Coogan 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Pulling Music Off Spotify Sends Exactly The Wrong Message

    Coogan ( profile ), 16 Jul, 2013 @ 09:03am

    The hubris required to do something like this is truly outstanding.

    "My music is worth $1 per listener. I determined that's the minimum price I'll take for somebody to listen to my music. If they don't want to pay that much, then I won't let them listen. I'd rather get nothing than 65 cents per listener; that's just plain insulting to my artistic sensibilities and demeans my talents. I said I want a DOLLAR, damnit!"

    This is kinda like some subway guitar player putting a sign on his open guitar case telling passers-by "minimum donation: $2. Keep your freaking coins to yourself".

  • On the post: Anonymous 'Good Samaritan' Pays Justin Carter's $500k Bail After 4 Months In Jail For Online Trashtalk

    Coogan ( profile ), 11 Jul, 2013 @ 02:08pm

    Unfortunately that'll probably add another aspect of the government screw-job the family is already getting - TAXES. I'm no CPA, but I'm fairly certain that you can't just give another person a truckload of money without paying a dime to the IRS as a tax except in very specific circumstances.

    Remember, this is the same IRS that asks you on your tax form, on your own honor, if any of your income was obtained illegally. Because if so, you owe Uncle Sam a piece of the action.

  • On the post: Your Tax Dollars At Work: How Commerce Dept. Spent $2.7 Million Cleaning Out Two Malware-Infected Computers

    Coogan ( profile ), 09 Jul, 2013 @ 08:17am

    Is anybody else envisioning a bunch of nerds running around the EDA offices double-time with axes and baseballs bats while the Benny Hill music plays in the background?

  • On the post: Because Some People Share A Lot Of Info On Facebook, We Should Admit We've Given Up All Privacy Rights?

    Coogan ( profile ), 08 Jul, 2013 @ 12:04pm

    Re: Re: The Illusion of Privacy

    This coupon good for one (1) free FOIA request

    Terms and conditions apply. The NSA is not required to fulfill or otherwise honor the bearer's request. The NSA reservers the right to deny or redact, either partially or entirely, any information provided to the requestor as a result of coupon's redemption. Coupon value=$1/.0FUCKALL

  • On the post: Because Some People Share A Lot Of Info On Facebook, We Should Admit We've Given Up All Privacy Rights?

    Coogan ( profile ), 08 Jul, 2013 @ 11:14am

    Just because I open my window curtains to get some light doesn't mean that I want everybody in the neighborhood to grab their binoculars and start staring into my house.

  • On the post: A Human Right To Science, Locked Behind A Paywall, Inspires New Meme

    Coogan ( profile ), 01 Jul, 2013 @ 08:00pm

    I think I know what happened here. ICE took over the domain on behalf of the RIAA and Thomas Dolby, the RIAA put up a paywall. After a year or two, ICE will release the domain back to the rightful owners.

    /too obscure?

  • On the post: Federal Judge None Too Impressed With Government's Defense Of Its 'No Fly' List

    Coogan ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 03:26pm

    "Traveler Redress Inquiry Program"

    Really? TRIP?? Good to know that despite sequestration, the US Dept of Ironic Acronyms is still running strong.

    Jeebus Crunch

  • On the post: Adobe's New Subscription Service Goes Live And Is Cracked In Less Than 24 Hours

    Coogan ( profile ), 26 Jun, 2013 @ 06:27am

    Adobe got tired of Photoshop and their other graphics apps being pirated so they install DRM and put everything on the cloud. The DRM was cracked and the apps on the Pirate Bay in less than 24 hours.

    Sounds like they drew the wrong conclusions.

    YEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!

  • On the post: Pianist Storms Off Stage, Claims Fans Filming His Performance Mean Record Labels Won't Give Him A Contract

    Coogan ( profile ), 14 Jun, 2013 @ 12:35pm

    so hold on

    A concert-goer filmed (presumably) a pianist with a cell phone.

    The concert-goer (presumably) paid for a ticket.
    There was an audience, so many others paid for a ticket.
    The audience was at the Ruhr piano festival, noted in the article as "the largest worldwide gathering of the international pianist elite", so many, many others paid for tickets.

    Sounds like the concert on the whole is pretty successful. How again is Youtube destroying it? If this world-renowned pianist is struggling, maybe it's not due to Youtube, but it's because (again, as quoted in the article) of "the relatively few concerts he performs each season"

  • On the post: Sen. Lindsey Graham, Verizon Customer: I'm GLAD The NSA Is Harvesting My Data. Because Terrorists.

    Coogan ( profile ), 10 Jun, 2013 @ 07:38am

    Re: Easy for him to say that

    Not to mention that, as a member of Congress, he probably has a cell phone with full encryption on it. And in typical Congressional fashion, has probably exempted himself from many of these laws.

  • On the post: Debate Over Mobile Phone Unlocking Highlights Fantasy Thinking vs. Real World

    Coogan ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2013 @ 08:57am

    Actually, there's a fairly easy fix this. If you want the government to get all excited about allowing people to unlock their phones, just tell them it'll make it a lot easier for them to spy on "terrorists". They'll absolutely wet themselves in joy.

