I like how you pitch the alternatives without pointing out how they are no better than MS in crackdowns, and most of time much worse.
If the alternatives seems have their own enforcement force that is nicknamed gestapo, able to sue many websites to take down stuff they don't like, and has connections with local police force who helped their gestapo enter and search people's house without warrant for "lost property". Really, are they any better to switch to if your reason to switch is based on company ethics?
Reality check of the day: pretty much all multinational big corps are evil so you really have no way out. If you *religiously* believe one company is ethically better than others, time to reevaluate your moral compass.
My apologies Ms. Rowling, I seem to have found faster, easier, free version of Harry Potter books all around the Internet outside of this... Pottermore.
Right, and getting a high-performing realtor is part of your skill/luck.
There are 10 sales person in your local Best Buy and they all sell TVs. According to standard bell curve, only 15% of them actually are knowledgeable about TVs and not actively scamming you. Part of your skill/luck is to pick that top 15%. If you didn't pick the right one, is it BestBuy's fault, sales person's fault, society's fault, or is it just your problem?
If you get scammed, you only have yourself to blame (usually) and people are usually not that sympathetic.
================
Anyways, if you didn't get the main point of my opinion. It is that free flow of the property market information does not hinder a realtors' business. It actually enhance it because it's DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRODUCT.
Reading stock market price and market information on newspaper is a different product than going to your financial adviser to ask for advise on investment.
Honestly, I don't know how you got screwed over. I can only talk from my experience that my realtor did a pretty good job.
Like the above AC said, my premise is to get a good realtor.
I said earlier, realtor is like a tool. If you can't get a good tool or that your tool is not performing up to the standard doesn't make it's existence illogical/unnecessary/scam. It just means that you are not very good at picking your tools or you have bad luck and picked the lemon.
MPAA/RIAA's lawyer pisses me off greatly and they scam people. That doesn't mean all lawyers are con-artists or unnecessary or bad people.
If that's the kind of realtors you got. You really need to research first on looking for a good realtor. Maybe you have friends who has successfully dealt with realtors and are happy to recommend someone?
It seems like your 'tool' is not performing well. In that case, you need to choose better tool, not complaining the existence of the tool makes no sense.
In my area they housing market is trending a slow decline, but my realtor still manages to pull on average 1 to 2 sets of people to look at my unit every week, over the winter, when people don't traditionally buy/sell homes. Not only that, I managed to sell my property higher than similar properties in the area.
Yes, you can save the commission on the sale by doing it yourself. But you'll have to deal with advertising, negotiation, government regulation, contract law...etc all by yourself. I for one is not willing to spend too much time dealing with those. I still have to work everyday to make a living first.
If you really want to find out who's selling their house, all you have to do is visit and realtor and say that you want to buy a house. Not only you can get to know if it's empty or not, you can also get a tour of the house to research on security alarms and floor plan.
I have recently just sold my place with help from a Canadian realtor and the primarily reason I believe in using a realtor is... SERVICE!
- I can continue to work and live my day to day life while they work on selling the house
- Experienced realtor already have a network of contractors, inspectors lawyers/notary to perform various function related to the sale of property. Not only that, because it's long term relationship, you don't have to worry contractors scamming you
- Experienced realtors are good SALES PERSON. Selling is a skill you learn, practice and master. Not every home owner is a good enough sales person to sale their own place for a good reasonable price.
- Realtors have their own social network that can bring people in even when times are tough. When you are buying electronics, the first thing you check is not craigslist where you can save some money buying from others directly. A lot of people would go to Best Buy or Futureshop to check it out first (and potentially buying it there). Same thing with buying a house, you would check with a realtor first.
- realtor are knowledgeable about property buying and selling. That's their profession. Buying/selling property is not like you walk into an Apple Store and pick up a MacBook. It involves land claims, estimates, taxes, mortgages, property laws...etc. You can't just wake up one morning and decides now you are an expert in properties buying/selling and start selling your house. And why waste your time learning all that tidbits which a normal person will probably use two or three times in their life time?
