Jeff Green 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (142) comment rss

  • On the post: Former NSA Lawyer Says Reason Blackberry Failed Was 'Too Much Encryption' Warns Google/Apple Not To Make Same Mistake

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2014 @ 08:06am

    Re: Simple question for Stewart Baker and anyone arguing against encryption.

    His family are all good guys, it's no problem if their phones are encrypted, it's only everyone else that needs to leave their front doors unlocked!

  • On the post: Latest EFF DMCA Exemption Requests Include The Right to Tinker With and Maintain Unsupported Video Games

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2014 @ 07:51am

    Re: Re: A simple new regulation

    I would impose it via copyright law. Simply not allow enforcement of copyright unless the conditions are met.

    The rule would not allow anyone to sell copyright software merely to adequately maintain software they already own. If companies wish to keep their sourcecode secret they merely have to keep maintaining it. Allowing copyright on secrets is crazy in any case, the point of copyright is to encourage the proliferation of knowledge.

    For software a 14 year limit before you can fix a security threat renders the software useless. My proposal would not need any change to copyright terms and would not affect any non-functional copyright material. I do not see why anyone should be allowed to sell anything while refusing to allow its new owners to repair it if it breaks.

  • On the post: Latest EFF DMCA Exemption Requests Include The Right to Tinker With and Maintain Unsupported Video Games

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2014 @ 06:00am

    A simple new regulation

    A very simple new law:

    All software to be sold with either source code and rights to self maintain or a functioning security and service environment. As soon the company that provided the software ceases to provide adequate security and efficacy maintenance it becomes legal for anyone else who wishes to do so.

    That should ensure that enforced obsolescence is fightable. As an extension the same idea could be applied to hardware ...

  • On the post: Broadcasters And Cable Companies Trying Harder Than Ever To Annoy Paying Customers With Ugly Public Contract Disputes

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 04 Nov, 2014 @ 08:20am

    Re:

    What's TV?

  • On the post: Absolutely Disgusting: Eric Holder Implies That Mobile Encryption Will Lead To Dead & Abused Kids

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 01 Oct, 2014 @ 07:32am

    Re: But encryption protects children?

    But then how can the local police finance their activities by selling the pictures to paedophiles?

  • On the post: Brands Use Trademark To Get Toronto To Pull Clever Anti-Litter Campaign Just Because

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2014 @ 03:06am

    Suggested new ad campaign

    Toronto now run a campaign saying

    These companies were pleased to support our anti litter campaign
    List in large letters of firms that did not object"

    And these companies opposed it
    "List of those that sent TM notices"

    Send proofs to each company's PR dept saying ads start on Monday ...

  • On the post: Reuters Downplays CIA Torture As Merely 'Physically Stressful Interrogation Techniques'

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 11 Sep, 2014 @ 08:34am

    It's torture if THEY do it, it's stressful when WE do
    Integrity? Eschew it, we'll tell you what is true.
    Report on all the issues, but always toe OUR line
    The facts are merely tissues, the truth is, OUR side's fine.
    You're rights protect the guilty so should be put aside
    Though the water's thick and silty, sit back enjoy the ride.
    We know who you should trust in, WE know who does no good
    Leave liberty a rustin', do what we say you should!

  • On the post: BBC Has 12 More Articles Shoved Down The Google Memory Hole Thanks To 'Right To Be Forgotten'

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2014 @ 08:18am

    What does the judgement really say?

    What the judgement actually says, as I understand it, is that if I search for A.N. Other, and A.N. Other has successfully convinced a court or Google that the fact that he painted his willy bright green and waved it at a crowd when he was 17, 30 years ago, is not representative of him now the newspaper report of that event will not appear.

    If however I search for green willy 30 years ago, Google is perfectly free to point at the new story.

    I personally think the judgement is silly and in most cases it will be counter-productive but it is nothing like as silly as various people want to make it out to be.

    Of course if I am wrong about the original ruling I deserve to be pointed out as a fool, and I shan't demand the right for my foolishness to be forgotten

  • On the post: The Revolutionary Document That Is The UK's 184-Year-Old Idea Of 'Policing By Consent'

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2014 @ 02:57am

    The difference is clear but ...

