Comments by gilroy0 http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... Oh, NOW they've done it http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120711/02531319660/kim-jong-uns-mysterious-female-companion-hides-real-issue-piracy-disney-characters.shtml#c903 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:53:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120711/02531319660/kim-jong-uns-mysterious-female-companion-hides-real-issue-piracy-disney-characters.shtml#c903 We have a winner! http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120705/04282819588/verizons-bizarre-constitutional-argument-net-neutrality-rules-violate-its-first-fifth-amendment-rights.shtml#c500 Sat, 7 Jul 2012 05:36:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120705/04282819588/verizons-bizarre-constitutional-argument-net-neutrality-rules-violate-its-first-fifth-amendment-rights.shtml#c500
This, of course, is the end game for the corporations that are in the process of buying our government.]]> I expect better than this on TechDirt http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110810/02261615462/politicians-innovation-paradox-job-creation.shtml#c1354 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:45:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110810/02261615462/politicians-innovation-paradox-job-creation.shtml#c1354 US population (1985): 237.9 M
US population (2002): 287.7 M
Expected # of tellers in 2002: 582,000
Actual # of tellers in 2002: 527,000
"Missing" tellers: 55,000

Source for US pop: http://tinyurl.com/3uv5ao6 (Google visualization of US Census data)
Reasoning: Bank services can reasonably be modeled as a per-capita business. More people require more services. Of course there is a network effect but for a first cut it's not a bad assumption. (And one would expect that, as population grows, the network effect would imply more bank services required.)

If things were the same, we would expect nearly 60,000 more tellers in banks than we saw. Something changed and reduced the tellers per capita. It doesn't seem outrageous to think that it might in fact be the ATMs that reduced the need for human tellers. I have used a human teller approximately zero times in ten years, and I know I am not alone. Are banks really still paying for all of the tellers they would have? As population grows and new areas open to development, do banks really construct new branches ... or do they plant a lot more ATMs and keep their branches more centralized?

I really do expect better on Techdirt than mere "Look, a number changed!"]]> Genuine question http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110526/14444814445/ny-stock-exchange-claims-trademark-any-depiction-trading-floor-threatens-tpm.shtml#c654 Sat, 28 May 2011 05:10:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110526/14444814445/ny-stock-exchange-claims-trademark-any-depiction-trading-floor-threatens-tpm.shtml#c654
Could an argument be made that the trademark conveyed by the image has been turned generic, a la the fears of Band-aid Brand bandages, Kleenex tissues, or Xerox copying? Can an image become generic?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110523/00341614390/sonys-insane-fear-piracy-means-many-movies-now-suck-digital-theaters.shtml#c755 Fri, 27 May 2011 04:05:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110523/00341614390/sonys-insane-fear-piracy-means-many-movies-now-suck-digital-theaters.shtml#c755 Rookie mistake http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110524/22145014423/is-mike-tyson-tattoo-ed-helms-parody.shtml#c948 Thu, 26 May 2011 04:06:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110524/22145014423/is-mike-tyson-tattoo-ed-helms-parody.shtml#c948 no way to actually copy the tattoo from the former to the latter. They're different because the topology is different. Helm's tattoo might be "inspired" by Tyson's but they're not the same. (Just look at the picture.)]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110520/12092014357/comcast-pulls-its-sponsorship-reel-grrls-over-tweet-learns-how-not-to-do-pr.shtml#c314 Sat, 21 May 2011 05:54:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110520/12092014357/comcast-pulls-its-sponsorship-reel-grrls-over-tweet-learns-how-not-to-do-pr.shtml#c314
Hmmm. Seems pretty empowered to me.]]> Re: Re: Come on TechDirt... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110422/10384414001/economics-one-lesson-apparently-doesnt-include-pricing-kindle-version-most-expensive.shtml#c379 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:25:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110422/10384414001/economics-one-lesson-apparently-doesnt-include-pricing-kindle-version-most-expensive.shtml#c379 not a "competitive market"? There is no direct substitute for this book -- either you're reading Economics in One Less or you're not. (Obviously, this frays at the edges, because perhaps there is a different economics book one might consider instead, so there is some limited fungibility.)

I think that the reason people object so strongly to the original article is this: Price is set by the intersection of supply and demand. True. But demand is the measure of the utility of the product to the purchaser. While it isn't obvious, it's certainly possible that the added conveniences of the Kindle edition make it sufficiently more valuable than the paperback. I will admit that, as much as I am staying away from ebooks due to DRM, I have all but stopped buying paperbacks because I don't want to invest the space in my apartment to keep them and I hate throwing out books. (Yes, the reseale market is the way to go but I haven't sat down to do that yet.)

