Chris ODonnell 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (327)

• On the post: The Changing Way That Math Is Taught To Children

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2011 @ 06:47pm

  Yep, somewhere along the way I taught myself the same shortcut. It's definitely easier to do math in your head with the second method.

• On the post: New Legislation 'To Protect Farmer IP' Would Make It A Felony To Photograph Farms

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 28 Feb, 2011 @ 10:33am

  There needs to be a penalty for introducing laws that are found unconstitutional. Generally speaking, I think we'd be much better off if the fear of the penalty caused state and national legislators to be much more prudent in the use of their signature to sponsor legislation. Something like, I don't know, making them ineligible to run for office again, although that would probably require a constitutional amendment. It might be easier to just hit them in the wallet. If they sponsor or co-sponsor legislation that is found unconstitutional, they forfeit all pay earned as a legislator for that term.

• On the post: Chinese TV Station Tried Passing Off Top Gun Footage As Training Exercises

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 31 Jan, 2011 @ 12:12pm

  How long until the MPAA files a copyright claim against the Chinese military?

• On the post: Does Your ISP Care About Protecting Your Privacy?

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 31 Jan, 2011 @ 07:59am

  Definition of Irony: An Anonymous Coward on Techdirt claiming that the only reason to protect your privacy online is for nefarious purposes. What nefarious purpose are you up to AC?

• On the post: How Facebook Dealt With The Tunisian Government Trying To Steal Every User's Passwords

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 26 Jan, 2011 @ 03:33pm

  The sign in page here is https.

• On the post: Dating Site's Plans To Create Profiles By Scraping Social Networks: Publicity Stunt Or Just Dumb?

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 21 Jan, 2011 @ 05:29am

  If divorce lawyers are behind the site it moves from stupid to brilliant but evil.

• On the post: Daniel Ellsberg And Others Discuss The Serious Implications Of Wikileaks

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 20 Jan, 2011 @ 10:55am

  That was a great write up, and I laughed out loud at the image as Assange as a monocle wearing, cat carrying Bond villain.

• On the post: Bill Clinton Thinks He Can Ban Twitter, Facebook & Live Blogging From Event [Updated]

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 17 Nov, 2010 @ 01:50pm

  That's not a request, it's a challenge. A challenge I hope many attendees are up to.

• On the post: Netflix Avoided Android Because It Didn't Have Enough DRM

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 15 Nov, 2010 @ 06:49am

  I came here to make Senshikaze's comment. Interestingly, Hulu works fine on Linux - so I don't see any reason why Netflix shouldn't either.

• On the post: Pilot Group Urges Pilots To Refuse Naked Backscatter Scans, And Avoid Groping Pat Downs

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 10 Nov, 2010 @ 11:16am

  Everybody flies naked. Problem solved.

• On the post: Ink Toner Banned On Passenger Flights, As Security Theater Steps Up A Notch

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 08 Nov, 2010 @ 07:25pm

  My wife flew today. She got the full body scan, and then got pulled for a pat down and explosive test. The reason given was that it was because she is diabetic and wearing a pump.
  
  Is she going to secretly replace her insulin with something explosive?

• On the post: Dish Network Wants To Make Hulu Even More Useless

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 04 Nov, 2010 @ 11:55am

  I have DISH and I don't even know what the TV Everywhere plan is. If I and the DVR miss something I wanted to see, I go straight to the Torrent servers. My experience with Hulu is that recent shows are rarely available quick enough.

• On the post: Virginia High School Says Barring Students From Doing Outside Research Helps Them 'Think For Themselves'

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 02 Nov, 2010 @ 09:13am

  The school seems to be changing its story. When I first saw this last week they were claiming the purpose was to level the playing field, as not all kids had access to equal outside resources.
  
  Not that that is any more acceptable of an explanation.

• On the post: Google Sues The US Government For Only Considering Microsoft Solutions

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 01 Nov, 2010 @ 09:01am

  @ JC and @ Richard
  
  Neither of those situations is unique to government purchasing. Government, at least, as rules in place that are supposed to protect against fixed bids.

• On the post: Boy Scout Magazine Says Don't Listen To Legally Burned CDs, As They're Too Similar To Piracy

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 01 Oct, 2010 @ 10:00am

  What about campfire songs?

  Boy Scouts are fond of singing around the campfire. Are they paying for the performance rights? The kids might get confused and believe it is perfectly acceptable to sing a song without paying for it.

• On the post: Legal Threat Demands We Shut Down Techdirt

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 26 Aug, 2010 @ 10:46am

  I'm sort of disappointed. I was hoping this was going to to be the RIAA or some at least marginally relevant organization.

• On the post: Felicia Day's Success With The Guild Highlights The Importance Of Authenticity With A Community

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2010 @ 06:17am

  @Call me Al - What wait? I watch The Guild on MSN every week, in Firefox on Ubuntu.

• On the post: The Car That's Driven 2.8 Million Miles

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 11 Aug, 2010 @ 06:21am

  And here I was all excited when my 97 Mazda hit 150K a few weeks ago.

• On the post: Media Campaign Against Craigslist Continues, As WaPo Writes Article About Its Own Anti-Craigslist Advertiser

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2010 @ 08:04am

  "...I can't help but wonder why their anger and questions are directed at Craig, rather than those who sold them as prostitutes."
  
  IAATM (It's Always About The Money). Craiglist's cash may be accessible via lawsuit to the prostitution victims. They won't be getting a settlement from the Russian Mafia or whoever might be running the prostitution operation.

• On the post: Should Schools Be Involved In Disciplining Students For Off-Campus Bullying?

  

  Chris ODonnell ( profile ), 30 Jun, 2010 @ 07:58am

  The schools (in the US) have taken over deciding what kids should learn. To a large extent, they have taken over what kids should eat. They increasingly are getting involved outside the sphere of academic education and directing what the kids should think. Is it really any surprise that some parents are more than willing to pretty much outsource all parenting to the schools?
  
  The correct answer to Mike's question is still no, but I expect school involvement outside of school will become more and more the norm.

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