tqk’s Techdirt Profile

tqk

About tqk

Sometimes, for rent: used Programmer/Analyst & System Administrator. I've umpteen years in IT, 15+ years as a self-employed contractor.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-keeling/2a/848/557



tqk’s Comments comment rss

  • May 22nd, 2013 @ 8:33am

    Re: Re:

    There is a pretty hard and fixed line in the legal sand regarding hotels versus rental units. There is the very basic question of fitness for use, zoning, and all that.

    That's what they like you to believe, but how well is any of that enforced? Search "hotel fire calgary". That was a supposedly professionally managed and bylaw compliant hotel which had padlocked chains disabling the fire exits. That's in Canada, not some "third world hellhole" country.

    This entire discussion is BS. Just as cops don't really protect anyone (they just get to clean up the resultant mess), protectionist bylaws don't make commercial establishments act safer or better for their customers. They just keep out competition and allow the chosen few to keep their rates high. Protectionism is a very popular tactic for politicians and their friends, but its value to us is specious (based on pretense; deceptively pleasing) at best.

  • May 17th, 2013 @ 7:54am

    Re:

    I could possibly 3 [sic], stole some documents (and got caught), wrote some code, killed himself..

    I see you enjoy displaying your ignorance:
    Swartz was involved in the development of the web feed format RSS,[4] the organization Creative Commons,[5] the website framework web.py[6] and the social news site Reddit, in which he was an equal partner after its merger with his Infogami company.[i] Swartz also focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism.[7][8] In 2010, he became a research fellow at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Research Lab on Institutional Corruption, directed by Lawrence Lessig.[9][10] He founded the online group Demand Progress, known for its campaign against the Stop Online Piracy Act.

    Do you have a wikipedia page, or are your many accomplishments listed anywhere online?

  • May 17th, 2013 @ 7:41am

    Re: Re: Kids, this REQUIRES trustable "man-in-the-middle"!

    Intellectual property is a legitimate concept ...

    No, it's not. Substitute "imaginary" for "intellectual", and it becomes clear. How do you transfer a thought held in one person's imagination to another person? You can describe it in words, or perform it in their presence, but there's no guarantee they'll then have the same thought that you're imagining. In fact, they'll immediately translate or transform it based on their personal point of view. It can't possibly be a one to one transferrance.

    Throw the concept out. It's meaningless.

  • May 15th, 2013 @ 10:30am

    Re: Mike admitz what we knowz: "I'm no expert on extortion law".

    Tort is a wrong. "Extortion" means "outside of being wronged".

    Interesting theory, but perhaps you should learn to use a dictionary prior to pontificating. "Extort" is from the Latin "extortus", meaning to "obtain by coercion or intimidation." "Tort" is also from Latin, but from "tortum" or "tortus", meaning "Any civil wrong or injury; a wrongful act (not involving a breach of contract) for which an action will lie; a form of action, in some parts of the United States, for a wrong or injury." It appears the two words are only somewhat related homonyms (however, I'm no expert on dead languages).

    On a more relevant note, have you yet nailed down the date and time when Mike peed in your cornflakes? I ask because I can't think of any other reason why you'd continue to force yourself read his stuff. You don't appear to gain any pleasure or knowledge from the experience.

  • May 15th, 2013 @ 8:39am

    Re: Re: Re: Wait

    ... getting politically involved is certainly a proper way to pursue that goal. But I also don't think someone who has been openly flouting the law for years - and was convicted for doing so - should be commended for now trying to go through traditional channels to change it.

    Why not? I'd think that's exactly what the authorities would wish for.

    I don't know Peter and I can't remember being at TPB. I don't infringe on copyright; I advocate boycotting. However, I too have been "openly flouting" the law for years, assuming you mean, "To mock or insult; to treat with contempt."
    My point was that Mike doesn't support piracy, so I can't believe he would support the candidacy of someone who has made a career out of it.

    You don't have to support piracy to despise how copyright maximalists have in recent years corrupted the law and (supposedly) our elected representatives. I think your understanding of this issue is very one sided and pretty shallow; lacking depth. If you'd open your eyes to see the massive multi-jurisdictional regulatory capture that Hollywood (et al) money is buying these days, you'd be appalled too. You might even begin to understand what drives Peter and Mike to weigh in on this. Go play a DVD movie, and note the screen that says there's a quarter of a million dollar fine for copying said DVD. Now, how the hell did that happen?!? If that isn't WAY over the top, I don't know what is.

    This isn't a new phenomenon. Popes used to sell Indulgences to sinners. Greed, corruption, and bags of money from privileged interests have always greased the wheels of civilizations for those willing and able to stoop so low. The wolves have paid the sheepdog's toll, and now the farmer's paying for the sheepdog's treachery.

    I don't blame the artists who actually produce their stuff. They're as much victims of this mess as we all are. I do wish they'd stop enabling this mess through dealing with the people who're causing it, but that's just me spitting into the wind.

