Headbhang 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: China's New Censorware Software Has Serious Security Flaws

    Headbhang ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 06:51am

    People's "Liberation Army - Covert Cybernetic Division

    Millions and millions of computers at their disposal... plausible deniability... Mandatory spyware...

    Clever, very clever. Two birds from one shot... stifling freedom of speech/thought and getting a covert cyber-army.

    Then again, there is that Hanlon's razor which states that one should not ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence...

  • On the post: China's New Censorware Software Has Serious Security Flaws

    Headbhang ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2009 @ 06:50am

    People's "Liberation Army - Covert Cybernetic Division

    Tens of millions of computers at their disposal... plausible deniability... Mandatory spyware...

    Clever, very clever... Two birds from one shot... stifling freedom of speech/thought and getting a covert cyber-army.

    Then again, there is that Hanlon's razor which states that one should not ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence...

  • On the post: Is EA Realizing That Pirates Are Just Underserved Customers?

    Headbhang ( profile ), 11 Jun, 2009 @ 12:14pm

    Re: Re:

    True. Adam ate it, though.

  • On the post: UK ISP Boss: 'The Pirates Will Always Win'

    Headbhang ( profile ), 09 Jun, 2009 @ 12:17pm

    Re: Re:

    Much more people are able to enjoy music than would otherwise have been possible. Most artists still seem to be doing rather well. Only largely parasitic executives whose only talent has been sitting on a pile of money feeding lawyers seem to be complaining (plus some brainwashed minions and spoiled overhyped artists).

    Overall, happiness is being made, methinks.

  • On the post: Cher Lawsuit Highlights How Record Labels Screw Over Artists

    Headbhang ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 12:01pm

    Even more accurately...

    ... employees'/CUSTOMERS'...

  • On the post: Some Musicians Using Ticket Scalping To Raise Funds For Charity

    Headbhang ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 11:51am

    Re: Re:

    Heh, good point!

  • On the post: Some Musicians Using Ticket Scalping To Raise Funds For Charity

    Headbhang ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2009 @ 11:50am

    Re: Re: Re:

    What "detrimental economic effect"?! People have been buying tickets at market value, i.e., through scalpers for decades. But yet year after year people keep doing it. Don't underestimate the psychological factors. Fans often consider the bands' attitudes alongside their musical talent in how much they like/support them. If bands charged the full market value for their gigs, yeah, they might be able to fill the venue with the most affluent and hardcore of their fans and maximally cash in... but those who couldn't afford it will likely be pissed off and perhaps even those who do end up paying will be holding a grudge and become extra critical of their performance. Moreover, don't assume that because plenty of people pay high scalping prices, that they would all necessarily pay if it if it were the official price. It's possible that people are willing to shell out more because they regard the higher price as their own fault for being slow on the purchase. Regarding it as caused by the musicians' greed might set off their outrage reactions and refuse to go as "punishment". Being greedy isn't always the "rational" choice, even assuming that deplorable definition that reason == selfish profit maximization.

  • On the post: Band Celebrates 'Super Fan' Who Burns Their CD And Gives It Out To Everyone

    Headbhang ( profile ), 27 May, 2009 @ 05:08pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    And there you go wrong yet again. Twice.

    There already are arena-filling artists who were made from basically free giveaway schemes. Arctic Monkeys comes to mind. (Eventually they did get on a label boat -independent, not RIAA-, but their critical mass had already been reached). More will follow suit, no doubt, as soon as they start figuring out the ropes.

    People are able to filter the wheat from the chaff just fine without the help of record industry. The internet takes care of that, too. In fact, Big Music Industry often seems to be actually filtering the good, innovative musicians in favour of the plastic, processed, more-image-than-substance one.

    No doubt there are still valuable roles to be filled by the record industry, although likely of dwindling criticality. Such is the way of technological progress. Still, instead of jumping on a smaller yet safer boat, they insist on sinking inside their vessel of former hegemony, further poking holes into it.

  • On the post: Band Celebrates 'Super Fan' Who Burns Their CD And Gives It Out To Everyone

    Headbhang ( profile ), 27 May, 2009 @ 04:43pm

    Re: Pizzas

    A great business perhaps to the pizza delivery guys, because the cooks get but a small fraction of the price.

    The problem is that, in this fictional world, people are technically able to shit multiple perfectly edible copies of the pizzas they have eaten and throw them around like homing frisbees to anyone in the world. No wonder the pizza delivery people are shocked witless. Nevertheless, hot pizzas freshly out of a stone oven with the cooks themselves serving them to your table and putting the house seasoning on them is usually a much more rewarding experience that people are willing to pay good money for.
    Suddenly, free flying pizzas all over the sky might actually look like a good idea to bring people to your restaurant, don't you think?