Roger Strong 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Photographer Sues News Agency For Embedding A Tweet Containing His Photo

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 11:16am

    Re: The constant fear of Techdirt: that someone might be paid for their work, and worse when a large corporation can't use it for free.

    Add in that you say the law is clear, but you fear that a court might be misled into a mistake.
    And....? This isn't uncommon. Bad court rulings get overturned - eventually - all the time.
    If deriving profit from use, then it's no longer fair to the creator.
    Late night talk shows commonly poke fun at tweets and video clips from news services and politicians. Should they be required to pay for each instance? It would be ridiculous to do so. This is why fair use and fair dealing exist. We accept reasonable limits on how much you can monetize your creation.

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 09:59am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Not so much, no

    Still unexplained: For a story warning about X followed by lots of people also warning about X, you respond with "no-one here is concerned with X."

    What's up with that?

  • On the post: Game Developer: Just Wait Until The Game Is Cracked And Then We'll Patch Denuvo Out; Game Gets Cracked Immediately

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 04:09pm

    Reporter: "Hi!"

    Gamer: "Zero."

    Reporter: "How long... Oh."

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 08:44am

    Re: An idea to combat this

    Given that the border patrol already seizes phones and other devices in large numbers, anyone who has this setting turned on would simply lose their phone until FaceTwit re-enables their accounts. Including whatever time it takes to ship the phone to a working GPS location.

  • On the post: The Rate Of TV Cord Cutting Is Actually Worse Than You Think

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 07:47am

    Re: Re:

    They don't think that way. Instead they'd bribe, er, "lobby" public officials to ban avocados and toasters. Unless bundled with a sports channel package that you'll never watch.

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 07:23am

    Re: Re: Not so much, no

    but hey it's TD, this place does not understand the concept of how people constantly work against themselves in the pursuit of something they "think" will benefit them.
    To summarize:
    • TD posts a story warning of how the American people (via government) are working against themselves in the pursuit of something they "think" will benefit them. "The slow boil of ultra-intrusiveness at the border is underway. Americans apparently signed away a great deal of their rights in exchange for some national security..." A common theme at Techdirt.
    • A bunch of readers respond - as they often do - with posts about how people constantly work against themselves in the pursuit of something they "think" will benefit them.
    AND THEN...
    • Anonymous Coward declares "but hey it's TD, this place does not understand the concept of how people constantly work against themselves in the pursuit of something they "think" will benefit them."
    I don't want to sound insulting or abusive. I'm honestly curious: What's wrong with you?

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 05:55am

    Re: Re: Up Next...

    But enough people. It's one of the reasons I closed down my Facebook account years ago: I could set all the privacy settings to maximum, never tag my face in photos, and never grant an app permission to retrieve my details and contacts. It didn't matter. Any "friend" could tag my name on their own photos, even a photo from 20 years ago, and one can only assume that it puts you into a face recognition database. Anyone could sign up for a game or contest, and in doing so grant access to all their "friends'" information including yours. The more functions these "assistants" get, the more information they'll leak about their owners' contacts and friends. If you phone them and they answer via their "assistant", the manufacturer makes the connection between you and your phone number. Plus any details about you in the owner's contact list: Address, birthday, school, work, picture, etc. And probably a voice sample, now connected to your identity. Heck, it'll probably cheerfully remind them: "It's Roger's birthday! Shall I call him?" A reminder made possible by uploading YOUR information - in addition to the owners' - to the cloud.

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 05:00am

    Re: Re: Uhm...

    I'm surprised they didn't name the Utah Data Center with its exabytes of storage Pepperidge Farm.

  • On the post: UK Government Department Says It Will Cost $7 To Send It An Email, But Only If You Are A Foreigner

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 11:01am

    But it seems that the UK government feels it hasn't punished those foolish enough to live beyond the white cliffs of Dover as much as it could...

    Unlike those who keep their bank accounts beyond the white cliffs of Dover.

  • On the post: Photographer Sues News Agency For Embedding A Tweet Containing His Photo

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 10:17am

    Speaking of Dubious IP Claims...

    Sky News is part of Sky UK, the broadcaster that claims ownership of all things "Sky." They forced Microsoft to rename SkyDrive to OneDrive, because using "Sky" for cloud storage "caused confusion among the public."

  • On the post: Telenor Looks To Lead The Anti-Troll Fight In Europe

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 01 Jun, 2017 @ 10:30pm

    Re: ISPs directly get more customers from availability of "free" content, and they don't care about the distant creators.

