>>>"Man, I think I probably shouldn't buy a movie unless I know it's one I want to keep and watch several times."
Precisely..... except I would wait for the T3 DVD rip rather than watch shakycam. If I like it, then I'll buy T3 legally and put it next to Transformers 1. If not, I'll delete it off my drive, and have saved myself a shitload of money (like I did with T2).
>>>the qualitative assessment of whether or not a movie is "good?"
I was able to return the Hershey bar because of a qualitative assessment (it tasted like wax). Why not have the same right with DVDs? Surely you're not suggesting a lowly candy company has BETTER customer service than Hollywood?!?!? Actually that IS what I'm suggesting. (Hollywood sucks.)
>>>If the seller doesn't say that it works, and simply says "as-is," that's it, period
You're wrong. I don't have time to dig-up the caselaw, but time after time after time judges have ruled that their is an "expectation of functionality when the buyer can not see or test the item" and therefore if the item does not work, and the seller did not reveal that fact to the buyer, the seller has violated the law and must (1) refund the money and (2) plus court costs and other expenses incurred by the buyer.
If you don't believe me, try selling something on ebay that is "as is" but broken, and don't reveal that fact to the buyer. I can guarantee when the buyer complains, he/she WILL get their money back, either by paypal, or by Visa credit card, or by lawsuit.
What you describe as "love" is incorrect. The Constitution is a piece of paper and "loving" it makes no more sense than hugging the New York Times.
It IS however the Supreme Law of the land, and I respect that and obey it, even if I disagree with it. For example LP Presidential nominee Harry Browne used to say that creating the US Postal System was a mistake, since it created a monopoly and all the abuses thereof (like overcharging). I think Mr. Browne had a good point, and maybe the USC should be amended to remove that power.
Likewise I think the USC should be amended to revoke copyrights, or at least restore a reasonable timespan (say 25 years). The Constitution is the law and can be changed anytime we feel like it.
>>>He and the other founders considered the practical necessity of intellectual property protections to be paramount to furthering the society,
Oh really. Then why did Jefferson's close friend (and author of the constitution) James Madison say, "Grants of this sort can be justified in very peculiar cases only, if at all; the danger being very great that the good resulting from the operation of the monopoly, will be overbalanced by the evil effect of the precedent; and it being not impossible that the monopoly itself, in its original operation, may produce more evil than good." i.e. RIAA and MPAA.
Learn what the Founders *actually* said, not what you think they said. They were not in any way favorable to the idea of copyrights or the monopolies created by them.
I work for a large organization, and I don't see the MS Outlook is all that great. From my viewpoint it's just an email program + calendar. Both Thunderbird and SeaMonkey have that, plus the Usenet handling so I can participate in newsgroups.
Paypal USED to have a bad experience, until they were sued by the US DOJ and a bunch of states. They've improved a lot - if the package gets lost, or not as advertised, you can get your money back via filing a paypal dispute.
It sucks when people (like me) go-out and look things up, doesn't it? VERIZON DSL Terms of Service -
"You may not exceed the bandwidth usage limitations that Verizon may establish from time to time for the Service, or use the Service to host any type of server. Violation of this section may result in bandwidth restrictions on your Service or suspension or termination of your Service."
>>>>>>e's going to find himself running over and over again in emulators in about 50 years. >> >>its insta-immortality right there.
Reminds me of the short story "Pretty Boy Crossover" from 1986. A young man converts himself to a virtual reality dance club, so he can remain young forever, and be part of the ultimate Remix video.
I was comparing/contrasting the huge difference in cost. My dialup is 50 cents/GB. ATT is $40 per 5GB cap == $8 per GB. So why is amazon charging $150 per?
Whether a magazine is pure text, or has a tons of photos, doesn't make much difference in printing costs. It used to, but not anymore.
And "it costs amazon a lot of to download" is a bit specious. My dialup connection lets me grab 14 gigabytes a month, but still only charges me 7 dollars (basically 0.5 dollars per GB). There's no reason why photos in e-magazines should be charged at $150 per GB.
