Beech 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: German Consumer Group Not Happy With Diablo 3 Internet Requirements

    Beech ( profile ), 26 Jul, 2012 @ 02:08am

    I don't really think of the "always on" as DRM in this instance. It's one thing when Ubisoft makes you stay online for single player for no damn reason. I firmly believe that when Blizzard does it it's as much an anti-cheating measure as anything. Diablo 2 had HUGE problems with people cheating. Fake or "duped" items were everywhere. Blizzard tried all kinds of things to stymie the flow of ill-gotten goods, mostly to no avail. The answer? Store the character files on Blizzard's own servers so cheaters couldn't mess with them. Then keep you online to watch you to make sure that all the goodies you get are legitimate drops, as opposed to you finding someway to hack when they aren't looking.

    So if this "always on thing" is DRM, it adds a lot of value. Especially since Bliz added the in game auction houses. If I find an amazing item, I can sell it to another player for in game gold, or real world dollars. If there was a way to make the best item in the game on command, the economy would collapse.

    Of course, having said all of that I was more pissed than anyone when I couldn't play the game on launch day. There's a big difference between understanding the need for something and liking it.

  • On the post: Apparently A Debate: Would Twitter Benefit If Users Had To Pay To Use It?

    Beech ( profile ), 25 Jul, 2012 @ 02:11am

    1.) I Don't use twitter. Never really appealed to me.
    2.) I do use ad blocker +. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
    3.) That said, I think a LOT of people would stop using twitter if they needed to put in a credit card number. As our trolls constantly remind us, people "just want everything for free." I would add "especially when they've been getting it for free all along" to the end of that quote as well. Look at the story about the Red Cross' 2 cent donuts from yesterday.
    4.) I think the majority of the population knows that an ad supported is "free as in beer." You could make the same "but it's not really free" arguments about over the air television as well. Most people are content calling something free if they can use it without opening their wallets.

  • On the post: Mexican Legislature Scolds Executive Branch For Signing ACTA

    Beech ( profile ), 25 Jul, 2012 @ 01:59am

    On one hand, good for them. Those resolutions are better than the all of nothing the US congress did when Obama signed the treaty with no authority.

    On the other hand, the resolutions don't seem to have any teeth at all. It's not like they're saying "Take the signature back or we'll impeach your ass." Maybe it's implied I guess.

    Overall, good on them but I wish they went even further.

  • On the post: Shameful: US Secrecy Holding Up Treaty To Help Blind Access Copyrighted Works

    Beech ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2012 @ 03:38pm

    Now see? If you were a politician you probably would have. at least once. And if not, it would have been an asian boy.

  • On the post: Shameful: US Secrecy Holding Up Treaty To Help Blind Access Copyrighted Works

    Beech ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2012 @ 03:32pm

    "Shameful: US Secrecy Holding Up Treaty To Help Blind Access Copyrighted Works"

    "... it's just shameful."

    Pretty sure having a sense of shame precludes you from participating in politics. What would cause "shame" to a normal person only invokes feelings of "me" and "whatever" to a politician. Their feelings on any given issue is directly correlated to how much they are getting paid to pretend they posses those things called "feel-lings(?)"

  • On the post: Apparently Stripping Nude To Protest TSA Search Is Protected By The First Amendment

    Beech ( profile ), 19 Jul, 2012 @ 01:37pm

    Maaaan, I'm going to go to Oregon now and protest everything!

  • On the post: Even Obama Is A Pirate: BMG Issues New Takedown On Original Obama Singing Al Green Clip

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 05:48pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Could be. Haven't watched the vid, due to it being blocked at all, but I would just assume that Obama wasn't giving his campaign speeches at your typical concert venues which would usually be the ones paying those fees. That being said, I guess there's no way to tell for sure where exactly Obama was when he sang the offending song, and whether that place was up to date on the ASCAP bill. So I guess we'll have to settle with saying Obama MAY be a filthy pirate.

