David Evans 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Company Claims Its Software Can Magically Identify 'Rogue Sites'

    David Evans ( profile ), 14 Dec, 2011 @ 08:22am

    Cool

    Maybe I can use this to find a couple of files I've been having a hard time getting ahold of.

  • On the post: Wikipedia Considers Blackout To Protest SOPA

    David Evans ( profile ), 12 Dec, 2011 @ 08:51pm

    Doesn't need to be political...

    They just need to have a few people collaborate on a nice, scrupulously factual article about SOPA and it's implications. The facts themselves are pretty stacked against SOPA. No need to advocate. Standard procedure.

    Then, if they want to raise awareness, just briefly redirect many or all links and searches to that article. Or even milder, just front page it. No need to come down on a side of the issue. Just the relatively unbiased statement that SOPA is a very big issue that's getting ignored.

    No need to come down on a side, just raise awareness. SOPA will butter and roast itself if enough people simply become aware of it.

    (If someone wants to post this idea over on a Wikipedia page, I'd appreciate it. I don't know how do use that site, or I'd do it myself.)

  • On the post: RIAA Claims It Succeeded In Getting Piracy Under Control Years Ago

    David Evans ( profile ), 06 Dec, 2011 @ 09:42am

    I neve knew that before!

    So THAT's why it's possible o sell things on the internet. Gosh. The RIAA saved our entire economy, and we didn't even know it.

  • On the post: The Annotated Version Of Viacom's Employees Begging The Gov't To Censor The Internet To Save SpongeBob

    David Evans ( profile ), 29 Nov, 2011 @ 04:33pm

    But... But... awwww.

    Watched it. Chuckled. It's just a reverse rant, though. It would have been nice to see some actual facts in there contesting the bullshit being spouted. Like the CEO's pay, the actual revenue of Spongebob, or the actual availability problems with the 'MTV Music Awards'.

    It's good. Could have been so much better.

  • On the post: The Annotated Version Of Viacom's Employees Begging The Gov't To Censor The Internet To Save SpongeBob

    David Evans ( profile ), 29 Nov, 2011 @ 04:20pm

    Woosh...

    I'm really curious to see how long it takes before this gets a takedown notice. Should be amusing.

  • On the post: EU Parliament Warns The US To Stop Censoring The Internet

    David Evans ( profile ), 18 Nov, 2011 @ 03:55pm

    Re:

    Sorry. Wikipedia also has 'previous version' pages and 'revert' controls, because people report, hijack and delete perfectly acceptable material *all the time*.

    Also doesn't change the fact that copyright is unverifiable outside a courtroom.

  • On the post: Pelosi: We Need To Find A Better Solution Than SOPA

    David Evans ( profile ), 18 Nov, 2011 @ 03:41pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Thanks Mike for covering this

    This is what it looks like when a troll wins. Sure wasted a lot of your time, there. Poking trolls to watch them spin is fun and all, but gee whiz.

  • On the post: RIAA Thinking Of Backing Righthaven

    David Evans ( profile ), 18 Nov, 2011 @ 02:33pm

    Yes please.

    I took one look at the title, and thought "That's what I want for Christmas!"

    Though they could potentially turn it around, which would be bad, it would be fun, and I think more likely, to see them get stuck in Righthaven's tar pit.

  • On the post: New Study Shows Majority Of Americans Against SOPA; Believe Extreme Copyright Enforcement Is Unreasonable

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 07:06pm

    Re:

    Have you ever boiled a frog?

    The first wave of websites to be censored by Big Media will be sites most of the public has never heard of, or sites that are honest-to-goodness professional pirates. People will hear a bit about it, and not care.

    The next wave will be sites that have large amounts of real pirated content mixed in with their free-as-in-speech content. People will hear about it and figure it's for the best.

    About half the time, they'll make deals that are nearly reasonable, or demand only that the site clean up it's act. The result will be crap, the sites will go under, and people will figure that's just how the chips fall. Occasionally they will stomp on something totally legitimate, and if the public gets wind of it it will be a 'Big Misunderstanding'.

    Then, and only then, based on all that precedent and public apathy, if the You-Tube and friends haven't *already* changed their operating procedures entirely, will you see anybody go after a site the public really adores.

    Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics and Marketing. These are the professionals at all of the above. I just kinda hope they're not that smart. It would be entirely awesome to see them try - or even succeed - at shutting down You-Tube right out of the gate. The backlash would flatten them.

  • On the post: Facebook, Twitter, eBay & Other Big Internet Companies Come Out Against SOPA

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 06:15pm

    Re:

    Not required. Common sense is that little voice that tells you running for office is a silly idea.

  • On the post: Facebook, Twitter, eBay & Other Big Internet Companies Come Out Against SOPA

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 05:37pm

    Re: Re:

    Um... IANAL, but isn't this kind of content review technically impossible? From what I understand, Copyright isn't verifiable at all, outside of a courtroom. It's always just somebody's say-so. You're talking about hiring 100,000 psychics.

  • On the post: SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 05:22pm

    Re:

    It's not consulting 'A Lawyer' anymore. That's already pretty sensible. But I've consulted 'A Lawyer' a few times. Often enough, they just shrug and say 'Yep, that might get you sued. I have no idea whether you'd win or lose. Either way it will cost you $LOL,LOL.00'.

    Any sort of certainty requires that you have your own steamroller.

  • On the post: SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 04:58pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Ok, here's a question...

    What incentive would a service provider have to *ever* evaluate such a claim in their client's favor, rather than in favor of the rights-holder (who can sue if they choose wrong)?

    The real issue is what happens before anything goes to court, because 'not going to court' is something that people are willing to go to great lengths to achieve, even if they're in the right.

  • On the post: SOPA Gives Me Powers That I Don't Want

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 04:36pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Search Engine

    One of the reasons I like Techdirt is that it attracts a better, more educated class of trolls. They're kinda cute.

  • On the post: House Judiciary Committee SOPA Hearings Stacked 5 To 1 In Favor Of Censoring The Internet

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 04:19pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    ROTFLOL This is the internet. If you 'believe' any of it, you're doing it wrong. It's only all true.

  • On the post: Viacom: Pass SOPA Or Spongebob Dies

    David Evans ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2011 @ 03:49pm

    Re: The hypocrisy...

    The innovators... They fired them, didn't they?

  • On the post: Forget Being Arrested For Filming The Police, Now They're Arresting People For Sitting

    David Evans ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2011 @ 01:25pm

    Say Cheese!

    Police officers are people too. Nobody in any complicated or stressful situation is 'happy' to be filmed or photographed, whether they think they're doing the right thing or not. That said, they should be trained to accept it as one of the many extra-ordinary constraints on their behavior.

  • On the post: Microsoft Convinces Yet Another Company to Cough Up 'Protection' Money

    David Evans ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2011 @ 02:19pm

    Re:

    Ehh... No way to do that. To outlaw 'patent settlements' you'd also have to be outlawing 'patent sales' and 'patent licensing'. The activities are too much the same.

  • On the post: BMI Says Club Is Too Sexy For Standard Fees, Voids Check, Sues For Non-Payment

    David Evans ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2011 @ 01:58pm

    Re: Re:

    BMI has invented the Incalculator! Must patent!

  • On the post: Italy Proposes Law That Will Ban People From The Internet Based On Single Accusation Of Infringement From Anyone

    David Evans ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2011 @ 02:46pm

    That would be so awesome!

    I sure hope this gets worked out and passed. No offense to the nice folks in Italy, but it would be cool to have a flaming wreck to point to when similar things are proposed anywhere else.

    After this law causes the whole country's internet to die, we should be able to slap the media folks to death with the corpse, right?