- good realtors also knowledgeable about locations and market trends etc which you can't just find buy reading a bunch of listings
Real estate agents provides important services, not information. Their move trying to limit the information flow of property sale is strategically idiotic. Property information is not the "choke point" of control they think it is. Increase in information flow will only drive more people to use realtors. It's like free advertising! Even if consumers received knowledge about properties, most of them can't complete the rest of the step in buying/selling anyways.
Putting listings online will not only reduce the step 1, interest buyer to a property, for realtors, they will also drive more people to come to a realtor for step 2, step 3...etc.
I apologize if I have misquoted or misunderstand the concept.
However, I stand by my assertion that
1. They are not ugly. Things that people are not used to are usually assumed "ugly". ie. Asians used to refer to Caucasians as "ugly" because of different hair color, body shape and face and body features. On this point we can only agree to disagree because that's pure opinion. In addition I do agree with AC that perhaps it's poorly used in NA situations which might make them obtrusive and ugly. However, that's not a QRCode issue but rather a commercial ad design issue. A proposed "image recognition" tech that's in the works could also be ruined if I used a bunch of mismatching colors/shape and then slap it willy-nilly everywhere.
2. The over usage again brings up the fact that people in NA are not using it smartly. And this could also be factored in as people view it as ugly thus feel they are over used. Remember QRCode is not part of standard toolset people use here. You do have to go out of your way to get a read, which makes it inconvenient and obtrusive and feel like it's being "overused and useless" piece of technology
3. They may be doomed in American, but not else where, at least not yet or until the next better technology comes along. The fact of the matter is, they work now and they work great (in Asian area). The technology you proposed to replace it is still imperfect or in lab. You have to use what's working now.
If you do want to see how QRCode is used, I would check Japan. After all, they ARE the one who came up with it and has been using it for many many years before the public here even remotely aware this exists.
When you start complaining about something, you really shouldn't start with "I have never understand..." If you wish to criticize the subject at hand, at least pay the respect to understand it first. A simple act of showing your understanding (or pretend to show understanding) of a subject makes your points much more valid. Just reading an article from the net doesn't make you expert enough to make valid arguments. At best it shows you are showing your "valued opinion" that most people on the Internet has already learned to ignore, at worst it shows you are just rehashing what you read.
Now I get that over with... It seems a lot of people over here in North America doesn't recognize or understand QRCode. This code was first developed in Japan in the 90's (don't remember what exact time). At first it was used as a way to pact a lot of information for car manufactures to track components. I am not sure what happened after that, but in Japan they started to use this for non-manufacturing purpose. While the rest of the world is still using a cell phone that can only call, QRCode was already a standard feature in Japanese feature phones.
While the rest of the world is still struggling to input info into their phone using the damn number pad, Japanese people are trading contact information, getting product discount and info, visiting websites, getting through Japan Customs and Immigrations, reading bus schedules, getting produce details (producing date, location, grade)...etc, all by just a simple scan on the code. You read some magazine articles/ads and if you want additional information, well, there's the QRCode to scan.
That sounded all really abstract so let me get you an example. My friend recently visited Hong Kong and came back with a book roughly translated as "100 useful free Android apps" with each app devoted one page on what it does. Guess what? On each of the page is a QRCode. If he wishes to download this app, he just scans it. Doesn't have to access android market and do a search and match the app name etc.
Let's summarize, QRCode is widely used in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong and slowly spreading to China and North America. You and some of the commentators above viewed it as an outdated technology. However, it's a proven and useful technology in Asian countries. Please get your head out of "North America is the center of the technology world and if it doesn't work here then it's a poor technology" mentality. You know what, the fact that QRCode is used successfully in other countries but not in NA just shows how some people are stupid enough to ruin a good technology.
Now let's get to this "Imagine recognition is the future and QRCode is a transitional technology".
First of all, every technology is a transitional technology. 8-tracke tape was a transitional technology to cassette tape. Cassette tape was transitional technology to Digital Audio Tape (it died) and Compact Disk. Compact Disc was transitional technology to MP3. MP3 is transitional technology to ... You get my drift. Yourself even mentioned that "the tech isn't perfect yet" and that it only "capable of recognizing ads based on color, configuration and other indicators". Hold on, how come that some like some kind of "code" to scan? Hmmmm?
