Al Bert 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (200) comment rss

  • On the post: Collection Society To Libraries: No Story Time For Kids Unless You Pay To Read Aloud

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 12:39pm

    Re: It all makes sense!

    Kids should understand that all knowledge is owned permanently by someone else and that renting the luxury of cognition should be expected to be expensive. How else will kids understand why their textbooks cost $300 for a glue-bound hardcover? Why, they might not even understand why the ebook for the same edition costs the same amount or more. It's obvious!

    If they don't want to drink from the fountain of knowledge, they should go back to lapping at the brackish runoff of broadcast media.

  • On the post: Collection Society To Libraries: No Story Time For Kids Unless You Pay To Read Aloud

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 12:28pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    They'll get whatever they want.

  • On the post: UK Decides Hollywood, US Gov't's Interests More Important Than Own Citizens; Extradites Student For Linking

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 12:19pm

    Re: You know what would be tragically hilarious?

    It makes them feel more comfortable to know that they have or imagine they have power in newfound places. That is all that matters.

    Also, don't expect to see any IP maximalists or their idols going through a railroaded justice system anytime soon. Not unless the present biases and influences are somehow magically stacked on the opposite side of the balance.

  • On the post: UK Decides Hollywood, US Gov't's Interests More Important Than Own Citizens; Extradites Student For Linking

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 12:06pm

    Re: Re: Well it was about time

    Especially considering the fact that if this sentiment were laced with some indefensible lies and fearmongering terrorism/pedophilia conflation, it would be indistinguishable from what the actual criminals think and say. In these cases, the caricature of satire does not justly portray how absolutely vile these people really are.

  • On the post: UK Decides Hollywood, US Gov't's Interests More Important Than Own Citizens; Extradites Student For Linking

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 11:59am

    Re: Re: Re: If you are easily disturbed do not read this comment.

    They certainly shouldn't be the only ones so pissed off. Any principled american should be on their feet.

    But i'm sure the media would divert the blame if they covered it at all.

  • On the post: If Phishing Email Can Kill NY Power Grid, Lack Of Cybersecurity Legislation Is Not The Problem

    Al Bert ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2012 @ 12:04am

    Re: Re: Re: WARNING..

    Oh, I hear you. It's a horrid bitch to fix consumer products anymore. Half the time you literally need a machine shop and engineering experience to rebuild that which was designed to fail.

    But go back to the days when things could be easily fixed by users. Take your modern consumer. If they had been given a spare defrost timer, dryer belt, tuner module, vacuum tube, or even spark plugs as might be associated with such vintage expectations... could most people even muster the effort to try and fix it themselves? For the most part, the answer is no.

    The "corps" as you put it have the power to fuck people over because people accept being fucked daily. I'm not pointing my finger at you or other people in the vicinity of this comment, but next time you're out among the technophobes and whitney-watchers, look around and think about it.

  • On the post: State Appeals Court Says Stubhub Isn't Responsible For Actions Of Its Users

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 11:48pm

    ugh

    Yeah, here in Illinois, the court has a habit of ignoring all sorts of things. Then again, the Illinois rules of government implies there was a predetermined beneficiary of the ruling.

  • On the post: Author's Guild Boss On E-Book Price Fixing Allegations: But… But… Brick-And-Mortar!

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 11:37pm

    Re: Re: But...but...how will I know what's good?

    Re-reading your concerns, I felt I should clarify: It is physical books I buy online. I have never seen any of the e-book titles I've been after at anything near reasonable prices. I have yet to find a valid ebook purchasing experience or market that I could defend.

  • On the post: Author's Guild Boss On E-Book Price Fixing Allegations: But… But… Brick-And-Mortar!

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 11:29pm

    Re: But...but...how will I know what's good?

    Not all of us live in sub/urban areas where a variety of well-established book/music stores exist. If I want to go to a bookstore that has more of a selection than I have on my own wall, that's about a 50 minute drive at least. The last time I checked one of the chain places, they'd gutted their book selection to insert a damn e-reader display gazebo where you couldn't even buy the damn e-reader. I'll buy books online for the same reason I buy everything else online. It's the only reasonable way the products are and have ever been available in my area.

    As far as browsing benefits? There are these things called libraries. They tend to be even more plentiful than bookstores and are well-networked and their use is inexpensive and convenient. Now you might recall that such things are also the target of publishers. Don't be fooled. They're not concerned about the end of the great hardback novel or the neighborhood bookstore. They never were. They're concerned that they aren't holding all the cards anymore. Their monopoly grip on the market is being chipped away by modern competition, and they demand that it stop at no expenditure or effort on their part. They're also probably a bit sore that they can't get away with the same bullshit that the rest of the IP industry does. Either way, I can't see anything respectable about their position.

