hopponit 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Trademark Dispute Between Brewery And Winery Over Northstar Brand

    hopponit ( profile ), 07 May, 2015 @ 11:06am

    Northstar

    So, is GM gonna step in and sue 'em both because they are using the name Northstar. Everybody knows that means Caddy Northstar engines. Really wouldn't want anybody pouring beer and wine in their tank.

  • On the post: Despite Throwing Money At Congress, Comcast Finds Merger Support Hard To Come By

    hopponit ( profile ), 26 Mar, 2015 @ 12:38pm

    merger

    "While politicians are happy to take Comcast's money, it appears that few actually want to be publicly associated with a company with the lowest consumer approval rating in any industry." Doesn't that approval rating describe Congress as well?

  • On the post: Under Armour Files Trademark Suit Against Ass Armor

    hopponit ( profile ), 02 Mar, 2015 @ 10:25am

    Re: How can anyone think your own customers are so stupid?

    I believe that the customers that appear stupid belong to the lawyers.

  • On the post: Under Armour Files Trademark Suit Against Ass Armor

    hopponit ( profile ), 02 Mar, 2015 @ 10:22am

    ass armor

    In the army we had a phrase we used a lot. CYA. It made it into common usage, it means Cover Your A--. Thanks to Under Armours lawyers I think I'll do that with this lovely new product just to give them the finger.

  • On the post: DailyDirt: Fusion Is Less Than 30 Years Away (Maybe)

    hopponit ( profile ), 16 Oct, 2014 @ 10:20am

    Fusion

    I saw the subject mentioned this morning. Lockheads statement had a point that stood out to me. It implied that they are holding back on this till they have their patents straight! While they may have more reasons to delay bringing this forward. It seems like we have to wait on an "innovation" because of patents. So much for the patent system promoting innovation and benifiting the public.

  • On the post: 'House Of Cards' In 4K Will Eat Broadband Caps Like Popcorn Shrimp

    hopponit ( profile ), 22 Feb, 2014 @ 08:17pm

    Caps

    Just a small point to add in. Recently I was looking for a broadband plan to help an elderly friend. I looked up one of the "free" services that was mentioned. She is on SS and medicare but still working to make ends meet. The plan availible in our area is wireless and has a 3g cap. She wouldn't be able to afford Netficks anyway, so the cap doesn't much matter I guess. Still how well would you do with just a 3g cap? We run 3 PCs or more a day at my house and I'm not even sure how much we use. I don't think that cap would last us much more than a day or two! Oh, by the way there is a big charge for going over the 3g cap!

  • On the post: CERN Announces Nearly All High-Energy Physics Articles Will Switch To Open Access — The Largest-Ever OA Initiative

    hopponit ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2013 @ 10:20pm

    cern

    I hope this works out, but I noticed a name that makes me wonder, Elsiver. Aren't they the group causing problems now by wanting to lock up publishing research? Maybe they have a good side and a bad side that don't talk to one-another.

  • On the post: Italy's Communications Watchdog Assigns Itself Extrajudicial Powers To Order ISPs To Stop Copyright Infringement

    hopponit ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2013 @ 08:50pm

    agcom

    I hope that this system gets "abused" by the public to file take-downs against Agcom. I'm sure it would only be done by 'accident' of course. Who would be so mean as to have them get a taste of their own medicine?

  • On the post: Elsevier Ramps Up Its War On Access To Knowledge

    hopponit ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2013 @ 12:47pm

    Elsevier

    I was thinking about the comment that the need to be "published" is a factor in gaining tenure. I can see that as being valid. I have noticed a push to cut down on tenured positions to cut costs (even as education costs skyrocket). This makes me wonder if this will result in a point where there are too few folks bothering to post to Elsevier and the like. Will it be because they have killed the gold plated goose by raising costs?

  • On the post: US Court Secretly Lets Government Share Megaupload Evidence With Copyright Industry

    hopponit ( profile ), 08 Dec, 2013 @ 10:20pm

    megaupload

    I wish we had somebody to do a "Snowden" type leak on the DOJ and this case. I don't think even Russia would be a safe place to hide from them though.

  • On the post: Rep. Mike Rogers Angrily Defends Bathroom Spycam

    hopponit ( profile ), 01 Nov, 2013 @ 11:51pm

    rodgers

    Okay, I gotta ask. Is this a spoof? If not I am flabbergasted by the statement that nobody has come forward in 10yrs! Heck if Chuck Berry can get busted for this, so can he.

