RobShaver 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (240) comment rss

  • On the post: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA's Not Going Away

    RobShaver ( profile ), 21 Jan, 2012 @ 12:11pm

    SOPA & PIPA are the symptom ...

    SOPA & PIPA are the symptom, not the problem. We need to get out in front of this problem and proactively get the IP laws overhauled. We at least need fair-use to be a defined right so that I, as an amateur filmmaker, can know exactly what the limits are, not wait until I'm sued.
    Yes, I think IP creators should be compensated but I think we should reduce free speech and encumber innovation and creativity.

  • On the post: OK, So SOPA And PIPA Are Both On Hold: Where Do We Go From Here?

    RobShaver ( profile ), 20 Jan, 2012 @ 04:50pm

    Here's where I thing we should go from here ...

    Rather that working against what we don't want, why don't we start working together for what we do want?

    I'd suggest that we need a concerted effort to get real changes in the IP laws in the USA. How about making fair-use a well defined right just to start?

  • On the post: Hollywood Studio Execs Upset That President Obama Didn't Stay Bought; Insist They Won't Donate More

    RobShaver ( profile ), 19 Jan, 2012 @ 11:13pm

    Boycott movies

    I pledge to not go to a single movie in the theater this year, 2012. Care to join me watching NetFlix?

  • On the post: Exploring The Factories Where All Our Gadgets Are Made

    RobShaver ( profile ), 13 Jan, 2012 @ 08:49am

    Define "Hand Made"

    Something put together by people on an assembly line does not, in my book, count as hand made. The cars that rolled off of Henry Ford's assembly line were factory made ... not hand made.

    Hand made is when a craftsman takes raw materials and creates a finished product. Parts are often not interchangeable and each finished product is a little different from the others.

  • On the post: Did Mitt Romney Just Come Out Against SOPA/PIPA?

    RobShaver ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2012 @ 09:16am

    What politicians say ...

    What politicians say doesn't matter. Only pay attention to what they actually do. That's where I think I went wrong when I voted for Obama.

  • On the post: Is A Naked Danica Patrick Working To Quell GoDaddy Boycott Efforts?

    RobShaver ( profile ), 29 Dec, 2011 @ 08:39am

    Yesterday I registered ...

    Yesterday I registered a new domain name for a client. She had searched, the day before, for her-name.com on GoDaddy, which reported it was available. Yesterday using hover.com it was no longer available.

    I had heard that it is common practice for a domain registrars to put a 30-day hold on any domain names that you search for on their site if you don't buy it right then. It costs them nothing but prevents you from buying it elsewhere.

    We went back to GoDaddy and did another search. The offered to charge us $21 to put it on back-order. When it comes available we would be permitted to participate in an auction for it.

    In the end my client bought her-name.net from Hover.

    But the moral of the story is to never search for available domain names on registrar's web sites unless you intend to buy it right then. Perhaps there is an independent whois to use ... I don't know about that.

    Perhaps one of the readers here might know more about this.

  • On the post: Senator Wyden Demands Answers About Feds' Seizure Of Dajaz1

    RobShaver ( profile ), 22 Dec, 2011 @ 04:15pm

    You realize ...

    that he won't get any real answers back, right? Just more vague "trust me, they're bad" statements. And we (I) let them get away with that behavior.

    Look at how the previous administration "outed" Valerie Plame and nobody was brought to justice. Oh, Scooter got a slap on the wrist for stonewalling the court, but the perpetrators were never even exposed.

    We are a sick, sick country on a downward spiral as a world power, and it's our own fault ... the people's fault ... me too.

  • On the post: What Other Websites Is The US Government Secretly Censoring?

    RobShaver ( profile ), 12 Dec, 2011 @ 04:39pm

    How to make a new link from an IP address

    If a web site looses its domain name, it can create another one like this one I created at tinyURL(dot)com. It will only work for web sites that are not sharing an IP address with other web sites ... which is quite common ... virtual hosting.

    http://tinyurl.com/yahoooShort

    But I can conceive of a similar service which would let the URL creator add the needed data which it would fill in when someone clicked on the shortened link.

    Though I suppose ICE might seize tinyurl too since the law doesn't seem to apply to them.

  • On the post: Red Cross Wants Real Life Laws Enforced Within Virtual Worlds

    RobShaver ( profile ), 05 Dec, 2011 @ 09:13am

    There are no violent video games

    There are no violent video games because pixels are not people.