    The British police are not immune to the temptations to up the level of force, and we have had a few unjustified shootings. Minorities are over targeted and many of the other mentioned failings show their face here.
    That said, a police officer who shoots anyone is automatically suspended while it is investigated and the senior members of forces do appear to be working hard to eliminate racism and sexism, both institutional and amongst individual coppers.

  • On the post: President Obama Claims CIA Torture Was Okay Because People Were Scared And The CIA Is A 'Tough Job'

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 04 Aug, 2014 @ 08:15am

    Re:

    Since when has been a patriot mattered in such matters? Would a mass murderer be let off with a "don't do it again" if he carried a flag on veterans day? Can I rob a bank with impunity if I scream "gimme the money and God Bless America and gimme the cash!" (I'm not actually American but I hope no British head of state or government would try to excuse torture on these grounds, "hope" but not expect)

    Torture is a vile crime. Those who tortured were and are vile criminals. Leaders who support vile criminals are in themselves almost as bad.

    Torture is never effective and never justified. It makes victims say what they think the torturers want to hear and it makes the difference between us and them meaningless.

    Oh and I totally agree about who are the real patriots!

  • On the post: NY Port Authority Claims To Own The NYC Skyline: Tells Store To Destroy Skyline-Themed Plates

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 31 Jul, 2014 @ 09:20am

    Speaking as a Brit ...

    Britannia rules the waves and those plates show waves, so not only are they infringing on the port authorities rights but should be paying large sums to the UK treasury!

    Now who's gonna claim the rights to the sky ...

  • On the post: Amazon To Hachette And Authors: Here, Let Us Explain Basic Price Elasticity To You

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 30 Jul, 2014 @ 05:54am

    Re: Re:

    someone has to teach the authors to self publish is what he said. The "that aren't dumb" means there's no point trying to teach the dumb ones!

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

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 14 Jul, 2014 @ 08:35am

    Do quantum ducks quark?

  • On the post: Snowden: NSA Revealed Only One Email, Shows NSA Lied Before… Also: None Of This Matters

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 30 May, 2014 @ 07:58am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: NSA Cannot Search Email

    Nothing's Secret Anyway ...

  • On the post: Dow Jones Wins Default In Questionable 'Hot News' Case

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 19 May, 2014 @ 05:53am

    Looking at two Techdirt stories ...

    I wonder if Dow Jones and WSJ managers or lawyers ever meet. WSJ complaining at a foreign court trying to restrict their free speech in one and DJ asking for the same thing in reverse in another ...

    It's a funny old world.

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

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 19 May, 2014 @ 03:34am

    No Government Agent has ...

    To borrow from Martin Niem?ller, A German pastor speaking of his, and his church's guilt over Naziism


    First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Socialist.

    Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
    Because I was not a Jew.

    Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.


    As John Stuart Mill put it, much better than I ever could

    Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.

  • On the post: Apple Rejects Tank Battle 1942, Then Approves; Shows How Stupid The iOS Approval Process Is

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2014 @ 04:05am

    WSTOTC

    Won't somebody think of the children!

    Sorry, no-one had said it already so I thought I ought to ...

  • On the post: University Professor: Candy Crush Is Turning Children Into Obsessive Gamblers

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 13 Jan, 2014 @ 07:02am

    Ban reading too!

    When I find a book I often pick it up with the intention of reading for just 15 minutes but if it's well written with a good story I'm hooked for hours. My children are the same, it is high time the powers that be stepped in and banned these insidious devices!

  • On the post: Authors Guild Apparently Can't Avoid Throwing Away More Money: Appeals Google Books Fair Use Ruling

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 31 Dec, 2013 @ 05:18am

    It's always possible (likely?)

    That the organisation in question is controlled by members of the one group guaranteed to profit from an appeal

    Lawyers!

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

    Jeff Green ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2013 @ 03:41am

    Copyright for all!

    Why is this restricted to artists? I want to see it in sport!

    In 1968 Dick Fosbury set a new highjump world record using a revolutionary technique, surely no-one else should be allowed to copy him for free until he's been dead for 75 years!

    Footballers (Soccer players to Americans) should not be allowed to "Bend it Like Beckham" unless they are playing for his team, if your pitcher comes up with a new pitch rival teams shouldn't benefit for free.

    And not just sports! How about typing comments on websites, if someone has had this idea already surely I should have to pay them!

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