Pen 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (78)

• On the post: Top German Publisher Says: 'You Wouldn't Steal A Pound Of Butter… So We Need A Snippet Tax'

  

  Pen ( profile ), 13 Jun, 2018 @ 12:12pm

  You know, I have yet to see a single source explain how a snippet tax is anything more than trying to charge people for talking about a news story and directing others who are interested to the original source. Apparently "on the internet" really does change everything.

• On the post: ISP Announces It's Blocking All Facebook And Google Ads Until Companies Pay A Troll Toll

  

  Pen ( profile ), 01 Oct, 2015 @ 11:20am

  Re:

  The root issue here isn't that the isp is blocking ads, but that they think they have the right to interfere with, and ultimately modify without consent, the flow of traffic between users.
  
  There's little difference between them doing this and deciding they're going to start censoring anything they feel like.

• On the post: Cablevision Follows Comcast Down The Compulsory WiFi Hotspot Rabbit Hole

  

  Pen ( profile ), 27 Jul, 2015 @ 07:12am

  Re: Re: One thing gained

  Unless the wifi network is using a separate router you're still giving strangers access to your network hardware. Care to guess how easily the security on lease-grade routers can be cracked?

• On the post: Yeah, Russia Probably Forged A Weapons Cache Supposedly From The US Using A Video Game To Model The Weapons

  

  Pen ( profile ), 27 Jul, 2015 @ 07:17am

  So, even if this were true am why am I having a hard time caring? Last I checked, despite what Russia desires, the Ukraine was a sovereign power that they were illegally attempting to annex.

• On the post: We're Still Cultural Nitwits When It Comes To Cell Phone Etiquette And Enforcement

  

  Pen ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2015 @ 06:27pm

  Out of all those stories the one I find most interesting is the one about the actress stealing an audience member's phone. I'm not interested the act itself so much, but the fact that so many people in every forum I've seen the story discussed in can't wrap their heads around the idea that being rude with a phone doesn't give people the right to assault the phone user and steal their property.

• On the post: Amazon Fire TV Firmware Update Bricks Rooted Devices, Prevents Rollback To Previous Firmware Versions

  

  Pen ( profile ), 05 Dec, 2014 @ 01:23pm

  Re: Re: Why I don't purchase any e-cruft from Amazon

  Except for the part on the product description page that clearly states "Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited" on non-DRM ebooks...
  
  Seriously, it takes 10 seconds max to scroll down the page and see the description.

• On the post: Islamic Extremists Use YouTube's Automated Copyright Dispute Process To Access Critics' Personal Data

  

  Pen ( profile ), 07 Nov, 2014 @ 10:00am

  Liability?

  So, given that YouTube was made aware of the threat and ignored it, why can't they be held liable as an accessory to murder if something happens to this guy as a result of their forced disclosure?

• On the post: MPAA And Movie Theaters Issue A Complete Ban On Google Glass, Because They 'Have A Long History Of Welcoming Tech Advances'

  

  Pen ( profile ), 30 Oct, 2014 @ 07:07am

  Let's not forget the part where, as part of he his ban, they're encouraging theatres to get the police involved with anyone they suspect of recording, as well as encouraging theatres to implement random bag and jacket checks to ensure compliance.
  
  Sorry, but the moment some pimply-faced teen popcorn sweeper tells me they want me to open my jacket so they can do a security check is the moment I tell them off and walk out in full drama queen mode. They want to make my, expensive and rare, date night unpleasant. I'll skip the theatre and wait for the movie to come out on for sale. It's not like there aren't plenty of other things to do or vids to watch that don't violate my personal space or privacy rights.

• On the post: DEA Impersonated Woman, Set Up Fake Facebook Page, Posted Photos From Her Seized Phone To Make It Look Real

  

  Pen ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2014 @ 08:35am

  And let me guess: if she gets Facebook to shut down HER page, as she's allowed to do per the terms of service, they'll charge her with obstruction.

• On the post: DailyDirt: Don't Eat Fat. Or Sugar. How About Just Less Of Everything?

  

  Pen ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2014 @ 10:07am

  Re: Because Science....

  Sorry to tell you, but both trans fats and unpasteurized foods are bad for you. Can you survive without pasteurization? Sure, but to act like you're not playing roulette every time you do is a fallacy.
  
  As for the "global cooling, global warming" but... Sorry, but the science is pretty much completely decided on that one. The fact that politicians and industry lobbyists are trying to muddy the waters and keep the status quo around doesn't negate the fact that global warming is a reality.

• On the post: Another Online Retailer Thinks It Can Charge Customers For Complaining; Now Facing Lawsuit In New York

  

  Pen ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2014 @ 06:14am

  Re:

  They've got that covered with threatening to trash your credit rating if you do so.

