Internet Zen Master 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (461) comment rss

  • On the post: As Expected, Court Strikes Down FCC's Net Neutrality Rules: Now What?

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 10:31am

    My only gripe is that people who are cheering ruling as a good thing because it's 'stifling the free market' are telling everyone who knows this ruling potentially has devastating consequences to the Internet if the current telco oligopoly gets their way that it's good because "competition!" and "if you don't like your provider, vote with your wallet!".

    It's not exactly a free market when your city's only real options are Craptastic company A or Craptastic Company B, and that's if your lucky. A virtual duopoly (or worse, monopoly) a free market does not make.

  • On the post: As Expected, Court Strikes Down FCC's Net Neutrality Rules: Now What?

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 10:16am

    So in other words

    Pray that the current FCC chair doesn't go full telco shill on us and let the telcos run roughshod over the Internet?

    That's... not exactly reassuring, but it considering (as far as I've heard anyway) he's not a total corporate lapdog people expected him to be, we might not be as doomed as I originally thought.

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

  • On the post: Latest Twist On DRM Of Physical Products: Machines Locked Down By Geolocation

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2014 @ 12:20pm

    Re: HOLY CRAP! TECHDIRT IS STILL IN THE 20TH CENTURY!

    I can't read Glyn's mind so I can't speak for him, but here's some food for thought ootb:

    The GPS in those cars is installed to primarily benefit the customer when they want to use things like, oh I don't know, the navigation system? Something that people like to have in order to find their way around?

    Yes, there is definitely a possibility it could be used for "everyday surveillance", maybe even by your favorite scapegoat Google. However, it still requires customers to give consent for the systems to be used.

    The 'GPS and gyro sensor package' in the CNC mill provides absolutely zero benefit to the customer, just like regular DRM. The only one who's better off in this situation is the manufacturer.

    Please stop and digest this before you start ranting again.

  • On the post: President Of CBS News Knew 'Reporter' John Miller Would Go Back To NYPD Before His 60 Min Propaganda Piece Aired

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2014 @ 11:38am

    Re: Re: Re: What about the people?

    All sources listed here are good, credible sources. Slightly Skeptical on Xinhua's editorial section, but that's just my personal preference.

  • On the post: Latest Twist On DRM Of Physical Products: Machines Locked Down By Geolocation

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2014 @ 11:59am

    Hm

    Part of me thinks you might be blowing this out of proportion Glyn. I mean, why would anyone install Geolocation measures on physical products unless the products were like CNC mill, and being illegally exported to Iran.

    Then the cynical side of me points out that if they can do it in something huge like a CNC mill, what's stopping companies like Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo from eventually doing something similar when the next round of consoles comes out?
    What if the video game industry decides they really want to enforce the whole "region-lock" thing? Got that new PS5/Xbox4.0 in a country where it's not being released yet/won't ever be released due to whatever stupid regulation?

    Those gaming companies won't even have to worry about you using their product where you're not supposed to, even if you're not hooked up to the net! They'll just use the GPS and gyro sensor package they installed in the machine and turned the expensive console you bought with your own money into a big fat doorstop.

    Yes, it's hyperbolic, but that's where I can see stuff like this headed, depending on how small they're able to make the gyro sensor/GPS package.

    Seriously, who the hell thought Physical DRM was ever a good idea anyway?

  • On the post: The Lies The USTR Is Spreading About Fast Track Authority To Push TPP Through Congress

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2014 @ 10:54am

    The good news

    Looks like a large chunk of the web media is calling bull on fast track and the TPP.

    The bad news is that the mainstream media hasn't noticed yet.

  • On the post: House Intel Committee Releases Fact-Free Fearmongering About Impact Of Snowden Revelations

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2014 @ 05:22pm

    Re: New oxymoron...

    Pretty sure that oxymoron's old as dirt, Pixel.

  • On the post: Congress Introduce Bi-Partisan Bill To Abdicate Its Own Role And Screw Over American Public All At Once

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2014 @ 02:29pm

    Hold on...

    Unless the US government changed when I wasn't looking, passage of bills goes first House then Senate, and then they have to come to an agreement on it, and not the other way around?

    We all knew this was coming back at the end of November when nothing happened despite the USTR/Obama begging Congress to pass the legislation giving the scumbags at the USTR the ability to force the TPP down our throats on a silver platter.

    However, we're forgetting that midterms are this year, so the drop in Congressional productivity will hamper any chance of the Senate Finance Chair getting his bill passed...

  • On the post: Not Cool: MPAA Joins The W3C

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2014 @ 03:53pm

    Re: Content is only created when profits are possible.

    "Content is only created when profits are possible."

    The entire CreepyPasta genre proves your argument invalid. All those nightmare-inducing, paranoia-causing shit was written for free. No guarantee of profit whatsoever.

    Or does purely web-generated works not qualify as content in your fantasy world?

