Bidders edge isn't some ebay leech, its actually a meta-auction that categorizes and searches many different auction sites, not just ebay. I don't see why the consumer shouldn't be allowed to make cross-auction searches for products. Obviously, the reasons the judge gave would shut down every search engine.
Instead of embracing a system that helps consumers and gives them choice, Ebay has decided to use its finacial muscle to eliminate easy to access competitor information. Essentially ebay is telling its customers, "Don't try for better deals just stick with the brand name you know, us."
This is a ruling that is ignorant, anti-competitive, and needs to be overturned.
"It looks like Napster clearly has an impact on sales in the U.S.," said John Schwarz, CEO of digital rights management firm Reciprocal, which commissioned the study, released yesterday. "Coincident with the arrival of MP3 and Napster, these sales take a pretty severe dip downwards."
4 percent? Doesn't sound that severe to me. I'm also positive that Mr. Schwartz and Reciprocal has absolutely no interest in putting a spin on obviously benign statistics. That man is a pillar of objectivity.
When it comes to high-profile cases that get lots of media attention how can they really find a jury who has never heard of the case? Is hearing of the case so terrible, its not like people can't dismiss information.
I'd hate to tried by a jury of shut-in's and weirdo's who think TV, Computers, and newspapers are the devil's work. I would rather have a bunch of liars.
This is exactly whats wrong with this entire thread, most people keep assuming the US is this independant entity working its own agenda, which in some cases turns out to be true, but how many of those concerned about China even bothered contacting their Congressperson through phone calls or written non-email letters? 10% 1% Anyone?
As to those who keep harping about how China is "getting better" are unbelievably naive and spoon fed by the media, as the parent poster pointed out. What do you think keeps China interested in winning PR? Free trade, now that they're gonna get it they won't be terribly interested in real reforms.
In the meantime I hope everyone with a Rep who voted yes on this sends him/her a mean letter on how they have lost at least one vote.
Oh easy, after a big company buys some legislation all the patriots can harp on how democracy works, but unfortunatly for China its in short supply of patrons and patriots.
I don't think the war on drugs has anything to do with fears or insecurity of the people, it has everything to do with an ideology that some very influencial people hold. Nor do I see any major crackdown on guns, its about as easy to get a gun as its ever been.
The problem has everything to do with keeping powerful uncontolable tools out of the hands of the populace.
Oh thats exactly what fast food needs, less thinking. So who do you bitch to when it screws up the order? How would you like to be behind every bored teenager trying to order a bun-less quarter-pounder dipped in mayo and feeding a photocopy of a ten dollar bill into the machine?
Not to mention those robots better be good at cleaning out bathrooms.
Gov. Bush today unveiled a robot that will not only serve a death-row prison his last meal but will also pull the switch at his execution. Research is being done for a lethal injection arm for the wimpy states.
Sylvester Stallone is looking at a sequel to Over The Top where a disgruntled burger-flipping robot arm kidnaps his son and challenges Sly to a arm wrestling match for his freedom.
I think its interesting no one is defending the copying of porn, the prices and quality of the porn industry makes the RIAA look like an overpriced and pretentious 'zine factory.
Remember what DB released his Hours cd on the net? Yeah, pretty cool until you saw the price, 17.99. You get no case, no liner notes, no CD, just some data.
Maybe the record companies have learned from it, maybe they haven't. Especially when you consider how inflated the price of a CD is. I'm sure the RIAA is busily trying to find a way to sell MP3s online with an even bigger profit margin than normal CD purchases. A simple how-much-are-you-willing-to-pay vs how-many-are-willing-to-pay equation will decide the new inflated price.
If it really bothers you set up an ad-free mirror on some free webspace and post it here. I'd rather go to the rogue site than keep lining ZDnets pockets.
If those items or the auction of those items are causing grief to any individual or to a group in particular then Yahoo is morally responsible to take it off
Taking offense and causing grief is completely and utterly subjective. Small voices simply never get heard, only large organizations with influence are the ones that are heard. So it really comes down to this:
1. Every complaint should automatically be taken as valid, to be fair, and that content should be unquestionably removed.
OR
2. Only large organizations with influence should control content.
Interesting move to pander completely to our sympathies by mentioning the victims, I'm sure they feel just as bad when they hear the word "Hitler" but we keep that around for some reason. Maybe because it would be hard to put WWII in the history books without it.
Nazi sympathizers buy these symbols? So? If they weren't for sale they'd just make their own, your implication that symbols empower neo-Nazis is laughable. Thats really your point here, do these symbols give some long-forgotten third reich magic to the users like some hackneyed TV plot?
Exactly why would a rational Frenchman care if an already neo-Nazi buys a Hitler youth knife? The screaming hysterical Frenchmen probably cares, but that doesn't mean we should.
In the end I'd rather have the choice between helpful and hateful speech than people like you deciding for me.
How the heck does 2 organizations from France sue a California-based company by citing French law? These auctions aren't even in french.
