Jon B. 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (140) comment rss

  • On the post: T-Mobile Writes The Best Press Release You'll Ever See From A Phone Company

    Jon B. ( profile ), 29 Jan, 2014 @ 07:45pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Not just common parlance, but also any programming language with an AVG() function

  • On the post: Not Cool: MPAA Joins The W3C

    Jon B. ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2014 @ 08:15pm

    Re: Re:

    The thing is that they didn't "put DRM into" the web standards. They created a standard place to put the encryption, and not the encryption scheme itself.

  • On the post: Not Cool: MPAA Joins The W3C

    Jon B. ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2014 @ 08:12pm

    Re: I think the W3C just jumped the shark

    You just described the WHATWG

  • On the post: NJ Congressman Rush Holt Is Attempting To Repeal The Patriot Act And FISA Amendments Act

    Jon B. ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2013 @ 11:45am

    Re: Re:

    You're right, Tim, but I'm really sick of this idea that the "part" of a law can be unconstitutional and the rest can stick. Maybe it's always been that way. I don't know. But I do know that I've been really bothered lately by SCOTUS doing that.

    I'd much rather throw the whole thing out and start over.

  • On the post: CBS Says It Could Move To Cable In A 'Few Days' If Aereo Wins; Receives Several Offers To Help Pack Its Bags

    Jon B. ( profile ), 02 May, 2013 @ 08:20pm

    "flyover country"?

    It's the urban centers that get a lot of OTA TV. Where I like, I MAY be able to get an ABC affiliate on a good day with the antenna pointed in the right direction and the wind blowing the right way.

    The more rural areas are going to be satellite only, which these days is about as good an option as any. I had DirecTV for two years and I didn't hate it. I don't have it anymore, but I didn't hate it.

  • On the post: House Of Representatives Bans Spotify Because P2P Tech Must Be Evil!!

    Jon B. ( profile ), 02 Feb, 2013 @ 07:47am

    Re: Re: And...?

    How does spotify work? I would ban anything that tries to publicly open ports. UPnP? That shouldn't be on in the first place. Is it a bandwidth issue? Does Spotify use a single port I can throttle?

    Why do we even care about how the IT people decide to secure their workplace network? I don't see any difference between the government building and any business network, except that the government people may be trying to secure store and transfer classified documents...

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Jon B. ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2013 @ 07:30am

    Re: Re:

    Oh I don't disagree with you at all.

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Jon B. ( profile ), 17 Jan, 2013 @ 02:42pm

    Re: This blog amazes me

    If you disagree with someone, you call them a "lobby" or a "special interest group", because lobbyists and special interests are ebil. If you agree with them, they're called a constituency or "the ____ vote". This is true of corn farmers, labor unions, gun rights groups, and pretty much anything else.

  • On the post: NRA: Games To Blame For Violence! Also, Here's A Shooting Game For 4-Year-Olds!

    Jon B. ( profile ), 17 Jan, 2013 @ 02:38pm

    1. A shooting gallery/tange game is not "violent" just because it contains guns
    2. I'm pretty sure their position is that violence, especially that on humans, in video games is what is damaging... and there are studies that show the effects of realistic simulated violence (not just video games) affects violent behavior. Now, I personally disagree with this position, but it should be accurately stated

    So, love ya, Tim, but the sensationalist headline on this one is a bit over the top and doesn't really help whatever point you're trying to make.

  • On the post: Court Blocks Controversial California Bill That Takes Away All Anonymity For Any Sex Offenders

    Jon B. ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2013 @ 08:33am

    Of course 81% of people voted FOR it! Do you want to be the guy who voted AGAINST it? Try starting a yard-sign campaign AGAINST the "NO MASKS FOR PERVERTS" amendment. See how far that gets you.

  • On the post: Anonymous Launches White House Petition Saying DDoS Should Be Recognized As A Valid Form Of Protest

    Jon B. ( profile ), 12 Jan, 2013 @ 04:32pm

    "...reinforces in the minds of some that Anonymous is made up of bratty, destructive kids"

    IT IS! "Anonymous" is not some coherent organized group. It's whatever kids happen to be looking at 4chan.org/b/ at a particular moment.

    Not that that's a bad thing or that that should affect the argument in any way, that's just what it is. And that's OK!!

    Also this notion that "it's free speech" when it's something positive and "it's hacking" when it's something you don't like is retarded. It doesn't matter whether it's Anonymous or an organized group... DDoS is DDoS. The intent, the source, and the purpose don't affect the definition.

    On one hand, a DDoS should *never* be considered "hacking" or "terrorism". That's not accurate at all.

    On the other hand, physically occupying space can be more destructive than just "protesting", especially if your purpose is to intimidate. If you're infringing my ability to freely move about in the public square and go about my daily business, you're guilty of more than just "speech" and "protesting".

  • On the post: To Boost Its New Crappy DRM, Hollywood Tries Giving Away Free Movies

    Jon B. ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2013 @ 09:14am

    Re: Who do we fear?

    You have to TRY to download a movie from a torrent site with malware.

    Like AC said, if it's a movie file, it can't contain malware...

    However, if you go to some shady sites that have a promise of good quality, recent releases, they'll try to sucker you in by getting you to install their download manager, or fill out an offer for a credit card before you get a download link... but still, you have to be really committed to downloading malware if you make it that far.

