172pilot’s Techdirt Profile

Oct 30th, 2013 @ 9:47am

Re: WTF

on Mike Rogers: You Can't Have Your Privacy Violated If You Don't Know About It

Hmm.. Maybe if I don't open my bank statements, I wont be out of money, and I can keep buying stuff!! (Isn't that what the government is doing too?!)

Oct 30th, 2013 @ 9:04am

Really?

on Mike Rogers: You Can't Have Your Privacy Violated If You Don't Know About It

So, if I break into your house and install a hidden camera in your bedroom, I'm only invading your privacy if you find it? Do I have that right?

Oct 15th, 2013 @ 6:54am

Re: Hmm, use a censored propaganda search, or an uncensored free search?

on Russia Plans To Launch Sputnik Again -- This Time As A Search Engine

"I admit that as a liberal I'd rather watch news channels full of government propaganda from a government I don't like, rather then a free market Fox News propaganda news channel"

WHAT? If you actually meant what you said, then that's refreshingly honest.. Admitting that "the other" stations are nothing but government propaganda... Now, unless you're intentionally ignoring the reality of the world, I don't know why you'd RATHER watch that than Fox News..

Oct 15th, 2013 @ 6:50am

Re: When will we have one?

on Russia Plans To Launch Sputnik Again -- This Time As A Search Engine

That's what I was thinking, although our government has proven in the last 2 weeks that it can't write a website, so we probably don't have to worry about it for a while, although it wont be for a lack of trying (and spending our money on it!)

Jul 6th, 2012 @ 10:14am

I'm torn....

on Def Leppard Covers Its Own Songs With 'Forgeries' To Fight Back Against Universal Music

... On the one hand, the labels are definitely trying to squeeze the artist for every possible penny, but on the other side, when the artist signed the deal with the label, the label had what the artist needed to succeed - The relationships with the radio stations, the concert venues, the recording studios, etc.. And so, the artist signed a deal for what they felt was fair. Now that technology has "evened the playing field" and anyone can have a recording studio in their basement for $2000 and a facebook page for promotion, it seems that the artists are breaking contracts illegally..

It's a shame - The only people who are going to make any money are the lawyers.

Mar 25th, 2011 @ 11:28am

Re: Is Microsoft going to block itself? (as Steve)

on Microsoft Wants To Make It Illegal To Buy From An Overseas Company That Uses Unauthorized Software

That is AWESOME.. I guess that means any LEGITIMATE windows owner is responsible for the pirating that Microsoft did in the production of the product, and to protect yourself from being charged with their pirating, we should just not buy Microsoft stuff..

What's next? Is CHEVY going to have to pay my parking tickets because I used their product to break the law? Yeah.. that makes sense..

Dec 3rd, 2010 @ 1:56pm

Re: Re:

on State Department Telling Students Who Apply For Jobs That If They Mention Wikileaks On Twitter, They Won't Be Hired

Boy Captain America over here! "Best of the best of the best, sir!" "With honors." Yeah, he's just really excited and he has no clue why we're here

Jun 30th, 2010 @ 12:04pm

It also doesn't count FREE Microsoft servers....

on Microsoft's Comparison To Linux In The Server Market Conveniently Leaves Out Free

You know.. the ones which are pirated.. which probably isn't a small number either.. I guess the point is that if microsoft's MARKET is to include "customers who spend money on servers", then I can see how it's fair to include only these numbers, at least in their internal calculations... I do see it as at least misleading if they're RELEASING these numbers as marketing.

Jun 30th, 2010 @ 11:57am

Dazed and confused.

on Folk Singer Just Notices That Led Zeppelin May Have Copied His Song Forty Years Ago

He's been dazed and confused for SO long.... It must be true..

Feb 19th, 2010 @ 7:12am

Re: since when did atheletes start handing over their names to the IOC for trademark purposes?

on IOC Threatens Ski Gear Company For Mentioning That Gold Medal Winner Wears Its Stuff

that's what I was thinking... The IOC probably has no case, but Lindsey may, in that she could claim that they're implying an endorsement of their product, when no such endorsement exists..

I think if I owned the goggle company, I'd have some smart @$$ remark like "See... Our products are so good that top atheletes use our products even when we dont pay them to!" That's the best advertising yet!!

Jan 26th, 2010 @ 7:46am

Re: Revenue

on Baltimore Accused Of Stacking The Deck For Speed Cameras

Which is EXACTLY why this stuff needs to be exposed for what it is.. I for one am TIRED of it, and I think more and more people are ready to fight against it, rather than to just give in and ignore it.

