Internet Zen Master 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (461) comment rss

  • On the post: Surprise: Paywalls Cause Massive Falls In Number Of Visitors – And Boost Competitors

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2013 @ 12:06pm

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

    Wait, they stopped reporting on Bigfoot in the Enquirer? But how is he supposed to promote his new line of haircare products to all their readers?

  • On the post: All It Takes Is Two Words To Wipe Away One Of The Pillars Of Free Speech Online

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2013 @ 11:52am

    Re:

    Sad bit is that the NSA doesn't intend to kill the Internet.

    It just wants to monitor and record every move the Internet makes. 24/7. For the rest of eternity.

    Suddenly I think I understand how uncomfortable it is to be an animal trapped in a cage.

  • On the post: Border Patrol's Horrific Treatment Of On The Media's Producer, Family & Friends Highlights The Lack Of Accountability From DHS

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2013 @ 11:47am

    Re: Re: second amendment

    While it may not be a solution, the Second Amendment might eventually end up as a way to defend America's right to everything under the First. And Fourth. And Fifth. And Sixth... Did I miss any other Amendments that the government's violated lately?

    Hopefully something like that never happens.

    The Zen Master says, "We'll see."

  • On the post: NSA Apologist Says The NSA's Actions Are Fine Because 'Privacy Is Dead'

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2013 @ 08:46am

    Re: According to the Borg

    Considering that the NSA's current boss is a big (and I mean BIG) Trekkie, this statement feels way more accurate than it should be.

  • On the post: Cosplayer Sent Cease & Desist By Carpet Company For Hotel Carpet Camouflage

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2013 @ 05:27pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but failure to actively use a registered trademark or enforce it when there's major infringement after a certain period of time may risk that trademark getting removed on the grounds of non-use (however, another party has to apply for this removal from the register for this to happen).

    However, as the AC mentioned above, it's more likely a copyright issue instead of trademark.

  • On the post: Cosplayer Sent Cease & Desist By Carpet Company For Hotel Carpet Camouflage

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2013 @ 05:16pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    I never said that I liked the idea, just that it might be the case.

    Though on review, this does appear to be more a copyright issue instead of trademark.

  • On the post: Cosplayer Sent Cease & Desist By Carpet Company For Hotel Carpet Camouflage

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2013 @ 12:58pm

    Re: The shocking thing

    Eh, it's not that bad. Seems par for the course as far as hotel carpet designs are concerned. Kinda looks like something you might hallucinate after ingesting a large amount of LSD.

  • On the post: Cosplayer Sent Cease & Desist By Carpet Company For Hotel Carpet Camouflage

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2013 @ 12:53pm

    Re:

    Damn it Ninja. Now I'm reading the article and seeing 'Courtesan' too! (And imagining Japanese courtesans wearing kimonos with that carpet pattern on the fabric.)

    In all seriousness though, it looks like Courtesan's C&D is perfectly justified. There's probably a trademark on that specific design that they need to enforce, especially if Mr. Krix is using it commercially, instead of just for personal use, like he did by selling the fabric with said design without the company's permission.

    Stupid? Yes, but that's the messed up world of IP law for you.

  • On the post: NY Times: NSA Should Be Barred From Requiring Companies To Introduce Surveillance Backdoors

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2013 @ 12:43pm

    Re:

    As long as we can design a ship that lets Gen. Alexander stay in his Star Trek Captain's chair, I don't think he'd have much of a problem with this idea...

  • On the post: GTA V Launch Gimmick Goes Sideways When Heavily Armed Cops Show Up

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2013 @ 07:39pm

    How much does anyone want to bet

    That the talking heads on cable news are going to try and hold this up as proof of video games being a corrupting influence on children?

  • On the post: California College Tells Student He Can't Hand Out Copies Of The Constitution On Constitution Day

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2013 @ 01:54pm

    Strangely enough

    The college I'm currently attending as part of my education for my future econ degree actually had a literal box for its free speech zone at one point.

