Slashdot Mirror


User: cluedweasel

cluedweasel's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
107
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 107

  1. Re:Just Hateful on Why Amazon Fights State Sales Tax, But Supports It Nationally · · Score: 1

    This is pretty much how my current home town works. What it leads to though, is around 50,000 property owners financing everything in the city - roads, schools, parks, leisure centers, social programs, libraries, etc. You may think that sounds fair enough, but we get over 2 million tourists a year, who outside of a 9.8% room tax, pay nothing towards the infrastructure they use during their vacation.

  2. Re:I actually don't see much wrong with this. on Top US Lobbyist Wants Broadband Data Caps · · Score: 1

    THIS. Its mostly about Netflix. Charge enough that it costs less to order Pay Per View than to use Netflix, then TWC pushes them out.

    And this is pretty much what my ISP tells you if you call to complain about their 150Gb per month cap. "Use our on-demand services and it won't count against the cap." Same with their VOIP service (which I thought wasn't allowed). Bear in mind that their overage charge is $1.50 per 1Gb.

  3. Re:Someone's gotta pay for cable on Are Cable Subscribers Subsidizing Internet-Only TV Viewers? · · Score: 1

    A few years back, most cable companies offered a $10 package that was the local network affiliates and cable access/shopping/religious and government channels. Those seemed to have disappeared. My local cable company did carry such a package but never advertised it, you had to call to get it.

  4. Re:What do you have to hide? on NSA Shares Intel On Americans With Israel · · Score: 1

    And so they should if they keep electing the same old crooks.

  5. Re:FREEEEEEEDOM! on NSA Foils Much Internet Encryption · · Score: 3, Informative

    The Guardian article refers to it as a "10 year program" which would put it's inception in the Bush Jr. years. As for the EU is better argument, it looks like my own country's government was a prime mover in this. Way to go guys.

  6. Re: There's no money. on John Scalzi's Redshirts Wins Hugo Award for Best Novel · · Score: 1

    I've always had a feeling that the similarities between the Blake's 7 Federation badge and the Star Trek Starfleet logo aren't entirely co-incidental.

  7. Re:Three words... on Why Internet Television Isn't Quite Ready To Save Us From Cable TV · · Score: 1

    I live in a town of 80,000, out in the middle of nowhere. The only reliable Internet is from the cable company. There is DSL, but it's slow, only available in a pretty restricted area and goes down for days at a time. Being a town of mainly minimum wage service workers, OTA is very popular. There are antennas everywhere. This didn't escape the notice of the cable company. What they've started to do is to buy the local network affiliates and then turn down the transmitter power as much as they can. Their first acquisition was the CBS affiliate. They turned the power down to 250W. At my house, 4.5 miles away from the transmitter, the signal was barely at 30%. Their other tactic is the 150Gb monthly data cap with a $1.50 per Gb overage charge. All aimed squarely at preventing people from streaming. All for $51 per month for 12Mbps down / 1.5mbps up. Don't even get me started on how it hinders start ups and damages the local economy.

  8. Re:NRA on Encrypted Email Provider Lavabit Shuts Down, Blames US Gov't · · Score: 0

    The problem is, a lot of those people who squawk loudly about their right to arm themselves to the teeth will quite happily turn around and support NSA snooping, TSA over-reach and anything else they feel makes them safer from "terrorists". Personally, I wish they would fight as hard for the 1st and 4th as they do for the 2nd.

  9. Re:Shocked, shocked! on Pitcher-Turned-Law Student On Cheating In Baseball · · Score: 1

    Yep. I was a semi-pro cricketer in the Derbyshire League in England back in the day. As a fast bowler, I was encouraged to "tamper" with the ball. One method was to pick up some dirt along with the ball when fielding near the crease. That way, i could keep a little in my pocket and use it to roughen one side of the ball to cause it to swing. Picking at the stitches to raise them on the seam of the ball was another. I'm sure all the same tricks are present in baseball too.

  10. Re: Congratulations! on Tesla Motors Repays $465M Government Loan 9 Years Early · · Score: 1

    "The insurance costs will be higher just because if anything happens the insurance company has to buy you a new car"

    The annual premium for my $45K (new) Infiniti is just over $80 more than my for my wife's $24K Toyota. Go figure.

  11. Re:Can i please have two? on Xbox One: No Always-Online Requirement, But Needs To Phone Home · · Score: 1

    "Do people even buy games in boxes any more?"

    Yes. Those of us who are unfortunate to live in local cable company monopolies. Our data cap is 150Gb per month with a $1.50 per 1Gb overage charge. Where possible, I buy games on disc. Between Netflix, Hulu, steam, X-box content, etc. it's way too easy to blow through 150Gb.

  12. Re:Microsoft's attempt at a do-everything box on Microsoft Unveils Xbox One · · Score: 1

    No doubt the local versions of the content. In the UK, it could have Freeview (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeview_%28UK%29) built in. It would also have BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and maybe a TV Catchup app.