Mozilla Thunderbird or Mozilla seaMonkey or Mozilla Classilla (mac) or Mozilla Spicebird are all alternatives to MS Outlook for email and usenet access.
They are the same. - except LibreOffice doesn't come with Java for the database - and LO has some new stuff like SVG and MSworks/WordPerfect file support
If Apple, Google, Mozilla, or anybody else thinks I'm going to upload my Porn fiction and store then as "web docs" online, they can just think again. The last thing I need is to have that crap out in the open where any FBI agent or Employer Detective can find them.
I want my Docs on my computer in the privacy of my home. I want to stick with either Microsoft or Libre Office.
BTW the FF5 mockup looks like shit. It looks like they are trying to copy Opera (again), and failing miserably. Or possibly creating another Windows 3-type shell that sits on top of the OS. Ick.
>>>dating back to NeXTStep,.app was the suffix for application bundles
On AmigaOS (which is even older) we didn't use lame DOS-style suffixes. And the apps/programs were called "tools" that were stored in "drawers". And we had preemptive multitasking. And it was good.;-)
They guarantee the right to return a car or house, and that right is even enforced by law. (Lemon laws, failed building inspections, and such.) In fact I know a realtor who was thrown in jail when he screwed-over too many people w/ homes that didn't have proper insulation. The money was refunded and houses demolished.
Not correct. Most credit card companies force stores to accept returns. All you need is proof (such as a delivery confirmation number). And of course there are legal rights, which is how Paypal landed in a lot of trouble, when they violated the consumer protection laws.
As for reviews, as I commented elsewhere, most of the reviews you see in magazines or on Amazon are PAID REVIEWS or PAID employees of the selling company. In fact amazon.com caught one of those movie companies and expelled them.
But it probably didn't take long to create a thousand more aliases to give 4-and-5 star reviews to that company's DVDs. You are being duped if you think you can trust reviews to make purchasing decisions.
>>>>>if you don't like the way an artist offers their work for sale >> >>he belies that he is a Libertarian
Most libertarians don't believe in copyright (grants of monopoly). They don't think anybody has a Natural Right to be given a ~100 year monopoly by the government. Or as Jefferson said: "Stable ownership is the gift of social law, and is given late in the progress of society. It would be curious then, if an idea could, of natural right, be claimed in exclusive and stable property. If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one..... Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property."
>>Fox News Libertarian.
This should not surprise you. Judge Andrew Napolitano is a Libertarian, hates the Rs and Ds equally, but he's on fox news. http://freedomwatchonfox.com/
>>>you can see and hear ample, legit clips online before buying, as well as thousands of reviews by [marketers and paid reviewers] >>>
Fixed that for you. It means you can see 60 seconds of clips on TV or online, plus raving reviews, and the actual movie is still excrement. It means there is NO way to know if the product is good or not until you actually see it for yourself.
That's why I view first, buy later. - Then if it IS good, like Gattaca, I buy it. - If it is bad, I've not thrown away 20 bucks. .
>>>"All Sales Are Final," right? Or are you still insisting that there is no such thing?
Even in those cases, the laws allow a return if the item is not as advertised. i.e. "This mower is sold as is," and the mower does not work, and there was no opportunity to try it before hand, then the Seller is required to refund the money or else face jailtime. That is the law.
The same should be true with movies, even if it's just store credit towards future purchases. Remember: These are the same people who want to make selling used DVDs illegal. If you think I will feel sympathy for them, forget it.
Slashdot Mirror
>>>"Man, I think I probably shouldn't buy a movie unless I know it's one I want to keep and watch several times."
Precisely..... except I would wait for the T3 DVD rip rather than watch shakycam. If I like it, then I'll buy T3 legally and put it next to Transformers 1. If not, I'll delete it off my drive, and have saved myself a shitload of money (like I did with T2).
I did edit it, but slashdot's new comment system can't handle something as simple as a Quote Symbol, and instead prints garbage. Pathetic.
>>>the qualitative assessment of whether or not a movie is "good?"