  • On the post: The Full Story Behind The RIAA & FBI's Insanely Wasteful Prosecution Of The Dude Who Streamed Guns 'N Roses Album

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2014 @ 04:16pm

    So in other words, the RIAA was trying to recoup the losses for letting a hasbeen waste a decade on what was the music industry equivalent of Duke Nukem Forever?

    Duke at least had the excuse that his game was dragged through development hell, among other things. What's Axl's excuse for Chinese Democracy being absolute shit?

  • On the post: Rep. Peter King Says NSA Should Spy On Congress, Because They Might Be Talking To Al Qaeda

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 06 Jan, 2014 @ 01:58pm

    Re: Re: King's attack on Rand Paul is even more crazy

    If that flies as a valid defense for the NSA, I will eat my hat.

    PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN is almost worse than the Chewbacca Defense.

  • On the post: Rep. Peter King Says NSA Should Spy On Congress, Because They Might Be Talking To Al Qaeda

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 06 Jan, 2014 @ 01:55pm

    Re: Re: Can we get a "we the people" petition going

    Considering the rabid Tea-Partiers he has to put up with in the House, I can't say I blame the guy if he is drunk. I'd be hitting the booze every night if I had to deal with that kind bullshit.

  • On the post: FBI Admits It's Not Really About Law Enforcement Any More; Ignores Lots Of Crimes To Focus On Creating Fake Terror Plots

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 06 Jan, 2014 @ 01:50pm

    So...

    If they're not investigating crime anymore, then what does FBI stand for?

    Federal Bureau of Inquisitors?

    Federal Bureau of Interrogation?

  • On the post: Oh Look, Hollywood Had Yet Another Record Year At The Box Office

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 01:42pm

    Re: Re: Compete With Free

    I dunno, I've been able to stream CW's Arrow without much trouble on their website. Seriously, I can count the amount of times that streaming site (at least for Arrow anyway) has glitched on me with one hand. And if I want to find an episode that aired 6+ weeks ago, I can stream it somewhere else/torrent the damn thing if necessary.

    Of course, when I try to use Showcase.ca's streaming service, it is... skittish, for lack of a better word at the moment.

    But the majority of TV companies who provide decent streaming services are definitely in the minority right now.

  • On the post: Retiring NY Police Chief Kelly Takes One Last Swing At The FBI — And His Critics — On His Way Out The Door

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 04:40pm

    Something something elephant gun

    Is essentially what Kelly's logic breaks down to.

    "Have there been any terrorist attacks in NYC since the NYPD started using all those invasive, civil liberty violating techniques?
    No?
    Then my actions were completely justified."

  • On the post: Appeals Court Says Feds Can File Oversized Brief In Weev Case, But His Defense Has To Keep Its Reply Short

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 12:53pm

    Re:

    Which corporate sponsors is it keeping happy, exactly?

    Because the exploits the NSA's doing have kinda done a bit of damage to American's tech corporations (Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Apple, etc.) by destroying consumer trust in U.S. tech [which, last I checked, is one of the only industries America hasn't completely outsourced yet].

    So, who are they trying to appease again?

    All that being said, following the 'stacking the deck against them' line of thought, it feels like we're seeing the judge/dealer let the DOJ start out with a full house and deals weev's defense a bad hand and they're only allowed to bluff.

    This stinks of bullshit to high heaven.

  • On the post: Judge Says That Sherlock Holmes Is In The Public Domain

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 09:46am

    Re: Re: Where's the incentive?

    Actually, I wouldn't mind if he wrote more books, but only if he somehow managed to cut those greedy parasitic jackasses at the estate out of the picture first.

  • On the post: Former Pop Star Angry At Google News For Providing Relevant Search Results

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 30 Dec, 2013 @ 01:05pm

    What's that phrase again?

    Oh yeah!

    "Don't shoot the messenger."

    You can't really blame Google's algorithm for the mistakes made by the web's collective hive-mind.

  • On the post: Seven House Judiciary Members Demand DOJ Investigate James Clapper For Lying To Congress

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 19 Dec, 2013 @ 02:42pm

    Re:

    No, those two options should most definitely exist.

    Believe it or not, as much as the government has exhausted the credibility of the phrase "national security", there may actually be occasions where telling Congress classified info in a public hearing would actually be damaging to the country's national security (since the hearings would be public and terrorists probably read the news like everyone else).

    Loose Lips do Sink Ships.

    The problem is the government seems to want to define EVERYTHING as a sinkable ship these days, no matter how harmless the information actually is.

  • On the post: Hidden Within The TPP: The RIAA's Secret Plan To Screw Musicians Out Of Their Rights

    Internet Zen Master ( profile ), 18 Dec, 2013 @ 08:12pm

    Re:

    Google has screwed musicians millions of times more than anyone ever did by refusing to delist sites like the Pirate Bay and making it almost impossible to take down all the blogspots that do nothing but list infringing files.

    Ignoring the fact that you're an idiot, if Google doing it's job as a SEARCH ENGINE (hint: not a filter), is supposedly robbing the artists of their money, then so is Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and every other search engine in existence.

    Admit it AC, you don't hate Google, what you really hate is the Internet.

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