Secondly, it's nice for people to dream about future technology, but in reality, you can't use a "tech" that isn't close to perfect yet. So you are suggesting we use this "isn't perfect yet" imagine recognition technology and dump a working QRCode technology. That's like saying, "Hey one day we will make a jetliner that's perfect, although the current plane can only fly 10KM because it isn't 'perfect' yet. But we should totally dump these working propeller planes because they are old 'transitional' technology. Let's all just jump on the jetliner now." That doesn't sound too smart isn't it?
Anyways, I've already said too much. Please do consider to investigate an issue before posting an article on Techdirt so you don't harm the reputation of this blog. Something you and other don't understand or don't use doesn't make it "Ugly, Overused and Doomed". Thanks for again reminding everyone else in the world how the American though process works, "If it's not useful for us, it's not useful for the rest of the world."
It's not because that your agents are incompetent, misfit high school drop outs that you found on the street randomly who doesn't receive proper training.
It's the people being push overs and bend over whenever the agents tells us to. I mean, it's totally our fault that we are such sissies and our rights are being violated by people who get paid by tax money.
The only way to get them to listen is to truly show them what a lost sale is: "Vote with your wallet."
Well, I believe some of us are already doing that. Except the Excel Guys will interpret that phenomenon in a way that is not aligned with what we expected. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! More people are pirating!
In their simple little minds they can only reach one conclusion: The previous DRM is not strong enough. We need STRONGER DRM!
the pitfall for this kind of model is that most game company planned to sell you digital goods. This affects how they design the game and the game mechanics.
i.e. artificially make it much more difficult in order to sell you item to make life easier.
a notorious game for this is Maple Story, which is free to play. However, if you want to have any hope of leveling up or progress in the game in a tolerable pace, you have to spend.
Another notorious game is a Chinese one called "Zhengtu". I won't get into details for that one and you can look it up.
In this case, DarkOrbit probably DIDN'T plan to sell this at that price and probably come into realization later that it might be a good idea. Thus the selling of this is not really "forced" on the consumers.
To do it right, games shouldn't be altered to be difficult thus buying digital item becomes necessary. It should be as difficult as required or properly designed, but with an option for people to buy if they are not willing to spend the time.
Okay, everyone googles everything these days right? (or maybe not) but here is my suggestion.
From now on, if you type into Google brand A, and Google didn't tell you either
1) You type it wrong, maybe you meant brand B
2) Google Ad for Brand B didn't show up as suggestion,
Then your claim for trademark and customer confusion will be automatically dismissed.
In this case, if you type in Footzyrolls in google search, and google didn't say, "Showing results for Tootsie Roll. Search instead for Footzrolls" or the first 5 results didn't show Tootsie roll or ads for Tootsie roll, case dismissed!
Reasoning is simple, if a search engine with an optimized algorithm and a gazillion of search precedences can't associate those two together, then it means no one has ever made that association between the two. Thus you have no case.
Think of all the time and money we can save for the courts!
I thought we live in an age that businesses understand goodwill.
Imagine how much business they'll lose from that 12 year old girl in the next 60 years, including her friends, and her families, and some of the people who heard the story.
All that for a mere $2000.
Meanwhile, all current copyright infringers rocks on.
lol. That's my Chinese-English grammar at work there. Chinese don't have plural form so I am always forgetting my 's' and randomly rotate my 'is' and 'are', even after moving to Canada for more that 19 years. ;-)
Re: Re: My disgust with MS grows almost daily
I like how you pitch the alternatives without pointing out how they are no better than MS in crackdowns, and most of time much worse.
If the alternatives seems have their own enforcement force that is nicknamed gestapo, able to sue many websites to take down stuff they don't like, and has connections with local police force who helped their gestapo enter and search people's house without warrant for "lost property". Really, are they any better to switch to if your reason to switch is based on company ethics?
Reality check of the day: pretty much all multinational big corps are evil so you really have no way out. If you *religiously* believe one company is ethically better than others, time to reevaluate your moral compass.
(untitled comment)
My apologies Ms. Rowling, I seem to have found faster, easier, free version of Harry Potter books all around the Internet outside of this... Pottermore.