I don't think it's helpful on either side to say that some just "doesn't get it". It's clear Mike grasps economics but his highly dismissive attitude was incorrect in this way. You can only a priori compare the paperback to Kindle if they're the same product and they are not, because the Kindle version has features the paperback lacks.]]> Unintended consequences... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/10554513894/record-labels-pressure-spotify-into-being-worse-driving-users-back-to-piracy.shtml#c1372 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:04:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/10554513894/record-labels-pressure-spotify-into-being-worse-driving-users-back-to-piracy.shtml#c1372 If throttling Spotify drives people back to piracy, and if -- as often alleged by the recording industry -- every file downloaded is a lost sale (bear with me here), and if people who cause lost sales are (again, according to the recording industry) liable for massive damages to make up for the "missing" money...
then shouldn't the recording industry sue itself into oblivion for inducing massive copyright violations?]]> not quite http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110401/03121213728/movie-studios-add-another-window-30-dollar-rental.shtml#c562 Sat, 2 Apr 2011 05:03:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110401/03121213728/movie-studios-add-another-window-30-dollar-rental.shtml#c562 This, however, assumes that consumers are stupid, and I think Hollywood may quickly discover that consumers aren't quite as stupid as the studio execs think. should read
This, however, assumes that consumers are stupid, and I think Hollywood may quickly discover that consumers aren't quite as stupid as the studio execs are.
]]> Re: See http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110119/05022912725/fifteenth-century-technopanic-about-horrors-printing-press.shtml#c437 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 06:42:30 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110119/05022912725/fifteenth-century-technopanic-about-horrors-printing-press.shtml#c437 Re: Re: Re: Re: Evidence please :) http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101202/02243512089/how-response-to-wikileaks-is-exactly-what-assange-wants.shtml#c379 Fri, 3 Dec 2010 04:30:18 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101202/02243512089/how-response-to-wikileaks-is-exactly-what-assange-wants.shtml#c379 But just the fact that such information is getting released leads the government to shut down lines of communication that enable such corruption. Except that the net effect could very well be to drive the colluders to inventing "better" ways to hide what they're doing. The likelihood that secret colluders will suddenly stop colluding seems small -- all the incentives for their actions remain. In fact, you could argue that a massive and apparently indiscriminate data dump works against the alleged principles, as the important stuff is swamped and the cost of being revealed is minimized.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/17112011710/now-that-apple-has-a-trademark-on-there-s-an-app-for-that-will-it-sue-sesame-street.shtml#c347 Sat, 6 Nov 2010 05:27:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101103/17112011710/now-that-apple-has-a-trademark-on-there-s-an-app-for-that-will-it-sue-sesame-street.shtml#c347 Re: Close enough http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100923/01014711126/backpage-tells-attorneys-general-that-they-won-t-give-in-to-censorship-demand.shtml#c602 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:54:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100923/01014711126/backpage-tells-attorneys-general-that-they-won-t-give-in-to-censorship-demand.shtml#c602
Sadly, he might be right on both counts.]]> It all makes sense in context. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100825/16275910775.shtml#c99 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:04:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100825/16275910775.shtml#c99
You know -- just like BMI does now.]]> Also... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100723/17165010347.shtml#c73 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:14:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100723/17165010347.shtml#c73
Snarking aside, I would never have heard of this guy if his content had been behind a paywall.]]> But take away the false claims and baseless attacks... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100727/23070310388.shtml#c966 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:24:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100727/23070310388.shtml#c966
:)]]> Didn't Colbert already cover BP photoshopping the spill? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100722/01352410315.shtml#c138 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:38:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100722/01352410315.shtml#c138 yes, yes he did... on July 10.

When the news is starting to follow the parody news sites, we've truly disappeared down the rabbit hole...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100702/18344510066.shtml#c260 Wed, 7 Jul 2010 06:05:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100702/18344510066.shtml#c260 This isn't to say that ticket scalpers and resellers who buy up all the tickets aren't necessarily a problem
Why are they a problem? I mean, I understand the annoyance factor. But doesn't the existence of scalpers basically indicate that the venue underpriced the ticket? I'm no free-market ideologue, but I've never understood why scalping is problem legally or morally.]]> Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100520/0245249507.shtml#c310 Fri, 21 May 2010 04:23:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100520/0245249507.shtml#c310 the other choice was no photo at all. And that other choice was the right one.]]>