You have complete control over your 'culture'. You just refuse to exercise it.
Don't rely on others to control your culture. Write a story yourself, place it in the public domain, and encourage others to retell it. There, now all your arguments are moot.
"Fair use" is a bandaid on the problem: People keep buying goods without liking the contract. If you buy a movie and don't like the permissions they allow you, that's your fault, not yours and not the governments.
STOP BUYING THINGS THAT DON'T SATISFY YOU.
Before 'money', it used to be obvious how to get what you want. Bargain for it. 3 pigs not worth 2 chickens? Tell the other person so. You'll either come to an agreement, or buy from someone else.
Not happy with a DVD you can't freely copy? Don't buy it. Buy a DVD that allows it, or tell the company that they lost a sale because you refuse to buy something that you can't use as you like.
Expecting the government to protect your 'rights' on this clearly is not working. Instead, the companies need to understand that their customers aren't buying it anymore. They need to serve us, not the other way around.
There's more to the hatred of MySpace than their naming convention. It has a lot to do with hot cluttered and horrible-looking nearly every page is. Facebook seems determined to give people the ability to do that on Facebook as well. Honestly, most people don't care what someone's nickname is on the site. They care a lot more about how the site looks and runs.
Another post here has a quote saying they want to make it more like an OS and let you run applications on the pages... If that isn't the worst idea I've heard since I've worked at Microsoft, I don't know what is.
Either they restrict it to so much that it's useless, or they let people do what they want and the 'omgthatscool' takes over and the pages are horrid.
Ning has tried for quite some time now to attract developers to their social network to make 'apps'. Their API isn't good enough to warrant changing your style to use it, and the apps they already have are the type of things you typical see in those 'rails app in 3 minutes!' tutorials. Facebook has an advantage in the fact that they created the social aspect first, and have it running... But I still can't see the apps taking off.
Disclaimer: I do not, and never have, worked at Microsoft.
Maybe I'm making a big assumption about Dell, but Gateway 2000 (yeah, it's been a while) used to support Windows and everything they installed on the PC. My understanding was that it was their agreement with MS to save a lot of money and have happier customers.
Dell may indeed have chosen to tell their customers that they wouldn't help them with software issues on tech support, but I seriously doubt it. My main reason is that it's almost impossible to diagnose a lot of hardware issues without first making sure the software isn't causing it to appear that it's a hardware problem.
So while it may be a matter of 'put in the recovery disk' just like it is for Windows, they still have to actually support the software, too.
I personally believe it happened, and I'm not attempting to argue that it didn't.
But people -do- have a right to their beliefs, no matter how wrong the majority think they are. No matter how many 'facts' stack up against them. Beliefs do -not- need to be rational or have logic to support them.
Nobody can -prove- the holocaust happened. We've got a lot of people that claim memories of it, but no real 'proof'. It does not matter how many people stand up and say 'I was there' if these people simply refuse to believe that.
There are people that believe we've never been to the moon (or even out of orbit) and that there are helicopters (black ones!) small enough to fly through your circulatory system.
We don't let them rule our society, and anyone else that has a belief that marked differs from the norm should not be allowed to, either. I'm not against informing students that some believe it's a lie, but I -am- against not informing the students at all. In fact, it's just as important for those who don't believe in the holocaust to learn what we think it was, as it is for us to learn that they don't believe it existed. (And why, if they've got even a single reason.)
For the record, I'm not against teaching evolution (and how it works) and creationism (and how it works, even though it'd only be 'God did it') in schools. There'd just be a heck of a lot more info on the evolution lectures than the creationism lectures. The students should not be forced to do anything religious, just learn what is believed and why. Likewise, the children should not be forced to experience evolution in the classroom. I think there's laws against that already anyhow.;)
Thanks! I appreciate your taking the time to write all that out. It's quite encouraging that it wasn't just a -click- and instead you were able to just muscle into it without any magic. I will definitely try to keep all of this in mind and pick a single project and move forward.
Don't forget that at the moment, Windows is also cheaper to support. That cost is built into a Dell, since they provide support for 'free' after you buy the PC. They charge for that up front.
One would initially think that only those who know linux will buy one of these with Kubuntu on it, but as more techs convince family and friends to buy them, support costs will rise.
I've never bought a brand-new laptop because I don't really need one, and it's always been a hassle to guarantee Linux will work on it, before I buy it. For only $600 though, I'm seriously considering one of these. It'll depend on specs and if they sell out too quickly. We'll see.