  • May 7th, 2013 @ 9:00pm

    Re: Re:

    I'd just file an exact counter suit for 3.4 percent cut for the 'rampant commercial success they enable through their networks'

    As one who never "pirates" copyrighted content (I boycott them), I'd consider suing for slander. How dare they assume the right to judge me? My ISP connection is used to infringe copyright? Nuh uhh!

    Chutzpah.

  • May 6th, 2013 @ 5:57pm

    Re:

    US creators don't recognize legitimacy of Chileans stealing content because their own sucks so badly in comparison.

    ... says a citizen of the country that brought us Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Madonna, "Big Brother", ...

  • May 3rd, 2013 @ 11:09am

    Re: Re: Bans

    ... drinking rainwater.

    That's assault on the water table/aquifer. Ask Oregon.

  • May 2nd, 2013 @ 2:41pm

    Re: Re: English in the US

    That said, 99% of the time when people are arguing that you should have to speak English in the US, they are just trying to express their racism in a way that doesn't scream "racism".

    I guess I'm a one-percenter then. If I emigrated to China, I'd learn Chinese. I expect those moving in the opposite direction to be just as considerate. There's nothing racist about it. If you can't speak English, Spanish, or French in North America, you can't even talk to 911 and be understood.

  • Apr 26th, 2013 @ 9:23am

    Re: What is this folly

    ... 2. the researcher need to pay a fee to the publisher, plus have to give up its copyright for the paper to get it published ...

    What's the rationale behind point 2?

    Researchers have allowed themselves to be convinced that their research can only advance their career if it's published in certain specific journals respected by their peers in their field. "Nature" & etc. are respected by tradition; their alternatives, not so much.

  • Apr 26th, 2013 @ 9:13am

    Re: Re: Students, meet bus

    Can someone explain why a student should pay more tuition when America is already more expensive in regards to college tuition?

    because...tuition!

    Too easy. Try greed + rentseeking vs. apathy + ignorance.

  • Apr 26th, 2013 @ 8:55am

    Re: Re:

    My colleagues and I spend so much time telling the same people over and over again about what is going on with this stuff, and have to say it again next time we get our budget cut.

    Have you been telling it to the Adrian Diaz's of the world? You may be telling the wrong people. You librarians should get together across academia and determine who are all the Adrian Diazes out there, then hit them all hard simultaneously. Cc: the parents of all the paying students who're taxpayers being fleeced by this ridiculous system.

    I also wonder why the researchers put up with this. Were I doing research, I'd want to get my results out to others in my field ASAP so they could more easily attempt to replicate my results. Do an end run around them and pipe it to The Pirate Bay to torrent it!

  • Apr 23rd, 2013 @ 3:05pm

    Re:

    Surely the solution is simple, to protect the imaginary rights to imaginary property ...

    I've an easier way for them:

    "Imagine me wanting to buy anything from you under terms like this, because that's as close as you're going to get to a sale. I prefer to do without (boycott) instead.

    Some of my favourite music is forty-one years old, can be found on YouTube, and is still subject to regular DMCA takedowns, regardless. I've legally owned the LP and cassette tape versions (and still use the latter), and the takedowns are just annoying me and hurting you. Have a nice life."

  • Apr 23rd, 2013 @ 7:36am

    Re:

    ... I wasn't aware that stuff like this went on.

    I've come to expect these days that it does.

  • Apr 22nd, 2013 @ 10:20am

    Re: Re:

    There won't be enough interested people. They'll be too busy watching American Idol ...

    The Continental Army was never more than a tiny fraction of the population of the Thirteen Colonies, yet they won against a fairly committed superpower of the age which controlled vast resources just North of them in Canada. I've always thought it amazing that the Brits managed to lose that fight.

  • Apr 18th, 2013 @ 8:16pm

    Just gotta say ...

    Turow's a writer. Writers sell publishing rights to publishers. Writers' competition is other writers.

    Why's the Writers Guild not named the Publishers Guild, and why is Turow (a writer) the president of the Publishers Guild?

    Conflict of interest much?

    Why do ca. 92,000 USA writers not want to be members of the Publishers Guild, and what's wrong with the 8,000 writers who are?

  • Apr 16th, 2013 @ 8:21pm

    Re:

    Its pretty clear that the people behind CISPA are desperately trying to ram it through as it is.

    Ya think?!?

    Remind me, who was it that elected these asshats?

    [*crickets*]

  • Apr 16th, 2013 @ 7:22pm

    Re: Re: Handy 'Politician->English' translation:

    Shorter translation:

    The potential abuses brought up are intentional. We fully intended on engaging in them, but we hope you won't notice.

    Even shorter: You're a peasant, or a serf; whatever. STFU! Eat your gruel! Damnit, you people are annoying!!!111"

  • Apr 16th, 2013 @ 2:13pm

    Re:

    Psst... IBM, this is part of why you're known as a 'has been' company that not many people care about.

    You're mistaken.

  • Apr 16th, 2013 @ 11:40am

    Re: TD. WTF is going on?!?

    I just replied to a post. It's not here. *Everything* done here seems to take ages recently (if it happens at all).

    Are you running housekeeping jobs in the daytime, or what?

    Is your IT guy currently unavailable/in the hospital?

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