Rob Larsen’s Techdirt Profile

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  • Sep 23rd, 2009 @ 11:17am

    Dear Lord

    I fail to see how Joe-Police-Department has ANY jurisdiction over anything online... let alone how ANY government agency would. They don't own the internet.

    Secondly, this is happening quite often lately and its really, REALLY disturbing. A small town council member was recently on a talk radio show out here in Seattle because he demanded a local newspaper give him the email address of a commenter on their website... and the newspaper did. The council member then sent an email directly to that poster demanding he recall his information.

    I'm pretty sure government stifling speech is UNCONSTITUTIONAL but our country stopped caring years ago. This is getting outrageous. I don't care if some guy from a Texas police department disagrees with it but going after a citizen for a constitutionally protected right should be punishable by death.
  • Aug 4th, 2009 @ 7:10pm

    Hey (as Rob)

    Sensationalistic Headline is Sensationalistic.

    I read a lot of stuff on here but starting a story with "OFMG ITS DEAD I TOLD YOU SUCKERS" and following it with "Its not really dead its just that some things have changed and/or we've made progress" is pretty poor taste in journalism.

    Just saying. I might carry my laptop around now though if I dont have to keep buying Starbucks gift cards to get online.
  • Apr 2nd, 2009 @ 3:56pm

    (untitled comment) (as Rob)

    Just like Second Life... it still baffles me why people care about Twitter.

    Spam you sign actively seek and sign up for... what a concept!
  • Mar 27th, 2009 @ 4:34pm

    Re: Weird Harold (as Rob)

    Sorry, Twitter was never relevant.
  • Mar 26th, 2009 @ 3:09pm

    Re: end of the world (as Rob)

    What happens when two street view vans pass each other going in opposite directs?
  • Feb 19th, 2009 @ 2:00pm

    Finally Someone that Gets It (as Rob)

    I enjoy that he mentioned "continued" value as opposed to just value. It sickens me to see games announcing their first pay-for downloadable content packages THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME EVEN SHIPS (COUGH CAPCOM COUGH).

    Or other games that ship for $60 and have content to download at a pay-for level on day one. This is disgusting. Add to that most companies failing to ship stable products from the factory and you've got all around a giant mess that leads to more piracy.

    Valve wins again, Scout update next week; holla!
  • Feb 19th, 2009 @ 1:31pm

    Wow (as Rob)

    I think we should be more worried that Obama is off to a great start with nominees that know nothing about their jobs, rather than a little political chumming.
  • Feb 12th, 2009 @ 12:54am

    Washington State (as Rob)

    I can not WAIT to leave this hell hole of a nanny state and start my own business only a few miles over the border. It'll be sweet throwing all this awesome taxed income to another government and watching Gregoire run up billions more in debt.

    God, do I ever hate this state.
  • Jan 22nd, 2009 @ 4:04pm

    Re: (as Rob)

    SHOCKING NEWS REPORT:

    OLD RESEARCH SHOWS NO LINK BETWEEN VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.

    JUST OFF THE PRESS:

    NEW RESEARCH SHOWS NO LINK BETWEEN VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.

    How is this even news anymore, we were well aware years ago kids will blame whatever they can to cover up teenage angst and being all around emo. I'm sure bad parenting fits in here somewhere too.
  • Jan 14th, 2009 @ 3:02pm

    (untitled comment) (as Rob)

    For a lot of things they wouldn't even be able to collect from players. For instance, in World of Warcraft a player owns NONE of his virtual goods, characters, equipment, gold, memories, friends, etc. because Blizzard specifically states in the EULA and the ToU that they retain ownership of everything.
  • Jan 14th, 2009 @ 2:58pm

    (untitled comment) (as Rob)

    You can't blame YouTube for any of this, you CAN blame the record hounds that have chewed down to the bone to the point where YouTube has no real options left. It may be stupid to remove the sound, but Techdirt writers aren't facing millions in potential lawsuits for stuff that other people do on a day to day basis.

    As for the Guitar Lesson scenario, at least most bands and record executives have realized that going after those teaching people to play is a little over the top. I mean even Lars Ulrich made a video saying how awesome it was that some little kid was playing the solo to One on YouTube (In basketball we call this a make up call, in real life we just point out that Ulrich was a jackass in the first place).
  • Dec 30th, 2008 @ 3:43pm

    Facebook (as Rob)

    Facebook gets to set their own rules, its their site. It is NOT public in the sense that everyone can come use it to do whatever it is they wish.