Not that Yahoo can't space the $1300 bucks, but why should they pay? Whats going to happen other than the over-hyped bad PR they're gonna get? I can imagine the French impotently trying to enforce this and push their laws onto other countries.
The internet is global, that doesn't mean every law from every country simultaneously apply to every ISP. You connect to the United States you get United States content.
I can't say I find this very persuasive, a pragmatic politician will realize that corporate "donations" produce the means to get visibility, slick campaigns, talented writers, and paid-for party favors.
Even if you find a politician who takes on the Napster battle, the second it becomes econmicaly unfeasible to do so it will be dropped. Sorry, but politicians look after #1 first.
And it will become unfeasible, he'll be pissing off a very powerful group, these are the guys who put a corporate tax on blank tapes because everyone who buys one is a guilty pirate who must pay a fee, screw due process.
Here's a simple solution, how about a throwaway ISP. You can easily start a corporation which gives you the same liability limitations the big dogs get: do what you want, no one will take your personal stuff - unless its a worker's comp suit. If and when the big lawsuit eliminates your company, call it quits and backup all the data to be sent to the next throwaway ISP.
In the downtime users could get a lot of sympathy off-shore mirror servers until they find another throwaway ISP. There's even the small possibility that after enough censored ISPs are taken down it might raise public awareness on the issue.
I completly agree, maybe its time to back up the open source rhetoric with real acts of support and activism. With the press Linux tends to get it could really turn the world on its ear.
Then again how often do you see an piece or mention of the EFF in the mainstream media? Collusion between industry and the press in the Land of the Free? Nawww.
Bicycle pedal, thats right, right under the desk. Geeks can surf and burn calories at the same time.
Reloving door, attach a generator to a busy building and watch the electrons dance. Maybe even a webcam so we can watch our unwitting hamster wheelers.
Solar, but with no batteries so you know the weather is crappy if the server went down.
Mice balls, a tiny generator inside every mouse. Sure it'll be much harder to roll on the desk but you'll be providing a valuable service.
Mandatory "donations," want to get in or out of the bathroom? Turn a crank for a while to make x amount of power before the door will unlock. Raise productivity by removing air fresheners and serving slightly spoiled food in the cafeteria.
Slashdot Mirror
Bidders edge isn't some ebay leech, its actually a meta-auction that categorizes and searches many different auction sites, not just ebay. I don't see why the consumer shouldn't be allowed to make cross-auction searches for products. Obviously, the reasons the judge gave would shut down every search engine.
Instead of embracing a system that helps consumers and gives them choice, Ebay has decided to use its finacial muscle to eliminate easy to access competitor information. Essentially ebay is telling its customers, "Don't try for better deals just stick with the brand name you know, us."
This is a ruling that is ignorant, anti-competitive, and needs to be overturned.
A supposed 4% "loss" in an industry that grew 20% last year simply is not severe, unless you buy completely into the bullshit of this study.
"It looks like Napster clearly has an impact on sales in the U.S.," said John Schwarz, CEO of digital rights management firm Reciprocal, which commissioned the study, released yesterday. "Coincident with the arrival of MP3 and Napster, these sales take a pretty severe dip downwards."
4 percent? Doesn't sound that severe to me. I'm also positive that Mr. Schwartz and Reciprocal has absolutely no interest in putting a spin on obviously benign statistics. That man is a pillar of objectivity.
When it comes to high-profile cases that get lots of media attention how can they really find a jury who has never heard of the case? Is hearing of the case so terrible, its not like people can't dismiss information.
I'd hate to tried by a jury of shut-in's and weirdo's who think TV, Computers, and newspapers are the devil's work. I would rather have a bunch of liars.
Then again, it did seem to work out for OJ.
This is exactly whats wrong with this entire thread, most people keep assuming the US is this independant entity working its own agenda, which in some cases turns out to be true, but how many of those concerned about China even bothered contacting their Congressperson through phone calls or written non-email letters? 10% 1% Anyone?
As to those who keep harping about how China is "getting better" are unbelievably naive and spoon fed by the media, as the parent poster pointed out. What do you think keeps China interested in winning PR? Free trade, now that they're gonna get it they won't be terribly interested in real reforms.
In the meantime I hope everyone with a Rep who voted yes on this sends him/her a mean letter on how they have lost at least one vote.
Show me a history of real-world abuse that has driven competition out through *illegal* means for each of these companies and I might agree with you.
Thats a big maybe. What you can be sure of is that private taxation will allow for more 'dissenters' to be silenced.
Oh easy, after a big company buys some legislation all the patriots can harp on how democracy works, but unfortunatly for China its in short supply of patrons and patriots.
I don't think the war on drugs has anything to do with fears or insecurity of the people, it has everything to do with an ideology that some very influencial people hold. Nor do I see any major crackdown on guns, its about as easy to get a gun as its ever been.
The problem has everything to do with keeping powerful uncontolable tools out of the hands of the populace.
Oh thats exactly what fast food needs, less thinking. So who do you bitch to when it screws up the order? How would you like to be behind every bored teenager trying to order a bun-less quarter-pounder dipped in mayo and feeding a photocopy of a ten dollar bill into the machine?
