bignumone 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (47)

• On the post: Now Here's A Surprise: 'Free Energy' Company Cancels Demo

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 07 Jul, 2007 @ 02:27pm

  Re: These replies are killing me

  I think what some of these people are saying is...sometimes the "science" is just dogma.
  
  There are actually theories out there that the universe would not exist if we were not here to observe it. Essentially, if we can imagine it, we can make it happen. I don't know if that is true, but instead of constantly trying to find why something can never work, why not try to find how it might work?
  
  I have been a scientist for 30 years. The guys that find things that work (including me) are the ones that don't say "it can't" but "why can't it?". I would bank on the non-geek, non-nerd over you any day of the week.
  
  J-

• On the post: Violent Crimes Keep Dropping As Violent Video Games Get More Popular

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2007 @ 07:31am

  Crime and video games

  Those are some good points.
  I have heard people many times comment about how violence in video games helps them "vent" at something not real. I would love to see studies supporting that.
  I tend to believe that any significant drop or rise in violent crime has more to do with bigger societal issues and less to do with GTA or Doom.
  That is not to say that there will be isolated instances of people mimicking what they see in those games.
  Seriously, wouldn't it be pretty scary to run into some kid on goof-balls acting out in a car what was seen in GTA? It is a pretty horrible thought if it does really happen.
  We need to at least see if it is possible.

• On the post: Nokia Designs Anti-Lightning Phone, Still Working On Anti-Silly Story Phone

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 25 May, 2007 @ 06:44am

  People really aren't this stupid, are they?

  I am bored so I decided to take this opportunity to take yet another shot at the stupidity of the general populace.
  I LOVE this comment;
  
  It makes a bright flash in the sky
  It makes a very loud booming sound
  It usually occurs underneath a thunderstorm, which is visible as a spectacular and vast mass of dark grey cloud.
  
  You should patent this and sell it as a fool-proof anti-lightning detection system. Make money by selling it on a card for $5 with a $100,000 guarantee not to get struck by lightning through the cell phone if the person carries the card.
  You will only collect money because the chances of getting struck by lightning alone are pretty damn slim, let alone while on the phone.

• On the post: Since When Does The Associated Press Simply Reprint RIAA Propaganda?

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 15 May, 2007 @ 07:37am

  boycott

  I agree, but boycott any and all music represented by the RIAA.
  I have said it before and I will say it again. The price of music would drop if no one bought it. And although it is wrong to steal music, telling us we should buy a seperate license for each player we have it on is just silly. They have the right to say that, but YOU have the right to not buy the product.
  I do find it interesting that the RIAA members that are bitching the most are fairly wealthy. So ask yourself, how many expensive cars could they buy and how many parties could they go to with a stack of unpurchased disks?
  (But don't steal, either)

• On the post: Forbes Takes On The Streisand Effect; If I Ask Them To Take It Down Will It Become More Famous?

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 13 May, 2007 @ 04:44am

  Just bloviating

  Thank you Larry for explaining what the "Streisand effect" is. I had no idea!
  
  It is funny, but that is a perfect illustration of what the author coined the phrase to represent. Good for you, Mike, good eye!
  
  What is truly astounding is how we seem to think being a bully is the way to handle everything. Had Streisand just called the photographer and talked, those photos may never have seen any more light of day. Instead, she looked like more of an ass than we all know she is. (I blame that on 'star mentality', but that is a different subject) The same with many cease and desist letters. A judicious phone call or nice letter explaning why people need to stop what they are doing avoids many hard feelings. But we don't do that, we call out the 'big dogs'.
  
  Ahhh, anyhow, I think this is what Mike was getting at originally. I will cease and desist now.

• On the post: Which Is A Bigger Issue? Uncertainty About Patents Or Invalid Patents Harming Innovation?

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 28 Apr, 2007 @ 04:09am

  patents?

  Here we go again with patents.
  We need them, or no one would innovate. But as with copyrights and URLs, some people get them and sit on them hoping someone will violate them so they can sue that person/company.
  IMO, OTTOMH, we should reform the laws so that any restrictions on innovations (I use these words to encompass all of these areas) should have product development in process with-in 2 years of the patent being granted or the restricted material becomes "open-source" (as-it-were). If no product is on the market with-in 5 years, and no license is granted, even with development, it is open to everyone until the original developer has a product hit the market. Then the patent has to be reviewed to be extended for it's original life-time.