    The downside to downloaded movies is the lack of metadata. You have to do some manual labor sometimes to get the movie put into your library where all your media players and devices will recognize what it is. For me at home, though, that has all be solved with Plex Server. Plex just figured out what movie it is based on the name of the file and downloads cover art, lots of meta data, and appropriate video thumbnails automatically for the movie as soon as it's done downloading, and it automatically just plays on any device in my house.

    For me, the sad thing for Hollywood is that I now get a better PACKAGED experience from my downloaded movies - the cover art, plot summaries, etc, all directly onscreen. The official means of playing an Ultraviolet movie don't give me that experience.

  • On the post: Confusing Value And Price, Choir Demands £3000 Per Download

    Jon B. ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2013 @ 07:12pm

    I have a music degree and even I managed to squeeze out a 3 hour credit in macroeconomics.

    These girls didn't even manage to pinch off a 1 hour credit in home economics.

    And something tells me that was on purpose...

  • On the post: It's Time For A New, Copyright-Free Happy Birthday Song, So Help Write One

    Jon B. ( profile ), 03 Jan, 2013 @ 11:55am

    Sure, go ahead and create another copyright-free Happy Birthday song. I'll just claim copyright and sue you over it anyway and you can just *try* to go against me.

  • On the post: Amazon Pulls Down Memoir Because Cover Mentions 'Star Wars'

    Jon B. ( profile ), 27 Dec, 2012 @ 08:13am

    Re: I'm the moron.

    As a moron, the question is not whether you think, at a glance, that it's about Star Wars or refers to it. The question is whether you think that it is endorsed by or created by Lucusfilm/Disney.

    If so, then maybe a small disclaimer sticker is enough to resolve the confusion, which is all trademark is really about anyway.

  • On the post: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Instagram Because People Still Don't Like Its Terms Of Service

    Jon B. ( profile ), 26 Dec, 2012 @ 06:23am

    I don't use instagram or anything so I wouldn't know...

    Did they previously NOT claim "ownership" (non-exclusive unconditional license, I assume) on everything uploaded, and now they're claiming "ownership" of everything retroactively before the time it was originally uploaded? If that's the case, then I can see why people are upset, but otherwise, I guess I don't get it

  • On the post: Police Chief Deploys Officers With Assault Rifles To Stop & ID Everyone; Says Local Crime Stats Give Him Probable Cause

    Jon B. ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2012 @ 08:58am

    This is where I live. I never expected to learn about local news from Techdirt.

    The crime here is so low that police get bored. There may be certain "high crime" areas, but the "high crime" areas in this town are better than the "low crime" areas of Memphis, TN. I know the area he's talking about. It's not that bad. You're not going to get shot. You might get solicited for meth, but you're not getting shot.

    I haven't seen a single AR15-armed officer, so I'll believe it when I see it.

    The local politics here are stupid. The judges are stupid (well, one that I'm familiar with)... the local cable/electric/utility muni-owned company is stupid... This is a town where if you vote against tax increases, then you hate children. I've never run into cops, but I've heard they're not bright either.

    Sounds like this idiot has already backed down on his plan.

  • On the post: Nintendo Still Loves DRM; The Internet Not So Much

    Jon B. ( profile ), 12 Dec, 2012 @ 08:31pm

    A brief history of my personal piracy experience with Nintendo products:
    - In the mid-to-late 90s, I discovered NES emulators. They ran very well on my even-then modest computer. I also tried a SNES emulator. It ran, but it was still the current-gen system at the time, and my computer wasn't powerful enough to run it well.
    - In college, I got a computer and a controller. I was able to pirate NES and SNES with ease. I prided myself on being able to store every NES game ever released in the US with ease on a single CD. SNES, too. I experimented with GB emulators. They worked, but I wasn't too interested. I attemped N64 emulators, but they were still slow.
    - During the Nintendo DS era, I got a SuperCard. I was pirating current-gen DS games, as well as GBA games. I played Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission for the first time and liked them.
    - I currently have a modded Wii. It has a SNES emulator, an NES emulator. I have USB Loader GX. The N64 emulator works well too. I got to play Rush 2049 and bring back some memories with a college buddy one day. Oddly enough, I've never bothered with pirating GCN games. Not for any particular reason, though.
    - I even pirated VirtualBoy games one day. I got an emulator that would do side-by-side stereoscopy. So, there I was... playing that Mario & Luigo VirtualBoy game cross-eyed on my laptop.

    So, there you go. Nintendo systems are more hackable or piratable than any other system, yet they're the ones who try the hardest to prevent it.

    I'll add that I love Nintendo and have given them more money than any other competitor over the years and I will probably continue to do so.

  • On the post: Wireless Industry Association Opposes Bill That Would Require Warrant For Them To Turn Data Over To Law Enforcement

    Jon B. ( profile ), 23 Apr, 2012 @ 02:55pm

    I'm struggling to see what the problem is here. What's wrong with requiring warrants?


    They probably don't want to put their employees in a position where the employee requires a warrant according to the law as he understands it, but the employee is incorrect that ends creating an obstruction charge.

    Of course, you shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but that's probably the reason.

  • On the post: Revolving Door Between The MPAA And The Federal Government

    Jon B. ( profile ), 17 Apr, 2012 @ 10:36am

    Re:

    Lobbying, sending a spokesperson to deliver a message to elected officials, is one thing. Having the corporation write the laws is another. I don't think Google is doing the latter yet. I've heard more about Google fighting bad laws than I have about Google helping write them. Of course, it may just be a matter of time...

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