Chris Charabaruk 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (43) comment rss

  • On the post: Could Cutting People Off From The Internet Be Dangerous?

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2010 @ 02:22pm

    Re:

    >Who wants to reduce the quality of care of diabetics and cardio patients? or access to education?

    If it means more money for them and their lawyers, the MPAA and RIAA. They'd probably kick cats and throw kids off bridges if they thought it'd make them a nickel.

  • On the post: Google, Rocky Mountain Bank Ask Judge To Restore Deactivated Gmail Account

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 28 Sep, 2009 @ 04:59pm

    If the account is dormant, why bother reactivating it?

  • On the post: Facebook Sued Over Patent On Distributing Personal Info On A Network

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 25 Sep, 2009 @ 06:42am

    Re: Prior Art

    Is that the issue date or the filing date? If it's the filing date, then WhoGlue hasn't a leg to stand on. But if they filed before 2003, things get iffy.

  • On the post: Facebook Sued Over Patent On Distributing Personal Info On A Network

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 25 Sep, 2009 @ 06:01am

    Re: Onus

    That would be a massive, world-shaking improvement. Therefore, it won't happen.

  • On the post: Facebook Sued Over Patent On Distributing Personal Info On A Network

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 25 Sep, 2009 @ 04:50am

    Re:

    The problem is, the onus still falls on Facebook to prove that it's a different means than the one covered by WhoGlue's patent.

  • On the post: Kids Involved In Murder Plot? Blame The Internet And Mobile Phones!

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2009 @ 04:47pm

    Re: Oh Canada!

    As a Canadian, as a Torontonian (well, 905er, close enough), I can tell you that only the stupidest, most right-wing hicks in the country even bother to give Blatchford the time of day. Don't paint us all with the same brush.

    Don't bother sending her a letter, by the way. I don't think she's really literate; probably just grunts into a tape recorder and forces some staff peon to type it up for her.

  • On the post: Railroad Says Train Schedule iPhone App Violates Copyright

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2009 @ 04:19pm

    It's because of similar legal bullshit that I haven't created an app for my WinMo phone that shows the bus schedules in my area. Crown copyright is enthusiastically supported by all levels of government here in Canada, too, despite being useless.

  • On the post: Breathalizer Source Code Ruling Upheld

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 20 Jan, 2009 @ 02:55am

    More people are at risk of having their lives changed through the action of drunk drivers. With elections, it's not like changing one group of criminals for another will really change all that much for people, so it's less important for voting machines.

    That, or I'm just really, really cynical today.

  • On the post: Much Ado About Nothing In Accusations Over Text Message Pricing

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2008 @ 07:08am

    Try Canada...

    The situation in Canada is technologically similar, but we're simmering up here because the industry politics make things just so much more bitter.

    I don't care about paying $.10 to $.20 per text message, so much as I care about the services I use and like to stay connected to when I'm mobile can't stay connected to me. Because our telcos are billing both sides at near extortionary rates (causing Twitter to shut down outgoing SMS messages, and probably also keeping Brightkite from wanting to get an SMS gateway working for Canadians) and the fact that two of the three now charge for all incoming texts, even if they're spam, really just cuts open a wound and dumps a bag of road salt on it.

    It may be much ado about nothing in the States, where you actually have some semblance of competition in your mobile telco market, but here in Canada, we're getting straight-up fucked.

  • On the post: Finland Thinks Russia Violated Its Design Right With Military Camouflage

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 01 Dec, 2008 @ 04:32pm

    When I was a teen, I was in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. In those days, cadets would more often than not wear combat uniforms, as the solid olive green uniforms were easily purchased and manufactured even for the public.

    Since the older combat uniforms were replaced with the IP law protected CADPAT design, most cadet corps now tend to simply drill around a lot in their dress uniforms. As older, used CADPAT uniforms turn up in surplus stores, things may change back to how it used to be, but given that uniforms for cadets have to be the same as those used by the Canadian Forces, the possibility of independently manufacturing and selling CATPATs is nil, due to the protection around the design.

    So seeing this isn't surprising at all for me, or likely any other Canadian with cadets experience.

  • On the post: Free Is Not Socialism

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 26 Nov, 2008 @ 08:40pm

    Re: Re: These people from Bizarro world?

    You're correct. Perhaps I should have said (Sino-)Soviet "communism" instead, that dreaded model of authoritarian socialism.

  • On the post: Free Is Not Socialism

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 26 Nov, 2008 @ 08:16pm

    These people from Bizarro world?

    "A system of government-granted monopolies managed through a centralized government body" is what they want and support? Correct me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked, that's called communism. And they're the ones screaming about "socialism"!

    It'd be good for a laugh if it weren't so pathetic.

  • On the post: All-Star Witness List In Lawsuit Over Constitutionality Of RIAA Lawsuits

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 20 Nov, 2008 @ 04:33pm

    Re: The Test

    Call me cynical, but it seems to me that moneyed interests win out every time against logic and reason.

  • On the post: Video Game Without DRM Has Piracy Rates About The Same As DRM'd Games

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 20 Nov, 2008 @ 12:43pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    "... but there are lots of different DRMs"

    All of which are lousy, and not worth having.

  • On the post: Classmates.com Sued After Guy Realizes His Classmates Weren't Really Looking For Him

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 12 Nov, 2008 @ 08:15am

    Finally, someone does this...

    High time someone finally decided to take that site to court. But as Matt says, does anyone even bother with Classmates.com anymore? I don't even see their messages anymore, having blocked them out as spammers, and with practically everyone (but not their pets or imaginary friends) on Facebook anyway, for free, I can't imagine anyone but the most weak-minded actually putting any time and effort into that site.

  • On the post: Toronto Removes Surveillance Cameras Due To Human Respect… Plans To Disrespect Humans Somewhere Else

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 07 Nov, 2008 @ 02:56am

    They'll probably just put them up around Yonge and Dundas. Bog knows that area doesn't have enough security cams yet. *rolls eyes*

  • On the post: UK Ruling Says Authorities Can Force You To Hand Over Your Encryption Key

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 16 Oct, 2008 @ 05:22pm

    Re:

    Even if you've legitimately forgotten it, I doubt those closet fascists in Britain would care. They'd throw you in the lock and toss away the key.

  • On the post: YouTube Taking Feature Advice From XKCD

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 09 Oct, 2008 @ 08:09pm

    Re: Viva XKCD

    Can you fly yet?

  • On the post: Banks May Say 'Thanks, But No Thanks' To That New $700 Billion

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2008 @ 06:49am

    Re: Well the upside...

    Hah. Keep on dreamin'.

  • On the post: Banks May Say 'Thanks, But No Thanks' To That New $700 Billion

    Chris Charabaruk ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2008 @ 10:54am

    Re: Just wait

    +1 for sensibility.

Next >>