The only difference being that you have to be a member of Sam's Club/BJ's/CostCo to be in there in the first place. Odds you 'agreed' to being 'questioned' on the way out when you signed the agreement to become a member?
Best Buy doesn't have any such agreement in place...
1)they have poor installation (they just dropped wire in the middle of my living room floor, instead of putting it behind the walls). They installed my satellite on my neighbors roof
Installation is done by independent technicians, and it sounds like you had a lousy one...I know from experience this is true of both satellite and cable installers.
2)Their services DOES go out when it is bad weather, and bad does not really have to be a major storm
Again, sounds like your installer didn't do the job properly. Either connections outside aren't sealed or more likely your dish isn't really aligned very well.
3)They lack customer service skills imho. When I had problems they always tried getting me off the phone, and then their next response "you will have to contact a local authorized dealer who will come out at their given rates." Can't really say much about DirecTV's customer service, but I also haven't had a need to call them more than once in over 2 years. The service just works.
4) They charge an arm & leg for their boxes and once you bought it, god forbid if it breaks. The beauty of satellite is you can choose to buy *quality* equipment, not the 3rd rate crap that the Cable Co's force on you. If you buy cheapo stuff and it breaks, well you get what you pay for. Also you can buy the feature you *want* instead of just what they want to give you.
With cable tv:
1) They wire behind your walls
Installer issue again.
2) If the service goes out they come and fix it (no charge to you) With satellite, generally anything that's 'wrong' is fixable by *you*. No waiting on a tech if you are even moderately 'handy'. Aligning a dish isn't hard (assuming it's not on your roof *smile*). But there isn't anything between you and the signal, unlike cable where the tech might be down the street just unplugging every connection till he finds the house he wants...I've watched them do that trying to figure out which was my line...sheesh.
3) Unless your wires are faulty - bad weather RARELY (less then 1% for me) affects your connection *Your wires* being the key phrase. It's also every wire over every mile between you and the cable co, lots of places for faults to occur that you have no control over.
4) High speed cable modems are way bettr then DSL...and satellite high speed is a joke. How did DSL get into this? In this one area I must give credit to Cox Cable where it's due, the cable internet 'just works'. Excepting the one time they oversold the node, I've never had much in the way of problems. Just plug and go, it's that easy. I'd love to try DSL but the distance limits have always prevented my getting a signal.
Satellite is hands down better than any cable co I've ever used, and that totals 6-8 different providers/locations.
without having a whole lot of knowledge on the subject...
Maybe putting 1/2 the roadbed down in the left lane *IS* 'squeezing every last cent out of the current taxes' as you say. no point in putting double down if it isn't needed and obviously the truck lanes need more than mostly car only lanes. Putting double down across the whole roadway would be wasting money.
Remember we're not talking an increase in taxes here, we're talking adjusting the rate so that the NET COLLECTED remains the same. They do it with real estate property taxes all the time. Avg price goes up 20%, rates are lowered so that the net increase ISN'T 20%. Right or wrong that's how it's done and is all we're talking about doing here; if SUV owners don't like it they can reduce their burden by trading in on something more efficient to operate.
Agreed...the common sense solution here is to raise the gas tax so that people in less efficient cars/trucks pay more and people in hybrids and such pay less;-)
As an owner of a Hybrid, yes I use a good bit less gas.
If they are worried about losing money due to Hybrid's how about 'raising' the gas tax a few pennies to compensate, thus encouraging the use of efficient cars, and taxing more heavily the polluting Hummers/SUVs people seem so fond of driving?
Oh wait...my fault...that damned logic/common sense thing again, sorry CA I forgot!
WHat happens if you download a copy of something you already own for purposes of backing up the material?
Downloading material is a grey area for exactly that reason. They can't know if I actually have a license for the material or not.
They aren't suing downloaders, they are suing people who are UPLOADING files. If you just download stuff you're generally free and clear (for the moment). Bitorrent doesn't have that option though, so they are defacto uploading hence the harsher crime.
now now AC, don't be so literal. See my in this thread, how about an outdoor music concert and sitting outside the back of the venue. You can see and hear the entire show for free as anyone who had paid could. Who has been deprived of anything? Only the Intellectual Property owners putting on the show.
