Qyiet 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Venezuelan Government Blames Video Games For Violence, Implements Widespread Ban

    Qyiet ( profile ), 09 Nov, 2009 @ 12:18pm

    Interesting experiment

    This is a good thing.. Well not for the Venezuelans (and I am sorry guys).

    But lets keep a running track on violent crime figures and see if there is any significant difference. While correlation isn't causation, and we can't infer much from what comes out, if there IS a link then there should be a measureable difference in the stats after that ban goes live.

    I'm sure the 'think of the children' people will ignore any data.. but at least it will give us ammunition to stop similar lunacy in our own countries.

  • On the post: Apple Does As Many Expected: Kills Palm Pre iTunes Syncing

    Qyiet ( profile ), 15 Jul, 2009 @ 03:45pm

    Actually... I use windows media player

    The new versions work very nicely thankyou very much.

    I however don't use an ipod for a varitey of reasons, but mostly because I can't stand itunes. So if you still need to sync that toy up it's no help there.

  • On the post: Australian Press Prints Movie Industry Myths About Piracy Funding Terrorism

    Qyiet ( profile ), 29 Jun, 2009 @ 05:46pm

    Where is the SMH Fail story?

    I thought the competing papers like to point out when their competition screw up good.

    I would think that this is a good opertunity to point out the quality of the journalism going on at the SMH. Hell Mike's done most of their research for them :)

  • On the post: New Zealand Officials To Scrap Copyright Law; Start From Scratch

    Qyiet ( profile ), 30 Apr, 2009 @ 04:02pm

    Re: Godzone and dissemination of innovation

    Since the LLU (local loop unbundling) has started breaking the monopoly of the incumbent telecomunications provider we seem to be doing allright.

    But before that the regulator was being continually strung along by the major players.

    I would currently give the regulation a B ranking.

    Qyiet

  • On the post: New Zealand Officials To Scrap Copyright Law; Start From Scratch

    Qyiet ( profile ), 30 Apr, 2009 @ 03:57pm

    I don't like the odds

    Of them getting it right. When John Key (NZ Prime Minister) was first questioned about this whole debacle his solution was to delay the law so that the "stakeholders" could come to an agreement.

    My problem is by stakeholders he ment copyright holders and ISPs. Nothing about the public.

    But at least they didn't screw it up completely, and are having another go.. it can't be *worse*.

    Qyiet (a NZer)

  • On the post: Yellow-Pages Publishers Teetering On The Brink

    Qyiet ( profile ), 20 Nov, 2008 @ 12:20pm

    In NZ yellow pages are awesome

    Our monopoly teleco spun the group off for a substantial bit of cash.

    The reason it's making money in NZ though is they still do the dead tree version, but the primary version is the website.

    www.yellowpages.co.nz is actually very useful.

  • On the post: Survey Says Link To Video Games And Unsafe Driving Is 'Indisputable' — Which, Of Course, It Isn't

    Qyiet ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2007 @ 11:35am

    Video games saved my ass

    All I know about skid control I learned from video games... well not entirely true I learned theory while getting my drivers license. But I learnt the practice while playing a car racing game with a wheel, and I swear it saved me at least a dented car, and possibly a lot more.

    I was in a line of fast moving traffic, and saw my exit as I was going past it, and for whatever reason tried to take it anyway... My car started to skid out, but I reacted instinctively, releasing the breaks, and straightening the car, then pulling it around. I made the corner ... just. I attribute that entirely to the "practice" I had that month on a Porsche driving game.

    The good physics in that game meant that when I hit the same problem in the real world I just corrected, it was a learned movement. I dread to think what would have happened had the car spun.. It would have been a mess.