Re: Re:
Right, and getting a high-performing realtor is part of your skill/luck.
There are 10 sales person in your local Best Buy and they all sell TVs. According to standard bell curve, only 15% of them actually are knowledgeable about TVs and not actively scamming you. Part of your skill/luck is to pick that top 15%. If you didn't pick the right one, is it BestBuy's fault, sales person's fault, society's fault, or is it just your problem?
If you get scammed, you only have yourself to blame (usually) and people are usually not that sympathetic.
================
Anyways, if you didn't get the main point of my opinion. It is that free flow of the property market information does not hinder a realtors' business. It actually enhance it because it's DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRODUCT.
Reading stock market price and market information on newspaper is a different product than going to your financial adviser to ask for advise on investment.
Re: Re:
Honestly, I don't know how you got screwed over. I can only talk from my experience that my realtor did a pretty good job.
Like the above AC said, my premise is to get a good realtor.
I said earlier, realtor is like a tool. If you can't get a good tool or that your tool is not performing up to the standard doesn't make it's existence illogical/unnecessary/scam. It just means that you are not very good at picking your tools or you have bad luck and picked the lemon.
MPAA/RIAA's lawyer pisses me off greatly and they scam people. That doesn't mean all lawyers are con-artists or unnecessary or bad people.
Re: Real Estate RIPE for disruption
If that's the kind of realtors you got. You really need to research first on looking for a good realtor. Maybe you have friends who has successfully dealt with realtors and are happy to recommend someone?
It seems like your 'tool' is not performing well. In that case, you need to choose better tool, not complaining the existence of the tool makes no sense.
In my area they housing market is trending a slow decline, but my realtor still manages to pull on average 1 to 2 sets of people to look at my unit every week, over the winter, when people don't traditionally buy/sell homes. Not only that, I managed to sell my property higher than similar properties in the area.
Yes, you can save the commission on the sale by doing it yourself. But you'll have to deal with advertising, negotiation, government regulation, contract law...etc all by yourself. I for one is not willing to spend too much time dealing with those. I still have to work everyday to make a living first.
(untitled comment)
If you really want to find out who's selling their house, all you have to do is visit and realtor and say that you want to buy a house. Not only you can get to know if it's empty or not, you can also get a tour of the house to research on security alarms and floor plan.
I have recently just sold my place with help from a Canadian realtor and the primarily reason I believe in using a realtor is... SERVICE!
- I can continue to work and live my day to day life while they work on selling the house
- Experienced realtor already have a network of contractors, inspectors lawyers/notary to perform various function related to the sale of property. Not only that, because it's long term relationship, you don't have to worry contractors scamming you
- Experienced realtors are good SALES PERSON. Selling is a skill you learn, practice and master. Not every home owner is a good enough sales person to sale their own place for a good reasonable price.
- Realtors have their own social network that can bring people in even when times are tough. When you are buying electronics, the first thing you check is not craigslist where you can save some money buying from others directly. A lot of people would go to Best Buy or Futureshop to check it out first (and potentially buying it there). Same thing with buying a house, you would check with a realtor first.
- realtor are knowledgeable about property buying and selling. That's their profession. Buying/selling property is not like you walk into an Apple Store and pick up a MacBook. It involves land claims, estimates, taxes, mortgages, property laws...etc. You can't just wake up one morning and decides now you are an expert in properties buying/selling and start selling your house. And why waste your time learning all that tidbits which a normal person will probably use two or three times in their life time?
- good realtors also knowledgeable about locations and market trends etc which you can't just find buy reading a bunch of listings
Real estate agents provides important services, not information. Their move trying to limit the information flow of property sale is strategically idiotic. Property information is not the "choke point" of control they think it is. Increase in information flow will only drive more people to use realtors. It's like free advertising! Even if consumers received knowledge about properties, most of them can't complete the rest of the step in buying/selling anyways.
Putting listings online will not only reduce the step 1, interest buyer to a property, for realtors, they will also drive more people to come to a realtor for step 2, step 3...etc.
Re: Re:
I apologize if I have misquoted or misunderstand the concept.