    And finally: if content was downloaded as alleged,
    The bigger if: IF it was downloaded by who they allege. They're often wrong. They're guessing that the person on the bill was responsible for the download. Worse, they're guessing that the IP address was legit, and belonged to the person on the bill at the time. Which is why it's standard practice for them to drop the lawsuit and run away when anyone tries to defend themselves in court. Which is why they only demand a few thousand dollars, less than the price of a legal defense. Costing the victim a fortune even if they win. Even if the troll runs away. Which is why their trolling has EARNED the "extortion" and "mafia tactics" labels. And why you've earned your reputation for dishonesty.

  • On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2017 @ 04:55am

    Up Next...

    People are putting Google Assistant and Amazon Echo devices in their home, with Microsoft Cortana and Apple Siri devices on the way. Cloud-connected always-on microphones with connections to your calendars, contacts, purchasing habits and more.

    I give it five years before DHS demands the keys to these too.

  • On the post: Our Response To Titan Note Sending A Frivolous Takedown Notice Over Our Critical Coverage

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 01 Jun, 2017 @ 10:45am

    Re:

    Posting a statement like that as an Anonymous Coward. I have never felt so much pity for a human being.

  • On the post: Aussie Catering Company Pokes Brewery Over Trademark Spat, Now Finds Itself Potentially Losing The Mark Entirely

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 07:39pm

    Re: Re: Re: FTFY

    Canada: I can't believe Toronto elected that crazy immature right-wing populist mayor Rob Ford! His antics are so insane that even the American press and late-night comedy shows won't stop talking about him. America: A Canadian mayor? America: Hold my beer....

  • On the post: Aussie Catering Company Pokes Brewery Over Trademark Spat, Now Finds Itself Potentially Losing The Mark Entirely

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 07:06pm

    Re: FTFY

    There's trouble bruin.

  • On the post: Could Firmware Expiration Dates Fix The Internet Of Broken Things…Before People Get Hurt?

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 05:17pm

    Re:

    "Why do these devices need to be accessible from the Internet in the first place?"
    The simple and honest answer - though they're often not honest with the customer about it - is to sell your usage details and other personal information as part of their business model. I picked up a Withings weigh scale. I liked the idea that it could communicate with my iPad via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and give me a chart of my progress. Turns out that's not what it does. Instead it sends all the data to a server in France, and your phone gets it from there. There's no need for this, other then to monetize you. If you want to download the data, you have to register on their web site and get it from there. Their software is really insistent that every time you step on the scale, it should automatically post the results to Facebook and Twitter. Further monetizing you by spamming your friends with garbage advertising claiming to be personal posts. This is what's driving IoT devices in the first place: Those internet connections allow new ways to monetize you. If you can secure it yourself, you can stop it from phoning home and monetizing you. Long before we see legislation allowing users to secure their IoT devices, we'll see DMCA style laws preventing them from doing so.

  • On the post: Consumers Who Had Their Identities Stolen By A Spam Bot Demand FCC Investigate Bogus Net Neutrality Comments

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 01:19pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Their identitites were not stolen

    Fine; substitute "theft" - the word YOU used - with "infringement." Or just "illegal and wrong." My point still stands: Making a personal copy of a movie for legitimate reasons like backups or format shifting isn't illegal and wrong. Selling that copy is. Misrepresenting it as real, is. Mass-producing copies certainly for profit or influence is. I've never seen Techdirt state otherwise. Likewise listing people names can have any number of legitimate purposes that are not illegal and wrong. This mass-copying and misrepresentation for profit and influence IS illegal and wrong. Techdirt is consistent.

  • On the post: Consumers Who Had Their Identities Stolen By A Spam Bot Demand FCC Investigate Bogus Net Neutrality Comments

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 01:06pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Their identitites were not stolen

    "...then forging a person's name on an electronic form isn't theft."

  • On the post: Copyright Troll's Tech 'Experts' Can Apparently Detect Infringement Before It Happens

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 12:12pm

    Re: I hear

    Hackers who keep getting caught, show up later as security experts. They use it to prove to the court that they've "reformed." A celebrity bounty hunter is an ex-con. "It takes a con to catch a con", and other BS.

    I expect that Steele and Hansmeier will eventually reappear as expert consultants who will (for a fee) protect you from copyright trolls.

  • On the post: Consumers Who Had Their Identities Stolen By A Spam Bot Demand FCC Investigate Bogus Net Neutrality Comments

    Roger Strong ( profile ), 31 May, 2017 @ 11:48am

    Re: Their identitites were not stolen

    Making a personal copy of a movie for legitimate reasons like backups or format shifting isn't theft. Selling that copy is. Misrepresenting it as real, is. Mass-producing copies certainly for profit or influence is. I've never seen Techdirt state otherwise.

    Likewise listing people names can have any number of legitimate purposes that are not theft. This mass-copying and misrepresentation for profit and influence IS theft.

    Techdirt is consistent.

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