If a line appears in the beginning of a play, it will be moved up and down, up and down, until it is bend around your neck and tightened in the finale.
OK, so if Universal can take off videos even if does not have copyright on them, does it mean that I can take on videos even if UMG does have copyright on them? Seems logical to me.
It depends on one's perceiving function (and, to some extent, judging function). Being "NF", I will die from boredom if a discussion lacks analogies and abstractions :)
Since a perfect analogy is something that does not exist, it is extremely easy to point out the weakness of a particular analogy. Yet it is a power tool to explain concepts and provoke critical thinking. Buggy whip analogy is far from being perfect (again, as any other analogy), but it does its job illustrating the thought. An analogy is worthless without a thorough explanation why it was invoked in the first place. That’s why I’m usually very forgiving when I hear people employing this colorful tool, and concentrate on the idea that a narrator illustrates with it.
I like it. The only way to counter an absurd argument is to show its absurdity by pushing it just a little bit in the original direction.
Trying to explain to an obtuse and/or brainwashed opponent that infringing is not theft is futile and counterproductive. I have not seen anyone who admitted that he was wrong. Inability to change one's opinion under an overwhelming argument is a sign of either low IQ or insecurity. Or both.
That's another, frequently overseen, problem with SOPA: it shifted the debate from the problems with current copyright laws farther from the common sense: suddenly many bright heads discuss how to make SOPA better (by narrowing its impact etc.). SOPA, even if it would fail eventually, has already inflicted tremendous harm by poisoning the debate, by planting a "consensus" that something should be done into otherwise reasonable people's heads.
I came up with a wonderful idea to use paypal-bitcoin gateway, because for most people it is a hassle to get bitcoins in order to make a single semi-anonymous donation for example. So you would pay me using PayPal and provide a bitcoin address, and I would charge a small fee over the exchange rate.
As it always happens to me, someone stole my idea a year before I conceived it.
Open wi-fi exists solely for connecting wireless devices. There is a potential of illegitimate use, but the primary purpose is non-infringing. Nonetheless, as I recently read somewhere, someone tried to equate running an open wireless network with negligence and make the persons who do not encrypt their networks liable.
The “legitimate businesses” like DropBox are off the rightholders’ radar until some clever MPAA lawyer finds out how to shake down these businesses cheaply.
BMW's cruise control is even worse: the stick is just below the beam switch, same shape, a bit shorter. I embarrassed myself many times until I developed the motor memory: when I wanted to decrease the speed - same movement / different stick - push towards the driver - and flashed high beams instead. So if I wanted to slow down behind a car, the other driver might think that I was arrogantly flashing to force him out of the left lane.
The 55 mph speed limit was a vain attempt by the Federal government to reduce gasoline consumption; initially passed in the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act the law was relaxed in 1987 and finally repealed in 1995 allowing states to choose their speed limits. Highways and cars are safer today than in the 1970s and on many highways speed limits were increased to 65 mph. Higher speed limits are often safer because what is worse than speed is variable speed, some people driving fast and some driving slow. When the speed limit is set too low you get lots of people who safely break the law and a few law-abiders who make the roads more dangerous.
Unfortunately vestiges of the 55mph limit remain, in part because police like the 55mph limit which lets them write tickets at will whenever they need an increase in revenues. John Carr at the National Motorists blog gives a particularly egregious example from Massachusetts:
The speed limit on Route 3 is 55. The speed limit used to be 60….It was reduced by executive order in 1973 to comply with the national speed limit. When the national speed limit was repealed in 1995 the highway commissioner ordered the low limit retained…
It gets better. Route 3 was completely rebuilt a decade ago. The design speed for the project was 110 km/h (68 mph). The design speed is like a warranty: nothing in the road design requires a driver to go slower than 68 mph, not even on a wet road at night (the design conditions).
The average speed is not far from the design speed. The 85th percentile speed, which is supposed to be used for setting speed limits, is around 75 mph. A little over by my measurement, which found 1% compliance with the speed limit.