  • On the post: NYT Pays Former CEO $24 Million To Go Away; The Paper Made $3 Million Total Over The Last 4 Years

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 10:56pm

    ire-warmed

    Interesting story; can't wait to see what shakes from it, if anything. I like the idea that it's high-stakes blackmail. That prospect will surely keep me warm at night for weeks to come.

  • On the post: If Phishing Email Can Kill NY Power Grid, Lack Of Cybersecurity Legislation Is Not The Problem

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 10:38pm

    if you wanted to be constructive

    You could go so far as to politely suggest tactful use of the simple HTML tags allowed by the comment form.

  • On the post: If Phishing Email Can Kill NY Power Grid, Lack Of Cybersecurity Legislation Is Not The Problem

    Al Bert ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2012 @ 02:01pm

    i haven't bitched in a while, forgive me.

    American terrorism wears a suit and tie.
    It has hands in government and a face on television
    and full control of a dangerously gullible population.

    I don't know why, but i am always compelled to restate the obvious. There's a whole nation of media-insulated technophobes out there. Sometimes i get the impression that these discussions fail to recognize how effective such absurd lies and suggestions are against the rest of the country

  • On the post: Obama Administration: ACTA Is Binding & Don't Worry Your Pretty Little Heads About TPP

    Al Bert ( profile ), 07 Mar, 2012 @ 11:59pm

    ocd

    We all know where this is going, but it's the time between now and open revolt that will suck the most. As an engineer, it's frustrating to be surrounded by shit that cannot be reasonably fixed.

  • On the post: Microsoft Hires Key Anti-Google FTC Lawyer To Be Its New Chief Anti-Google Lobbyist

    Al Bert ( profile ), 02 Mar, 2012 @ 09:51pm

    Re: Microsoft vs Google

    This.

    The last thing a market or culture needs is a powerful and incompetent antagonist.

  • On the post: How The Patent System Is Rigged To Only Expand What's Patentable

    Al Bert ( profile ), 01 Mar, 2012 @ 05:53pm

    this is my rock

    Hopefully we'll be able to meet some great spacefaring goals before it's too late. Then we'll be able to travel to distant planets and patent all the stuff there too.

  • On the post: How The US Trade Rep Is Trying To Wipe Out Used Goods Sales With Secretive TPP Agreement

    Al Bert ( profile ), 01 Mar, 2012 @ 01:33pm

    Re: Keep Calm and Carry On

    Yes, eventually people will realize that they've lost their freedom through apathy. Then they'll look around and think "oh well, i've been getting by so far... besides, it's too late anyway"

  • On the post: Would You Rather Be 'Right' Or Realistic?

    Al Bert ( profile ), 28 Feb, 2012 @ 05:36pm

    i can imagine their pale, sweaty anger

    Nearly 200 damn comments? Jesus.

    I had an idea though. If all anonymous posts were published in a reduced font size, how long would it take for the AC's egos to force them to register?

  • On the post: Company That Issued Bogus Takedown Says It Was All A Mistake, Apologizes

    Al Bert ( profile ), 28 Feb, 2012 @ 05:06pm

    Re: Re:

    and somehow yet it's not a burden upon them, but upon the rights holders.

    Maybe he's confusing "burden" with "benefit"

  • On the post: Key Techdirt SOPA/PIPA Post Censored By Bogus DMCA Takedown Notice

    Al Bert ( profile ), 27 Feb, 2012 @ 10:50pm

    purpose and intent evident in design and action

    Calling this crap abuse is like watching an angry man beating people with a baseball bat and exclaiming "That's not how you play baseball!"

  • On the post: If You're Going To Compare The Old Music Biz Model With The New Music Biz Model, At Least Make Some Sense

    Al Bert ( profile ), 26 Feb, 2012 @ 01:01pm

    Re: PEBKAC

    The troll(s) are idiots, but I cringe to admit that it's a real point. The rest of the nation/world isn't as connected to the internet (technologically and socially) as you think it is. Where i'm located, i have the choice between dialup or paying $50+ per month for a 384k/128k 900MHz LOS radio link or a ripoff satellite package with an awful FAP. I've adblock'd the hell out of this site just to be able to hang around.

    The google rankings and whatever else it was babbling about can safely be ignored, stopped clock and all that.

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