MikeC 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (148) comment rss

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

    MikeC ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2014 @ 12:58pm

    GPS inside a factory??

    How are they getting GPS to work in a lot of locations? Many many industrial locations have so much interference or physical blockage that GPS won't work. How do they account for that. I can take you a brass extrusion company where the ovens, smelters and electronic interference make cell phones useless in the parking lot. Good luck with GPS.

    This sounds bad and it really is, But as was said, I am much more worried about what happens if they go out of business. Since I've worked on CNC's that are 20-30 years old w/control systems that are from companies that don't exist anymore. Old software, mod's, on and on and on with possible problems.

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

    MikeC ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2014 @ 01:31pm

    Open Access and Input Anyone??

    We complain we don't have public representation at standards/treaty negotiations.. but as soon as someone with a different view wants a seat that table of the open up everything crowd, we all bitch? Sauce for the goose?

  • On the post: Number Of Officers Killed In The Line Of Duty Drops To 50-Year Low While Number Of Citizens Killed By Cops Remains Unchanged

    MikeC ( profile ), 06 Jan, 2014 @ 04:39am

    Looking at the numbers??

    If you want to look at the numbers, then kill more civilians = less cops dead. That would be a successful outcome to a lot of policeman. If that is what they are seeking, making it safer for cops with their tactics, well you have to admit it's working.

    Now again, we can consider VietNam a pretty big success if you consider that the actual reason given for the war was to stop Communist expansion into SE Asia -- it did that. It's all a matter of what you criteria are (hope you can see the sarcasm here!).

  • On the post: Unfortunate: ACLU On The Wrong Side Of A Free Speech Case

    MikeC ( profile ), 17 Dec, 2013 @ 04:33pm

    RE: -- what about the cake bakers

    There was a recent lawsuit forcing a wedding cake bakery to do a cake for a gay wedding even though they felt it was wrong based on religion. Is designing and providing a wedding cake "free speech" .. if the art of photography is found to be free speech, any artistic en-devour would be similar no? Dress makers, party decorator's, wedding singers? What is 'free speech' in artistic impression?

  • On the post: Unfortunate: ACLU On The Wrong Side Of A Free Speech Case

    MikeC ( profile ), 17 Dec, 2013 @ 04:36pm

    What is discrimination?

    What if they gay couple in question picked that photag just because they knew he was anti-gay and wanted to force him to provide service for their wedding? Stupid I know, but are they discriminating? If a person makes it's clear they don't want to work for you - for any reason, if you force them to aren't you discriminating against them based on the same reason they are discriminating against you... Why does it only go one way?

  • On the post: US Copyright Office Supports Artists Getting Paid Multiple Times For Same Work, Harming New Artists To Benefit Established Ones

    MikeC ( profile ), 16 Dec, 2013 @ 10:53am

    Peter & Paul

    If you rob Peter to pay Paul -- one thing you can always count on is the un-wavering support of Paul in your endeavors.

  • On the post: DHS Interrogates NY Times Reporters At Border, Then Denies Having Any Records About Them

    MikeC ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2013 @ 09:23am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Until they hit you with a patriot act charge where you can't call a lawyer, you can tell anyone, etc... and then you end up in Gitmo ... you really don't have any recourse while you are in custody -- you have to do whatever they ask until you can get free, then you can try to do something about it.

    "they don't have to let you go you know, there is not even due process anymore if they don't want to allow it" ... just saying it's not all that easy to resist, lots of downsides.

  • On the post: Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Case About NSA Surveillance That Attempted To Jump The Line

    MikeC ( profile ), 18 Nov, 2013 @ 08:46pm

    The Obvious Reasons to Avoid SCOTUS

    It should occur to anyone that the NSA,CIA,FBI, etc.. have access to probably all the private data on both the SCOTUS and all elected representatives. Not to mention it's all under the control of "non-elected" bureaucrats or maybe we call them King Makers... you don't think for a single moment they won't play those cards, do you? This will never be dealt with at the any court level.

    Why do you think some these so-called defense arguments that seem so ludicrous and defy logic, have staunch defenders in elected officials and judges. Are you really all that naive to think the fix isn't already in?

    The good old American "Just-Us" system....

    Mike C

  • On the post: UK Continues To Censor The Press: Orders Wall Street Journal To Pull Details From Already Published Story

    MikeC ( profile ), 18 Oct, 2013 @ 01:16pm

    Court Stupid - WSJ borderline criminal ....

    I see a problem with the order, they are shutting the barn door after the horses were let out by the "dickheads at the WSJ" who published a story saying folks might be named. Now that they decided to just smear people on rumor and innuendo ... the court order is stupid, but the WSJ is criminal. If the names in question had been charged, no problem but that they might be charged is just rumor mongering - then again it's the WSJ a tome basically built on rumor mongering!

  • On the post: School Suspends Student Indefinitely For A Drawing Of A Cartoon Bomb He Made At Home

    MikeC ( profile ), 17 Oct, 2013 @ 06:59am

    Why civilization fails

    Did you not wonder when you were learning about history, why every great civilization deteriorated and finally fell. Now you know -- and knowing is half the battle, right ? :)

    When you don't learn from history - you are bound to re-live it.

  • On the post: Schools Ban Tag, Cartwheels And 'Unstructured Play:' The Inevitable Outcome Of Unrealistic Promises And Expectations [UPDATED]

    MikeC ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2013 @ 03:36pm

    Re: God it took an Allstate commercial to say it right!

    Here is the link to full commercial ... I might have to switch my insurance back.

    http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7noF/allstate-good-life

  • On the post: Schools Ban Tag, Cartwheels And 'Unstructured Play:' The Inevitable Outcome Of Unrealistic Promises And Expectations [UPDATED]

    MikeC ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2013 @ 03:33pm

    God it took an Allstate commercial to say it right!

