greg.fenton 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Connecting With Fans Is About More Than Getting People To Pay Attention To You

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 02 Sep, 2010 @ 12:57pm

    Re: Re: Re: Fascinating but worthless

    Ask yourself this: why would people go to BoingBoing instead of WaPo to get an article/story/scoop that WaPo originated?

    What is it that BoingBoing is doing to attract users that WaPo is not doing? And no, "stealing content" is not the answer because they both have the content.

    If BoingBoing is being successful simply by "stealing" from others, then why doesn't WaPo become successful by "simply mimicking" BoingBoing?

  • On the post: Live Nation's Plans To Annoy More People?

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2010 @ 06:33am

    Note to Entrepreneurs: It's Your Fault

    As I read this article, I re-read the blog post I have printed out and posted on my office wall:

    http://www.marksonland.com/2010/03/note_to_entrpreneurs_its_your_1.html

  • On the post: The Cycle Of Copyright: Originally A Tool For Censorship, Attempted As A Tool For Incentives… Back To A Tool For Censorship

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 11 Aug, 2010 @ 09:58am

    Re: Re: Censorship

    The other good news is that you got paid for the work that you did for that former employer. I don't see that the former employer continuing to use what they paid for as ''bad'' in any way.

  • On the post: The Cycle Of Copyright: Originally A Tool For Censorship, Attempted As A Tool For Incentives… Back To A Tool For Censorship

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 11 Aug, 2010 @ 09:18am

    Re: Another confusion of copyright with progress

    Suing kids for sharing music is unethical whether it's less than 14 years after publication or 140.

    Though I agree with the sentiment, on what grounds do you base your unethical comment? Those who feel their ''rights'' have been infringed will likely not agree, so what is your justification for that?

    If you deny the historical purpose of copyright or say it isn't relevant, than you've already dismissed out of hand your detractors. This doesn't give your stand much weight amongst those who you need to sway (since they currently hold the powers).

  • On the post: Congress About To Pass 'The ______Act of____' (These Are The People We Elect?)

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2010 @ 10:00am

    Ailing airlines

    Maybe the sudden recall of Congress was an indirect stimulation to the travel industry? Last minute business class tickets tend to be costly.

  • On the post: A Day In The Life Of Legalized Extortion: How The BMI Shakedown Works

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2010 @ 08:56am

    Re: Where's the open source, creative commons music?

    You miss the point where, even if they are playing CC-licensed music, the collection agencies are still coming and knocking on the doors. Your comment assumes a few things:

    • small business owners realize that something they do freely on their home (play the radio) is not allowed in their store/restaurant/shoe-shine booth
    • small business owners know anything about music licenses and the fact that alternatives exist
    • small business owners have the wherewithal to fend themselves from raquet...er...music licensing cops.

  • On the post: A Day In The Life Of Legalized Extortion: How The BMI Shakedown Works

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2010 @ 08:44am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: (Calling a horse a horse, and extortion extortion)

    ex-tor-tion?[ik-stawr-shuhn] -noun

    the act of securing money, favours, etc. by intimidation or violence; blackmail

  • On the post: A Day In The Life Of Legalized Extortion: How The BMI Shakedown Works

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2010 @ 07:46am

    Re:

    Small business owners are very busy people. They don't have the time to deal with the hassles that BMI and friends provide them. And if you think a restaurant owner saying "but I have a license for everything we play" is going to make BMI go away, you haven't been paying attention. These organizations believe that they own every sound a person hears, and those that their horses hear...

  • On the post: Connecting Authors To Tangible Goods They Can Sell?

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 05 Aug, 2010 @ 01:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    For authors, the creation of the product (the book) isn't a marketable commodity. Unless watching someone write or type becomes something of interest to people.

    So change the model. Why are they authoring before getting paid (or a contract to get paid)? I don't go to work each day without that promise, so why are authors?

    In the past, they leveraged the scarcity model by selling physical goods through distribution channels.

    Today, the need for inefficient distribution channels is nearly eliminated and the scarcity is superseded by technology. So authors need to adjust their business model, fight the hopeless fight for return to yesterday, or pack up shop now.

    Good business people adjust to the times and/or diversify. Bad business people go out of business.

  • On the post: Obama Complains About iPads And Xboxes As Diversions

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 10 May, 2010 @ 12:57pm

    Re: Re: Open your eyes, folks...

    And look how much trouble that got the church into! Things were So Much Easier when the only ones who could read were the ones at the front of the congregation.