I disagree. While I like that my hands aren't cuffed together anymore, the majority of the buttons are poorly placed. A and B are the only ones usable during gameplay while holding it as 'intended.' (I use that term lightly.) 1 and 2 are the only ones usable when holding the 'mote sideways, ala Super Paper Mario/Excite Truck.
When holding it sidewides, it fits my hand so poorly that it's not even funny.
When holding it like a remote control, the pointing interface is so horrible that I can't believe they bothered. It's fine for menus, but any time that it's used interactively, it's horrid. Red Steel is a great example of horrid pointing.
My 'best' controller would be the Phoenix Revolution for the PS2. the controls are all placed just where they are comfortable, the analog sticks have adjustable tension, and you can move the sticks/buttons/dpad to any of the 4 positions. Now that I've adjusted it as I like, I rarely change it... But I've always got the option.
The Wiimote has its uses, and it's GREAT for Tennis and the other sports games... It's just not in the running for 'best controller'.
I envy you. I'm at that point you just left. I've got a ton of things I want to do, everywhere from programming the next big MMO (hah, yeah right) to learning several spoken languages (specific ones) to... well, just about everything. I -don't- have the family/etc, just a job, and I still have no time to do even a fraction of what I want.
Every time I come up with a new idea, I think it'll be the one that I can focus all my effort on and enjoy, but after thinking about it a while, I realize that it doesn't do it for me.
Was there some trick you used to focus on that 1 project, or did it just click and everything else faded away?
I managed to snag a copy for about $15 and it came with a free month for me, and a free month for a friend. I figured it'd be worth that... I hope my friend enjoyed the $15 worth of game, because I was bored to tears.
Here's how it went: Run (slowly) around town. More. More. More. Ah, a shop. No money. Run... etc/etc/etc Ah, an exit. Kill something. Health doesn't regen... Wander back to the middle of town to find a place to rest. Back outside, kill, repeat repeat repeat. Finally have a PS2 player tell me there's a key -somewhere- that let's you sit down and regen hp. She tells me it's L1 for her. I finally find it in some odd place on the keyboard. But you can't just press random keys to find it. The animation doesn't start until a full second after you hit the key, and it cancels if you hit any other key.
So things went marginally faster after that... I think after an hour or 2 of grind I finally gained a level.
Utterly bored of that, I went and bought fishing gear. Probably the worst RPG fishing ever. EVAR.
I quit at that point. My friend played a little longer, but it has to be the worst MMO I've ever played, and I started back with The Realm in early beta.
Be so glad you never wasted your time on that utter crap.
And that's just the point. He was not following the rules of using the Wifi for free. It's free for the coffee shop's customers. They apparently define customer as 'one who comes in the shop', as is appropriate. It's just 'free'.
Donna May is obviously not one who studies the law, and "didn't know it was really illegal." That doesn't mean it's not, and it doesn't mean she gave permission. She clearly would have given permission had the man actually stepped inside the shop.
Is the fine overboard? Probably. Is it the law? Yup.
A little off topic: I've always found it stupid that the only way to get a law removed from the books is to break and fight it in court. There's no other way. Why is it the duty of individual citizens to police the government? (They should have the right, not the obligation.)
Did you seriously just say that if the teacher wasn't bothered, there wasn't a disruption in the class?
Schools don't prevent disruptions to help the teachers have a nice day. They do it to foster a learning environment for the students. If 3 or 4 of the students are doing something majorly disruptive like dancing behind the teacher's back, -nobody- is learning at the point, and probably not for a while afterwards.
The punishment may not fit the crime, but I don't remember a time in school when it -did-, so that's nothing new. I was once written up for not doing my work in class (I had finished already) and when the teacher tried to rescind, wasn't allowed. Why? The vice-principal didn't like me. He actually had the nerve to say 'I just wanted to see if you'd show up' when I got there. I still had to do clean-up duty for something I didn't even do. Oh yeah, fair.
I've always seen expulsion as a way to let the kids that didn't WANT to be in school, not be. If they want to pass after that, they're going to have to work their little butts off just to pass. They won't have time to disrupt the class any more when they get back. (Nevermind what they'll have to deal with from their parents.) Nobody I knew ever had it happen to them, though. They cared about their grades too much.
Bingo. Most people don't replace things that work. They don't have the time, money, or energy to do so.
I love Linux. I would use it exclusively if it was possible for a gamer. As it is, I've 3 computers in my house and 2 run Linux. The other is now only used for games.