However, I stand by my assertion that
1. They are not ugly. Things that people are not used to are usually assumed "ugly". ie. Asians used to refer to Caucasians as "ugly" because of different hair color, body shape and face and body features. On this point we can only agree to disagree because that's pure opinion. In addition I do agree with AC that perhaps it's poorly used in NA situations which might make them obtrusive and ugly. However, that's not a QRCode issue but rather a commercial ad design issue. A proposed "image recognition" tech that's in the works could also be ruined if I used a bunch of mismatching colors/shape and then slap it willy-nilly everywhere.
2. The over usage again brings up the fact that people in NA are not using it smartly. And this could also be factored in as people view it as ugly thus feel they are over used. Remember QRCode is not part of standard toolset people use here. You do have to go out of your way to get a read, which makes it inconvenient and obtrusive and feel like it's being "overused and useless" piece of technology
3. They may be doomed in American, but not else where, at least not yet or until the next better technology comes along. The fact of the matter is, they work now and they work great (in Asian area). The technology you proposed to replace it is still imperfect or in lab. You have to use what's working now.
If you do want to see how QRCode is used, I would check Japan. After all, they ARE the one who came up with it and has been using it for many many years before the public here even remotely aware this exists.
(untitled comment)
Dear Leigh,
When you start complaining about something, you really shouldn't start with "I have never understand..." If you wish to criticize the subject at hand, at least pay the respect to understand it first. A simple act of showing your understanding (or pretend to show understanding) of a subject makes your points much more valid. Just reading an article from the net doesn't make you expert enough to make valid arguments. At best it shows you are showing your "valued opinion" that most people on the Internet has already learned to ignore, at worst it shows you are just rehashing what you read.
Now I get that over with... It seems a lot of people over here in North America doesn't recognize or understand QRCode. This code was first developed in Japan in the 90's (don't remember what exact time). At first it was used as a way to pact a lot of information for car manufactures to track components. I am not sure what happened after that, but in Japan they started to use this for non-manufacturing purpose. While the rest of the world is still using a cell phone that can only call, QRCode was already a standard feature in Japanese feature phones.
While the rest of the world is still struggling to input info into their phone using the damn number pad, Japanese people are trading contact information, getting product discount and info, visiting websites, getting through Japan Customs and Immigrations, reading bus schedules, getting produce details (producing date, location, grade)...etc, all by just a simple scan on the code. You read some magazine articles/ads and if you want additional information, well, there's the QRCode to scan.
That sounded all really abstract so let me get you an example. My friend recently visited Hong Kong and came back with a book roughly translated as "100 useful free Android apps" with each app devoted one page on what it does. Guess what? On each of the page is a QRCode. If he wishes to download this app, he just scans it. Doesn't have to access android market and do a search and match the app name etc.
Let's summarize, QRCode is widely used in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong and slowly spreading to China and North America. You and some of the commentators above viewed it as an outdated technology. However, it's a proven and useful technology in Asian countries. Please get your head out of "North America is the center of the technology world and if it doesn't work here then it's a poor technology" mentality. You know what, the fact that QRCode is used successfully in other countries but not in NA just shows how some people are stupid enough to ruin a good technology.
Now let's get to this "Imagine recognition is the future and QRCode is a transitional technology".
First of all, every technology is a transitional technology. 8-tracke tape was a transitional technology to cassette tape. Cassette tape was transitional technology to Digital Audio Tape (it died) and Compact Disk. Compact Disc was transitional technology to MP3. MP3 is transitional technology to ... You get my drift. Yourself even mentioned that "the tech isn't perfect yet" and that it only "capable of recognizing ads based on color, configuration and other indicators". Hold on, how come that some like some kind of "code" to scan? Hmmmm?
Secondly, it's nice for people to dream about future technology, but in reality, you can't use a "tech" that isn't close to perfect yet. So you are suggesting we use this "isn't perfect yet" imagine recognition technology and dump a working QRCode technology. That's like saying, "Hey one day we will make a jetliner that's perfect, although the current plane can only fly 10KM because it isn't 'perfect' yet. But we should totally dump these working propeller planes because they are old 'transitional' technology. Let's all just jump on the jetliner now." That doesn't sound too smart isn't it?