It's still stealing/theft/deprivement of expected compenstion/whatever, it's still *wrong*.
Lets not get stuck on legal definitions of 'stealing'. No physical object changed hands but the concepts are still perfectly valid
The 'Constitutionally-mandated' purpose of Copyright you speak of IS how the movie makers were deprived of their payment. Since the 'Constitution' gives the creator the exclusive rights to the movie in question, any other use of the movie is a *loss* for which they are Constitutionally entitled to have received payment.
After the copyright period expires (exclude the separate issue of extending this period) then downloading the movie for free is legitimate. Until then however, unless the copyright owner releases it into the public domain there's no 'legal' way to watch said movie.
There are many arguments involved here as to whether the system is good or bad, works or fails miserably. There is, IMHO, no support for your argument that the company wasn't deprived of their legally expected compensation for the use of the movie by someone who couldn't/didn't pay for it.
Here's a brick and mortar example that applies to this issue: Music concerts/Drive-In Movie Theaters, by your logic if you can't afford to pay it's totally ok to go outside the back fence of the theater/ampitheater and watch the show/movie from there. Nobody has been deprived of anything right? If you argue that the theater owners could put up a big wall to keep people from doing that...that's what the current DRM is trying to do.
It's 'intellectual property' and until you have some of your own you are selling and someone else starts giving it away for free I doubt you'll see the point. If you/I/people don't like the system, change it, but it doesn't excuse breaking the law before that time arrives.
Then perhaps you should try playing 20 questions with a 5 year old about what exactly Viagra is for.
Or why the women on the sidelines in skimpy outfits are dry humping and shaking their breasts all over for the camera.
I'm not a prude and I actually don't mind such things;-) but getting upset over Janet's breast popping out, when there's just as many sexual overtones in the rest of the show is what I mean by having it both ways.
actually this was the case in China once upon a time though it doesn't make it any less insane;-)
http://www.sptimes.com/Travel97/10198/To_Every_Tim es__There.html
"And after the Communist revolution in China in 1949, the craze for centralized planning dictated that the entire country, which is wider than the United States, should observe a single time zone based on the longitude of Beijing. Thus, western provinces such as Xinjiang begin their working day at 9 a.m. Beijing time, which can be hours before the local dawn."
He took his brothers birth certificate and Social Sec Card to a different DMV(Dept. of Motor Vehicles) and said he lost his license. Since pictures weren't kept centrally (only at local offices) they gave him a brand spanking new license with HIS picture but all his brothers info on it. And the original license his brother had was never cancelled. So now two valid licenses existed for the same person with different pictures.
Granted you needed the docs, but hey some bad guys work in groups...
very firm grasp there Mr. Obvious. Except my point was that perpendicular to the floor doesn't mean *vertical* unless you've verified the floor is in fact level.
Taking a reference from an unknown source doesn't make the reference any more 'known'
Slashdot Mirror
Behold Step 2!
Step 1: Hack gov's boxen, set to auto download pr0n
Step 2: Debit gov's accounts $5 each time!
Step 3: PROFIT!!!
you aren't alone. but I also make heavy use of yahoo free accts until I'm comfortable the account isn't being spammed too.
There was a time though that I wasn't as careful and even with the same email address for over 5 years I'm only getting 2-3 a day at most.
either...neither are very good warm ;-)
why...the court of /.!
;-)
case closed!
The only difference being that you have to be a member of Sam's Club/BJ's/CostCo to be in there in the first place.
Odds you 'agreed' to being 'questioned' on the way out when you signed the agreement to become a member?
Best Buy doesn't have any such agreement in place...
I had Dish Network
Respectfully...try DirecTV
1)they have poor installation (they just dropped wire in the middle of my living room floor, instead of putting it behind the walls). They installed my satellite on my neighbors roof
Installation is done by independent technicians, and it sounds like you had a lousy one...I know from experience this is true of both satellite and cable installers.
