Rob R. 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (68) comment rss

  • On the post: ASCAP Now Claiming That Your Mobile Phone Ringing Is A Public Performance

    Rob R. ( profile ), 22 Jun, 2009 @ 10:55am

    Re: Re:

    Amen! I use the old fashioned bell ringer on my iPhone and it works just fine. Once my son get further along in his guitar lessons I'm going to use one of his songs as a ringtone to support him. Does this mean I'll have to pay my 13 year old son each time anyone calls me? Wow, talk about augmenting your allowance...

  • On the post: How Can There Be Unauthorized Playing With Toys?

    Rob R. ( profile ), 19 Jun, 2009 @ 08:00am

    How can the company presume to tell people how they can or cannot set up the toys in their possession?

    They cannot. Not with any sanity, anyhow. That's like Braun suing me for using my razor to shave my wife's legs and use a picture of that to try to sell the razor used. Once I buy it, I can do anything with it I want because it is now my property.

  • On the post: Recording Industry: Radio Is Piracy, But Not Playing Our Music Is A Federal Offense

    Rob R. ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2009 @ 10:41am

    It won't be long until we have a monthly quota of music we are required to purchase at whatever rate the RIAA chooses. If we fail to meet this purchase requirement, we just have an amount arbitrarily deducted from our wages to compensate them.

    And after that, being allowed to listen to music will be a luxury and subject to being taxed. The IRS will determine how much we should pay, and of course the RIAA will get 50% of that.

    Isn't that how it should be?

  • On the post: Japan Makes Private Copying Illegal

    Rob R. ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2009 @ 07:02am

    Man, I really hope this gets overturned. It will stop all copying of all media everywhere.!

    Oh, wait. No it won't!

    The people that copy things illegally will KEEP doing it and people (like me) that make real backup copies of disks they really bought will keep doing so.

    If the movie industry thinks a person will small children that do not take care of the movie disks is going to re-purchase movies when they get damaged by the kids - they're stoned. I back up the movie and put the original in a locked box. The kids get to watch the backup copy and if they break it I can make a new one for about $0.09 instead of having to buy another one for $4.99-24.99. I will keep doing it this way. If they make it so I cannot back up my movies then I'll simply stop buying movies at all. Their loss, not mine.

  • On the post: UK Court Says No Right To Being An Anonymous Blogger

    Rob R. ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2009 @ 06:49am

    This is crap. Even if the Times had puzzled out his identity, he has a right to privacy. This is not a good sign at all, because this will be a stepping stone for others that wish to censor things. People that wish to post anonymously should be able to do so - as this site clearly does. I may mock them openly and at times even mock them for posting as "Anonymous Coward", but they have the right to do so. Before the site allowed registrations, many people still posted using the same "Name" all the time. This was really all that was needed. No one should be forced to reveal more.

  • On the post: Media Analyst Calls Hulu 'Anti-American' For Providing Free Content

    Rob R. ( profile ), 15 Jun, 2009 @ 12:58pm

    But Hulu isn't a site that is just generating ad dollars.......it's an alien ploy to soften our brains to they can be easily eaten!

    It's also a great example of how to make a shitload of cash from giving things away for free using very expensive servers, very expensive bandwidth, very expensive advertising on (free) broadcast TV.

    The greedy will never understand that you make more like this than you do trying to charge for every microscopic bit you can. F*cktards would indeed be the correct term.

  • On the post: Rep. Wexler And The Lies Of The Copyright Industry

    Rob R. ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 12:07pm

    Re: Some people sure don't get it

    Disturbingly accurate...

  • On the post: Rep. Wexler And The Lies Of The Copyright Industry

    Rob R. ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 12:06pm

    Here's an idea for Congress: Maybe representing your constituents interests rather than the interests of the lobbyists pumping money into campaign coffers would garner you some genuine respect.

    If they have not done so in 200 years, they are not going to do so. Grassroots, anyone? Show them who their real boss is?

  • On the post: Apple's Confused iPhone App Censors: Softcore Porn? Ok.

    Rob R. ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 10:41am

    Re: Apple

    How exactly is it a trap? I have been using them for a long time now and have yet to feel trapped. Your experience must obviously be different, so I am curious.

  • On the post: Apple's Confused iPhone App Censors: Softcore Porn? Ok.

    Rob R. ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 10:37am

    Re: Re:

    Your counter is off then, because they have two, not counting the volume.

  • On the post: Apple's Confused iPhone App Censors: Softcore Porn? Ok.

    Rob R. ( profile ), 11 Jun, 2009 @ 12:07pm

    Probably just depends on what employee is reviewing the app. If you get the one that is prudish, they are going to lean towards more restrictions. If you get a more outgoing judge, then your app is more likely to not get a censor for the small stuff.