    I have no idea if unlocking a cell phone would make it easy to spy on people - maybe it would, but I'd guess more likely not. But since when has Congress been interested in the facts? "You mean we can more easily spy on citiz...er, terrorists, if we make it easier to unlock cell phone? Law passed! Get this to the President STAT!"

  • On the post: Jaron Lanier's Ignorance Of History, Basic Economics And Efficiency Is Getting Ridiculous

    Coogan ( profile ), 29 May, 2013 @ 09:08am

    Re:

    It's never been harder for musicians to make a living at their craft, which is why employment in music is down 45% over the past 10 years.

    Source?

    Even if that's accurate, I can make the argument that while music employment may be down FOR THE LABELS, music itself is up dramatic, both from a creative and employment standpoint. Being "employed in music" doesn't always mean that you're employed by a label.

    Technology destroys jobs

    It'd be more accurate to say it renders jobs obsolete. Otherwise you'd be working in that food system you love so much - digging a field with your bare hands to drop seed in. You think that the plow didn't put people out of jobs?

  • On the post: Jaron Lanier's Ignorance Of History, Basic Economics And Efficiency Is Getting Ridiculous

    Coogan ( profile ), 29 May, 2013 @ 09:01am

    I'm assuming this guy has not heard of the open source movement, or his head would've exploded by now.

    "WHAT? People are volunteering to work on software that can be given away and/or freely modified?" KA-BOOM!

  • On the post: So It's Come To This: Seven High School Students Arrested For Throwing… Water Balloons

    Coogan ( profile ), 22 May, 2013 @ 11:01am

    Re: Re:

    Clue: getting snapped by a towel in the shower hurts too, but I don't know anyone who got arrested and injured in a police takedown over it.

    Give it some time.....

  • On the post: So It's Come To This: Seven High School Students Arrested For Throwing… Water Balloons

    Coogan ( profile ), 22 May, 2013 @ 10:57am

    Re: "no crime too small" IS A CRIME.

    Somebody get me a water balloon.....

  • On the post: Quack Professor Releases Dumbest Violent Video Game Theory Ever

    Coogan ( profile ), 22 May, 2013 @ 06:47am

    This explains all the rage during the SimCity launch. It wasn't because of the DRM or the servers crashing or the sucky gameplay, it was because video cards was overheating and turning people into homicidal maniacs.

    And I can't tell you how many times I've felt an uncontrollable urge to kill dragons and bandits after an overnight Skyrim marathon. All this time I thought it was just sleep deprivation and the half-dozen bottles of NOS.

  • On the post: Saudi Religious Police: Anyone Using Twitter 'Has Lost This World And His Afterlife'

    Coogan ( profile ), 17 May, 2013 @ 08:00am

    TheRealAllah
    @RealAllah

    LOL @ Saudi cops: anyone using social media sites..."has lost this world and his afterlife" Quote the chapter and verse, bud. #ShowMe

  • On the post: The McCain Cable Bill Can Only Do So Much; Real Change Is Market-Driven

    Coogan ( profile ), 15 May, 2013 @ 12:55pm

    Re:

    I guess it depends. I pay DirecTV $100 a month for 300+ channels. I can count on two hands the number of channels I watch somewhat regularly. I can count on a single hand how many channels I would consider "essential" - the ESPN family (I'm not counting the broadcast networks).

    If ESPN came out and offered all their content streaming live for $50 a month, I'd still save money every month, and that makes it worthwhile to me. I doubt Disney is getting $50 every month from DirecTV on my behalf.

    It's no different than the HBO/Game of Thrones meme: Take my money! Consumers are screaming for better options and more choice, and are willing to pay for it. Networks seem to be purposefully sticking their fingers in their ears, because it's easier to buy political power the old-fashioned way than to have to change for Internet-centric world. And why bother, when you've built up so much power in DC over the past century that you can pretty much regulate to death anybody who tries to do any actual innovating?

  • On the post: NY Police Chief Ray Kelly Says The Boston Bombing Takes Privacy 'Off The Table'

    Coogan ( profile ), 02 May, 2013 @ 10:59am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Understood, and I agreed with your original point while I was writing the response. This person, and those in power who think like him, are most definitely not idiots. They know exactly what they're doing and why they're doing it. They are opportunists by any definition of the word. They're fully aware of what they're saying.

  • On the post: NY Police Chief Ray Kelly Says The Boston Bombing Takes Privacy 'Off The Table'

    Coogan ( profile ), 02 May, 2013 @ 08:30am

    Re: Re:

    A law enforcement official pushing to expand his powers after a shocking crime is about as "idiotic" as a guy going to his boss for a raise when whatever he's working on succeeds fantastically.

    An expansion of law enforcement powers almost always comes at the expense of the rights of the citizenry. Getting a raise from your boss doesn't necessarily mean your taking money away from your coworkers.

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