2)Their services DOES go out when it is bad weather, and bad does not really have to be a major storm
Again, sounds like your installer didn't do the job properly. Either connections outside aren't sealed or more likely your dish isn't really aligned very well.
3)They lack customer service skills imho. When I had problems they always tried getting me off the phone, and then their next response "you will have to contact a local authorized dealer who will come out at their given rates."
Can't really say much about DirecTV's customer service, but I also haven't had a need to call them more than once in over 2 years. The service just works.
4) They charge an arm & leg for their boxes and once you bought it, god forbid if it breaks.
The beauty of satellite is you can choose to buy *quality* equipment, not the 3rd rate crap that the Cable Co's force on you. If you buy cheapo stuff and it breaks, well you get what you pay for. Also you can buy the feature you *want* instead of just what they want to give you.
With cable tv:
1) They wire behind your walls
Installer issue again.
2) If the service goes out they come and fix it (no charge to you)
With satellite, generally anything that's 'wrong' is fixable by *you*. No waiting on a tech if you are even moderately 'handy'. Aligning a dish isn't hard (assuming it's not on your roof *smile*). But there isn't anything between you and the signal, unlike cable where the tech might be down the street just unplugging every connection till he finds the house he wants...I've watched them do that trying to figure out which was my line...sheesh.
3) Unless your wires are faulty - bad weather RARELY (less then 1% for me) affects your connection
*Your wires* being the key phrase. It's also every wire over every mile between you and the cable co, lots of places for faults to occur that you have no control over.
4) High speed cable modems are way bettr then DSL...and satellite high speed is a joke.
How did DSL get into this? In this one area I must give credit to Cox Cable where it's due, the cable internet 'just works'. Excepting the one time they oversold the node, I've never had much in the way of problems. Just plug and go, it's that easy. I'd love to try DSL but the distance limits have always prevented my getting a signal.
Satellite is hands down better than any cable co I've ever used, and that totals 6-8 different providers/locations.
without having a whole lot of knowledge on the subject...
Maybe putting 1/2 the roadbed down in the left lane *IS* 'squeezing every last cent out of the current taxes' as you say. no point in putting double down if it isn't needed and obviously the truck lanes need more than mostly car only lanes. Putting double down across the whole roadway would be wasting money.
Remember we're not talking an increase in taxes here, we're talking adjusting the rate so that the NET COLLECTED remains the same. They do it with real estate property taxes all the time. Avg price goes up 20%, rates are lowered so that the net increase ISN'T 20%. Right or wrong that's how it's done and is all we're talking about doing here; if SUV owners don't like it they can reduce their burden by trading in on something more efficient to operate.
Agreed...the common sense solution here is to raise the gas tax so that people in less efficient cars/trucks pay more and people in hybrids and such pay less ;-)
Now...any takers on that actually happening?
As an owner of a Hybrid, yes I use a good bit less gas.
If they are worried about losing money due to Hybrid's how about 'raising' the gas tax a few pennies to compensate, thus encouraging the use of efficient cars, and taxing more heavily the polluting Hummers/SUVs people seem so fond of driving?
Oh wait...my fault...that damned logic/common sense thing again, sorry CA I forgot!
WHat happens if you download a copy of something you already own for purposes of backing up the material?
Downloading material is a grey area for exactly that reason. They can't know if I actually have a license for the material or not.
They aren't suing downloaders, they are suing people who are UPLOADING files. If you just download stuff you're generally free and clear (for the moment). Bitorrent doesn't have that option though, so they are defacto uploading hence the harsher crime.
can we start with Congress?
LOL Thanks for the laugh :)
Because according to your analogy you're going to be 'walking' for the next 65 months waiting for your new car.
From TFA:
it would take an estimated 65 months and $1 billion to launch HOP
So if the old 'car' breaks down, which it will, you're SOL until the new car is ready.