Eventually the absurdity of the 55 mph speed limit sunk in and in 2006 MassHighway traffic engineers recommended a speed limit increase. State Police vetoed the change, preferring the 99% violation rate that let them write tickets at will. Police have no legal role in setting speed limits. Somebody in the Romney administration weighed the risk of losing ticket revenue against the risk of being blamed for accidents. Police won.
After engineers lost that fight people began to worry about the high accident rate on Route 3. The state hired a consultant to do a Road Safety Audit. The consultant’s report blamed the low speed limit, among other factors, for the high crash rate. The report explicitly recommended raising the speed limit.
Three years later, state officials have not followed the advice of their engineers, their consultant, or 100,000 drivers per day. State police are still out there running speed traps and helping keep the road as dangerous and profitable as they can.
I 100% agree with this research! Speed limit is something that depends on multiple variables, some of them are invariant (road condition, proximity of schools etc.), but some depend on an individual (driver's experience and kind/state of a vehicle). I don't advocate setting individual speed limits - it is just unfeasible, but I wouldn't curse myself when I drive 10 mph over limit (15 on empty highways): I've been 34 years behind the wheel (since 12), I drove in Moscow and Rio and I did not have a single accident (not that I'm immune, so touch wood). In addition I have a very good car (don't like to be accused in bragging, therefore won't mention the make) that extremely responsive and has 0 blind spots.
Again, I don't want to change the laws, yet it is ridiculous to state that I and 17-year old on a father's old car present the same danger to safety even if I'm driving 10 mph faster.
Saying that, there are many other rules that I utterly respect: it costs nothing to abide and there is no benefit from breaking them. Signaling when changing lanes; keeping distance; turning headlights when raining; full stop at the sigh to name a few.
Once I mentioned that, I refuse to comprehend why the majority of cars still have blind spots - it is not a rocket science and can save many more lives than speed traps.
Re:
What I see is that you just ripped off an Anonymous Coward's comment from 4:54pm. Down to the gravatar.
Re: Re: Response to: DandonTRJ on Apr 12th, 2012 @ 4:28pm
If a line appears in the beginning of a play, it will be moved up and down, up and down, until it is bend around your neck and tightened in the finale.
(untitled comment)
OK, so if Universal can take off videos even if does not have copyright on them, does it mean that I can take on videos even if UMG does have copyright on them? Seems logical to me.
(untitled comment)
TF replaced the embedded video with a vimeo one.
How long will it last?
(untitled comment)
"This video contains content from UMG, who has blocked it on copyright grounds"
Seems that artist are treated as content by UMG. Surprise?
Re: Re: Re:
It depends on one's perceiving function (and, to some extent, judging function). Being "NF", I will die from boredom if a discussion lacks analogies and abstractions :)
Re:
Since a perfect analogy is something that does not exist, it is extremely easy to point out the weakness of a particular analogy. Yet it is a power tool to explain concepts and provoke critical thinking. Buggy whip analogy is far from being perfect (again, as any other analogy), but it does its job illustrating the thought. An analogy is worthless without a thorough explanation why it was invoked in the first place. That’s why I’m usually very forgiving when I hear people employing this colorful tool, and concentrate on the idea that a narrator illustrates with it.
Re: New FBI Warnings
I like it. The only way to counter an absurd argument is to show its absurdity by pushing it just a little bit in the original direction.
Trying to explain to an obtuse and/or brainwashed opponent that infringing is not theft is futile and counterproductive. I have not seen anyone who admitted that he was wrong. Inability to change one's opinion under an overwhelming argument is a sign of either low IQ or insecurity. Or both.
Re: SOPA
That's another, frequently overseen, problem with SOPA: it shifted the debate from the problems with current copyright laws farther from the common sense: suddenly many bright heads discuss how to make SOPA better (by narrowing its impact etc.). SOPA, even if it would fail eventually, has already inflicted tremendous harm by poisoning the debate, by planting a "consensus" that something should be done into otherwise reasonable people's heads.