  • On the post: Awesome Stuff: Security Hardware For The Masses

    hopponit ( profile ), 14 Oct, 2013 @ 04:41pm

    DSMB

    Am I the only one who looks at the DSMB tunnel and thinks about swapping out the letter S for U? Was this intentional? At least they didn't call it the SWART tunnel.

  • On the post: Entrepreneur Fights Back Against Patent Troll; Patent Troll Accuses Entrepreneur Of Hate Crimes

    hopponit ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2013 @ 11:46pm

    hate crime troll

    I disagree. There is an obvious group that is protected. It is under sexual orientation, they want to f--- everybody! Okay, that's settled lets go to court.

  • On the post: Apple's Fingerprint ID And How It May Take Away Your 5th Amendment Right To Protect Your Data

    hopponit ( profile ), 14 Sep, 2013 @ 01:23pm

    Fingerprint

    Two points. I'm a vet., the gov. has had my prints on file since the '70s. They don't need to do much snooping to find my prints. Second point. The recent revelation that the gov. told their people to cover-up where they got leads in drug cases and such. Would the gov.agencies look at our data and files without a warrant then fudge the truth about where they got their evidence?

  • On the post: Insanity: PayPal Freezes Mailpile's Account, Demands Excessive Info To Get Access

    hopponit ( profile ), 08 Sep, 2013 @ 09:15pm

    paypal

    Maybe after all the other stuff that's come out I'm getting a bit cynical but---. This has got me wondering if may be the 'spooks' pulled some strings to prevent a new security effort from someone. Yeah, I know that's a bit far fetched but maybe it isn't?

  • On the post: Fire Sale: TSA Now Offering You Your Civil Liberties For A Fee!

    hopponit ( profile ), 07 Sep, 2013 @ 09:33pm

    tsa

    This has me asking who gets the money? Do these fees go to some private company that lobbied for the TSA to get more power? In other words is it more a money grab instead of a conspiracy to grow the TSA. Not good for the citizens either way.

  • On the post: US Still Can't Figure Out What Snowden Took; What Happened To Those Perfect 'Audits'?

    hopponit ( profile ), 27 Aug, 2013 @ 12:01am

    un

    "I wonder if the NSA got the keys to just about every DRM system ever created and the Obama administration is worried that Snowden got that information. That would explain why the US and UK administrations are so insanely over the top on their responses to Snowden." Thank you. I hadn't thought of that. It makes me wonder if the DRM keys are tied into something else that we aren't supposed to know about. I'm thinking of maybe some back room deals or favors for the content holders. Something that provided some kind of under the table money (bribes!) that need to be hidden. A whole lot can be boiled down to the desire for money or power.

  • On the post: Federal Official Declares That Anyone Who Speaks Out Against Lie Detector Tests Should Be Criminally Investigated

    hopponit ( profile ), 24 Aug, 2013 @ 12:13am

    lie detector

    Back in '80 at the end of my first enlistment I went to work for a building supply warehouse in Savannah, Ga. We started having a problem with theft. The management had everyone take a lie detector test. They found NOTHING, however two people were fired because of the operators judgement about their answers! After having everybody retested a couple more times they left a safe open and hid till the crook showed up. The managers nephew had been doing it. Turns out he was a sociopath type and he believed his lies as he told them. No training needed. Oh by the way as a minor he wasn't charged. And with no proof he didn't even have to pay back the earlier money!

  • On the post: Down To Just A Few Possibilities: President Obama Either Lied Or Is Ignorant About The NSA

    hopponit ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2013 @ 11:22am

    Re:

    "Maybe that's the new plan for politicians. Choose a running mate that nobody wants to see become President. Sarah Palen is prime example, as is Joe Biden." I really don't think this is new. Look back at some of the VPs we have had from the beginning.

  • On the post: IP Arrow's DMCA Takedown Notices Claim UFC And Lynda.com Hold The Rights To Child Porn

    hopponit ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2013 @ 11:44am

    Okay. How about adding some wood to the fire? Give these results to some truly hard nosed/hard up for votes local prosecutors. Let them run with it and make fools of themselves and the companies that are paying for these guys. Being linked in public to child porn will 'probably' make some of these companies think for a moment before just signing up for these pecker-woods. Sad to say that it still wouldn't stop some of them.

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