E. Zachary Knight 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: The Non-Existent 'Cyber War' Is Nothing More Than A Push For More Government Control

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 28 Oct, 2011 @ 11:54am

    Using the word "war" automatically defines your opponent as violent, no matter how untrue that designation is.

    Using the word "war" also creates an "us vs them" mentality in many people. This has the effect of making anyone who opposes such "wars" as being part of the enemy and not worth the skin that holds them together.

    Just enter any public discussion of the TSA or the DHS. Or any public discussion of the latest cardboard box found in an alleyway next to a dumpster. Or the latest proposal to ban the sell of common cold medicine. If you come in with any kind of contrary view, you are immediately deemed anti-American.

    That is what calling something a "war" does.

  • On the post: How Copyright Infringement Turned Vampires Into Big Business

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 28 Oct, 2011 @ 07:00am

    Re:

    While yes there was an official Dracula movie, Nosferatu was the movie that influenced a half century's worth of vampire lure. I have read Dracula and the powers of the vampire within are very different from those held by the common vampire in media today.

  • On the post: New Letter From Artists & Content Creators Against PROTECT IP/E-PARASITE Act

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2011 @ 04:26pm

    Re:

    You bring up a good point.

    Parasites are creatures that latch onto host and suck their life force such as blood until the host gets sick and dies. At which point the parasite moves onto the next victim. This is the current legacy gatekeepers in the movie music and book industries.

    On the other hand, we have symbiotes. These are creatures that share a mutually beneficial relationship. This is the content creators and the internet facilitators.

    So yes, I think calling copyright maximalists and legacy gatekeepers 'e-parasites' is an apt description.

  • On the post: E-PARASITE Bill: 'The End Of The Internet As We Know It'

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2011 @ 11:05am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: This is what I've been saying

    You don't need powers of premonition. All you need is hind sight. The DMCA is already widely abused. The PATRIOT Act is widely abused. The Computer Fraud act is widely abused. Thousands of other laws Federal, State and local are abused on a regular basis. Not just by the governments, but by those who benefit from those laws as well.

    This bill is written to be abused if ever passed.

  • On the post: Iran Outlaws VPNs Or Any Other Attempt To Get Around Filters

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2011 @ 09:37am

    And with E-PARASITE, the US is on the path to outlaw them as well. Looks like we are becoming one big happy Fascist family.

  • On the post: E-PARASITE Bill: 'The End Of The Internet As We Know It'

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 27 Oct, 2011 @ 09:26am

    Re: This is what I've been saying

    I would rather have a wild west of an internet than a soviet America ruled internet any day.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:40pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Have a way for what I want to consume available to buy immediately

    The majority of people haven't stopped paying for them either.

    The movie industry continues to break revenue records year after year. iTunes is still the top grossing music delivery service in the world.

    People spend billions each year on entertainment. So what is the problem?

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:38pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Have a way for what I want to consume available to buy immediately

    Yet iTunes is one of the most profitable music delivery services in the world.

    Stop being willfully ignorant. It isn't working.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:31pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Well, you guys have your own problems, but any way. Enjoy the show.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:28pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    That's true. Perhaps it is time to homebrew my own congressman.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:27pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Have a way for what I want to consume available to buy immediately

    Well, when the RIAA sued Napster into the ground, why did the record stores not recover? Oh right, iTunes.

    People loved the convenience of buying digital files that could be stored in a MP3 player that was smaller than a pack of cigarettes rather than lugging around a cd wallet and a toaster sized cd player.

    Napster may have started the trend, but iTunes finished it.

    Now can you tell me why the music industry can't compete when millions of people have shown they love spending money on iTunes?

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:21pm

    Re:

    While I am not able to provide cause and effect, have you considered that the current worldwide economic crisis seems to match up really well with an increase in piracy and other under the table online activities?

    Really? The current economic crisis is caused by piracy? Are you that brain dead?

    You really need to do some more research into what really caused the economic crisis. Hint: It's not piracy.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:09pm

    Re: Re: Have a way for what I want to consume available to buy immediately

    No it was iTunes that killed the record store. Get your facts straight.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 02:06pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Sadly, I can't afford a senator or congressman. They are a tad out of my price range. Now, if I could pirate one, that would be awesome.

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 12:58pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    That's how it feels. Especially when you get a form letter response.

    I wrote my congressman and senators about Protect IP a while back and got a form letter back from one.

    While not about Protect IP, here is an experience I had with my senator over the PATRIOT Act renewal:

    http://ezknight.net/?p=98

  • On the post: PROTECT IP Renamed E-PARASITES Act; Would Create The Great Firewall Of America

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 12:48pm

    Re:

    That is why Mike suspects this bill would make MAFIAAfire illegal. That Firefox plugin does exactly what you describe.

    This bill is bad news. Looks like it is time for another letter to my 'representatives' in congress.

  • On the post: High Prices, Lack Of Availability Driving Lots Of Infringement

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 11:29am

    Re: oh mikey..

    I don't know about that. I am pretty happy paying $15 a month for all I can watch movies and TV. Netflix has been a great service to me. I just wish there were more recent movies available for it.

  • On the post: Hollywood's Kinder, Gentler DRM: UltraViolet, Getting Slammed In Reviews

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 07:58am

    Re:

    Wow, your comment is so far off the mark, it isn't even funny.

    How does a DRM system that doesn't work, won't let me watch my movie and that can crash my computer a good thing for me as a consumer?

    Answer, it isn't. It is on the same level as a virus and I will purge it from my computer.

    But guess what, I don't need your concession "digital copy" I can make my own digital copy from my legally purchased DVDs and watch them on what ever device I choose. All without computer killing DRM.

  • On the post: The Many Killers Of The Film Industry: Volume 2 – A Disaster Called Television

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 07:27am

    Re: Re: Re: Mike, you start with a wrong conclusion and run with it.

    But if you actually read darryl's post, he wrote it under the assumption that Mike wrote the article.

    Had darryl criticized Mike for approving the article, then your defense would have merit. Sadly, your defense of darryl's baseless and incorrect rant falls flat.

  • On the post: The Many Killers Of The Film Industry: Volume 2 – A Disaster Called Television

    E. Zachary Knight ( profile ), 26 Oct, 2011 @ 07:26am

    Re: Mike, you start with a wrong conclusion and run with it.

    Some (wrong) people might of thought that, but it is the companies that said "cool another way to distribute product", made it BIG TIME.

    So you are saying that what happened in the past (media companies evolved with technology and succeeded) will not happen in the present?

    That is the only conclusion I can gather from you, ootb and the various other ACs who rant and rave at us for pointing out the flaws in ACTA, PROTECT IP and other internet killing bills and treaties.

    If those media companies who embraced television can succeed, why is it that media companies cannot succeed in the age of the internet? We say they can, but the refuse to try.

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