Anyways, I've already said too much. Please do consider to investigate an issue before posting an article on Techdirt so you don't harm the reputation of this blog. Something you and other don't understand or don't use doesn't make it "Ugly, Overused and Doomed". Thanks for again reminding everyone else in the world how the American though process works, "If it's not useful for us, it's not useful for the rest of the world."
Sincerely,
A Guy from Asia
Re: Freaking Finally!
That's right EFF!
Show those morons some EFF'ing sanity and EFF'ing better laws.
:)
Re: What if?
Oh Noes!
I have one of those sticker with my university name and the website address on it!
Am I going to be dinged for $27.50?
(untitled comment)
No body says it's going to kill the Internet. The Internet will still be around.
Just as the communists didn't kill China. China is still around and is called People's *Republic* of China
(untitled comment)
That's right TSA.
It's not because that your agents are incompetent, misfit high school drop outs that you found on the street randomly who doesn't receive proper training.
It's the people being push overs and bend over whenever the agents tells us to. I mean, it's totally our fault that we are such sissies and our rights are being violated by people who get paid by tax money.
I apologize for being spineless.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
you know what guys, despite all the demonstrable prior art...
I am still going to patent it! Mwahahahaha~ and the USPO will probably give it to me anyways!
Here I come SMBC-Comics and Dilbert! *evil grin*
(untitled comment)
The American Forefathers have turned in their graves so many times in the last year or two that I have lost count.
In fact, I think we have a new form of energy! We can start using the turning motion to power generators!
:P
ps. not sure if I crossed the line over there, lol.
(untitled comment)
The only way to get them to listen is to truly show them what a lost sale is: "Vote with your wallet."
Well, I believe some of us are already doing that. Except the Excel Guys will interpret that phenomenon in a way that is not aligned with what we expected. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! More people are pirating!
In their simple little minds they can only reach one conclusion: The previous DRM is not strong enough. We need STRONGER DRM!
(untitled comment)
the pitfall for this kind of model is that most game company planned to sell you digital goods. This affects how they design the game and the game mechanics.
i.e. artificially make it much more difficult in order to sell you item to make life easier.
a notorious game for this is Maple Story, which is free to play. However, if you want to have any hope of leveling up or progress in the game in a tolerable pace, you have to spend.
Another notorious game is a Chinese one called "Zhengtu". I won't get into details for that one and you can look it up.
In this case, DarkOrbit probably DIDN'T plan to sell this at that price and probably come into realization later that it might be a good idea. Thus the selling of this is not really "forced" on the consumers.
To do it right, games shouldn't be altered to be difficult thus buying digital item becomes necessary. It should be as difficult as required or properly designed, but with an option for people to buy if they are not willing to spend the time.
(untitled comment)
Okay, everyone googles everything these days right? (or maybe not) but here is my suggestion.
From now on, if you type into Google brand A, and Google didn't tell you either
1) You type it wrong, maybe you meant brand B
2) Google Ad for Brand B didn't show up as suggestion,
Then your claim for trademark and customer confusion will be automatically dismissed.
In this case, if you type in Footzyrolls in google search, and google didn't say, "Showing results for Tootsie Roll. Search instead for Footzrolls" or the first 5 results didn't show Tootsie roll or ads for Tootsie roll, case dismissed!
Reasoning is simple, if a search engine with an optimized algorithm and a gazillion of search precedences can't associate those two together, then it means no one has ever made that association between the two. Thus you have no case.
Think of all the time and money we can save for the courts!
(untitled comment)
I thought we live in an age that businesses understand goodwill.
Imagine how much business they'll lose from that 12 year old girl in the next 60 years, including her friends, and her families, and some of the people who heard the story.
All that for a mere $2000.
Meanwhile, all current copyright infringers rocks on.
Re: Re:
In addition, we'll let your doctor know that you won't be needing a prostate cancer examination for the next 12 month.
Disclaimer: Although it's funny in that sentence, prostate cancer is serious business. make sure you have your exams. :)
Re: Re:
lol. That's my Chinese-English grammar at work there. Chinese don't have plural form so I am always forgetting my 's' and randomly rotate my 'is' and 'are', even after moving to Canada for more that 19 years. ;-)