I seem to recall a time, in the early 20th century, when the US experimented with handing over an entire industry to gangs, and then had a gang problem.
I'm trying to remember... oh yeah! It was Prohibition!
Given how that turned out, maybe we shouldn't try it again.
For people that don't have a work need for SMS messages, it might make sense to cut out the various coping methods and simply turn them off at the wireless account level.
If someone needs to get a hold of me, they can call (haha), GChat (whatever it's called this week), Discord, Skype, FB message, or something else I probably had to get for that once person.
Those services don't spam people with mass messages, so that's all I use.
Why are there licenses and fees of any kind at all?
Isn't the entire point of the NCAA that sportsmanship and education are above all? That's why the players (students) don't get paid, right? The universities involved don't make much either - it goes towards maintaining their sports departments.
So there shouldn't be any money involved in the first place to be concerned about.
After all, if any of this was in any way big money, the players should be getting some of it...
It's darkly hilarious that the DMCA, long derided for being terrible for almost everyone, it so behind the times that it's better than any new legislation we could hope for today.
If only the media had passed more "1990's style evil" laws back in the day - we'd have more media freedoms now.
The Darknets will certainly be a thing... but this really will restrict media consumption in the EU. You can maximize profits but that tends to shrink the market.
In completely unrelated news, I subscribed to World of Warcraft Classic the other day and find myself watching no television at all...
While it's bad that CableCARD was completely killed off, it was too difficult for most people to get working already.
The FCC is, in a weird way, helping people transition to streaming services. Which might seem helpful but won't be in the longer term as many in the US get Internet service from cable providers.
I've recently started to realize that streaming providers like Netflix are transitional, in that television-style programming is on the way out, no matter how it reaches your eyeballs.
Fortunately so, as it seems clear that Cable providers will simply take the fees in another way once cord-cutting is complete.
Rampant over-use of the Red Scare by, well, pretty much everyone, for reasons that don't stand up to much scrutiny, have blunted this threat pretty well.
In other words, I'm glad that Sci-Hub wasn't accused of something that more people would actually pay attention to.
That's not the only strange thing that they're saying.
So, the idea is that when Millenials buy houses they'll subscribe to cable?
Well, they won't be subscribing to cable for anything except Internet access in any case, but how is a group of people drowning in student debt and childless because of lack of steady income going to get a mortgage?
(This is a subset of the "FU, Pay Me, except people under 30 literally can't afford to" argument that's going to apply to more and more things in the future)
That's not even the problem. There's a reason that the free market can't work here: communication cables are a natural monopoly - it doesn't make sense for each provider to run their own.
As a result, Internet access is effectively a Utility and needs to be regulated by one. Well, either that or turn over all of the physical cable networks to the (state) government, but that has clear downsides.
"True Threat" / "Hate Speech" laws are generally incompatible with the First Amendment, so you have to expect legal gyrations when they are drafted / decided on.
Didn't we a;ready learn about this?
I seem to recall a time, in the early 20th century, when the US experimented with handing over an entire industry to gangs, and then had a gang problem.
I'm trying to remember... oh yeah! It was Prohibition!
Given how that turned out, maybe we shouldn't try it again.
Re: Do Not Disturb
For people that don't have a work need for SMS messages, it might make sense to cut out the various coping methods and simply turn them off at the wireless account level.
If someone needs to get a hold of me, they can call (haha), GChat (whatever it's called this week), Discord, Skype, FB message, or something else I probably had to get for that once person.
Those services don't spam people with mass messages, so that's all I use.
Re: NIL
I really don't understand any of this.
Why are there licenses and fees of any kind at all?
Isn't the entire point of the NCAA that sportsmanship and education are above all? That's why the players (students) don't get paid, right? The universities involved don't make much either - it goes towards maintaining their sports departments.
So there shouldn't be any money involved in the first place to be concerned about.
After all, if any of this was in any way big money, the players should be getting some of it...
Re: Nope
It's darkly hilarious that the DMCA, long derided for being terrible for almost everyone, it so behind the times that it's better than any new legislation we could hope for today.
If only the media had passed more "1990's style evil" laws back in the day - we'd have more media freedoms now.
Will Cable News got the way of Local Newspapers?
It's going to be interesting to see what happens to media interaction rates once Trump isn't sucking all the air out of the room.
I'm wondering if the news will suffer in the transfer back to normality.
Re: Re: And so the darknet gains traction in the EU...
The Darknets will certainly be a thing... but this really will restrict media consumption in the EU. You can maximize profits but that tends to shrink the market.
In completely unrelated news, I subscribed to World of Warcraft Classic the other day and find myself watching no television at all...
I kept my promise
I always said that when ME:3 came out on Steam, I'd buy it and play it. I never thought it would happen, but it did, and I did.
Hell, I bought DA:3 too, even though I own a useless box I got on Amazon years ago that required Origin to install.
No reason not to encourage EA for doing the right thing.
That said, you still need an Origin account (currently) to play the games, so it's not completely gone yet. I can only hope.
It will all work out!
While it's bad that CableCARD was completely killed off, it was too difficult for most people to get working already.
The FCC is, in a weird way, helping people transition to streaming services. Which might seem helpful but won't be in the longer term as many in the US get Internet service from cable providers.
I've recently started to realize that streaming providers like Netflix are transitional, in that television-style programming is on the way out, no matter how it reaches your eyeballs.
Fortunately so, as it seems clear that Cable providers will simply take the fees in another way once cord-cutting is complete.
Re: Re: Elephant in the room -- the picture is much too rosy!
I don't think we need to worry about streaming services going the way of Satellite TV.
It's simple economics - people can't afford to pay a lot any more.
One way, or another, people won't be paying. You can't squeeze blood from a stone.
In a weird way, this is a good thing.
Rampant over-use of the Red Scare by, well, pretty much everyone, for reasons that don't stand up to much scrutiny, have blunted this threat pretty well.
In other words, I'm glad that Sci-Hub wasn't accused of something that more people would actually pay attention to.
I can't believe this actually works.
I'm not sure how many minutes it took for these students to nominate "designated cellphone carriers", but it couldn't have been many.
If they are really sophisticated they'd even make sure that no one carried more than two, to spoof any somewhat-accurate identity tracking attempts.
I guess they hate sales?
So the company I only know exists because of TechDirt is no longer selling TechDirt mech.
Good job, TeeSpring. I guess you hate money, which is good because you're no longer getting any of mine.
Re: 60% in 2030?
So, the idea is that when Millenials buy houses they'll subscribe to cable?
Well, they won't be subscribing to cable for anything except Internet access in any case, but how is a group of people drowning in student debt and childless because of lack of steady income going to get a mortgage?
(This is a subset of the "FU, Pay Me, except people under 30 literally can't afford to" argument that's going to apply to more and more things in the future)
Re: Re: government-backed monopolies
As a result, Internet access is effectively a Utility and needs to be regulated by one. Well, either that or turn over all of the physical cable networks to the (state) government, but that has clear downsides.
Re: 'prohibits transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat'
Re: I see a pattern here
Congress makes laws, not the Supremes. Three branches and all that.
(untitled comment)
Side note: In Judaism, parents are responsible for their children (in every way) until they are adults (at 13).
Gentlemen, start your firewalls!
It's sad its come to that.
You can lead a horse to water...
If the cable providers don't agree with the spirit of the rules, they will just go out of business faster.
You can't force someone to accept help.
Go for it TW!
The lost Hulu revenue and lost ratings are just bonuses.
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