I was able to return the Hershey bar because of a qualitative assessment (it tasted like wax). Why not have the same right with DVDs? Surely you're not suggesting a lowly candy company has BETTER customer service than Hollywood?!?!? Actually that IS what I'm suggesting. (Hollywood sucks.)
>>>If the seller doesn't say that it works, and simply says "as-is," that's it, period
You're wrong. I don't have time to dig-up the caselaw, but time after time after time judges have ruled that their is an "expectation of functionality when the buyer can not see or test the item" and therefore if the item does not work, and the seller did not reveal that fact to the buyer, the seller has violated the law and must (1) refund the money and (2) plus court costs and other expenses incurred by the buyer.
If you don't believe me, try selling something on ebay that is "as is" but broken, and don't reveal that fact to the buyer. I can guarantee when the buyer complains, he/she WILL get their money back, either by paypal, or by Visa credit card, or by lawsuit.
>>>You might be surprised at how transparent you are, seen from outside of your mom's basement.
My mom's dead.
What you describe as "love" is incorrect. The Constitution is a piece of paper and "loving" it makes no more sense than hugging the New York Times.
It IS however the Supreme Law of the land, and I respect that and obey it, even if I disagree with it. For example LP Presidential nominee Harry Browne used to say that creating the US Postal System was a mistake, since it created a monopoly and all the abuses thereof (like overcharging). I think Mr. Browne had a good point, and maybe the USC should be amended to remove that power.
Likewise I think the USC should be amended to revoke copyrights, or at least restore a reasonable timespan (say 25 years). The Constitution is the law and can be changed anytime we feel like it.
>>>He and the other founders considered the practical necessity of intellectual property protections to be paramount to furthering the society,
Oh really. Then why did Jefferson's close friend (and author of the constitution) James Madison say, "Grants of this sort can be justified in very peculiar cases only, if at all; the danger being very great that the good resulting from the operation of the monopoly, will be overbalanced by the evil effect of the precedent; and it being not impossible that the monopoly itself, in its original operation, may produce more evil than good." i.e. RIAA and MPAA.
Learn what the Founders *actually* said, not what you think they said. They were not in any way favorable to the idea of copyrights or the monopolies created by them.
>>>someone give me a one-word answer. Which is better: OpenOffice or LibreOffice?
"Free" (i.e. the one that is free)
I work for a large organization, and I don't see the MS Outlook is all that great. From my viewpoint it's just an email program + calendar. Both Thunderbird and SeaMonkey have that, plus the Usenet handling so I can participate in newsgroups.
No idea what SharePoint is.
Paypal USED to have a bad experience, until they were sued by the US DOJ and a bunch of states. They've improved a lot - if the package gets lost, or not as advertised, you can get your money back via filing a paypal dispute.
>>>Google Vs. Apple, FIGHT!
Apple creates Safari.
Google strikes-back with Chrome for with below 50 MB memory usage.
Apple release new iMac for $500!
Google releases PC for $100.
FATALITY.
Google wins.
>>>You can run a server with any ISP
It sucks when people (like me) go-out and look things up, doesn't it? VERIZON DSL Terms of Service -
"You may not exceed the bandwidth usage limitations that Verizon may establish from time to time for the Service, or use the Service to host any type of server. Violation of this section may result in bandwidth restrictions on your Service or suspension or termination of your Service."
Wires. That requires an external provider, either a private monopoly or the government. And of course that lets them tap the wire.
>>>>>>e's going to find himself running over and over again in emulators in about 50 years.
>>
>>its insta-immortality right there.
Reminds me of the short story "Pretty Boy Crossover" from 1986. A young man converts himself to a virtual reality dance club, so he can remain young forever, and be part of the ultimate Remix video.
http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/69933.html
No obviously not.
I was comparing/contrasting the huge difference in cost. My dialup is 50 cents/GB. ATT is $40 per 5GB cap == $8 per GB. So why is amazon charging $150 per?
Whether a magazine is pure text, or has a tons of photos, doesn't make much difference in printing costs. It used to, but not anymore.
