Dark Helmet 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:41am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Meh, whatever. If you really think I had some agenda here despite what I've put in the comments, you'll never be convinced, so I won't waste my time.

  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:37am

    Re: I hate to be the one to point this out...

    "so yeah, the lead in felt like you had an agenda that you were trying to push at the expense of the story."

    Wow, really!?!?! I went out of my way to say mention only that everyone involved in the process would have been thought to be even more vigilant than they already were. Christ, I can't see how the lead in blames gun owners at all?

    And, by the way, I should mention that I'm a 2nd amendment supporter as well. Well, actually, I can't believe that I have to mention that since this piece was written to be a-political....

  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:32am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    JD, he's actually correct. Technically any assault rifle needs to be full-auto for the term to apply. This is what is commonly referred to as an assault WEAPON, which has more to do with asthetics than performance or specs.

    On the other hand, given that I didn't take a pro or anti gun stance in this article, sounds like a bunch of butthurt over nothing....

  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:30am

    Re:

    "2) What do you mean "military-grade weapon?" What makes it "military-grade?" The fact that it doesn't fall apart when you fire it?"

    Um, no, I mean that the manufacturer refers to it as Mil-spec and Mil-STD throughout its description and specs.

    http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/sig716-patrol-rifle.aspx

    Wow, you gun folks take such minor things seriously. You did note, I hope, that at no point did I take a position for or against gun ownership here?

  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:25am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Meh, so by strict definition it's an assault WEAPON, not an assualt RIFLE, because it's only semi-auto. Forgive me for not looking up its action specs prior to writing the piece based on a story in which everyone calls it an AR.

    Any other meaningless quips?

  • On the post: Honest Mistake: Order A TV From Amazon, Receive An Illegal Assault Rifle

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 11:03am

    Re:

    My understanding is that assualt rifles like this are actually illegal to own in the District of Columbia...

  • On the post: The Daily Show's Awesome Re-imagining Of How Whistleblower Thomas Drake Was A Spy

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 09:53am

    Re: Not a nickel

    Um...then why vote for him?

  • On the post: Legit Ebook Lending Site Taken Down By An Angry Twitmob Of Writers [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 06:45am

    Re: Pirate?

    Sheila:

    I'm an author as well, but I also work in the technology field and write for Techdirt, so trust me when I tell you how ridiculously wrong you are about how lending eBooks works. eBooks CAN be returned through Amazon's lending DRM, and in fact that is exactly what occurs after 14 days. Libraries are also beginning to lend out eBooks under a similar platform.

    Your comment smacks of someone who would think that libraries are a detriment to your income. They are NOT. They facilitate purchases through borrowing and expanding reach, culture, and interest.

    You're wrong. Really wrong, on this one, in fact, and thinking like yours got a legitimate business shut down. Please stop doubling down on incorrectness and learn about the things you're choosing to speak of before you help harm anyone else...

  • On the post: Legit Ebook Lending Site Taken Down By An Angry Twitmob Of Writers [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2012 @ 06:11am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Brenna, thanks for commenting here. While we obviously disagree on some of the finer points regaring copyright and IP law generally, we can obviously agree that the overzealous takedown of Lendink was wrong, as are any stupid and childish threats that are being made against the authors who screwed up.

    The problem with what I call Permission Culture is that authors (which I also am, though likely not nearly as accomplished as most in this story) receive only one side of the story from their agents, publishers, and most other authors. They are told that copyright is the most important thing in their industry, all piracy is bad, and that's how all this starts. Authors wouldn't HAVE to freak out and overreact because they are so "worn out from piracy" as you say, if only they would understand how they can combat infringement socially rather than legally.

    But, in any case, disagree though we might, thanks for being one of the good ones....

  • On the post: Legit Ebook Lending Site Taken Down By An Angry Twitmob Of Writers [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 01:26pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    "Understood, but how does attacking me on other sites and twitter correct a mistake."

    It doesn't. Not at all. The people attacking you, since you obviously and sincerely backed down from your one bad tweet, are idiots. More importantly, anyone threatening you or your wife should perhaps face serious consequences for that. I wouldn't condone any threats or undue attacks in any way.

    But the point is that this is what ignorance and an overly aggressive permission culture creates: anger and conflict....

  • On the post: Legit Ebook Lending Site Taken Down By An Angry Twitmob Of Writers [UPDATED]

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 12:28pm

    Re:

    "As with many ...my opinion was incorrect and I did apologise."

    While I certainly appreciate the fact that you apologized, this is what happens in today's copyright/patent/trademark driven permission culture. I am an author as well, but your apologized-for overreaction is a bit like the American apology for accidentally bombing the shit out of an Islamic funeral; the damage has been done and the apology accomplishes nothing for those hurt....

  • On the post: Even The Sex At The Olympics Is Sponsored

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 10:58am

    Re: Re: Memo:

    I like the way you think, sir....

    *Dials Logan Tom immediately*

  • On the post: Even The Sex At The Olympics Is Sponsored

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 10:41am

    Re: Sex in the Olympics?

    Bravo! Extremely well done. This had damn well better show up on the Sunday list....

  • On the post: Even The Sex At The Olympics Is Sponsored

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 10:34am

    Memo:

    "Averaged among 10,490 athletes, that?s enough condoms for every athlete to have sex 15 times over the Olympics? three weeks"

    Note to self: Become an Olympic athlete....

  • On the post: Crowdsourced Erotic Fiction Novel Hits #4 On The iTunes Charts

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 07:38am

    Re: Re: The Tom Sawyer business model

    You really whacked him around, huh?

  • On the post: Australian Advertising Watch Group Says Companies Are Responsible For Comments On Their Facebook Pages

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 07 Aug, 2012 @ 02:37pm

    Re:

    But....But....It's Australian for beer!!!

  • On the post: Why Are New Zealand Prosecutors Seeking To Suppress All Images & Video Of Megaupload Raid?

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 07 Aug, 2012 @ 12:04pm

    Re:

    I note he also retweeted links from Reuters and Business Week. Using your awesomely stupid logic, those organizations are "piracy apologists" as well.

    Idiot....

  • On the post: Authors Guild Asks For $750 For Every Book Google Scans; While Google Points Out That There's No Evidence Of Any Harm

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 07 Aug, 2012 @ 08:02am

    Re:

    Um, you've inserted a decimal where none belongs....

  • On the post: App Developer: Android OS Built For Piracy And Consumer Choice Sucks

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 03 Aug, 2012 @ 12:42pm

    Re:

    "Piracy is a readily-fixable customer experience problem.

    Piracy happens because you?re fucking people (notably, via pricing).

    Piracy is your fault."

    How certain are we that this was not in a Christmas card to Google?

  • On the post: What Would You Like To Hear In A Techdirt Podcast?

    Dark Helmet ( profile ), 02 Aug, 2012 @ 06:01pm

    Re: Business "models"

    Dude, how long have you been saving that link for this kind of thing?

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