers popped up on every streetcorner and plenty of books have been written about the run-up to Iraq II. It is also very easy to create an even longer list of scandals that came out like, the mother of them all, Watergate, but also Iran Contra, the Mi Lai massacre, Bill Cosby and so forth.
So, while dark secrets definitely exist, it is very difficult to control them once they're out there. That, logically, actually speaks against the idea that once something is "censored" it must be true. Truth is difficult to censor.
"Strategic Response Group"
Mental picture:
A group of people standing around a map, looking pensive, stroking their chin and moving a marker on the map a bit.
Reality:
Burly goon squad muscle holding bicycles in front of their chest screaming "BLAM! BLAM!" at you.
Supervisors should consider the preservation of evidence as secondary to the safety of the public and department personnel
This is a strange sentence... I can read this to mean that if the safety (indemnity?) of colleagues is at stake it is also allowed to destroy evidence?
I actually start using it more sometimes, specifically with more informal, one on one calls, and with people I like because I haven't seen them in person for such a long time.
Personally I'm quite okay with this situation. It also allows me to do presentations to customers without going to their office which, in my case, could involve transcontinental flights. I can now do presentation in the morning to India and in the evening to the US. Previously they would've expected me to turn up in person. I do notice that doing presentations online is pretty exhausting though, more so than doing them "live" for some reason.
Now, if any of that branding out in the wild brings to mind Monster Energy, you need help.
Well, if I saw this in the wild I would think "I hope Monster Energy doesn't see this because for sure they will sue..." So I guess I need help to cure me of Techdirtritus...
While I do agree that FB and Google should pay more taxes, locally if possible, I also think that if you want to charge more tax, you have to change the tax code. Not do something like this.
Also tax is usually for the government while this is going to news providers.
On the post: German Court Fines Site Owner For Sharing User Data With Google To Access Web Fonts
Re:
I just ran into this beauty from Adobe:
When you go to the website it asks you to "Manage options" or "Enable all".
So far, pretty standard.
When you click "Manage options" though, you get the 4 kinds of cookies you can (de)select and then you have 2 options "Don't enable" or "Enable all"...
"Confirm selection" was too straightforward? This seems skirt dangerously close to tricking you into inadvertently allowing all cookies.
On the post: Add The United Nations To The List Of Entities Helping The Chinese Government Oppress Its Minority Uighur Population
Re:
Well, China is doing it's best to find partners to research the issue of human rights thoroughly and, obviously, independently:
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/01/vu-returns-human-rights-research-funding-from-c hina/
On the post: New Jersey Cop Facing Charges After Hitting A Man With His Car And Driving His Body To His Mom's House
Re:
hindering one's own apprehension, conspiracy to hinder prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, obstructing the administration of law,
Basically all of that is just piling on. Almost every criminal will be on the hook for this.
On the post: Silly, Pandering Politicians Introduce Silly, Pandering 'Cyber Grinch' Law That Would Ban Buying Bots
Re: Re:
It is not necessarily "fucking stupid" it is, as mentioned, the market at work. Obviously there is an argument to be made that is has some ethical issues but to me there is also a difference between luxuries and primary needs. If somebody started driving up the price for food or energy, sure let the government step in. Somebody is scalping concert tickets? Not so much. The unintended consequences of such measure are most likely big.
While I'm sympathetic to the idea of reducing scalping it is an issue for the retailers/manufacturers. They need to put measures in place to reduce it. While the retailers maybe do not have much incentive to do so, manufacturers certainly do. Also artists, specifically big ones, could push ticket resellers to do more.
And, it is not as if it is only the scalpers... It needs two to tango. The scalpers can do this because people are buying from them. So, if you ever bought from a scalper, you are part of the problem.
I'm one of those people who has been looking for a PS5 since it launched. Trust me, I could've bought one if I wanted to, but I refuse to buy from anything other than an official source at the official price. Not because I cannot afford to buy it of a scalper but because I don't want to give oxygen to those practices. Would I like Sony or retailers to do more to stop it? Sure, but also my life doesn't end because I have to use my PS4 for a bit longer.
On the post: Lying NYPD Officers Cost Prosecutors Sixty More Criminal Convictions
New defense?
Right now cops get a lot of trust from the legal system. However, if this keeps going on:
"Well, your honor, I understand it is his word against mine. I am, however, an upstanding citizen with no prior arrests. The witness for the prosecution though is...a cop. The defense rests."
On the post: NordicTrack Patches Out 'God Mode' In Treadmills That Allowed Users To Watch Anything On Its Display
Missed opportunity
If they're afraid of safety they could, of course, let the next update provide that in a safe way.
Personally I think that if an exercise machine has a large display and an internet connection, it is insanity to not provide access to Netflix, youtube etc. It wouldn't even occur to me to NOT do that. Every gym has TVs all over the place so people have some distraction. Do you think people working out at home would like to watch the wall while working out? And don't tell me people enjoy working out.
On the post: FTC Decides Maybe It's Time To Start Asking Why McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Broken All The Damn Time
Re: Re: What is the point for Big Mac?
I thought the point was to be able to benefit from the parent's brand identity and marketing.
Fair enough. So can we settle for a point?
On the post: FTC Decides Maybe It's Time To Start Asking Why McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Broken All The Damn Time
What is the point for Big Mac?
I'm slightly confused how it makes sense from MacDonalds' standpoint to work with Taylor. I don't go to Mac often but I heard this "the ice cream machine at Mac is always broken" thing so often I though it was a meme, not reality.
How does it make sense for them that every time they make a commercial for the McFluffy, or whatever it is called, everybody is reminded of their crappy service?