  13. Re:Not Cheaper on ISP Trying Free (But Limited) Home Broadband Plan · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And one of my remote workers gets through 4Gb to 5Gb per month and she has the privilege of paying $56.99 per month for that. Just because this pricing doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it's a bad deal for everyone.

  14. Could Work for Some on ISP Trying Free (But Limited) Home Broadband Plan · · Score: 3, Informative

    Interesting to see the average usage at 24Gb to 28Gb. When our local cable company was trying to bring in a 30Gb monthly cap, their argument was that 95% of their users went through 2Gb a month or less, effectively subsidizing heavier users. Total bollocks argument of course, but that's another story. The age demographic tends to skew high here and a lot of people only use their Internet connection for email. even here at work, people will reach for the Yellow Pages book before using Google. Those people would be a good target for this sort of service.

  15. Re:Signalling on For Businesses, the College Degree Is the New High School Diploma · · Score: 1

    And wouldn't having an employment history showing 3+ years at a position send the same signal?

  16. Re:So, do something on Software That Flagged HBO.com For Piracy Will Power U.S. 'Six Strikes' System · · Score: 1

    If the french really "did" something when their politicians did something crazy, they would not have a 85% tax rate. t

    The French, at most other western Europeans, really don't care if the top 1% (or whatever) are punitively taxed. That's a particularly American obsession.

  17. Not Just Internet Access on Kaspersky Update Breaks Internet Access For Windows XP Users · · Score: 1

    It broke Intranet access for us, which caused a few applications not to run. We uninstalled the workstation 6 R2 product and installed Kaspersky Endpoint security instead and that took care of the issue.

  18. Re:LOL on Peugeot Citroen To Introduce Compressed Air Hybrid By 2016 · · Score: 1

    The Ford Fusion? The one designed by Ford Europe? The Ford car range in the US is increasingly built on European designed cars; the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and C-Max.

  19. Re:small set of ips on Barracuda Appliances Have Exploitable Holes, Fixed By Firmware Updates · · Score: 4, Informative

    According to the article, these non-Barracuda domains fall within those blocks. mail.totalpaas.com (205.158.110.135) - Domain registered by: Domains By Proxy, LLC ... frmt1.boxitweb.com (205.158.110.132) - Domain registered by: Thor Myhrstad static.medallia.com (205.158.110.229) - Domain registed by: Medallia Inc. utility.connectify.net (205.158.110.171) - Domain registered by: Connectify Networks, Inc. everest.address.com (216.129.105.202) - Domain registed by: WhitePages, Inc. mail.tqm.bz (216.129.105.205) - Domain registered by: Total Quality Maintenance, Inc outbound.andyforbes.com (216.129.105.212) - Domain registered by: HM hosting Anyone got any idea why those would be included in having access? Apparently this hole has been present since 2003. I'm surprised it didn't come to light earlier.

  20. Re:Security apliances growing obsolete on Barracuda Appliances Have Exploitable Holes, Fixed By Firmware Updates · · Score: 1

    You still host your own servers? Why?

    Because our local Internet provider is an unreliable, capped mess with no real competition in the business market? Regulation also plays a part. Our industry is heavily regulated. Hosting our infrastructure is possible, but expensive. Senior management also have unrealistic uptime expectations. All in all, at this time it's more economical to keep our IT infrastructure in house.

  21. Re:For what cost? on Patient Access To Electronic Medical Records Strengthened By New HHS Rules · · Score: 1

    That's not always the case. We provide copies of medical records to patients free of charge. Yes, it takes a little time to retrieve and send, but feel that charging for that is detrimental to relationships with our patients.

  22. Re:Who has data caps in the USA? on Former FCC Boss: Data Caps Not About Network Congestion · · Score: 1

    Bendbroadband, in Bend, Oregon does. 150Gb with $1.50 per 1Gb over.

  23. Studded Tires? on Oregon Lawmakers Propose Mileage Tax On Fuel Efficient Vehicles · · Score: 1

    In my part of Oregon, these are what really damage the roads. You get two nice, pothole ridden tracks along the major roads through town. Rather than taxing those driving fuel efficient cars, tax those tires instead. They're proven to cause damage to the roads.

  24. Re:Of all states? on Oregon Lawmakers Propose Mileage Tax On Fuel Efficient Vehicles · · Score: 1

    Yep. Still can't pump your own gas here. In my locality, it's more of a job creation program than anything else. No matter how many times I ask, it's a lottery as to whether I'll actually get the premium gas I asked for.

  25. Re:Of all states? on Oregon Lawmakers Propose Mileage Tax On Fuel Efficient Vehicles · · Score: 1

    One could also assume that a simple bump in sales tax could also cover road travel since people would be driving to the store to buy that item.

    No sales tax in Oregon.