(untitled comment)
He should've used Siri, not Google.
Paypal-bitcoin
I came up with a wonderful idea to use paypal-bitcoin gateway, because for most people it is a hassle to get bitcoins in order to make a single semi-anonymous donation for example. So you would pay me using PayPal and provide a bitcoin address, and I would charge a small fee over the exchange rate.
As it always happens to me, someone stole my idea a year before I conceived it.
But I wouldn't succeed anyway: this very useful service was nixed by PayPal....
Re: Re: Re: Re: Use PayPal! (Eat At Joes!)
Go with ccnow ;-P
(untitled comment)
Onion covered this topic brilliantly in the past.
Re: The distinction
Open wi-fi exists solely for connecting wireless devices. There is a potential of illegitimate use, but the primary purpose is non-infringing. Nonetheless, as I recently read somewhere, someone tried to equate running an open wireless network with negligence and make the persons who do not encrypt their networks liable.
The “legitimate businesses” like DropBox are off the rightholders’ radar until some clever MPAA lawyer finds out how to shake down these businesses cheaply.
Re: Re:
...browsed trough my memory and found this link... I don't find it bad or good, but I do find it funny and newsworthy.
Re: What about..
BMW's cruise control is even worse: the stick is just below the beam switch, same shape, a bit shorter. I embarrassed myself many times until I developed the motor memory: when I wanted to decrease the speed - same movement / different stick - push towards the driver - and flashed high beams instead. So if I wanted to slow down behind a car, the other driver might think that I was arrogantly flashing to force him out of the left lane.
(untitled comment)
From the "Marginal Revolution" blog (Can't reach it now - "502 bad gateway", so copying from Google Reader)
The 55 mph speed limit was a vain attempt by the Federal government to reduce gasoline consumption; initially passed in the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act the law was relaxed in 1987 and finally repealed in 1995 allowing states to choose their speed limits. Highways and cars are safer today than in the 1970s and on many highways speed limits were increased to 65 mph. Higher speed limits are often safer because what is worse than speed is variable speed, some people driving fast and some driving slow. When the speed limit is set too low you get lots of people who safely break the law and a few law-abiders who make the roads more dangerous.
Unfortunately vestiges of the 55mph limit remain, in part because police like the 55mph limit which lets them write tickets at will whenever they need an increase in revenues. John Carr at the National Motorists blog gives a particularly egregious example from Massachusetts:
Re: Re: Wait until someone you know gets hit by a speeding car..
"The traffic treats speed trap as a defect and routes around it"
(untitled comment)
What exactly US Marshals found problematic in the question in question?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet?
Is it time to start murdering the corrupt yet ?
Re: Speeding
I 100% agree with this research! Speed limit is something that depends on multiple variables, some of them are invariant (road condition, proximity of schools etc.), but some depend on an individual (driver's experience and kind/state of a vehicle). I don't advocate setting individual speed limits - it is just unfeasible, but I wouldn't curse myself when I drive 10 mph over limit (15 on empty highways): I've been 34 years behind the wheel (since 12), I drove in Moscow and Rio and I did not have a single accident (not that I'm immune, so touch wood). In addition I have a very good car (don't like to be accused in bragging, therefore won't mention the make) that extremely responsive and has 0 blind spots.
Again, I don't want to change the laws, yet it is ridiculous to state that I and 17-year old on a father's old car present the same danger to safety even if I'm driving 10 mph faster.
Saying that, there are many other rules that I utterly respect: it costs nothing to abide and there is no benefit from breaking them. Signaling when changing lanes; keeping distance; turning headlights when raining; full stop at the sigh to name a few.
Once I mentioned that, I refuse to comprehend why the majority of cars still have blind spots - it is not a rocket science and can save many more lives than speed traps.