If I was a negotiator for MacDonalds I would negotiate fixed rates for maintenance and a minimum up-time requirement, especially if I heard every other day that the damn machines are always broken. I understand that many are franchise holders but that is the point of franchising isn't it, collective bargaining power?
On the post: GoDaddy Reignites Debate Over Infrastructure Layer Moderation By Banning Texas Anti-Abortion Snitch Site
Re: Re:
Well those arguments would get much more weight if they came from a place of intellectual honesty and consistency. There is a significant overlap between the anti-choice people and the people that are absolutely and totally fine with post-natal abortion, a.k.a. the death penalty.
Also contrast this to stand-your-ground laws. Many people that say that a woman has to carry another "human being" to term if it inadvertently wanders in her uterus unwanted, also say it's fine to shoot someone if they're vaguely threatening you. Trayvon Martin was an actual human being, not a clump of cells, with feelings and a functioning heart and brain and still Zimmerman was allowed to shoot him unpunished.
And don't get me started on police shootings.
So, if Texas Repugnantans are open to discussing protection of all live they can talk otherwise it's clear that protection of the sanctity of human life is not their goal.
On the post: External Investigation Finds Small Number Of Aurora PD Officers Create The Most Problems (Plus 98 Other Reason To Improve)
Re: Stop asking, start issuing demands
I'm always a bit confused why exploited workers don't look at police unions and think "Hey, perhaps a union would be a good idea!"
On the one hand we have unionized police that are practically free from consequences whatever they do, while on the other hand we have non-unionized Amazon workers who can't even negotiate a toilet break...
I'm not saying that unions are the panacea to runaway globalized capitalism but perhaps if there is a significant power imbalance they might play a part.
On the post: Axios Parrots A Lot Of Dumb, Debunked Nonsense About Net Neutrality
Re:
But all the dead people voted for Biden, so we can't really trust them can we?
On the post: Juul Rented A Scientific Journal For a Month To Spread Glorified Marketing
Combining 2 TechDirt topics here
For those interested, a comparison of the rigor applied by gamers and scientists:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/gamers-are-better-scientists-catchin g-fraud/619324/
It seems science should do better, as also the above story shows.
On the post: Why The Ninth Circuit's Decision In Lemmon V. Snap Is Wrong On Section 230 And Bad For Online Speech
Re:
We can't have a society where people have no personal responsibility or obligation to make proper risk assessments. That way madness lies.
Most cars can go (way) over the legal speed limit. There is a reasonable expectation that if you buy a car that can go that fast, some people will go that fast. You can't sue your car manufacturer for the consequences of irresponsible driving though. Note that speed limiters are an extremely easy and existing fix for driving over the speed limit but nobody sued Ford because they didn't build them into each car.
On the post: Does Taking Down Content Lead Ignorant People To Believe It's More Likely To Be True?
Re: Re: Re:
The interesting part about that particular list is that for sure people tried to prevent the information from getting out. But, once it was out, there was no coordinated effort to disappear it again. Or, if there was, it was very unsuccessful.
The Abu Graib pictures were all over, Weinstein accusers popped up on every streetcorner and plenty of books have been written about the run-up to Iraq II. It is also very easy to create an even longer list of scandals that came out like, the mother of them all, Watergate, but also Iran Contra, the Mi Lai massacre, Bill Cosby and so forth.
So, while dark secrets definitely exist, it is very difficult to control them once they're out there. That, logically, actually speaks against the idea that once something is "censored" it must be true. Truth is difficult to censor.
On the post: NYPD Training Document Shows How A Terrorist Response Group Was Weaponized To Attack Protesters
Naming
"Strategic Response Group"
Mental picture:
A group of people standing around a map, looking pensive, stroking their chin and moving a marker on the map a bit.
Reality:
Burly goon squad muscle holding bicycles in front of their chest screaming "BLAM! BLAM!" at you.
On the post: Kansas City PD Presentation Says Every Shooting Investigation Is Handled The Same Way... Unless It Involves A Cop
I have trouble parsing this
Supervisors should consider the preservation of evidence as secondary to the safety of the public and department personnel
This is a strange sentence... I can read this to mean that if the safety (indemnity?) of colleagues is at stake it is also allowed to destroy evidence?
On the post: US Navy On The Hook For 'Pirating' German Company's Software
Re: US Navy Pirates
Well, if you have the government's permission you are technically a privateer...
On the post: Not OK, Zoomer: Here's Why You Hate Videoconference Meetings -- And What To Do About It
Re:
Same here. Internally we almost never use video.
I actually start using it more sometimes, specifically with more informal, one on one calls, and with people I like because I haven't seen them in person for such a long time.
Personally I'm quite okay with this situation. It also allows me to do presentations to customers without going to their office which, in my case, could involve transcontinental flights. I can now do presentation in the morning to India and in the evening to the US. Previously they would've expected me to turn up in person. I do notice that doing presentations online is pretty exhausting though, more so than doing them "live" for some reason.
On the post: Monster Energy Goes After Autobody Shop Because Of It's 'M' Logo And Use Of Green Color
Do I need help?
Now, if any of that branding out in the wild brings to mind Monster Energy, you need help.
Well, if I saw this in the wild I would think "I hope Monster Energy doesn't see this because for sure they will sue..." So I guess I need help to cure me of Techdirtritus...
On the post: The Bizarre Reaction To Facebook's Decision To Get Out Of The News Business In Australia
Re: Re:
While I do agree that FB and Google should pay more taxes, locally if possible, I also think that if you want to charge more tax, you have to change the tax code. Not do something like this.
Also tax is usually for the government while this is going to news providers.
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