• On the post: Be Careful Not To Use Any Patented Tax Shelters This Tax Season

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2007 @ 04:38am

  patents?

  Arm wave, cuss, and defend all you want. We need to rethink and rewrite our patent laws. They are really out of hand.
  I think people are confusing copy rights with patents.

• On the post: Oh No, US Falls Behind Denmark In Terms Of Innovation

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 29 Mar, 2007 @ 04:38pm

  falling behind

  Part of it is the benefits of innovating. Corporate leaders suck the life out of truly innovative people by collecting most of the earnings from their innovations. They set the rules up so anybody who is that type HAS to work for them.
  Go ahead, try to start up a new company with a really innovative product. It is a daunting task!

• On the post: RIAA Promises Not To Incorrectly Sue Woman A Second Time If It Doesn't Have To Pay Her Legal Fees

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 29 Mar, 2007 @ 03:16am

  This is just silly

  Not only do I think they should pay her legal fees and not sue her again, but pay the court costs and pay her for her time spent in court and preparation (The greater of $10/hour or her current wage).
  We are not talking about a simple misunderstanding but a shot gun approach to law. This seems to be happening enough that a prescedent should be set. Remember, they are using tax-payer funded resources and taking up people's time.
  It just isn't right!

• On the post: Microsoft Temporarily Kills Its Own YouTube Killer

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2007 @ 06:40am

  Anti-MS journalism? Sounds like a religion to me!

  Sorry, I have to laugh! Someone b**ching about anti-Microsoft journalism.
  This sounds like a "Windows-evangelist" in the "Windows-cult"!
  I have not used the product mentioned here, but if it is as mediocre or poor as most of the products I HAVE used, there is a reason they are failing.
  Bill Gates once said something to the effect of; At any time, we are with-in 18 months of bankruptcy!
  Shall we start the ‘Microsoft death-watch’? Are they now with-in 17 months?
  As a person who likes Apple products but is not a zealot, it gives me great joy to listen to members of the ‘Wintel-cult’ complain about the press their religion is getting!
  (Now I get to call them zealots and cult members simply because they like the products!!! Cool!)

• On the post: Survey Says Link To Video Games And Unsafe Driving Is 'Indisputable' — Which, Of Course, It Isn't

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2007 @ 02:09am

  Games and behavior

  Has anyone considered that adults who buy video games are predisposed to this type of behavior? As opposed to the game causing them to do it.
  "The devil made me do it" defense has been around for a long time.

• On the post: Just Because You Don't Like What Someone Says Online, Doesn't Mean You Get To Find Out Who They Are

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 25 Feb, 2007 @ 03:27am

  Re: consider simply running behind their mommy's s

  I'll bet you are a generally unhappy person and probably a bully.
  Remember, what goes around comes around.
  I guarantee you, your statement is going to come back and bite you in the ass!
  (Not by me, I don't waste that kind of energy on the destruction of others)
  
  
  Mark my words.

• On the post: Just Because You Don't Like What Someone Says Online, Doesn't Mean You Get To Find Out Who They Are

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 25 Feb, 2007 @ 03:21am

  For those of you serious about this subject

  On the legality of slander and libel:
  
  This from Reference.com
  Whether the charge is libel or slander is important. Most libels are deemed injurious and give immediate ground for suit. However, only certain types of statements are slanderous per se and do not require proof of pecuniary damages; these include imputation of crime, of loathsome disease, or of professional or occupational incapacity. In other cases, there may not be any recovery unless the pecuniary loss caused by the injury is proved. The award to the successful plaintiff in a suit for defamation will usually include punitive, as well as compensatory, damages if the defendant willfully lied or published the defamation repeatedly.
  
  On crowd wisdom:
  
  http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=most_hated_digg_comment_proves_part_of_j&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1&ref=rss
  
  And finally, I read something a while back about how easy it is to destroy someone on the internet (I can't find the link, I know I have it). "Flaming" over personal issues aside, some people go out of their way to just wreck other's lives. It gives them a feeling of power, I guess. Fuzzy has a lot to lose when his reputation is sullied, and I think it is appropriate to follow the trail to who would do this. Otherwise, we all could be victims of some very bad people.

• On the post: DRM Industry Gets Defensive Over Steve Jobs' Comments

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2007 @ 04:29am

  How do you disable Macrovision?

  Yeah, like this Macrovision guy has nothing to gain. It would be like Exxon saying that burning their oil actually cleans the atmosphere. We should believe him because he is just a concerned citizen.
  
