Groaker 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (670)

• On the post: RIAA Still Pushing Its Bogus Message Of A 'Value Gap' And 'Fair Compensation'

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 04 Jan, 2017 @ 03:28pm

  I would like to see the buying public go on strike, and refuse to buy any more "entertainment" until that industry uses its considerable political power to cause the copyright law back to what it was in the original constitution.

  Until that happens, the only change will be for the worse. If the public continues to act upon their addiction, then they deserve what they get.

• On the post: Congressman Goodlatte Decides To Refill The Swamp By Gutting Congressional Ethics Office… But Drops It After Bad Publicity

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 03 Jan, 2017 @ 08:23pm

  The reputed Congressional Ethics Office was a farce, wrapped in a joke, girdled by K-Y jelly. It never even had subpoena power. In fact it had no power whatsoever.
  
  Pelosi made sure of that. Just one example amongst the many is Charles Rangel.

• On the post: FBI Says It Has 487 Pages Of James Comey Talking Points, Refuses To Release Any Of Them

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 01 Jan, 2017 @ 09:49am

  The FBI, the NSA and other agencies seem to be less than capable of doing their jobs. Perhaps it is time to either give them a budget of $0. Or to replace them with with the KeyStone Kops, who at least managed to run around in circles.

• On the post: Oversight Board Spares NYPD's Feelings By Softening Language In Taser Complaint Report

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2016 @ 02:02pm

  Why don't people simply accept that we live in a police state?

• On the post: South Carolina Legislators Introduce Three Bills Targeting Police Stingray Use

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 29 Dec, 2016 @ 09:33am

  Re: Re:

  It sounds a little steep, but the Federal penalty for a single wiretap can be five years in jail, and a $250K fine.
  
  Feds do thousands of illicit wire taps, sell thousands of weapons to known criminal mobs, distribute a million or more new images of pedophilia not previously seen, violate innumerable laws on torture and endlessly break other laws.
  
  Local law enforcement gets away with every crime in the book. From littering to murder, larceny to rape, perjury to torture. Jundges often refuse to look at video tapes of cops committing crimes.
  
  When laws are equally enforced, when punishments are equal (they really should be higher for LEOs, but I will settle for equal) then we can talk about calming down.

• On the post: South Carolina Legislators Introduce Three Bills Targeting Police Stingray Use

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 29 Dec, 2016 @ 12:28am

  superiority of NDAs over Court Orders and Subpoenas

  Can anyone explain why an NDA is legally superior to a court order, or a defense team subpoena. I have asked this question in a number of places, but never have gotten an answer.

• On the post: FDIC Latest Agency To Claim It Was Hacked By A Foreign Government

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 27 Dec, 2016 @ 02:57pm

  And one of the most incredibly incompetent and useless US agencies -- HSA -- wants to take over cyber security for our nation.

• On the post: Stupid Patent Of The Month: Carrying Trays On A Cart

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 26 Dec, 2016 @ 03:26am

  I have a patent on the use of the mouth for, but not limited to,speaking, spitting, eating, sucking on a straw, chewing, osculating, cunnilingus, fellatio and all other discovered and undiscovered. I also have a patent on the use of hands, fingers, and toes for any and all types of communication including keyboarding.
  
  It is therefor illegal for any person to have communicated the putative cart paten cart patent into law, or for any other purpose.

• On the post: City Passes Ordinance Mandating CCTV Surveillance By Businesses, Including Doctors And Lawyers Offices

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 25 Dec, 2016 @ 10:42am

  Re:

  I guess I have to go back to putting a /sarcasm at the end of my postings, or perhaps there really is an interest in such videos..
  
  The knowledge that a person goes to into a jewelry story, visits a doctor, sees a lawyer, etc is potentially harmful in the wrong hands. An SO may ask why did you go to the MD, see a divorce lawyer, or go into a jewelry store? Or anyone who can get possession of such videos (including LEOS) may use them for blackmail.

• On the post: Merry Christmas: Kamala Harris Files Brand New Criminal Charges Against Backpage Execs After Last Ones Were Tossed Out

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 25 Dec, 2016 @ 10:31am

  The knew or should have known standard should apply to the professional members of the legal system even more so than the average citizen. I wouldn't say one strike and you are out, but there has to be a limit.
  
