Comments by Trails http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/01462423203/ex-prenda-lawyer-brett-gibbs-pleads-poverty-to-judge-wright.shtml#c343 Fri, 24 May 2013 11:51:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/01462423203/ex-prenda-lawyer-brett-gibbs-pleads-poverty-to-judge-wright.shtml#c343 Re: Re: Re: Is that it? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1163 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:31:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1163 Re: Re: Return to active duty http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c226 Wed, 22 May 2013 14:44:31 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c226 linked article has the same line you mentioned above:

It is common to place law enforcement officers on paid leave during investigations of arrest-related deaths, but the Californian reported the deputies involved remain on duty.

"We're following the same protocol, as far as the administrative process is concerned, that we'd follow in similar-type incidents," sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said.
]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c281 Tue, 21 May 2013 06:33:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c281 for a small minority of nut cases they are training for mayhem which no rational person can comprehend.

Ahhh, the heart of the bullshit, served with the duck included. No rational people can comprehend but trust us, it's there.

This notion that video games train people is such epic bullshit. Let's break it down shall we?

Let's analyze a bit what's needed to kill, and how videogames do or do not help:
1. Knowledge of how to use weapons - I've never fired a gun in my life, but I've heard tell from people who have that video games don't help you shoot. I've never learned shit about knife work from video games, though two years in a butcher shop sure helped.
2. Physical conditioning - Running around attacking people takes a certain amount of stamina. Halo never helped my endurance of anything except junk food.
3. Strategy and tactics - Video game AI is pretty lame sauce when compared to the real thing, even to this day, and game scenarios are rarely realistic.

Now, if what you're trying to convey is that video games somehow morally "train" people to kill (which is nonsense on its face) bear in mind that the VAST majority of games have strong moral overtones, at least in the broad strokes. DOOM is fighting demons from Hell, Halo is fighting aliens who want to exterminate humanity, Warcraft is fighting the undead who want to exterminate life (there are other baddies in WoW, but that's 40 paragraphs on its own). Sure there are outliers such as indie/homegrown stuff with any kind of content you can imagine (and probably some sick shit you would have never thought of), but that's not what we're really talking about, is it?

In fact part of the appeal of many video games is being the good guy, saving the civilians, blah blah blah. It aligns with our pre-existing morals and hero fantasies.

So, how exactly does a video game train someone in ways no one can understand? Cause I sure can't understand it.]]> Re: Re: Absolution for Prenda. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/12190223151/prendas-paul-hansmeier-asks-appeals-court-to-delay-sanctions-appeals-court-says-no-try-again.shtml#c346 Tue, 21 May 2013 06:14:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/12190223151/prendas-paul-hansmeier-asks-appeals-court-to-delay-sanctions-appeals-court-says-no-try-again.shtml#c346 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c466 Mon, 20 May 2013 17:25:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/11552823150/major-hollywood-studios-all-sent-bogus-dmca-takedowns-concerning-pirate-bay-documentary.shtml#c466 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/07262023094/restaurant-facebook-goes-nuclear-facebook-over-reviews-gordon-ramsay-owner-cry-hack.shtml#c945 Thu, 16 May 2013 12:22:03 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/07262023094/restaurant-facebook-goes-nuclear-facebook-over-reviews-gordon-ramsay-owner-cry-hack.shtml#c945 Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/07262023094/restaurant-facebook-goes-nuclear-facebook-over-reviews-gordon-ramsay-owner-cry-hack.shtml#c466 Wed, 15 May 2013 18:52:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/07262023094/restaurant-facebook-goes-nuclear-facebook-over-reviews-gordon-ramsay-owner-cry-hack.shtml#c466 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c577 Wed, 15 May 2013 10:20:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c577 Re: Mike admitz what we knowz: "I'm no expert on extortion law". http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c569 Wed, 15 May 2013 10:18:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c569 Tort is a wrong. "Extortion" means "outside of being wronged". The premise of the threatened cases is that someone committed a wrong against the copyright holder, but could escape a trial by paying off. -- See how that goes? A party is wronged first giving them a "tort" at law, THEN the 2nd party may be forced to pay off, but can avoid it by out-of-court settlement. Happens many times every day.

Hi, no.

So, grade 4 latin. "Ex" = "out" or "out of", "tort" is actually rooted in "torquere" meaning "to twist", so "out of twisting" or "extract by twisting" is about what "ex tort" in Latin translates to.

Further, while the word is rooted in Latin, and we don't actually use Latin, so grade 4 transliteration into a dead language isn't the pithy or biting argument you seem to believe, and probably doesn't carry much legal weight either.

But other than the incorrect translation which is meaningless anyways, that was a great argument.]]> He wasn't fired http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/11145623034/former-maple-leaf-gm-sues-bloggers-posting-rumors-about-his-firing-spreads-rumors-far-wide.shtml#c103 Tue, 14 May 2013 21:48:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130510/11145623034/former-maple-leaf-gm-sues-bloggers-posting-rumors-about-his-firing-spreads-rumors-far-wide.shtml#c103 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130513/17254723069/mark-lutz-claims-he-signed-as-salt-marsh-no-one-seems-to-know-where-original-is.shtml#c253 Tue, 14 May 2013 07:23:30 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130513/17254723069/mark-lutz-claims-he-signed-as-salt-marsh-no-one-seems-to-know-where-original-is.shtml#c253
This is an outrage! I demand that I be given a paid account as well (for no charge) so that I can then see first hand how vile this manipulation is!]]> Re: Weenies both sides: promoting and worry over TOY gun. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130511/02295223046/pretending-that-instructions-to-print-gun-arent-out-there-wont-change-reality-that-they-are.shtml#c341 Mon, 13 May 2013 09:24:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130511/02295223046/pretending-that-instructions-to-print-gun-arent-out-there-wont-change-reality-that-they-are.shtml#c341
As such, this is an interesting situation, distribution of knowledge, gov't attempts to contain it, etc...

Just cause the gun itself sucks and pipe bombs are more lethal by far doesn't obviate the actual discussion being had (at least here, I know CNN's been a bit shrill about this).]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130511/02295223046/pretending-that-instructions-to-print-gun-arent-out-there-wont-change-reality-that-they-are.shtml#c325 Mon, 13 May 2013 09:20:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130511/02295223046/pretending-that-instructions-to-print-gun-arent-out-there-wont-change-reality-that-they-are.shtml#c325 Re: Desperation move http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c526 Thu, 9 May 2013 16:36:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c526 Re: CIA... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130508/17354123014/fbi-didnt-even-inform-fusion-center-about-tamerlan-tsarnaev.shtml#c32 Thu, 9 May 2013 16:22:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130508/17354123014/fbi-didnt-even-inform-fusion-center-about-tamerlan-tsarnaev.shtml#c32 Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c439 Thu, 9 May 2013 14:53:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c439 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c425 Thu, 9 May 2013 14:50:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c425 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c415 Thu, 9 May 2013 14:48:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130509/11035523021/prenda-says-judge-wrights-order-is-inapplicable-georgia-because-california-recognizes-gay-marriage.shtml#c415 Re: Statue in his honor http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/16340322966/judge-wright-tells-team-prenda-to-pay-80k-refers-their-activity-to-state-bars-feds-irs.shtml#c259 Mon, 6 May 2013 18:32:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/16340322966/judge-wright-tells-team-prenda-to-pay-80k-refers-their-activity-to-state-bars-feds-irs.shtml#c259