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  • Feb 22, 2016 @ 03:11pm

    Re:

    Actually it's more than private citizens. It opens up businesses to foreign entities to hack secure business communications. It opens up financial transactions, wire transfers, and stock transactions open to hacking... It opens up any security systems with apps on OS systems... LOTS of long range implications beyond just finding out you've got an Ashley Madison account... ;)

  • Feb 22, 2016 @ 03:07pm

    Apple vs FBI

    First article/opinion piece I've read where they actually picked up on the greater issue...

    When has the government EVER forced a private company to build something. Anything. ? That - would be a totalitarian form of government, not a democracy.

    On top of that, this request is to defeat their own product! It's like going to an armored car company, and asking them to build an armor piercing bullet - just this once. - and there's the most ignorant part of this entire discussion; that anyone actually believes this is a one time request.

  • Sep 24, 2015 @ 11:29am

    Re: Re:

    Thanks for making my case.

  • Sep 24, 2015 @ 07:01am

    I blame the dumbed down public for this.
    From the comments I have read on numerous news sites, it looks to me like there is no intelligent conversation taking place anyway. It's often a cluster of back biting, snarking, and off topic arguments that would completely derail any intelligent discourse... particularly if the topic is controversial. If I had a publication, I'd close the comment section too. Too many idiots with free time, trolling to make themselves feel impotent... eh, important.
    Either get a moderator so we're not subjected to the angry trolls with a keyboard, or close the comments.

  • Aug 26, 2013 @ 11:15pm

    This might be a valid argument, if there were a "journalism establishment" any more. It seems more and more, that I find little evidence of journalism, and more of infotainment these days... Talking heads interviewing opinion-ators...

  • Apr 20, 2010 @ 01:49pm

    Roy Cooper

    This sounds like something the state Attorney General would pull.. Roy Cooper. He seems to have a continuous desire to keep his name out there, in an effort to further his political aspirations for a higher office. Geez... I'm going back through my mind now, wondering what books I might have ordered from Amazon that could be misconstrued as having purpose... Amazon is right - not for me, but I imagine for many, it could have a "chilling affect." What an invasive course for NC....

  • Sep 18, 2009 @ 05:24am

    This is very disappointing

    IF they win this suit, they (artists) will once again choke off a tremendous avenue for exposure. I can't begin to think of the number of times someone has mentioned an artist I should check out, and I've gone to listen, and then purchased via iTunes. Or the number of times I have heard something on satellite - and then gone to iTunes to purchase and download.

    The optimum scenario for artists is maximum exposure.

    The optimum scenario for the recording industry is money.

    BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC have already choked businesses playing music in public environments with their fees... do artists get a nice slice out of that?

    The music industry was already crying about how the Internet killed radio, etc (not true at all). Along comes a company that brings MASSIVE and ... legal Internet exposure to the industry - and they want to kill it by extracting yet MORE money from the buyers.

    Writers went on strike to get more money out of DVD sales... but they didn't do anything new or different to be compensated. They were already compensated for the writing. The company that took risk producing the DVD went out on a limb. They took great monetary risk to roll that movie out to the public. If it flops... where is the writer? Do they take a hit? Nope. They just collect more if the company's risk is successful. Nice position to be in.

    The industry has pretty much choked new artist exposure in today's world via satellite and radio. I would think most artists would love that a larger audience can gain exposure to them via iTunes and the like.

    If they double the price, that's when I will reach my tipping point. I no longer listen to commercial radio - because it's terrible. Short playlists, loaded with commercials... I suspect my college age daughter will do likewise. Stop buying. There are a lot of options in today's world. I'm getting tired of industry holding me hostage.

    Did the Allman Brothers do anything new to gain this new source of revenue? Were they not already compensated by producing the music in the first place? Should photographers continue to get paid each time their photograph is used? (I am aware some are - but not the one's we hire). At what point does one get paid a fee for service, and that's the end of it?