    If Facebook chooses to take photos down, they have that right. Unless these breastfeeding mothers own Facebook they have no reason to complain. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WOMEN THAT GET PREGNANT CANT BE CEOS OR VALUED MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE CUZ THEY BE TAKIN ALL THAT TIME OFF ROFL AMIRITE?!
  • Dec 5th, 2008 @ 1:24am

    Perhaps its just the area I live in... (as Rob)

    but our stations have been all over the internet for years here. Then again, I grew up in the Puget Sound area just south of Seattle/Redmond/Kirkland, etc.

    Each station out here has been hard pressing on the internet since as long as I can remember. Perhaps its different elsewhere.
  • Nov 19th, 2008 @ 6:29pm

    Re: Re: (off topic) (as Rob)

    Off Topic: What do you mean it has nothing to do with them? If you subscribe to all that Christian mumbo-jumbo, the definition of marriage has a lot do with you, and others committing blasphemies against your religion.

    Separation of church and state died the day marriage was granted special rights and required money to enter one. Also, the will of the people as whole is a little thing called democracy. So, again, it has a lot to do with everyone.

    On Topic: Thank god Kentucky is at least looking into this again.
  • Nov 7th, 2008 @ 11:23am

    Re: Re: J. Cormier (as Rob)

    J, if someone were to beat another person to death with a Samsung phone or monitor, should the company be held responsible?

    If it was not for them, the instrument of death would have never existed, and I'm fairly certain an old CRT could do plenty of damage. Even if it wasn't "original intent," most weapons aren't manufactured with preemptive strikes in mind, more self defense.
  • Nov 7th, 2008 @ 11:20am

    This right here... (as Rob)

    is why the global economy and multiculturalism is doomed to fail. If it is even possible to have a court demand these executives show up, then it is going to end up (one day) our internet vs. their internet.
  • Oct 30th, 2008 @ 3:40pm

    Re: I'm disappointed w/ Nesson (as Rob)

    Do you really think that the same legal system that pays a criminal for cutting himself while stealing a radio cares about brief syntax? Seriously, the case matters, not what some blogger thinks about diction.
  • Oct 30th, 2008 @ 1:28pm

    Re: Etc. (as Rob)

    The point partially being made here that can sidestep a judicial bias towards the decisions of congress is the fact that the RIAA is self regulated and self policed.

    This is where a legal team should be able to hit the group the hardest, not necessarily in the level of fines that congress allowed them to go collect. If they take them out at the knees and make them no longer a police state someone else will have to collect all the money. That new someone would have to do it legally, though a court system, and have trials for each case.

    This alone would change so much that the very existence of the RIAA as a legal mob squad that almost all of the problems would be solved. The court cases would shift to gross theft or huge violations of copyright, as opposed to having something on a hard drive. The entire outlook would be changed as well as the court systems tie up, and something would finally be done about this entire situation.

    Just IMHO. The fact that he lost before has no bearing on this case, and the fact that the court voted 7-2 also has very little bearing. The issue that will be in play as this hits the real court circuit is not the same as the Eldred v. Ashcroft case, and it is also backed strongly by popular opinion now (as the RIAA has become EXTREMELY infamous). Hopefully this will be the catalyst to the changes we've all been looking for.
  • Oct 22nd, 2008 @ 5:16pm

    Re: HA HA (as Rob)

    I think EA should only be able to use the song 3 times, and the composer should be able to install a secuROM in EA's server to ensure that EA doesn't break this agreement. This is the best comment I've ever read on this site. Also, secuROM must be un-installable, to make sure that EA doesn't plan on stealing any fight songs in the future.
  • Oct 20th, 2008 @ 11:27am

    TechDirt... (as Rob)

    depresses me every day. Seriously, when are our personal freedoms going to stop being trampled on. Thanks for being the messenger, even if its horrible news, day in and day out.

    Now, if these domain owners can prove residency outside of Kentucky, Hosting and Purchase outside of Kentucky, etc. etc., can they have their local / state / even the US government step up and stop this seizure?

    I mean, if they aren't residents, whats the difference between this and Kentucky just attacking another state and seizing a building; both are loss of personal property.

    Now, if they are in Kentucky, these owners are probably pretty hosed.

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