Crabby 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (83)

• On the post: Latest Unsubstantiated Claim: Twitter Makes You Immoral

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2009 @ 12:47pm

  Re: why?

  "ESPECIALLY if it empowers people"
  
  You're onto something, RD. It's not that people are scared of the technology, they're scared of losing control over other people. They're scared that they might not matter in the grand scheme of things. That's why you see every politician jumping onto the bandwagon to save us from the perils of technology -- we might realize just how useless they are.

• On the post: Marriott Finally Realizes Guests Might Not Want USA Today Outside Their Door Each Morning

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2009 @ 12:28pm

  Re: Re:

  Don't worry. We can sop up the excess water from the glacial meltwater with newspapers and old phonebooks. :D

• On the post: Marriott Finally Realizes Guests Might Not Want USA Today Outside Their Door Each Morning

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2009 @ 12:25pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re:

  "Online yellow-pages absolutely suck compared to local directories, even though the latter aren't very good themselves,"
  
  I absolutely agree with this. I can never find a phone number online that easily; it seems like you have to wade through a million ads to find any info. The books have a lead time of 9 months - 1 year from the time an ad is sold to when it is printed and delivered, which makes them ancient in today's terms when they even get to your door. But hey, the ambulance chasers like to advertise in them.
  
  What kills me is that our phone company still prints and delivers the white pages. Who needs it? Like I'm going to be bored, and look through half a million names just to find someone to call? Now that is a waste of paper and resources.

• On the post: Marriott Finally Realizes Guests Might Not Want USA Today Outside Their Door Each Morning

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 14 Apr, 2009 @ 12:18pm

  Re: Marriott Newspapers

  And cost savings had nothing to do with it? I mean, I have no objections to a hotel chain trying to rein in costs. But please stop pretending it's because you care so much about the planet -- it's because you're trying to stay fiscally sound in a tough economy. There is no shame in that.

• On the post: Another Driver Chooses To Believe GPS Over The Reality Of A Cliff

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 01 Apr, 2009 @ 01:04pm

  Re: physics vs gadgets

  Maybe this is a money-grubbing ploy by tow truck owners and those darn ambulance-chasing lawyers to get rich off some dumb moron's stupid mistake. Sue, sue, who can we sue?

• On the post: Another Driver Chooses To Believe GPS Over The Reality Of A Cliff

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 01 Apr, 2009 @ 12:30pm

  Re: Re: Trust

  Well, we do need to thin the herd somehow. I'm all in favor of people stupiding themselves to death.

• On the post: EC's Latest Rules Govern Its Coffee Machines

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2009 @ 08:44am

  Re:

  That's GREAT! I love it!

• On the post: Scientist Makes Sure That No One Uses His Patent On Malaria Drug To Gouge The Poor

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2009 @ 08:23am

  Re: Re:

  "In the absence of patents, there may be fewer drugs, but there would be more of those drugs for people to buy on the cheap."
  
  And is that a good thing? "Sorry, Joe, there's no cure for cancer, but you can have all the aspirin you want..."

• On the post: Journalism Could Be Funded By Advertising… If The News Organizations Gave A Reason To Advertise

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 26 Feb, 2009 @ 12:13pm

  Re: Ignoring ads

  Dave, you point out some valid issues with advertising.
  
  Another point I'd like to raise is that when I go to a newspaper website, it's to read things. I don't like flashing banner ads, moving pictures, and horrid wrinkle-face crones morphing into Botox beauties in front of my face. I will read ads that interest me; but wiggly jiggly ads that annoy me get censored when I resize my browser window so I can ignore them. And yes, I've put Post-it notes on my monitor to cover up some of the more obnoxious offenders!

• On the post: Comedian Smashes Mobile Phone; Fearing 'Joke Stealing'

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 07:43am

  Re:

  Ohh! Slap!

• On the post: Comedian Smashes Mobile Phone; Fearing 'Joke Stealing'

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 07:41am

  Re: Stealing Jokes

  He'll bomb. In more ways than one!

• On the post: High School Girl Arrested For Refusing To Stop Texting In Class

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 07:09am

  Re: Re: Re:

  "make them do chores"
  
  OMG! You'll ruin their self-esteem!

• On the post: Do We Really Need Laws Banning Texting While Walking?

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 07:02am

  Re: texting

  Yes, it is a liability issue. Just because a pedestrian has the legal right of way doesn't mean they shouldn't take the time to look both ways before they cross the street. Or, for that matter, look up to see if they're going to walk into anyone.

• On the post: Do We Really Need Laws Banning Texting While Walking?

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 06:57am

  Re:

  I agree; unless you're the poor driver who happens to hit the dumba**. Then you get sued by the idiot's survivors. We just need a law to exonerate drivers from stupid pedestrian tricks.

• On the post: Isaacson's Micropayment Article An Example, By Itself, Of How Screwed Up Mainstream Media Is

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 06:40am

  Re: Smarter than ya think?

  Albert, you bring up some good points. Even pennies per page will dissuade some people from visiting sites they don't know. And it's not really the amount of money, either, it's the nuisance factor of having to keep adding money to a spending account or of balancing your checkbooks every month.
  
  Now, if e-mail providers started charging by the message, we could probably reduce spam tremendously, and all without government interference.

• On the post: Massachusetts Wants GPS Driving Tax, Too

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2009 @ 09:03am

  Re: Boston Media

  The way for any government to reduce budget shortfalls is to -- wait for it -- SPEND LESS! Not tax the hell out of its citizens.

• On the post: Massachusetts Wants GPS Driving Tax, Too

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2009 @ 09:00am

  Re:

  Well, not actually mugging... but a year ago I had a guy come up to me on the streets of Washington D.C. with a tin can. He was collecting money for the Democratic Party. I thought it was a joke -- but he was serious.
  
  Is that pathetic, or what?

• On the post: Massachusetts Wants GPS Driving Tax, Too

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2009 @ 08:57am

  Re:

  Well, that brings up other issues concerned with gasoline useage -- like pollution. Why should leaf blowers get a free ride to use tax-free gasoline so they can pollute the air?
  
  And what about other 2-cycle engines, like ATVs, snowmobiles, etc? No regulations on them? Why is it always car owners that get smacked with taxes and rules?

• On the post: About Damn Time: Phone Makers To Standardize Chargers

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2009 @ 08:51am

  Re: Re: Great Idea

  "Nothing wrong with a standard. It's not anti-free market."
  
  You're right -- there's nothing wrong with a standard when it is FREELY ADAPTED by the free market. I have a problem with the government (any government) telling us what to do.

• On the post: About Damn Time: Phone Makers To Standardize Chargers

  

  Crabby ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2009 @ 08:48am

  Re: Great Idea

  Legislating stuff makes lawyers rich. Don't you want lawyers to get richer?
  
  Regarding "change": the only change this administration will give us are the few pennies left in our pockets after our paychecks get sucked dry by new taxes.

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