    The zone's old location is a large courtyard that was sandwiched between the ground level of cafeteria/student union building and the current location of the social science division's office. Today there's a rather nice looking fountain in front this courtyard. There are several concrete barriers dividing the area in half, not to mention the outdoor hallways on the second floor that look down on the courtyard below.

    I've actually stopped in that area a few times before heading up to the room for my stat course and taken a quick look around. There's sort of an intimidating "obey the rules or else!" vibe lingering in the atmosphere.

    It should be noted that this courtyard was specifically set up as the college's Free speech/protest zone during the 1960s during the protests over the Vietnam war, and now it's simply an outdoor area for people who want to eat outside the cafeteria (they've got some nice concrete picnic tables and benches now).

    Based on what I've witnessed over past few years, if my college still has a designated free speech area, it's currently located in front of the fountain which sits in front of the old courtyard. This means that a group exercising the right to free speech, that the area the college wants them to do it is located in the center of the campus, so it's pretty much guaranteed that if you're trying to get from one side of the college to the other, you'll at least see the folks who are exercising their First Amendment rights, if nothing else. Although the only groups I've seen in the area in front of the fountain that were handing out pamphlets of any kind were a bunch of student from the college's local Democrat group, and some nice folks (probably) from the Mormon/LDS Temple across the street from campus.

    But I digress.

    Looking at the map of MJC's campus, it looks like the "Free Speech area" was placed in the middle of campus, but situated so that it's effectively out of the way and students passing through the middle of campus to get to classes won't pay any attention to folks exercising their free speech. Maybe it's some kind of "seen but not heard" type deal by the college.

    Should be interesting to see where this goes.

    As the Zen Master says, "We'll see."

  • On the post: Former NSA Boss Hayden Says Snowden Likely To Become An Alcoholic Because He's 'Troubled' And 'Morally Arrogant'

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 18 Sep, 2013 @ 09:23am

    Re: Re:

    And let us not forget:

    3/ the US has the ability to bomb the entire Earth into a nuclear wasteland if necessary. Don't think for a second that there's nobody in the top ranks of command with the balls to suggest nuking the enemy if the rest of the world picked a fight with the US (M.A.D. be damned!). There's probably a war hawk or three in the top military brass who'd love it if the US ever got a chance to use its nuclear arsenal.

  • On the post: Conan Doyle Estate Is Horrified That The Public Domain Might Create 'Multiple Personalities' Of Sherlock Holmes

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2013 @ 10:26am

    Re: Re: Re:

    I guess you could say it's a bad thing because people might start confusing non-canon events (the book published by someone else) with canon events (the book published by the series original author) and vice versa.

    It's actually happened to a relatively well-known character in the Creepypasta universe (nobody's making money off the character, but the problem is still the same).

  • On the post: Conan Doyle Estate Is Horrified That The Public Domain Might Create 'Multiple Personalities' Of Sherlock Holmes

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2013 @ 10:03am

    Re: Retelling stories

    "However in the longer term this causes the story and the story teller to fade from culture...
    ... Stories need to be retold as culture and language change else they fade away as fewer and fewer people can actually read them."


    This pretty much nails the problem the Doyle Estate is creating for itself.

    I have personally seen stories (well, primarily the characters) and their creators sink into obscurity in the collective universe known as Creepypasta.

    Money isn't an issue since the stories are published on the net for everyone to read (but many Creepypasta artists/writers will enforce their copyright over their creations in extreme circumstances), but the fact is: the characters in the creepypastas are not (in theory) supposed to be limited to just one single work, or even their original author. What gives those characters longevity is if more people start writing stories about them, keeping the characters relevant and spreading the word about their existence to an even greater number of readers.

    I've seen a few characters pop up and then drop off the radar because the collective fandom/culture changed and forgot about them within a couple months.