  I may be just guessing, but there had to be some citizen, perhaps a clerk or mailboy who knew and understood what 230 meant.

• On the post: Denuvo Spins Doom Dropping Its DRM Into A Victory Dance

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2016 @ 04:27pm

  The entertainment world will mutate the web into a the same sorrowful and boring mess that the rest of the "extravaganzas" are, and all cords coming into the home will be cut.

• On the post: City Passes Ordinance Mandating CCTV Surveillance By Businesses, Including Doctors And Lawyers Offices

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2016 @ 04:23pm

  The real purpose of these laws is to provide police, DAs, ADAs and Councilmen access to videos of children being examined in Pediatricians offices. The rest of the business's are simply collateral damage.

• On the post: Unsealed Clinton Email Warrant Asks Court To Maintain Secrecy Of Investigation James Comey Publicly Announced To Congress

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2016 @ 01:28pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Umm...

  Would you be so kind as to explain which bitter lods you are referring to. I tried looking it up, but just got acronyms.

• On the post: Unsealed Clinton Email Warrant Asks Court To Maintain Secrecy Of Investigation James Comey Publicly Announced To Congress

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2016 @ 01:21pm

  Re: Secret by default

  It is not just the FBI, but every branch and action of government. Except of course, for those feelgood exploits like cutting a ribbon for the installation of a playground or serving a Thanksgiving meal to the poor.

• On the post: Techdirt Podcast Episode 103: Is The Internet Of Things The Future, A Total Mess, Or Both?

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2016 @ 11:59am

  The mess ship has sailed. At least one company that will go unnamed has blatantly refused to fix known bugs in a lighting system that leaves other systems in the residence wide open to crackers.
  
  I certainly have strong beliefs about never sending a person where you can send an electron (paraphrased from J Edgar Hoover.) But just how much loss of security is voice control worth in the turning on a light? Especially when there are other, safe ways of doing this than by means which expose your digital life?

• On the post: Unsealed Clinton Email Warrant Asks Court To Maintain Secrecy Of Investigation James Comey Publicly Announced To Congress

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2016 @ 11:44am

  Hillary's hubris should result in punishment. Although it was not totally irrational to think that just about anyone could put up a more secure mail server than systems developed by the US government.
  
  But so many have committed equal or worse crimes in this line of villainy, and suffered far less for their misdeeds.

• On the post: Trump, GOP Prepare To Gut FCC Boss Tom Wheeler's Populist Reforms…Under The False Banner Of Populist Reform

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 21 Dec, 2016 @ 05:11am

  re: Dog

  Sorry to say, but TD has already passed his peak of maturity, and is falling with rapidly increasing jerk (third derivative of position, it is the change is acceleration.) Actually, he is obviously experiencing a rapidly increasing drop (8th derivative,) the mathematical term of jerk probably gets the message across better to those not familiar with calculus.

• On the post: More National Security Letters Made Public After Government Drops Its Attempt To Keep Its Gag Orders In Place

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 17 Dec, 2016 @ 03:33pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Huh?

  Right you are. Left and Right (Liberal and Conservative) are as meaningful as sports team names, or red and blue teams in steal the flag. They serve as poles of attraction to which individuals are drawn by assignment or popularity. Once attracted to a pole, the camouflage required to remain in that locale means adopting a "platform." How can anyone in their right mind take on the talking points in any such doctrine? Even the Constitution has its flaws.
  
  
  I was once described as a libertarian, socialist, strict constructionist. It is an appellation that I am proud of, in that it means that I think for myself rather than follow a butting order of bovines around.

• On the post: Do You Have Examples Of Constructive Responses To Hateful/Abusive/Trollish Speech Online?

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2016 @ 01:47pm

  A decidedly defusing statement might be:
  
  "I would have to agree, that is what you espouse."

• On the post: Georgia Secretary Of State Accuses DHS Of Breaching His Office's Firewall

  

  Groaker ( profile ), 13 Dec, 2016 @ 11:42am

  Re:

  That is criminal intent. Civilians have gone to jail for less.

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