Dannie blaze 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Corruption Index: If A State Moves To Ban Tesla Direct Sales, It's A Sign Of Corruption

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2014 @ 02:37am

    Used Cars?

    I'm guessing this bizarre regulation doesn't apply to used cars, right?

    So, have Tesla set up in a state where they are allowed to actually sell their cars. Sell one to an employee for a dollar, then have aforementioned employee drive to a state with these idiotic laws and sell it as a 'used' car with a nudge and a wink.
    Job done. Corrupt polticos left with egg on their face, equally corrupt dealerships left fuming. Tesla get to show everyone up. The public wins.

  • On the post: Comcast: Throwing Money At Congress To Approve Our Merger Is Ok Because Congress Represents The People!

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2014 @ 02:40am

    I remain astonished that even when politicians are this blindingly, transparently corrupt, nothing happens. No riots in the streets, no mass twitter outrage, nothing on the mass-media news. Just business as usual.

    The banality of evil, indeed.

  • On the post: USTR Says TPP Must Be Kept Secret, Because The Public Is Too Stupid To Understand It

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2013 @ 01:28pm

    I think it says a lot that as I was glancing at the headline, I honestly expected it to read 'USTR says TPP must be kept secret because Terrorists'.

    And that would not have surprised me.

  • On the post: Newest Leak Shows NSA, GCHQ Infiltrated World Of Warcraft, Second Life

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2013 @ 01:20am

    Re:

    But I'm sure they're all having great fun doing raids with their level 90 Pandaran monk.

    At least someone is benefiting from their work, even if it is just a fantasy world, because they sure as hell aren't doing anything of benefit here on Earth.

  • On the post: MPAA 'Settles' Another 'Victory' Against Hotfile For $80 Million That No Artists Will Ever See

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 04 Dec, 2013 @ 12:27am

    The more stuff like this happens, the more MPAA and similar orgs look like they are running a protection racket. 'Pay up, or you might have an accident' and kneecapping the competition.

  • On the post: Price Elasticity Can Work: Dropping Ebook Price To $1 Catapulted Year-Old Book Onto NYT Best Seller List

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2013 @ 11:40pm

    I keep being stunned as to how few execs in charge of digital media seem to entirely fail to understand simple maths.

    One pound from a million people makes you more than five pounds from a thousand people. This is NOT COMPLICATED.

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

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2013 @ 06:59am

    Re: The good old days

    At my fencing class we play British Bulldog with swords - you take a touch, you join in the middle. It's fantastic fun.

    I do have to wonder if now, though, my parents must have been in the minority, as they accepted the bruises and scrapes I got at school from running, playing and climbing trees with a kind of weary acceptance.

    Its inevitable that kids get hurt at some point. Learning to deal with pain is an important life skill. Minimising risk is sensible, eliminating risk is not only impossible, but attempting it causes more problems than it solves.

  • On the post: Time Warner CEO Says Having Game Of Thrones As 'Most Pirated' Is 'Better Than An Emmy'

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 09 Aug, 2013 @ 12:57am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    The primary effect of infringement is to create abundance from scarcity - like the loaves and fishes parable in the Bible.

    I can I can see it now. The Bible as re-written by MPAA et al. where the baker reports Jesus for infringing on his copyright for making unauthorised copies of his loaves of bread. He ends up on the cross a wee bit earlier and Judas is wandering around confused going 'Wasn't I supposed to be involved in this somehow?'

  • On the post: Sony At E3: Look How Unlike Microsoft We Are!

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2013 @ 05:36am

    Anyone heard Microsoft's response to this debacle? Don Mattrick has gone on record saying 'We have a device for those without a net connection - its called the Xbox 360'

    Wow. Just wow. He's basically saying 'We don't care about you mere peasants without a net connection. Be happy with the scraps we've already thrown you.'

    (Further details here: http://uk.gamespot.com/e3/microsoft-xbox-one-will-be-leading-product-people-love-and-embrace-6409895/)

    I also must agree with those above in the comments. Sony have shown little inclination towards protecting consumers thus far. The stance on used games and always-on at E3 is admirable, but its not carved in stone. And the fact that early indications are that online multiplayer will require PS+ membership is a bad sign of things to come.

    Howeve,r if someone held me at gunpoint and asked me to pick Sony or Microsoft right now, I'd probably pick Sony.

    As always, vigilance and strong consumer pressure is required here, methinks.

  • On the post: VP Joe Biden Believes There's 'No Legal Reason' The Government Can't Slap A Sin Tax On 'Violent Media'

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 16 May, 2013 @ 02:04am

    What about reviews of content deemed to be subject to the 'sin tax', Would film and games reviewers also be subject to it? What about adverts in magazines for violent games/films/etc? Or billboards? Trailers on youtube? Where exactly is the line drawn?

    Do any politicos truly think before they speak? Sometimes I get reminded of my brother-in-law who has ADHD - there seems to be no mechanism in between 'think stupid thing -> Say stupid thing'

  • On the post: BPI Threatens To Sue UK Pirate Party Leaders Personally Due To Internet Proxy

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 18 Dec, 2012 @ 07:34am

    I'm a PPUK member. I and several other members have donated towards legal fund dedicated to fighting this absurd and censorious legal threat.

    I hope that we can see off this ludicrious legal posturing and expose the BPI for the outdated and desperate institution they really are.

