TheResidentSkeptic 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (262)

• On the post: The Science Is Not Settled: How Weak Evidence Is Fueling A National Push To Ban Social Media For Youth

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 22 May, 2026 @ 05:29am

  Forgotten History

  It is just adorable that they think banning teen-agers from technology will work. Way back in 1978, when BBS systems were invented - teens were the ones who quickly began hosting and sharing. Of all the students in our Explorer Post, 90% of them were BBS users, and half ran their own servers. Teens are far more tech savvy than the "adults" pushing for these bans. I guarantee that WWIV can rise from its grave and the tech savvy youth will build their own world - far from the prying eyes of these "moral panic morons"

• On the post: David Ellison Pretends He Won’t Fire Half Of Reeling Hollywood If Pointless Warner Bros Merger Is Approved

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 31 Mar, 2026 @ 06:26am

  one minor change

  "is either lying or not particularly bright" These are not mutually exclusive. Stories here every day prove that.

• On the post: AI Might Be Our Best Shot At Taking Back The Open Web

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 26 Mar, 2026 @ 08:47am

  Great Grandpa here

  73... been reading this site for many years. In the beginning on x.25 networks (pre html) we shared tools and code. The early "automated" web site tools (Forman Interactive Internet Creator 4) generated full sites and uploaded them for you. Selena Sol gave the world the first viable webstore with the Instant CGI book. Every magazine had free source code in it, even the old tru-tone "records" in the fold with full running applications. AI is just a new layer of tools (and AI isn't new - we've been building it for 75 years now) and approaches to helping people get content published. We absolutely need to control the tools, as we always have. Human Navigator and AI Coder (agile) approach to ensuring viable output. Doom Screaming has yet to work - in either direction. Just the new way of doing the same old stuff. Figure out what works, and what doesn't. And chill.

• On the post: The ‘Koozie’ People Bullied A Wooden Drink Sleeve Product, ‘Woodzie’, Into A Name Change

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 18 Dec, 2025 @ 04:39am

  Thank you!

  Just ordered Woodzies. Best way to handle a trademark bully is to buy the other guys product. Let's run Better Wheel Workshops completely out of stock before the name has to change!

• On the post: Age Verification, Estimation, Assurance, Oh My! A Guide To The Terminology

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 25 Nov, 2025 @ 08:53am

  30 years ago...

  it was suggested that people needed an information superhighway drivers license. Guess we are finally implementing that.

• On the post: One Country For Old Men: Desperate ICE Drops Age Cap For New Hires

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 14 Aug, 2025 @ 12:21pm

  This reminds me...

  ... of the recruitment scene in Blazing Saddles.

• On the post: Sen. Joni Ernst To Constituents Regarding Medicaid Cuts: We’re All Going To Die, Someday

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 04 Jun, 2025 @ 06:18am

  Add the contextual columns

  Add GDP, Defense, Defense as % of GDP - and for real insight, per capita expenditure.

• On the post: New Law Would Add New Tax To Your Netflix Bill So AT&T And Comcast Execs Can Get Richer

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 19 May, 2025 @ 08:19am

  and if backlash does occur

  and it looks like accountability will be part of it, that is just a signal to pull the ripcord on the old Golden Parachute.

• On the post: Trump Executive Order Says It’s Time To ‘Unleash’ Cops, Turn America Into A Police State

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 30 Apr, 2025 @ 10:59am

  Send in the National Guard?

  Two Words: Kent State

• On the post: The UK Government Just Made Everyone Less Safe As Apple Shuts Down iCloud Encryption

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 25 Feb, 2025 @ 01:37pm

  What a treasure trove!

  Since one of the items the iPhone backs up to iCloud is all your passwords... and if those are now clear text and no longer encrypted... they now have all the accounts, IDs and passwords of all the iCloud users. What could go wrong?

• On the post: Brendan Carr Makes It Clear That He’s Eager To Be America’s Top Censor

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 28 Nov, 2024 @ 05:11am

  How would they have reacted long ago...

  ... when candidate Bill Clinton played sax on the Arsenio Hall show? Would they demand their candidate get time to show off their horn blowing skills?

• On the post: Fossil Fuel Companies Use Fake Consumer Groups And Fake Local News Orgs To Derail Solar Efforts In Ohio

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2024 @ 08:09am

  don't forget

  Grifter University

• On the post: Press Happily Parrots Verizon’s Claim That Its $20 Billion Purchase Of Frontier Will Be A Huge Boon To Consumers

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 06 Sep, 2024 @ 07:49am

  History Lesson first...

  ...before asking to break up a telecom monopoly, remember what REALLY happened with the AT&T breakup.

• On the post: Techdirt Passes Two Million Comments!

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2024 @ 06:52am

  Awesome milestone

  As one of the resident old farts around here (71), I have enjoyed all the years of Techdirt and its great articles. And gotten a TON of laughs from our better trolls...

• On the post: Here We Go Again: Sony Disappears Digital Content That Was Pitched To Customers As ‘Forever’

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 22 Feb, 2024 @ 05:04am

  Quiet part out loud

  Saw an ad last night - the closing frame was "Buy it on Digital, Own it on Blu-Ray". Finally admitting it.

• On the post: State Of Iowa Sued By Pretty Much Everyone After Codifying Hatred With A LGBTQ-Targeting Book Ban

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 05 Dec, 2023 @ 08:13am

  Animal Farm?

  So they have now banned their own playbook?

• On the post: Error 402: You Will Click On Internet Ads, Oh So Many Internet Ads

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 10 Nov, 2023 @ 07:25am

  The ad-only page...

  I am old enough to remember the Million Pixel ads only page...

• On the post: Disney Joins Netflix In Harassing Password Sharers As The Enshittification Of Streaming Continues

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 03 Oct, 2023 @ 08:08am

  The Old Guys approach

  I own 500+ DVD and Blu-Ray - I can buy a new one every week for less than the streaming services I had. And guess what? 1) They don't get "Locked away in the vault" 2) They don't get "last day to watch is the end of the month" 3) They don't get really bad ads injected every 12 minutes 4) I can watch any time I damn well want to. Cable was originally the "Paid for, NO ADS" alternative to broadcast TV. Now even the paid for streaming are adding MORE ads? And I want to keep paying them why?

• On the post: Does The Government Have The Right To Keep And Arm Bears (With Cameras)?

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 13 Jun, 2023 @ 09:44am

  Not a problem here...

  The government can't use the video or photo evidence as the bear holds the copyright...

• On the post: Court Grants Restraining Order Against Journalist For Performing Acts Of Journalism On A Politician

  

  TheResidentSkeptic ( profile ), 03 May, 2023 @ 04:47am

  Memory Hole him

  Instead of giving him tons of coverage and reporters chasing him, they should drop him in a very deep dark memory hole. After all, since politicians crave the spotlight, turning it off is the only non-contribution related action that gets their attention.

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