And "it costs amazon a lot of to download" is a bit specious. My dialup connection lets me grab 14 gigabytes a month, but still only charges me 7 dollars (basically 0.5 dollars per GB). There's no reason why photos in e-magazines should be charged at $150 per GB.
Your argument is reminiscent of those who argue LibreOffice and Ubuntu Linux can not be used as replacements for MS products either.
Free.
Mozilla Thunderbird or Mozilla seaMonkey or Mozilla Classilla (mac) or Mozilla Spicebird are all alternatives to MS Outlook for email and usenet access.
They are the same.
- except LibreOffice doesn't come with Java for the database
- and LO has some new stuff like SVG and MSworks/WordPerfect file support
I wonder how GO-oo and LibreOffice compare?
If Apple, Google, Mozilla, or anybody else thinks I'm going to upload my Porn fiction and store then as "web docs" online, they can just think again. The last thing I need is to have that crap out in the open where any FBI agent or Employer Detective can find them.
I want my Docs on my computer in the privacy of my home. I want to stick with either Microsoft or Libre Office.
BTW the FF5 mockup looks like shit. It looks like they are trying to copy Opera (again), and failing miserably. Or possibly creating another Windows 3-type shell that sits on top of the OS. Ick.
>>>dating back to NeXTStep, .app was the suffix for application bundles
On AmigaOS (which is even older) we didn't use lame DOS-style suffixes. And the apps/programs were called "tools" that were stored in "drawers". And we had preemptive multitasking. And it was good. ;-)
Car dealers and realtors are not exceptions.
They guarantee the right to return a car or house, and that right is even enforced by law. (Lemon laws, failed building inspections, and such.) In fact I know a realtor who was thrown in jail when he screwed-over too many people w/ homes that didn't have proper insulation. The money was refunded and houses demolished.
>>>not right
Not correct. Most credit card companies force stores to accept returns. All you need is proof (such as a delivery confirmation number). And of course there are legal rights, which is how Paypal landed in a lot of trouble, when they violated the consumer protection laws.
As for reviews, as I commented elsewhere, most of the reviews you see in magazines or on Amazon are PAID REVIEWS or PAID employees of the selling company. In fact amazon.com caught one of those movie companies and expelled them.
But it probably didn't take long to create a thousand more aliases to give 4-and-5 star reviews to that company's DVDs. You are being duped if you think you can trust reviews to make purchasing decisions.
>>>>>if you don't like the way an artist offers their work for sale
>>
>>he belies that he is a Libertarian
Most libertarians don't believe in copyright (grants of monopoly). They don't think anybody has a Natural Right to be given a ~100 year monopoly by the government. Or as Jefferson said: "Stable ownership is the gift of social law, and is given late in the progress of society. It would be curious then, if an idea could, of natural right, be claimed in exclusive and stable property. If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one..... Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property."
>>Fox News Libertarian.
This should not surprise you. Judge Andrew Napolitano is a Libertarian, hates the Rs and Ds equally, but he's on fox news. http://freedomwatchonfox.com/
>>>you can see and hear ample, legit clips online before buying, as well as thousands of reviews by [marketers and paid reviewers]
>>>
Fixed that for you. It means you can see 60 seconds of clips on TV or online, plus raving reviews, and the actual movie is still excrement. It means there is NO way to know if the product is good or not until you actually see it for yourself.
That's why I view first, buy later.
- Then if it IS good, like Gattaca, I buy it.
- If it is bad, I've not thrown away 20 bucks.
.
>>>"All Sales Are Final," right? Or are you still insisting that there is no such thing?
Even in those cases, the laws allow a return if the item is not as advertised. i.e. "This mower is sold as is," and the mower does not work, and there was no opportunity to try it before hand, then the Seller is required to refund the money or else face jailtime. That is the law.
The same should be true with movies, even if it's just store credit towards future purchases. Remember: These are the same people who want to make selling used DVDs illegal. If you think I will feel sympathy for them, forget it.