  I remember Macrovision actually ruining my VD, DVD and VHS "experience" by making the picture fade in and out slightly. I have not seen that in years.
  How do you "disable" macrovision anyhow? I didn't know that was possible.

• On the post: RIAA Borrows Jobs' Reality Distortion Field For Their Reponse To His Anti-DRM Manifesto

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 08 Feb, 2007 @ 02:55am

  Argument flaws

  All of the slamming of Apple assumes apple is making tons of money from the music. Yes, they make a lot of money, but the fact is, they charge up front for the hardware.
  If they COULD make the music universal iTunes more than likely would be MORE popular. I personally don't buy music on-line because I don't like people telling me how I may use what I have paid for and I refuse to pay several times for the same thing.
  Were it not for the RIAA and their demand for DRM, Apple would not have to use "Fairplay".
  If you observe Apple's past, it has always been fairly open, trusting that people will be fair about how they use the software. How many times have you heard of Apple sueing people for using a license on more than one computer in their house? None to my knowledge because they don't waste their energy invading people's privacy for that kind of information.
  Note: I ALWAYS pay for my media (when I want it bad enough), so don't think I am being a hypocrit.
  If you want to attack an end of this debate, thing about this:
  I don't know how it would effect the recording industry eliminating DRM. But I see they opulance with which people in music and video live, and their complaints of how pirating is losing them money rings rather hollow. It is hard to listen to a 17 year-old point out the "poor, poor technicians who will be out of a job if you 'steal' the content" and then drive away in one of their >$100,000 auto to one of their $10 mil dollar beach houses they got after the high profile divorce in which they lost half of what they own and are still worth more than 10 of us would earn in a life-time. Irrelevant because stealing is stealing, but come on, how much is too much? And do they really ADD that much to our society that we should bow down before them?

• On the post: Why Steve Jobs Is Hyping The iPhone Patents? Because He Made A Bad Deal

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2007 @ 06:22am

  The real reason

  I wonder if maybe it is a matter of control.
  Jobs is all about retaining control of his (Apple's) invention. Larger and better services want control and profits generated by services offered. Look at how Verizon limits functionality of phones they market.
  Apple has the patents so they retain control of the product itself. Jobs went to Cingulair because have a reputation of being the worst carrier (AT&T could change that). In Cingulair's attempt to turn that around, they may have been the only carrier that was willing to leave the control over functionality to Apple.
  Besides, EVERYTHING Jobs touches seems to turn to gold. I don't understand it, I just wish he would come run my company!

• On the post: Only This Week Is It News That CAN SPAM Doesn't Work

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 31 Dec, 2006 @ 05:04am

  How to stop spam

  What if a movement started where people did not buy products advertised by SPAM from questionable retailers (make your penis 10" longer) AND everyone emailed reputable retailers that they are not buying their products for 1 month for every email they get. AND THEN STUCK TO IT!
  
  Wouldn't retailers say, "Man, not only am I not getting anything from this, it is hurting me!"?
  
  I know it is a bit naive, but something like that could work, couldn't it?

• On the post: No Merry Christmas For PS3 Speculators

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2006 @ 08:10am

  Re: Is this the free market...

  That may not be a bad idea, have some major bonus at the point of sale that can only go to the purchaser. Say a credit-card linked coupon for a major discount on an add-on after Christmas that is built into the price. So if you buy one on ebay w/o the coupon, you can't get the add-on!
  Something like that, maybe?
  
  Really it would be best if people just said they refuse to pay that price for the technology. It is sad, but jerks abound that are happy to ruin it for everyone. But if these guys lose their shirts a few times, they will stop!

• On the post: No Merry Christmas For PS3 Speculators

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2006 @ 05:55am

  Hopeful

  Maybe if people see others losing money doing this, it will stop this type of activity.
  These people ruin it for everyone by buying up new products with no intent of giving them as gifts. You artificially keep prices high and eliminate limited stock for those who actually want the thing.
  I would like to see a 15% restock fee for people who do this, although I don't know how you would differentiate legitimate returns. It is really no different than scalpers buying up concert tickets.
  But the best defense against these people is to not pay more than MSRP for a product.

• On the post: No Merry Christmas For PS3 Speculators

  

  bignumone ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2006 @ 05:45am

  Re: cussing

  Cussing really takes very good comments and makes you sound unintelligent and crass!
  
  I hope the webmaster has the sense to edit or eliminate your post!

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