The old saying "Time is Money" is very appropriate here.
now now AC, don't be so literal. See my in this thread, how about an outdoor music concert and sitting outside the back of the venue. You can see and hear the entire show for free as anyone who had paid could. Who has been deprived of anything? Only the Intellectual Property owners putting on the show.
It's still stealing/theft/deprivement of expected compenstion/whatever, it's still *wrong*.
Lets not get stuck on legal definitions of 'stealing'. No physical object changed hands but the concepts are still perfectly valid
The 'Constitutionally-mandated' purpose of Copyright you speak of IS how the movie makers were deprived of their payment. Since the 'Constitution' gives the creator the exclusive rights to the movie in question, any other use of the movie is a *loss* for which they are Constitutionally entitled to have received payment.
After the copyright period expires (exclude the separate issue of extending this period) then downloading the movie for free is legitimate. Until then however, unless the copyright owner releases it into the public domain there's no 'legal' way to watch said movie.
There are many arguments involved here as to whether the system is good or bad, works or fails miserably. There is, IMHO, no support for your argument that the company wasn't deprived of their legally expected compensation for the use of the movie by someone who couldn't/didn't pay for it.
Here's a brick and mortar example that applies to this issue: Music concerts/Drive-In Movie Theaters, by your logic if you can't afford to pay it's totally ok to go outside the back fence of the theater/ampitheater and watch the show/movie from there. Nobody has been deprived of anything right? If you argue that the theater owners could put up a big wall to keep people from doing that...that's what the current DRM is trying to do.
It's 'intellectual property' and until you have some of your own you are selling and someone else starts giving it away for free I doubt you'll see the point. If you/I/people don't like the system, change it, but it doesn't excuse breaking the law before that time arrives.
A galactic colonizing effort would best be serverd by having hundreds of ships with at least dozens heading towards individual points
;-)
All that would achieve, many, solidly in-bred colonies. Hell you don't need the galaxy for that...just go visit Kentucky
Then perhaps you should try playing 20 questions with a 5 year old about what exactly Viagra is for.
;-) but getting upset over Janet's breast popping out, when there's just as many sexual overtones in the rest of the show is what I mean by having it both ways.
Or why the women on the sidelines in skimpy outfits are dry humping and shaking their breasts all over for the camera.
I'm not a prude and I actually don't mind such things
A family show...with 15 commercials for Viagra and Levitra?
Sorry they can't have it both ways.
I believe that a woman's ovaries have a finite (400-600?) number of eggs; it's not unlimited.
so even if child bearing years were unlimited there would be an end to how many children she could have naturally.
Um Sorry, my Series 1 DTivo uses my Vonage connection just fine. I've had exactly *one* 3-4 day period when it wouldn't connect in over 2 years.
You have to use the special dialing codes to slow down the dialing but otherwise it works just great.
But does he keep the IP of *his* employees?
the odds that Windows got something *right*? why that's...wait for it....
ASTRONOMICAL!
Thank you I'm here all weTHUD!
actually this was the case in China once upon a time though it doesn't make it any less insane ;-)
m es__There.html
http://www.sptimes.com/Travel97/10198/To_Every_Ti
"And after the Communist revolution in China in 1949, the craze for centralized planning dictated that the entire country, which is wider than the United States, should observe a single time zone based on the longitude of Beijing. Thus, western provinces such as Xinjiang begin their working day at 9 a.m. Beijing time, which can be hours before the local dawn."
Try New Jersey...My college roommate did this
He took his brothers birth certificate and Social Sec Card to a different DMV(Dept. of Motor Vehicles) and said he lost his license. Since pictures weren't kept centrally (only at local offices) they gave him a brand spanking new license with HIS picture but all his brothers info on it. And the original license his brother had was never cancelled. So now two valid licenses existed for the same person with different pictures.
Granted you needed the docs, but hey some bad guys work in groups...
very firm grasp there Mr. Obvious. Except my point was that perpendicular to the floor doesn't mean *vertical* unless you've verified the floor is in fact level.
Taking a reference from an unknown source doesn't make the reference any more 'known'