  • On the post: Connecticut Police Use Craigslist To Fight Prostitution; As Their Attorney General Grandstands To Take Away That Tool

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 04 May, 2010 @ 09:40am

    That drum will beat you back

    This guy has been on this Craigslist rampage for quite some time. Isn't it about time that one of his rivals points out how ineffective he's been in getting Craigslist shut down?

  • On the post: Innovation By Imitation: Study Shows That Success Comes From Imitation

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 23 Apr, 2010 @ 10:47am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Innovation vs Invention

    Radical or revolutionary is not necessary. That is the "or" between "incremental emergent" and "radical and revolutionary".

    Innovation is doing something to attract the market. If it is simply a different color, and that is what the market goes for, then it is innovative. If everyone else is already offering different colors, then it is simply copying. Straight-out copiers rarely (ever?) win the market. You need to do something to distinguish yourself from the competition (i.e. innovate).

  • On the post: Innovation By Imitation: Study Shows That Success Comes From Imitation

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 23 Apr, 2010 @ 10:43am

    Re: Re: Re: You dont know the difference between Invention and Innovation:

    Every other one is competing. They innovate by adding different features, better quality, more efficient (cheaper) manufacturing process, whatever.

    This is innovation. It is not invention (though one might argue that the cheaper process is invention, but the invention is not being brought to market, the innovation of a lower price on that particular invention is).

  • On the post: Innovation By Imitation: Study Shows That Success Comes From Imitation

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 22 Apr, 2010 @ 11:43am

    Re: You dont know the difference between Invention and Innovation:

    You point out the problem with considering invention and innovation as being the process of coming up with a new "thing".

    This is why Mike has written many articles in which he describes invention as the process of coming up with that new "thing", distinct from innovation which is bringing a "thing" to market. The really hard work is often in the latter.

    Otherwise your example of the CRT vs TV as invention vs innovation is now a completely subjective definition. How much does one need to add to an "invention" for it to become a new "invention" rather than simply being an "innovation"?

    Taking an invention off the workbench as it is to market often fails. Quite often that invention needs some modifications for it to be appealing to the marketplace. It is this modification that is innovation: the process of building marketing, packaging, materials selection, pricing, distribution, etc...

  • On the post: Innovation By Imitation: Study Shows That Success Comes From Imitation

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 22 Apr, 2010 @ 11:31am

    Re: Re: Re: Innovation vs Invention

    "Innovation [is] a change in the thought process for doing something or "new stuff that is made useful". It may refer to an incremental emergent or radical and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes, or organizations."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation

  • On the post: No Surprise: MPAA Wouldn't Reveal Data On How It Came Up With Bogus 'Piracy' Numbers

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 21 Apr, 2010 @ 11:08am

    Re: Re:

    In my class, the right answer is worth 1 mark. For non-trivial questions, showing your work is worth 3 to 5 marks depending on the difficulty of the question.

  • On the post: The Economist On Why Copyright Needs To Return To Its Roots

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 21 Apr, 2010 @ 10:06am

    Re: Re: Net Present Value

    Why are we trying to bind copyright to a revenue stream? This is one of the things that led to our current problems.

    What if an "author" decides to maintain control of copying, but is giving away those copies at no charge? And what does "producing copies" mean in the digital era?

    In addition, what if the author has relinquished copyright to others, possibly to multiple parties? Or what if the author is already multiple individuals/companies (look at the fights between the members of Pink Floyd)?

  • On the post: The Economist On Why Copyright Needs To Return To Its Roots

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 21 Apr, 2010 @ 06:24am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Net Present Value

    I understand your point of view that higher value would give the optics of higher incentive. However, take this concept out beyond that first work and you see that at some point a high value becomes a disincentive to do future work.

    Take, for example, a job that pays $10m for a year's work. For some, that would lead them to work hard so that they get a higher salary the next year ($11m!!). But for many others, they'd work hard enough for that first year...then retire! Why work any longer than they need to? Most people I know don't want 10 houses and 30 exotic cars. They'd be happy with a nice house, the ability to travel a few times a year, and a golf club membership. They have no need to work beyond that $10m.

    Going back to your take on NPV, if copyright is extended to a point where NPV puts enough money in an artists pocket on the first go, then why bother with future work?

    PS: no threadjacking going on, I welcome any and all healthy discussion!

  • On the post: The Economist On Why Copyright Needs To Return To Its Roots

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 20 Apr, 2010 @ 01:47pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Net Present Value

    BTW: that video is great! I hadn't watched it before.

  • On the post: The Economist On Why Copyright Needs To Return To Its Roots

    greg.fenton ( profile ), 20 Apr, 2010 @ 12:27pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Net Present Value

    The use of "copywrong" makes it really hard to take your comments seriously. Seriously.

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