bobwyzguy 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: New Jersey Judicial Commission Says State's Courts Are Maximizing Revenue, Minimizing Justice

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 21 Sep, 2018 @ 04:04am

    Not Just New Jersey

    This kind of stuff happens in the People's Republic of Minnesota too. I successfully beat a ticket for "Failure to observe signage" due to poor placement of said signs and ended up paying more to "win" than I would have to just pay the fine, but I needed to keep it off my driving record. The little city I live in made a small fortune in the DUI entrapment business by staking out wedding receptions at the local American Legion and basically having everyone blow a breath test before they got to go home. Not to mention the volume of speeding tickets that the Police Chief was bragging about in a council meeting once. This goes on everywhere.

  • On the post: NPR Gives Up On News Comments; After All, Who Cares What Your Customers Have To Say?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 30 Aug, 2017 @ 06:21am

    NPR closes comments

    Too tough to censor all the conservative and right wing comments.

  • On the post: Funnyjunk's Lawyer Charles Carreon Just Keeps Digging: Promises He'll Find Some Law To Go After Oatmeal's Matt Inman

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2012 @ 09:24am

    Carreon - carrion - coincidence?

    Hey Chuck - just maybe you ARE a douche-bag. You are an attorney after all, I've only ever met two who weren't, and they both left the legal profession.

  • On the post: Are Tweets And Text Messaging Actually Increasing The Appeal Of Long Form Writing?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 06 Jan, 2011 @ 09:51am

    Worked for my son

    When my son was in the 4th grade we realized that he was woefully behind his peers in reading. But the combination of IM and text messaging seemed to help. He is now a voracious and more to the point, speedy reader of long form fiction. This seems to me to be the result of texting more than anything he got in school.

  • On the post: As Was Predicted, Libya Is Shutting Down Some .ly Domains With No Notice

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 08 Oct, 2010 @ 04:20am

    Death of bit.ly is good news

    I will not click on a shortened link, like the ones created by bit.ly. Too easy for someone to use a bit.ly link to take you to some virus laden security nightmare. Sorry, I want to know where I am going and not just climb on the Mystery Tour. Hoping Libya shuts them down.

  • On the post: Can The Government Really Walk The Line Of Regulating The Internet Without Screwing It Up?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 12 May, 2010 @ 04:03am

    Governments Can Only Screw Things Up

    To answer the question in the title - no. The governement can ONLY screw things up. Why? Because it is comprised mostly of rooms full of lawyers, and they are not a crowd known for either their technological savvy or their creative intelligence. They can only see a solution that involves more laws and regualtions. This is what is wrong with government and America - we are subject to a gigantic world view of the Lawyers Only Club, and ideas from outside the legal realm are not permitted to see the light of day.

    The only hope is that we start to elect people to political office who truly represent a cross section of American business. We need a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, if you will. We need to overthrow the tyranny of the Lawyers' Club.

    In the meantime, governement intrusion into, and regulation of, anything at all will only make it suck more than it does already.

    What's my proof? Show me ONE, just ONE governement program that actually works.

  • On the post: Facebook Requires McAfee Scan If There's A Security Breach? Is This Security Or A Marketing Program?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2010 @ 02:53pm

    McAfee - So Bad It's Free

    Where I live Comcast gives McAfee away free with your cable Internet subscription. I work on PCs for a living, and this is the worst POS, and has been for a long time. It has not made the top 10 in any independent review for ages.

    I get deals from Buy.com and the like all the time selling McAfee 3 user licenses for under $10. If this stuff is so great why are they giving it away? This is the Yugo of security software.

    Facebook can have my forking account, ain't no way I'm putting that crap on my PC.

  • On the post: Students Blocked From Publishing School Paper, Given 2 Hours To Write New Stories Or Fail

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 02 Dec, 2009 @ 05:22am

    First Amendment Anyone

    And - in case someone wants to take the moral high ground, there used to be something called the First Amendment. I understand that recent case law has pretty much entirely neutered this right, but in a truly free society, there has to be room for dangerous or unpopular behavior too. It applies to everyone including children, as a fundamental human right. We have, as a citizenry, prety much given this away in a poor exchange for safety. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said that those who would trade liberty for security would soon have neither. Welcome to neither, which is what we currently "enjoy."

  • On the post: Students Blocked From Publishing School Paper, Given 2 Hours To Write New Stories Or Fail

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 02 Dec, 2009 @ 05:15am

    Same Old Crap

    When I was in HS in the 70's the administration pulled this crap. I put out an underground newspaper using memograph technology (anyone?) for three issues before being suspended.
    The Internet does make it totally simple to put out the original stories.

  • On the post: What Does It Say When A Comedy Show Does More Fact Checking Than News Programs?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 21 Nov, 2009 @ 06:57am

    Re: Why the Daily Show is a great news show - not just a commedy show

    And to other commenters - seriousl - Glen Beck - as a political conservative all I can say is - what a jack ass.

  • On the post: What Does It Say When A Comedy Show Does More Fact Checking Than News Programs?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 21 Nov, 2009 @ 06:55am

    Why the Daily Show is a great news show - not just a commedy show

    The Daily Show competes head to head in my market (St Paul, MN)with the 10pm evening news bradcasts. I always switch to the Daily Show. There is simply nothing to miss on the local TV news, and John is always right on. As a political convervative, I find MR Stewart more "fair and balanced" than Fox News, or any of the other, more liberal, news channels.

  • On the post: Understanding The Paywall Mindset In 140 Characters

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 05 Sep, 2009 @ 05:41am

    I Pay For Delivery - ONLY!!!

