Stepping out of the TiVo box for a moment -- if I record on my very own VHS (sorry, Beta fans...) VCR some television nonsense -- a sporting event that I had to work during, perchance -- and when I watch it later -- as I fast-forward through the commercials, am I being evil and anti-capitalistic and generally a menace to society by ignoring/avoiding/etc those wonderful advertisements that pay for the programming?
If I record a few hours of my favorite radio station for those long car rides out-of-town and no decent stations (everywhere in America has mainstream pop. Everywhere in America has mainstream country. Repeat for rock, jazz, whatever. Crap, is what it is, for the most part), and go over the tape to remove commercials, announcer ads, et al... when I listen to that tape, is the recording device at fault? Should it be banned, because I can avoid the ads?
If I configure Squid or whatnot to not accept anything coming from ads.doubleclick.whateverthehell, and equivalent places... ban all firewall software immediately! It can be used to (horror of horrors) filter unwanted pseudo-content. Dear Lord help us all.
Every corporation larger than a certain size has an intense political agenda -- to make sure the laws either stay as they are, or twist them to make more money (profit). Because they are 'merely' interested in higher profits, this is unpolitical?
Also, a concept for you -- market power. Think MS bundling IE with Win, and 'selling' it for free to begin to pull the rug out from under Netscape. Yes, it was motivated solely out of a desire for higher profits. And the company was even thinking longterm, instead of shortterm returns. Hallelujah! This doesn't reflect directly, immediately on the consumer, those of us contributing information to these corporations, but...
Corporations are inherently political, in the name of higher profits.
Yes, children who grow up in households where there _are_ two parents, and where one lives at home, and there are a few kids (say, more than one, fewer than five) and the parents pay attention to said children grow up more 'normal' than perhaps otherwise. And even if a kid is a geek or a goth or whatever else they want to try that is a hair off center as compared to Joe Preppy, caring parents (and a good dutch uncle) will prepare a kid to think for themselves, help 'em have good self-esteem, et al ad nauseum.
Unfortunately, single parent homes are the norm, the occasional two parent family is more likely to have a single child than not (with both parents working). Kids get spoiled and/or ignored. Kids don't learn 'values' from their parents. Gee, look, we have society.
Slashdot Mirror
Stepping out of the TiVo box for a moment -- if I record on my very own VHS (sorry, Beta fans...) VCR some television nonsense -- a sporting event that I had to work during, perchance -- and when I watch it later -- as I fast-forward through the commercials, am I being evil and anti-capitalistic and generally a menace to society by ignoring/avoiding/etc those wonderful advertisements that pay for the programming?
If I record a few hours of my favorite radio station for those long car rides out-of-town and no decent stations (everywhere in America has mainstream pop. Everywhere in America has mainstream country. Repeat for rock, jazz, whatever. Crap, is what it is, for the most part), and go over the tape to remove commercials, announcer ads, et al... when I listen to that tape, is the recording device at fault? Should it be banned, because I can avoid the ads?
If I configure Squid or whatnot to not accept anything coming from ads.doubleclick.whateverthehell, and equivalent places... ban all firewall software immediately! It can be used to (horror of horrors) filter unwanted pseudo-content. Dear Lord help us all.
--Chuck
Every corporation larger than a certain size has an intense political agenda -- to make sure the laws either stay as they are, or twist them to make more money (profit). Because they are 'merely' interested in higher profits, this is unpolitical?
Also, a concept for you -- market power. Think MS bundling IE with Win, and 'selling' it for free to begin to pull the rug out from under Netscape. Yes, it was motivated solely out of a desire for higher profits. And the company was even thinking longterm, instead of shortterm returns. Hallelujah! This doesn't reflect directly, immediately on the consumer, those of us contributing information to these corporations, but...
Corporations are inherently political, in the name of higher profits.
--C
Especially windows that pop up when you close the browser/leave the site.
Blech.
Yes, children who grow up in households where there _are_ two parents, and where one lives at home, and there are a few kids (say, more than one, fewer than five) and the parents pay attention to said children grow up more 'normal' than perhaps otherwise. And even if a kid is a geek or a goth or whatever else they want to try that is a hair off center as compared to Joe Preppy, caring parents (and a good dutch uncle) will prepare a kid to think for themselves, help 'em have good self-esteem, et al ad nauseum.
Unfortunately, single parent homes are the norm, the occasional two parent family is more likely to have a single child than not (with both parents working). Kids get spoiled and/or ignored. Kids don't learn 'values' from their parents. Gee, look, we have society.