Jan 26th, 2010 @ 7:44am

Re: Gotta Love Baltimore

on Baltimore Accused Of Stacking The Deck For Speed Cameras

Just the point I was going to make.. The only thing I'd add is that not only is Maryland's government corruption highlighted by the fact that the Mayor of Baltimore was convicted of stealing the cards, but additionally to confirm that corruption, she was allowed to plea bargain POST-CONVICTION (while threatening an appeal) that allowed her to avoid jail time in exchange for her resignation, but that still allows her to keep her $75000/year pension for life..

With this going on, it's no wonder our general population doesn't recognize these cameras for what they are.. And, for anyone who's commute takes them past the cameras, you know, and are expecting that the car in front of you WILL slam on their brakes about 10' before the camera, and then start speeding again 10' after... I have seen numerous rear-end collisions caused by these things.

-Steve.. Also in Maryland.. Thankfully NOT directly in Baltimore.

Jan 28th, 2009 @ 3:25pm

Re: Very Complex / A Country That Prioritizes TV Over Health Care (as Steve Jones)

on Surprise: House Says No To Digital TV Transition Delay

Couldn't have said it better myself...

The only thing I'd add is that for those that paid for the spectrum, it is NOT FAIR to change the rules mid-stream.. Good for some (the slow) and bad for others (the ready) but not fair, none the less..

I am convinced that there's not a SINGLE person who wasn't ready a month ago, but that WOULD be ready if given a years more time. DO IT ALREADY and let's get on with some important topics..

Jan 13th, 2009 @ 3:18pm

Re: Bail out (as Steve)

on What Would Pushing Back The Digital TV Transition Mean?

Absolutely, as will ALL of the new owners of the spectrum.. ANd why not? The government continues to think it can charge fees and taxes, and then change the rules in the middle of the game at it's whim. If there's anything that screws up a free market, it's this kind of crap.

Sorry, but I'm TIRED of seeing those "Just 30 more days" commercials, and personally, I dont care if my local NBC affiliate loses some ratings because of a couple backwoods grandmas haven't asked their kids what it all means. Personally, I think this whole thing will be a non-issue, and they're overreacting.

Continue as planned. Full speed ahead!

http://www.bothsidesarewrong.com

Nov 14th, 2008 @ 6:17am

Collusion is collusion.. (as Steve)

on If That's Price Fixing, You're Doing It Wrong

I dont know the specifics of the law, nor the details of what the companies did, regarding the collusion, but if it is indeed the collusion that is illegal, then they should be procecuted, even if the collusion didn't benefit them or harm the consumer. If not, then the precident is set, and we'll have companies trying to get out of being prosecuted for monopolistic behavior because "the consumer wasn't harmed", and that is going to be a hard thing to overcome, and it's frankly irrelevant..

May 30th, 2008 @ 10:38am

America's passtime... (as Steve Jones)

on Stephen Colbert Takes On MLB's Attempt To Bully Little Leaguers With Trademarks

America's national passtime used to be baseball...

Now it's frivolous lawsuits.. It was only a matter of time before baseball tried to get back it's title by joining baseball WITH the lawsuit, to make the ultimate passtime...

"As American as baseball and a lawsuit..." just rolls off the tongue..

Jan 3rd, 2008 @ 12:14pm

Re: Vaccinate Your Kids Against Drugs? (as Steve)

on If You Could Vaccinate Your Kids Against Drugs, Would You?

as for "Do you want to deprive them of free will??", did you have your son circumcised?

Dec 20th, 2007 @ 7:27am

Still doesnt make sense.. (as Steve)

on Why Is Kevin Martin Advertising The DTV Switch On Dish Network?

I understand targeting the message at the "rural areas" that dont get locals via dish, but that doesn't answer the question of why to put the ads on the dish system? They should put them on the OTA locals, which
1: have a vested interest
2: viewers will be impacted

Viewers who dont watch the locals, and already have dish, dont care, and wont be impacted, so putting it on some digital dish channel is irrelevant... Put the ad on the local news, or "oprah" and you'll get all the viewers that'll be impacted..

Also, the implication of the requirement of a sat box, excluding cable, is suspect.

Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 5:20am

Relying on beta stuff?? (as Steve Jones)

on Is It Still Beta Once People Rely On It?

Saying it isn't fair to make "critical stuff like email" available for beta testing is just stupid. It's going to be version one, and new/buggy at some point. What would you rather them do, just keep it internal 'till THEY think it's ready, and let you suffer with a buggy version one, or do what they're doing, and let you use it - FOR FREE, I'll remind you, help you the best they can - FOR FREE, and then put up with YOUR BITCHING about something you're getting FOR FREE isn't supported well enough?

If you want to be able to complain about something, go pay for something, and get a service level agreement. If you want to enjoy leading edge technology, FOR FREE, then shut up, and be thankful for what you get.

-Steve