    You'll have things like this any time humans are the ones making the judgement calls.

  • On the post: Yet Another E-Voting Glitch; This One Adds 5,000 Phantom Votes

    Rob R. ( profile ), 09 Jun, 2009 @ 01:29pm

    Conspiracy Theorist?

    Am I a theorist if I think we should take a peek at any connections between a political candidate or party and the company that makes the voting machine? This happens way too often to just be bad code once or twice.

    Not only that, but I think the FTC needs to crawl up ES&S's ass with a microscope and find out what is going on. Why has this not been done?!?

  • On the post: Switzerland Decides That It's Ok For Private Firm To Violate Your Privacy If It's Searching For 'Pirates'

    Rob R. ( profile ), 05 Jun, 2009 @ 01:02pm

    Wow, there is still privacy that hasn't be superseded by the government's "need to know" everything about you?

    Bah! Get rid of that pesky privacy rights crap - the government has the RIGHT to know everything you do because one day you might not floss after lunch, thus costing the taxpayers an estimated $0.001 in extra health care costs. The government has the RIGHT to spend the $67,841.12 (I pulled the number out of my ass, so don't try to verify it) it took to find out that information via the monitored dental floss container and mouthwash bottle you are required to have 47cm to the left of the sink center and touching the back of the sink (required to activate the sensor that says the bottle is there).

    Can we have more regulation, please? I don't want any privacy, I want people smarter than I am to dictate my life to me.

    Pardon me while I go eat a double greaseburger and onion rings and follow it up with a deep-fried burrito at the gas station, then wash it down with an extra-large chocolate chip mint shake. Why? Because I have the right to clog my arteries should I feel the urge.

    Demolition Man

  • On the post: Apple's Rejection Of EFF RSS Reader App Sort Of Proves EFF's Point About Arbitrary App Rejections

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 11:54am

    Re: Yep

    My Kool-Aid was made by me and is non-addictive. Yours, unfortunately, cannot make that claim.

    The only blind, unreasoning obedience I see is yours.

  • On the post: Cher Lawsuit Highlights How Record Labels Screw Over Artists

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 10:13am

    You go, Cher!

    It's nice that she has fuck you money (enough money that she can say "Fuck you" to anyone in the world and not worry about it) and is willing to spend some of it to make this example. I really hope that more artists do the same and eventually get the recording asswipes to change or just go away.

  • On the post: Store Payment Info In Your Online Store? Watch Out For Patent Infringement Lawsuits

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 08:03am

    Wow, one hell of a good scam they've discovered. I wonder how long they can ride this train before the inevitable crash and subsequent train wreck of their lives.

  • On the post: Apple's Rejection Of EFF RSS Reader App Sort Of Proves EFF's Point About Arbitrary App Rejections

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 06:46am

    Re: DMCA...

    I'm frequently amazed that you guys will just sit and bitch about how this system doesn't work when the information is staring you in the face. The system works better than any system ever devised - bar none. That's right - they have sold ONE BILLION apps and growing. They have sold more iPhones than any manufacturer with any model smartphone or PDA. Their stock has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and they have one of the most loyal fan bases of any company in the world. The market share of the iPhone among smartphone users is unmatched and makes all of the other makers jealous beyond words. 98%+ of iPhone users get another iPhone.

    And you are smarter then they are?

    *giggles uncontrollably*

  • On the post: Apple's Rejection Of EFF RSS Reader App Sort Of Proves EFF's Point About Arbitrary App Rejections

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 06:38am

    Re: Stupid, stupid, stupid

    I'm an Apple fan, and have been for over ten years. I have an original iPhone that I will be upgrading when the new one hits the stores. I went to school for the anti-Apple company and worked at that for several years and I won't own their stuff. That should be telling.

  • On the post: Apple's Rejection Of EFF RSS Reader App Sort Of Proves EFF's Point About Arbitrary App Rejections

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 06:36am

    Re: Seems I OVERestimated the intelligence...

    Still eating that sandwich I see.

  • On the post: Apple's Rejection Of EFF RSS Reader App Sort Of Proves EFF's Point About Arbitrary App Rejections

    Rob R. ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 06:33am

    Re: Dear Idiots

    I really couldn't find the central point in your rambling, nonsensical attempt at communication, so I'll just go ahead and assume you wanted a sandwich.

    I agree, sandwiches are delicious.

    Oh, while you are eating, check out the iPhone. I got one after having a ton of other phones and PDAs that just didn't do everything I wanted. This thing is great and works seamlessly with my desktop computer. I bought it because I sampled one and really loved how it worked, so in keeping with the notions of capitalism that this great country runs on I paid for it and will buy new ones as they come out. I will also buy apps from them because they have things I like and I want them to have more.

    Enjoy your sandwich!

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