  • On the post: Even Obama Is A Pirate: BMG Issues New Takedown On Original Obama Singing Al Green Clip

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 05:10pm

    Re:

    What the hell, I'll feed the troll. The President is a pirate because he did not honor the original artist's performance rights. Did Pirate Barrack pay the ASCAP fees for his venue? No? Then he is trying to make COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGE* of someone else's backbreakingly hard labor!

    *Not sure how it's commercial advantage, but anyone else caught by BMG singing in public would certainly be accused of it.

  • On the post: Jon Stewart Blasts Viacom For Stupid Blackout; Viacom Sheepishly Turns Web Streams Back On

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 01:26pm

    "When we wrote about this last week, one of our usual critics told us, in some of the most angry language imaginable, how objectionable it was that we dared to mention the obvious fact that if you don't make things available legally, people might find unauthorized versions. However, Stewart made the exact same point in his discussion of the situation."

    OH. I see. So because Pirate Jon Stewart talks about it that makes it ok for you to talk about it too?! I think not slimebag! What if Pirate Jon started talking about jumping off a bridge?

  • On the post: Copyright Troll Claims Sanctions Against Him Are 'Bulls**t' And He's Going To Keep Sending Questionable Subpoenas

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 01:26am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Even if he was the ONLY one doing this, it still shows that people are capable of doing it. So he may not be the only one for long. It's like we're in a besieged medieval town, and you're saying, "It's only ONE member of that visigoth horde that walked through the crack in the wall! You want to repair a whole wall because of one guy?!"

  • On the post: Dilbert Takes On Patent Trolls; Will Congress?

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 01:17am

    Sad

    I think if this Dilbert strip does bring about the much needed reform it will be one of the saddest happenings in the history of man.

    Don't get me wrong, the patent system needs a good rework. It will be sad because even with all of the experts, and lawsuits, and all the other evidence of a broken and sad system, a friggin' COMIC strip is what changed it. I mean, isn't that horrible? "Well, our leaders and the public at large have ignored our greatest minds for decades...the only hope that remains is to send them a slightly humorous doodle. THAT'LL shake things up."

    What's really REALLY sad is that I see it working.

  • On the post: UK Plans To Make All Government-Funded Research Free To The Public Immediately Upon Publication

    Beech ( profile ), 17 Jul, 2012 @ 01:11am

    "That seems very likely to create economic waste and to be abused at the cost of the public. "

    Indeed. The problem, as ever, is that the economic waste is filling the pockets of the legacy industry, allowing them to bribe politicians to make sure they still get a disproportionate say in getting laws passed. To a politician the problem is, "If I don't make sure these guys still make money, then they won't have as much money to give to me!"

    Our system is bullshit.

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    Beech ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2012 @ 06:24pm

    re:

    "It should not be this hard to figure out how to watch that you want to see. And I'm not subscribing to 10 different services even if I can figure it out. That's the barrier that Studios need to break down."

    It's called bittorrent, usenet, cyberlockers... you know how it works. Thanks for clearly identifying a problem and how the current underground distribution systems fix that for you.

    Can you explain it to legacy industries now?

    FTFY

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    Beech ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2012 @ 02:35pm

    dammit

    damn you mike. beat me to the punch

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    Beech ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2012 @ 02:33pm

    And hell

    Hell, while we're at it:

    Before you could reply? Angry? LMAO! Anything but to have an actual honest, open, and awesome debate with me. Why do you run away every, every, every, every, every, every, EVERY SINGLE TIME?

    -citation needed. if it's happened so many times it shouldnt be too hard to go back and find some for instance of what you're talking about.

    Why won't Mike Masnick actually ever engage a detractor in an actual debate where he addresses the actual points raised? Why?

    -i would call this "begging the question." also, again, citation needed.

    Simple. Because he's manipulative liar who can't defend anything he says.

    -ad hominem

    Prove me wrong, Mikey. Prove me wrong. Two years, and you won't even debate me on the merits even once.