    Jeez if any of the ding dongs that run the major newspapers would only read your stuff. Here in Minneapolis the board of the Star Trib pulled some old fossil out of mothballs to run the Star Tribune because he successfully got people to pay for the Wall Street Journal. Good luck. As I have said in the past - when I pick up a pare at the news stand - I pay for delivery of that paper to the stand, and a reasonable profit for the vendor - NOT FOR CONTENT. That is paid for by the advertisers. When I pay for a subscription - I pay for delivery to my door, not for content. Since I pay Comcast over $50 for my highspeed connection - I have already paid for delivery of the on-line news.

  • On the post: Time For IT Guys To Unshackle Corporate Computers

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2009 @ 05:40am

    Yes

    Agree - and lets quit with the 45 day password changes too

  • On the post: Street Performer Explains His Experience Connecting With Fans, Giving Them A Reason To Buy

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2009 @ 03:03pm

    Re: Perceived value

    Sorry - so excited I forgot to spell check - or even read it first!!

  • On the post: Street Performer Explains His Experience Connecting With Fans, Giving Them A Reason To Buy

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2009 @ 03:02pm

    Perceived value

    In a fixed price model what you have is a certain number of people who thing they bought "a bargain", a certain number who that the proce was "ok" and another group who feel "ripped off" and a fourht group who just walked away without buying anything. The pay what you want fits model perfectly with everyone's perceived value of the product. Basically - everybody gets a deal and gets to feel good about it, even the sociopath who thought free was a fair deal. So there you are -

  • On the post: MySpace: That Great Club Everyone Used To Go To

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 19 Jun, 2009 @ 05:15am

    The Target Demographic Shifts

    MySpace may be struggling because they have failed to stay relevant with their user group. The users who thought it was "cool" have now grown up, and are desperately trying to take down the drunken orgy pictures that are keeping them from getting a better job. Younger users who might be coming in at the bottom see Facebook as being a site for "old people" in their twenties(!), and are looking for an online continent of their own.
    Facebook may have done a better job of moving along with their aging target demographic.
    Personally, I prefer LinkedIn, the cute "send me a drink" and "poke me" crap on Facebook is just a little too cloying.

  • On the post: The Conversation Is What Matters, From Learning To Journalism And Beyond

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 02 May, 2009 @ 07:12am

    How the Dailies May Survive - If They Dare

    You are so completely right on. I teach computer classes in Community Education, not exactly a demanding instruction environment, but I will say I learn something new because of, or from, my students every session.

    Hear in the Twin Cities we have 2 dailies, the St Paul Pioneer Press, and the Minnespolis Star Tribune. I generally won't read the Tribune because the political slant is so far to the left it makes me fall over. They are on the ropes in bankrupcy now, and called the other day with a free subscription offer. I decided to go for it.

    After a week I cancelled. It was the same wire stories I was already getting in the Pioneer Press, plus a bunch of feel good features, local puff pieces, and politically motivated indoctrination-style "news stories" that I was not interested in. So I cancelled the subscription.

    In the St Croix Valley, where I live (the beautiful east coast of Minnesota) there is still a local daily paper, the Stillwater Gazette. I usually read it every day, why? Because it has news about people I know, and issues going on in my town and the surrounding area that I do care about, because I live here. News that can help me figure out things I may need to do, not about things I can do nothing about.

    The local dailies, even the big metroplitan papers, cannot compete with the Internet, TV, and radio for international and non-local news feeds. They just get it out faster and with better graphics than the newspapers ever can. The solution is to focus on the local, do what ONLY YOU CAN DO WELL. Do the local news and drop the stupid national and international wire service stories.

    And get engaged with those of us who live here and are involved enough to share a comment. Maybe you do need to get over your training, and shared world view which has been pounded into your head by a bunch of ivory tower college professors, and come and share my world view with me, someone who makes a buck the good old fashiond way, not in theory, but in realty.

    Journalism will survive as it always has, from the dawn of mankind. But individuals who fail to adapt to life altering changes in their environment DO NOT survive. So.. make the change or move over for someone else who is willing and able to do so.

  • On the post: If You Want To Charge For News, Can You Answer These Questions?

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2009 @ 05:18am

    Why Newspapers Can't Charge For Content

    Because they don't "charge for content" now, actually. The newsstand price of a quarter or the price someone pays for a home delivered subscription pays for DELIVERY only. As a long time former adult newspaper carrier, I can assure you that what I got paid to deliver the papers pretty much ate up all the subscription revenue the paper was getting for those customers. Same with the newsstands - the cover price pays the store something, what - you thought the 7-11 was selling those papers as a public service? And of course the cost of the big truck and driver who delivered the papers to the store.
    Newspapers profit from advertising revenues only!! That's where the real money is. Subcription fees pay for distribution costs, period. The distribution cost on the web is pretty close to zero, so the subscription fee should be zero. Newspapr web sites need to be advertising supported, just like the print versions are now!! So - journalists - quit your whining, understand the cost structure of your current business, and make your web business work the same way.

  • On the post: Carl's Jr. Apparently Unaware That People Share Discount Coupons Online

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 17 Jan, 2009 @ 05:23am

    Newbie Mistake

    Want to bet that the old experienced marketing guy that was laid off to be replaced by two new college grads knew the history of this particular problem. The bean-counting CEOs that run companies these days cannot find a column in their Excel spreadsheets to place a value on knowledge and experience, they just know that old Jim was making $75K and new Sara and Bobby would do the work for $30 K each, a net savings of $5K per year, and more bonus for me, whoo-hoo!

  • On the post: Apple Shuts Off Loophole For Podcaster App Developer; He Switches Over To Android

    bobwyzguy ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2008 @ 04:05am

    Apple - Here we go again

    Isn't this attitude the reason nothing is ever developed for the Mac? I seem to remember Apple being too restrictive and controlling way back in the day when the PC and Apple markets were closer to even - and it cost them the chance of ever taking the lead. And so it goes.

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