    Now while Sherlock Holmes might take decades or even centuries longer to disappear from modern culture than a bunch of characters that only a specific subculture knows about, a similar thing could happen to good great detective and dear old Watson if people stop retelling Conan Doyle's stories.

  • On the post: Conan Doyle Estate Is Horrified That The Public Domain Might Create 'Multiple Personalities' Of Sherlock Holmes

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2013 @ 09:25am

    Re: Re: You mean...

    Damn, beat me to it.

  • On the post: Former NSA Boss Claims Terrorists Use Gmail, Anonymity Is Awful And The US Built The Internet, So Of Course It Should Spy On It

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2013 @ 10:38am

    *facepalm*

    Edward Snowden gave the NSA documents to reporters that he trusted wouldn't completely cripple the U.S.' spying capabilities. What he didn't take into account was the fact that some ex-government officials don't know when to shut up.

    I have some orders for Gen. Keith Alexander while he sits in his Captain's Chair aboard the USS Big Data: muzzle your ex-boss before he damages the U.S.' reputation even further with his rambling.

  • On the post: Student Arrested And Charged With 'Terrorizing' For Shooting Classmates… With An iPhone App

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2013 @ 09:22am

    On the fence about this

    While it's obvious that Real Strike is harmless and provides about as much training with actual weapons as the real [sarcasm]"violent evil murder simulator"[/sarcasm] Call of Duty, I can understand why some of the students' parents reacted the way they did. Maybe some of them thought: "if this boy had access to real guns, he'd probably do something like this in real life!" Flawed, stupid logic? Yeah, but they're just parents thinking about their kids.

    The sheriff's department, on the other hand, are completely blowing this out of proportion. "Terrorizing"? Really? Maybe if he was trying to intimidate everyone who was bullying him by posting the video to YouTube, but I kinda doubt it.

    Maybe if the guns in the app fired lasers instead of bullets we wouldn't have this problem.

    I highly doubt this kid will be get convicted, but who knows these days.

    As the Zen Master says, "We'll see."

  • On the post: If You Can't Trust A Cop… 13-Year Veteran Of Seattle PD Makes Body Cameras For Cops

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 13 Sep, 2013 @ 09:53am

    Re:

    You make a good point. However, on the flip-side, it also can add a whole new layer of red tape that makes it harder for all the good, respectable cops (they do exist, you just rarely hear about them because there's no reason to point out their actions) to do their jobs.

    It feels like a big case of "This is why we can't have nice things(TM), COPS Edition".

  • On the post: Author Claims We've Learned Enough From The Snowden Docs And The Rest Should Be Destroyed

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 11 Sep, 2013 @ 03:29pm

    Re: ... and so nobody forgets about it

    Agreed. Remember, midterm elections are next year in the United States, which means the entire US House of Reps are up for re-election. The more that this stuff (and more importantly, that yes, what the NSA's doing is BAD, and it DOES affect your life whether you think so or not) is burned into the minds of the American public, the better chance there will be that the next round of politicians (least in the House) will actually care about Americans' privacy when we send them off to DC.

    'Course, this is assuming that challengers who win aren't just using the whole NSA scandal simply as cannon fodder against their political opponents and then fall in line with the rest of the incumbents once they show up.

    Being realistic sucks ass sometimes.

    But as the Zen Master says, "We'll see."

  • On the post: Russia's Latest Idea: An Internet Whitelist For Copyright Materials

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 11 Sep, 2013 @ 03:13pm

    If this goes through

    Russia's equivalent of Facebook, VK, would be royally screwed. The users on that site are notorious for copyright infringement.

    Music? Check! Art? Check! FILM (as in full-length movie feature)? CHECK!

    There's no way that site would be on this "internet whitelist for copyright materials" (terrible concept).

    That is of course if the Russian government doesn't just ignore the whole "copyright" bit of the whitelist and use the thing to censor opposition of the government instead.

    As the Zen Master says, "We'll see."

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