    - here's some counter-examples to your claims.
    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120713/14013119695/lord-finesses-lawyers-now-using-copyright-to-stifle-dan-bulls-criticism-his-lawsuit-against-mac-miller.shtml

    http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20120709/11412719631/south-korea-gives-mobile-operators-permission-to-ignore-net-neutrality-surcharging-blocking-voip-services.shtml

    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120706/18134119613/acta-failure-inspires-most-clueless-column-ever.shtml

    now as for mike failing to respond personally to you, i can't search for instances of that because you happen to be an AC. although, i believe the burden of proof is on you. please provide some articles where you made a comment which was not responded to (or responded to unsatisfactorily). Also, please keep in mind, if someone else responds to your comment in a manner which mike deems satisfactory it would kind of be pointless for him to post the same point over again.

    What does that say about you? Only bad things, Mikey. Only bad things. You're a coward.

    -ad hominem

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    Beech ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2012 @ 02:17pm

    Takes 2 to do the debate tango

    I seem to recall mike responding to comments all the time on this site with rebuttals and links to evidence. can't think of a single time a detractor has come back with a sound argument and/or any evidence (or links thereto). Kind of hard to have a "debate" where one side throws a few ad homs, makes vague allusions to ancedotal evidence, then tops it off with more ad homs and personal accusations. Then, when he is responded to with evidence to the contrary to his position, disappears like a ninja, or ignores said evidence and continues with ad homs.

    Personally I would love nothing more to have a 1 on 1 mike vs AC cagematch on IM/IRC/whatever that thing mikes been using for interviews is called. Maybe find a truly neutral 3rd party moderate, ideally whoever is behind yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ , and let them strike out any logical fallacies so no time is wasted on them. Too often "debates" on these issues end up with shouting matches, a real moderated debate style debate with all the hyperbole and logical fallacies stricken from the record would be most pleasing.

  • On the post: UN Wants To Host 'Patent' Summit To Deal With Smartphone Patent Thicket

    Beech ( profile ), 12 Jul, 2012 @ 05:05pm

    ITU's approach

    "Hey guys, all these patent suits are silly. You're all huge corporations with MUCH better things to do with your time and money than waste it on prolonged legal squabblings. Things like, making contributions to the members of the ITU, perhaps? Let's all agree to just give us some money and let bygones be bygones!"

  • On the post: CETA Is Now Slightly Less Like ACTA (But Still Similar, And Still Secret)

    Beech ( profile ), 11 Jul, 2012 @ 04:41pm

    It's getting to the point where it's almost pointless to fight against whatever laws they want to pass. let the morons write as much legislation as they want. basement coders will write around it faster than they can rubberstamp the new bills through. it's going to take the average joe getting screwed by these dumb laws before they decide its time to maybe time to pull their heads out of their asses and stop voting for the big 2 parties.

  • On the post: India Moves Even More Of Its Healthcare Away From Western Pharma

    Beech ( profile ), 11 Jul, 2012 @ 04:38pm

    I kind of understand that drug prices kind of have to be higher than you'd expect because although the marginal cost to produce them is low, the costs of development, testing, and approval are obscene and need to be made up for.

    But that said, if $70k a treatment isn't pure gouging I don't know what is. Subsidizing new drugs is important, but there NEEDS to be a limit to how crazily high they can jack up the price.

  • On the post: ACTA Supporters In Europe Fighting To The Bitter End

    Beech ( profile ), 03 Jul, 2012 @ 01:07am

    Bright side

    Well, as obnoxious as the delaying tactic is it at least shows that the EPP fears the public maybe just a little bit. If the US had to have a democratic ratification of the treaty like we were supposed to we probably could have had the entire country protesting outside of congress, and the congress critters would wade right through us, ACTA would sail through, and they'd all fight over who gets to make sound bytes about, "No no, we really know whats best for you. Now go back home, and stop on the way there and buy some stuff."

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