Loonie Legislators and that Wacky Webernet Thingo

I got a letter from my senator in response to my complaint about this. Apparently, it will be good for me and I will thank him once I see how much better off I am with less freedom and more censorship.

The Democrats in Congress have voted to preserve net neutrality. At least they can get together for SOMETHING.

Good for them. Just out of curiosity -- who voted against net neutrality?

ddt

Sounds like the entire GOP in the Senate. You know, the whole unfair binding of corporate hands.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-the-gop-became-the-party-of-the-rich-20111109

Dogammit if Rolling Stone isn't the last bastion of good investigative reporting.

Funny how we've settled for calling that bill net neutrality even though it excepts wireless networks.

Funny how we've settled for calling that bill net neutrality even though it doesn't cover wireless networks.

Oh, goody, the DOJ wants to make violating a website's terms of service a felony.

Hmm...

Telcos cave in to ARIA and the MPAA

This would bother me a whole lot less if DVDs of TV shows & movies were released simultaneously worldwide or even within a short period of time. It doesn't work that way however - I've been waiting over a year for Going Postal to come out on Australian (region 4) DVD - I could fart about trying to get a UK region 2 version but it may not play on both mine & my parent's DVD players (my Dad's a big Pratchett fan too). I'd really like to pay for a legitimate copy so it may encourage further Pratchett films to be released on region 4 DVD. I'm also not going to order an expensive overseas version which only reinforces their decision to not release a version in Australia.

So, after a year I've given up waiting and have just pirated it.

What a pity...

So long, internet, it was nice. Welcome, Better Business Approved TCP/IP Shopping Experience!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2011 11:39AM by John Willoughby.

Oh, good, more of my industry gets exempted from basic employment protections. We're special because in the eighties and nineties consultants made more money than industry wanted to pay. They found it cheaper to pay off Congress to exempt IT workers from OT protection.

A good news story...

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/funny-money-louis-ck-earns-1-million-in-12-days-with-5-video-20111227-1pb6g.html

Here's a community that is either going to rapidly change its library internet policies or get its teeth kicked out by the ACLU.

"Something online offends/defames/describes me! Remove it and make sure it never happens again!"

Indian authorities want "obscenity" (primarily people who post things about the authorities that aren't flattering) to be banned online. And they want the internet to be screened by humans, not machines.

Even in a country with a billion people, that seems like it will translate to "shut the internet down, go bankrupt, or be sued into oblivion."


I cannot wait until the generation that thinks of the internet as a "series of tubes," primarily used for theft and libel, to retire and let competent people make internet policy decisions.

Sigh...

The solution is simple, client-side filtering software for anyone who doesn't want to be offended by the real world. Server-side filtering just doesn't work.

Coming soon: iBigot™ and iFanatic™ - see the internet through the theocratically coloured and approved glasses of your choice!

Politicians don't want OTHERS to read unfavorable comments about them (the politicians), so censoring the entire internet is required.

Well, BREIN has gotten their way, two ISPs (one is mine) have been ordered to block the piratebay.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/11/dutch_clog_piratebay_again/

We'll see how it'll work out, I've decided to never buy a DVD again from the major labels since I don't want to subsidise this nonsense.

I don't really like the nonsense about the piratebay but I'm happy to buy DVDs providing they're not exorbitantly priced (under $15 for a movie, under $30 for a TV series), they're not garbage and they are released in a timely manor worldwide.

If they delay the Australian release by a year (or don't bother at all) - I'll download instead.

If they price "boutique" indie moves at $38, I'll download instead.

If I suspect a movie may be hyper-marketed crap, I'll download and save wasting money on something I'll regret.

I have often bought legit copies of stuff I've downloaded if it's really good. Game of Thrones comes out on DVD this march and even if the box-set is $50 for the fanboys, I'll be there with bells on. Had I not heard about it and watched it online, I'd have never bothered.

I dispute the notion that piracy is hurting DVD sales (or at the very least, the amount it's claimed to bve).

Judging the 2000 DVDs in my cupboard, I'd say I've been a good customer over the last 10 years or so. However, time are moving on. I like the convenience of having a digital download, however, the industry cannot get their act together and rather works with 'solutions' such as the blocking of the Piratebay than come up with an alternative. NetFlix or any other alternative is not available in my area, nor will it become available in the near future.

I'm a Spotify subscriber for as long as it's available in my country, I am willing to pay for media, but CDs were not an option for me in the last 10 years. The format and business model were just outdated.

No longer shall I be the silly person who pays 15-20 euros for a film, only to be called a thief in one of those unskippable clips at the beginning of the DVD. I will start paying again for films if I'm treated as a customer.

Quote

If I suspect a movie may be hyper-marketed crap, I'll download and save wasting money on something I'll regret.

Not conforming to the movie studio's carefully analysis of their market? You must be a dangerous deviant who should be locked up!