• On the post: Learning From History: How One Lying Liar Almost Screwed The Comic Book Industry

  

  Pen ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2014 @ 05:29am

  Re:

  We don't see an increased level of violence or sexual assault, no matter how much your tv news might convince you otherwise. Try again.

• On the post: Do Nature's Publishers Even Read Their Own Articles About Open Access?

  

  Pen ( profile ), 17 Apr, 2014 @ 04:53am

  This doesn't surprise me, though I'm glad to see that some universities are starting to actually enforce open access rules. I spent ten years in these corporate world before returning to college to continue my education. Before I returned I picked up and extremely technical hobby and constantly ran up against institutional firewalls when trying to access even the most basic journal articles on techniques and research. Since returning to college? Not so much, because my university pays for the fees.
  
  As a result I find myself hoarding articles that are even of remote interest to my hobby, because I know that as soon as I'm no longer a student I won't be able to afford to access them.
  
  They say that the era of the independent scientist changing the world is over. What they don't say is that is, in large part, because they've been priced out of the conversation unless they have the backing of large business's or universities.

• On the post: The TSA Vs. The Fourth Amendment: You're Free To Board A Plane, But You're Not Free To Leave The Screening Area

  

  Pen ( profile ), 08 Apr, 2014 @ 10:24am

  Re: You got it slightly wrong.

  You honestly believe that? Tell me, does the rest of the world have the same sort of security theater as we do? My European friends say no, and they fly all the time. It's a miracle most of them aren't dead apparently.

• On the post: Thanks Anti-Vax Loons: The Return Of The Measles And The Backlash Against Jenny McCarthy

  

  Pen ( profile ), 19 Mar, 2014 @ 08:00pm

  Re: Who are "anti-vaxxers," really?

  "Who can help autistic children recover? What are the actual strategies that help autistic children recover?"

  Tell you what: bring peer-reviewed evidence to the table supporting a link between autism and vaccination and then we can talk.
  
  Is it a rule that people who are against vaccines are required to Gish Gallop their arguments and believe that "natural herbs" are a way to combat the influence of "big Pharma"? You couldn't sound like bigger kooks if you tried.

• On the post: Will Cheese Derail TAFTA/TTIP?

  

  Pen ( profile ), 14 Mar, 2014 @ 06:47am

  You know, for something that's supposedly a "shadow of the original" the a EU sure does guy a lot of American cheese. I don't know about the rest of the nation but here in Wisconsin my local grocery store has an entire aisle devoted to just cheese, and the selection and quality is just as good as the best I ever experienced in Europe.
  
  The EU is pretending to be a gaggle of cheese snobs to cover up for a blatant attempt to prop up their local cheese makers and harm their biggest competitor. It couldn't be more obvious.

• On the post: Turns Out When Random House Said Libraries 'Own' Their Ebooks, It Meant, 'No, They Don't Own Them'

  

  Pen ( profile ), 24 Oct, 2012 @ 07:31pm

  When I was gifted a kindle I didn't think twice about purchasing ebooks, and I've since converted all of my book buying to electronic format. The difference? The very first thing I do when I buy a DRM'd book is download it to my computer, crack the encryption, and back it up. I don't share it, and it's strictly for my own personal use. Last I checked when I go to any of the ebook storefronts they all say "buy", not "license".

• On the post: Debunking The Myth That The Internet Generation Doesn't Buy Or Read Books

  

  Pen ( profile ), 22 Aug, 2012 @ 07:14am

  Re:

  Textbooks are an insignificant fraction of total books purchased. There's no way a slight uptick in college attendance could allow my generation to overtake the Boomers in book consumption.

• On the post: Kevin Smith's Red State Movie Nearing Profitability… Even Prior To Regular Theatrical Release

  

  Pen ( profile ), 22 Apr, 2011 @ 09:27am

  Re:

  You, my friend, have just convinced me to find any means I can to put money towards this film and in Mr. Smith's pocket. Congratulations. Now crawl back under whatever rock you crawled out of, if you would.

• On the post: Kevin Smith's Red State Movie Nearing Profitability… Even Prior To Regular Theatrical Release

  

  Pen ( profile ), 22 Apr, 2011 @ 09:21am

  Re: Re: Re: ticketmaster

  So is this turning into a "turtles all the way down" scenario or something? I fail to see how having a Q&A screening is the same thing as DRM just because he didn't go out of his way to show it to as many people as possible.
  
  How is it even a debatable issue that one-on-one interaction with a content creator is a scarce value service? Your argument is stretched beyond the realm of credibility, please pull it back before your brain falls out.

Next >>