    I'll agree to this when hockey players are arrested for assault when fighting on the ice, which I think they should be, and the same rules apply to movies, TV, photography, books, magazines, music/songs, paintings, dance and all other forms of human story-telling.

    It's make-believe people ... IT'S NOT REAL!

  • On the post: Sarkozy Worried About The Internet 'Stealing Audience Share' From 'Regulated' TV Services

    RobShaver ( profile ), 24 Nov, 2011 @ 09:41am

    BOOKS ...

    stealing audience share from TV (& movies) since ... well ... TV (& movies) were invented. (Not to mention sex ... stealing audience that is, although Nielson can't tell what you're doing while you TV is on.)

  • On the post: An Open Letter To Chris Dodd: Silicon Valley Can't Help Hollywood If You First Cripple It With Bad Regulation

    RobShaver ( profile ), 31 Oct, 2011 @ 02:17pm

    Re: Re:

    Remember that the Boston Tea Party was really against the East India Company ... a corporation. I believe this subject and the Occupy Wall Street (and the world) are really all the same struggle. We've turned over too much control to corporations who now exert too much control over the US and other governments.

  • On the post: An Open Letter To Chris Dodd: Silicon Valley Can't Help Hollywood If You First Cripple It With Bad Regulation

    RobShaver ( profile ), 31 Oct, 2011 @ 02:13pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I hope you looked up the spelling in a dictionary printed on paper, otherwise you used the technology you now wish to kill.

  • On the post: Bill Gates Called To Testify In Antitrust Trial Over Windows 95; No This Isn't An Old Post

    RobShaver ( profile ), 18 Oct, 2011 @ 04:25pm

    Re: Apple?

    Having developed software to work with Novell Netware, I don't think they have ever been a very savvy technology company.

    I agree that once people start suing each other, everybody looses a bit, but I don't quite know how to take Mike's position that they should just roll over and take a screwing from MS (I mean move on, forgive and forget). If you don't stand up then its going to happen again and again and again.

    Mike, do you think IBM should have just rolled over for SCO or am I misconstruing your comment?

  • On the post: ICANN Takes Over Time Zone Database; Dares Astrolabe To Sue

    RobShaver ( profile ), 17 Oct, 2011 @ 04:06pm

    What facts are we talking about?

    Time zones are not facts ... they are an invention for human convenience. The earth does not rotate in one hour increments. The earth rotates once a day, but decided/declared that there are exactly 24 hours in a day, which we know is not exactly correct.

    So I'm glad ICANN is taking some action, I don't think anyone's trying to copyright any facts here. If I'm wrong, please point it out so I can be a little smarter next time.

    Peace,

    Rob:-]

  • On the post: Lawrence Golan Speaks About Golan V. Holder And His Fight To Protect The Public Domain

    RobShaver ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2011 @ 09:06am

    I can hardly wait ...

    for the heirs of the Brothers Grim to reclaim their copyright for Snow White and stick it to Disney. Won't happen you say? But it's a nice fantasy. Maybe a good subject for that video challenge. Hummm ...

  • On the post: Radio Is Killing Music

    RobShaver ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2011 @ 11:39am

    Re: I feel bad for people ...

    who have to listen to songs written in one day.

    "Friday" is the poster-child for one-day-wonders:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0

  • On the post: Radio Is Killing Music

    RobShaver ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2011 @ 11:31am

    Re: The answer to that ...

    let's eliminate the publich domain

  • On the post: Dear Internet, We Need Better Image Archives

    RobShaver ( profile ), 29 Sep, 2011 @ 07:06pm

    Re: Unfortunately ...

    Oh, and "Note that Google's terms of use prohibit the use of their services by any automated means or any means other than through the interface provided by Google. These restrictions would make use of GmailFS a direct violation of the Service agreement."

    As we know from reading TechDirt, violating any companies terms of service is now a criminal offence ... so maybe it's good that GmailFS doesn't work any more.

  • On the post: Dear Internet, We Need Better Image Archives

    RobShaver ( profile ), 29 Sep, 2011 @ 07:04pm

    Unfortunately ...

    "Unfortunately the GmailFS project has come to an end. libgmail has ceased being maintained by its developers, and as a result libgmail no longer works with the latest Gmail interface (and has not done so for many weeks). Without a working libgmail, GmailFS does not function, so the end of libgmail also spells the end of GmailFS."

  • On the post: Dear Internet, We Need Better Image Archives

    RobShaver ( profile ), 29 Sep, 2011 @ 07:02pm

    Worked for me ...

    See my post farther down.

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