    "Man-eating sharks live in every ocean, but we still swim. Lighting strikes somewhere in the world, but we still play in the rain. So many things can happen. However, bad things in life can't stop us from making our lives good."

    Text from an Allstate Commercial!

    This should be an anthem for our kids.

  • On the post: Schools Ban Tag, Cartwheels And 'Unstructured Play:' The Inevitable Outcome Of Unrealistic Promises And Expectations [UPDATED]

    MikeC ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2013 @ 07:24am

    Re: You miss a crucial point in the story

    To pay attention to this part of the story:

    The school district, in a press release, said that due to construction going on at the school, there is "limited space" for the children to play during their 20-minute recess period. "With children in close proximity to each other, it is not safe for them to be engaged in unstructured play with hardballs," said the district.

    Would not lead to the hyperbola of the moment that ever news source (even Mike) loves to see. This is on case where most everyone has it wrong. Now if they should not raise the ban when the construction is done, we have a legitimate discussion point.

    Mike C.

  • On the post: Anonymous Indictment Raises Serious Question: Is It Really A CFAA Violation To DDoS A Website?

    MikeC ( profile ), 04 Oct, 2013 @ 08:56am

    Re: Letters

    How would sending some business thousands of letters be illegal. They publish an address, accept mail. Don't see how that would be illegal and by your analogy a ddos attack isn't either.

  • On the post: NYC Tracking E-ZPass Tags All Over The City, Without Telling Drivers

    MikeC ( profile ), 13 Sep, 2013 @ 08:45am

    In a conrete/technology world you have to be Stainless Steel Rat

    Slippery Jim Digriz knew this -- you can't be any kind of rat today.. in this world you have be a stainless steel rat. More technology - easier to track just seems obvious.

    How 'bout conspiracy theory here? (got to put on my new tin foil hat)

    It's obvious - the next step is you can track and fake locations, simple to frame anyone. The holders of this technological data are king makers. They can make it appear you are somewhere your not, link you to things you couldn't have done, everyone believes in technology.

    Think how this could affect political ambitions, elections, etc. Everyone is only worried about collecting data, but when you take it to some logical conclusions, based on how we already have secret interpretations of laws, etc.. No ethics, no morals, it's a small step to manipulating events. You know what they say about absolute power!

  • On the post: Yelp Sues Law Firm For Posting Fake Reviews

    MikeC ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2013 @ 01:48pm

    Decreasing Yelp Value both perceived & monetary

    Yelp in the business of collecting and consolidating reviews of businesses. Yelp provides value and creates income by providing a central repository that is searchable.

    If a business is posting fake reviews not only are they violating TOS and guilty of false advertising (since they are promoting their own company), they are materially decreasing Yelp's value in their central business activity. At a minimum an organized process to fake reviews should have incur a civil liability for a legal response in Yelp's point of view. Not sure how much it's actually worth but it's a solid argument in Yelp's favor.

  • On the post: Embrace The Hate: One ICE Employee's Quest For A Race War

    MikeC ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 06:00pm

    NSA/DHS WhiteList/BlackList?

    If the NSA is tracking all internet traffic, there are threats against the POTUS and others -- did they miss it or is there a
    "WhiteList" and "BlackList" for whom they actually check on. "PUN INTENDED" ...

  • On the post: Congress Gave Boy Scouts Special Law To Let Them Be Obnoxious Trademark Bullies

    MikeC ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2013 @ 07:23pm

    Re: Re: Re: Scouts -- I can see this one "EDIT"

    Make that "don't have the power to change carte blanche"

  • On the post: Congress Gave Boy Scouts Special Law To Let Them Be Obnoxious Trademark Bullies

    MikeC ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2013 @ 07:22pm

    Re: Re: Scouts -- I can see this one

    I don't tolerate policy's I don't like, I deal with them. I do have the power to change them carte blanche, I can't decree and banish them. I can only deal with the world, attempt to influence change, which I have done throughout. I don't whine, I don't posture, I act and I have acted on a continual basis.

    The world ain't fair! I tell that to my scouts all the time. You can be a soapboxer, tell everyone else how to run their life or you can quietly run your own, be an agent for improvement.

    If more people would spend more time getting involved and working from the inside and less time complaining, we could get a lot more progress. Odd that is just what we teach our scouts to do, not push from the outside but lead. That is how to affect change.

    If you find the policies so infuriating, why haven't you joined scouting, been a mentor, worked to improve young men's futures while working for change. Instead of just complaining about how backward you think BSA policies are.

    I feel I can be much more effective on a child by child, adult by adult basis than all the grandstanding I see every day. Look how far scouting has come in just last 10 years, accepting of more. We are working with an organization steeped in tradition. It's hard to move a mountain, but it does not matter what you want to accomplish, it's still one shovel full at a time to get it done. Pick up a shovel and help, don't just complain the mountain isn't coming to you.

    Remember, as I tell my scouts, - "Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion" -Muhammad Ali.

    Mike C

  • On the post: Congress Gave Boy Scouts Special Law To Let Them Be Obnoxious Trademark Bullies

    MikeC ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2013 @ 01:41pm

    Re: Re: Scouts -- I can see this one

    Actually in this case I don't see at bullying - not that I haven't seen BSA bully and whine in many ways including trademarks and I have to admit I am against the law highlighted in this story. In this case though I can see the BSA point of view.

    The 'baiters and troller's hammering on scouts was the direction of the idea folks might have had a bad experiences with scouts. I've seen a lot boys drop out or never go above 1st class. That is our goal in the troop, everyone makes it to first class - just for the skill sets - otherwise it's up to them. If the just want to enjoy scouts, that's fine, if they want to progress, that is hoped for.

    Mike C.

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