  • On the post: South Park Sued Over Big Bad Lollipop

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 16 Oct, 2012 @ 12:16am

    sorry but, that second image... Why Hello there, High Octane Nightmare Fuel!

    Wholesome family show? Not with characters looking like that. South Park should counter-sue the guy for false advertising. *shivers*

  • On the post: Internet Archive Enables Over 1,000,000 Torrents Of Books, Music And Movies

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 08 Aug, 2012 @ 01:26am

    Transformative works sites such as OverClocked Remix (a website that provides fan-created remixes and re-imaginings of video game music) has provided their product for free via torrent for a long, long time now.

    And before anyone gets on their high horse about remixes being infringing, OC Remix has a long history of being supported by the gaming industry, several of the sites remixers have gone on to produce music for game developers - such as Lee Brotherton/Bentley Jones hwo has done music for SEGA. And at least one entire game soundtrack (I believe it was one of the MegaMan games) has been produced entirely by OC remix contributors.

  • On the post: French Film Exec Insists That Anti-Piracy Efforts Made Sure No French Films Were Downloaded For 7 Months

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 01 Jun, 2012 @ 01:32am

    Even if we take this completely bonkers claim as truth, I find it amusing he seems to be announcing it like a victory.

    'No French films have been downloaded! There has been no positive word-of-mouth about upcoming French films. No one has discovered a French film for the first time via the internet. No one has watched an otherwise out-of-print French movie through the power of the internet, therefore exposing our cultural heritage to a generation who would not be otherwise able to enjoy it! VICTORY! ...wait.'

  • On the post: Nobody Cares About The Fixed Costs Of Your Book, Movie, Whatever

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 04 May, 2012 @ 07:22am

    The upshot of this is very simple:

    If, one the one hand someone is making a movie/book/comic/album with a budget of, say, ?1,000. He or she decides to charge charging ?1 per digital copy and ?5 for a physical copy. Say he or she sells 2,000 digital copies and 100 physical copies. That's still a profit of ?1,500.

    On the other hand, there is someone who is making a movie/book/comic/album with a budget of ?2,000,000. He or she charges ?15 for a digital copy and ?40 for a physical copy. He or she sells 10,000 digital copies and 5,000 physical copies. That only makes them 350,000, far short of their budget. They sold far more, but made far less.

    The solution? well, if you're Hollywood, apparently the answer is 'put the guy with a budget of ?1,000 out of business'.

    But if you have the ability to do simple mathematics, the answer is obviously 'Reduce the f***ing budget, moron'.

    Hollywood - Bad at Maths.

  • On the post: UK High Court Expands Censorship Regime: Orders The Pirate Bay To Be Blocked

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 01 May, 2012 @ 01:16am

    Oh goody, the UK Government and courts and now involved in the same pointless, self-defeating game of whack-a-mole as the US. Charming.

    Should be noted that it's only the six major ISPs who have been asked to follow this. Meaning anyone with half a brain and desire to go to the Pirate Bay should probably switch ISPs forthwith. Or, y'know, just use a proxy.

    The UK Pirate Party provides it's own proxy. One reason I signed up to join 'em. Anyone else going to be sailing under the Jolly roger after this?

  • On the post: Is Selling Your Ultraviolet Code Copyright Infringement?

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 23 Apr, 2012 @ 05:39am

    Re:

    Are you going to explain what was actually wrong with it? Or are you just going to make unverified accusations as to the accuracy of the article?

    Flailing about and talking trash about an article does not invalidate its content. Only a valid, well-though-out counter argument can do that.

    But from the looks of things, you don't seem terribly capable of something that clever.

  • On the post: Hollywood Still Trying To Kill The Golden Netflix Goose

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 20 Apr, 2012 @ 08:59am

    I have a question - how would Hollywood react if the tech was available to beam movies and TV directly into your brain? Would we be guilty of 'theft' for 'storing' that data inside our heads?

    Would the Government star seizing people's grey matter because of alleged infringement?

    Would Hollywood demand you pay a licence fee every time you remembered a cool moment in a film?

    Let the reducto ad absurdum begin.

  • On the post: Musician Jonathan Coulton: I Value The Internet A Lot More Than The Record Industry

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 29 Mar, 2012 @ 01:58am

    The loss of the 'Rock Star' business would not be much of a loss at all. how many people have we seen be destroyed by this 'industry'? Driven to slow suicide of massive amounts of alcohol and drugs by the constant pressure, the constant attention from the media, the studios, the record labels, the public...

    We as consumers are also pressured to love the 'next best thing' by the labels who want to shill their new hot pick - the lucky 0.01% they have elevated to stardom. We must like who they want us to like, we must pay what they want us to pay.

    We see these 'rock stars' in every kind of advert imaginable, showing us images of an unattainable goal. I'd be much happier if the goal was attainable for many, many more people. The pressure would be less on those who 'made it' and we would have a real choice in what we wanted to like and what we wanted to pay for the experience.

    Rock and roll is dead.
    Long live rock and roll.

  • On the post: Should We Outlaw Employers From Asking For Social Networking Logins?

    Dannie blaze ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2012 @ 02:41am

    I'm pretty sure that a company trying to pull this in the UK would be violating the Data Protection Act. I'd (politely) tell them so, and inform that anyone requesting mine or any other user's password is technically breaking the law.

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