Not to mention those robots better be good at cleaning out bathrooms.
The scary part is how right-on the predictions for PC's in home were, though they did luck out with the internet.
What's taking so long with the live-in-adroid we were promised? I'm sure once they perfect human/driod lovemaking it'll reach market saturation.
Gov. Bush today unveiled a robot that will not only serve a death-row prison his last meal but will also pull the switch at his execution. Research is being done for a lethal injection arm for the wimpy states.
Sylvester Stallone is looking at a sequel to Over The Top where a disgruntled burger-flipping robot arm kidnaps his son and challenges Sly to a arm wrestling match for his freedom.
I think its interesting no one is defending the copying of porn, the prices and quality of the porn industry makes the RIAA look like an overpriced and pretentious 'zine factory.
Remember what DB released his Hours cd on the net? Yeah, pretty cool until you saw the price, 17.99. You get no case, no liner notes, no CD, just some data.
Maybe the record companies have learned from it, maybe they haven't. Especially when you consider how inflated the price of a CD is. I'm sure the RIAA is busily trying to find a way to sell MP3s online with an even bigger profit margin than normal CD purchases. A simple how-much-are-you-willing-to-pay vs how-many-are-willing-to-pay equation will decide the new inflated price.
If it really bothers you set up an ad-free mirror on some free webspace and post it here. I'd rather go to the rogue site than keep lining ZDnets pockets.
If those items or the auction of those items are causing grief to any individual or to a group in particular then Yahoo is morally responsible to take it off
Taking offense and causing grief is completely and utterly subjective. Small voices simply never get heard, only large organizations with influence are the ones that are heard. So it really comes down to this:
1. Every complaint should automatically be taken as valid, to be fair, and that content should be unquestionably removed.
OR
2. Only large organizations with influence should control content.
I'll take neither, thank you.
Interesting move to pander completely to our sympathies by mentioning the victims, I'm sure they feel just as bad when they hear the word "Hitler" but we keep that around for some reason. Maybe because it would be hard to put WWII in the history books without it.
Nazi sympathizers buy these symbols? So? If they weren't for sale they'd just make their own, your implication that symbols empower neo-Nazis is laughable. Thats really your point here, do these symbols give some long-forgotten third reich magic to the users like some hackneyed TV plot?
Exactly why would a rational Frenchman care if an already neo-Nazi buys a Hitler youth knife? The screaming hysterical Frenchmen probably cares, but that doesn't mean we should.
In the end I'd rather have the choice between helpful and hateful speech than people like you deciding for me.
Oh man, read the post before you go postal.
How the heck does 2 organizations from France sue a California-based company by citing French law? These auctions aren't even in french.
Not that Yahoo can't space the $1300 bucks, but why should they pay? Whats going to happen other than the over-hyped bad PR they're gonna get? I can imagine the French impotently trying to enforce this and push their laws onto other countries.
The internet is global, that doesn't mean every law from every country simultaneously
apply to every ISP. You connect to the United States you get United States content.
I can't say I find this very persuasive, a pragmatic politician will realize that corporate "donations" produce the means to get visibility, slick campaigns, talented writers, and paid-for party favors.
Even if you find a politician who takes on the Napster battle, the second it becomes econmicaly unfeasible to do so it will be dropped. Sorry, but politicians look after #1 first.
And it will become unfeasible, he'll be pissing off a very powerful group, these are the guys who put a corporate tax on blank tapes because everyone who buys one is a guilty pirate who must pay a fee, screw due process.
Here's a simple solution, how about a throwaway ISP. You can easily start a corporation which gives you the same liability limitations the big dogs get: do what you want, no one will take your personal stuff - unless its a worker's comp suit. If and when the big lawsuit eliminates your company, call it quits and backup all the data to be sent to the next throwaway ISP.
In the downtime users could get a lot of sympathy off-shore mirror servers until they find another throwaway ISP. There's even the small possibility that after enough censored ISPs are taken down it might raise public awareness on the issue.
All the time, but they prefer to be called Lobbyists and Mr. Congressman.
I completly agree, maybe its time to back up the open source rhetoric with real acts of support and activism. With the press Linux tends to get it could really turn the world on its ear.
Then again how often do you see an piece or mention of the EFF in the mainstream media? Collusion between industry and the press in the Land of the Free? Nawww.
Bicycle pedal, thats right, right under the desk. Geeks can surf and burn calories at the same time.
Reloving door, attach a generator to a busy building and watch the electrons dance. Maybe even a webcam so we can watch our unwitting hamster wheelers.
Solar, but with no batteries so you know the weather is crappy if the server went down.
Mice balls, a tiny generator inside every mouse. Sure it'll be much harder to roll on the desk but you'll be providing a valuable service.
Mandatory "donations," want to get in or out of the bathroom? Turn a crank for a while to make x amount of power before the door will unlock. Raise productivity by removing air fresheners and serving slightly spoiled food in the cafeteria.
Ah yes, to live in the humorless world you propose. Will there be nickel suicide booths too?