Why did I switch? I had a use for it. The stuff that can be done on Linux, for a technical person, is awesome. There's been -so- many times I wished that something would work a certain way, and then I searched the internet and it -does-. Usually almost exactly like I'd hoped. Lately, I just try it... It's amazing how many times it just works.
It does take a fair amount of use to get to that point, though. And a fair amount of technical knowledge to make use of all the cool features. They just aren't average-joe things.
Not to say that Linux doesn't have average-joe things, either... It just doesn't do more for them than Windows does. I've forced my father to use Kubuntu while at my house, and after the 'I don't know how to use it' phase (before he'd even seen the computer) he has no issues with it. He really doesn't know how to 'use' Windows either, though. He searches the web and plays games on it. He doesn't want it for anything else.
Linux's low market share really does come down to not having the apps/games, and the fact that Windows is always in front of them.
I'm not saying 'they don't understand technology' or any other single thing. They lack any sort of sense whatsoever. To fully appreciate the stupidity of the average human, you have to have worked in a non-tech job where everyone has access, like a supermarket or restaurant. You will be amazed at how mind-numbingly stupid people are.
People with average intelligence and above are fine. It's the 50% below that point that really amaze.
That sounds great, but should it be a LAW? Any law that forces someone to give away their work (ie: no direct monetary gain) is screwy, no matter the terms.
If the recording industry was even close to sane, something very much like that would probably happen. Radio stations could play certain songs for free, but would have to pay to play others. The promoter picks the free songs... Albums would contain more than 1 good song, and people would actually like entire CDs again. They'd be willing to purchase them to hear the other tracks.
But the industry hasn't been sane for quite a while now.
Who are you to tell him what he's telling you? Read his post again. He said NOTHING about sensoring other people, merely stated that he agreed with the Senator's opinion that exploiting the V-Tech incident for profit is wrong.
You are still free to think anything you want, no matter how sick and twisted it is. However, if you want to live in a society (and you do, I assure you, or you would have found a way not to by now) then you'll have to obey it's laws. Feel free to look for a different society if this one doesn't suit you. Or even lobby to change it. Maybe there's more people like you and you can get the laws changed.
But that doesn't mean anything other than that your money will go more directly from your pocket to the RIAA's than before.
Before: You -> Radio ~> CD sales -> RIAA After: You -> Radio -> RIAA
Radio music causes people to want to buy CDs of music they like. Previously your money funded advertising which provided money for the RIAA in the form of CD sales.
I'd like to think that your option would be the one chosen, and that radio stations would listen to those who pay them money directly... But XM and Sirius take money directly from their consumers and they seem to ignore their customers as much or more than regular stations, so I don't have much faith in companies doing the 'right thing' for their customers in this case. (And most others, anymore.)
Enjoy your radio station. It may end up being the last decent one in this country.
Payola assumes that price varies per song, artist of company. If everyone has to pay the same amount, it's no longer illegal. In fact, if they wish to state so, the radio station can just call all songs 'advertisements' and charge whatever they want each song. It's only illegal if presented as "regular airplay."
That's okay, because we don't even have 'won't sue'. They've only ever said that their current plan is not to sue immediately. They've never said the plan isn't to sue later, and they've never said their plans will never change. They could decide right this instant to sue, and they haven't lied. (About this, at least.)
We all (slashdotters) know this is FUD. The problem is that not everyone is as sensible. Most of the world feels the need to be extremely cautious, and this FUD will work. Even if they are damned sure they can get through this without issue, if it's more certain they can do so by dropping FOSS from their systems, a lot will do it. Oh, it'll be a few at first, here and there... And then more follow until there's an avalanche. MS knows this. They're just waiting for that. If they have to start a lawsuit to do it, they will... But if they can do it for free, with a baseless threat, that's much cheaper and easier.
Because radio stations, if they have to pay more money, will need more income.
I see 2 ways to get more income:
1) More ads. 2) Charge the content producers to air their music.
2 sounds stupid at first, but if the options are 'massive advertising' or 'pay the radio a few cents to play your song', I know which would be cheaper and better. The consumer (that's us) loses either way, and the RIAA is the only one who gains.
'Overpaid Shock Jocks' exist because they bring in listeners, no matter how stupid any single individual may think them. If they didn't, they wouldn't exist.
'Indie music' doesn't get much airplay because radio stations don't think it'll bring in listeners and because it is so hard/expensive to find good stuff. Music producers sift through the cruft and find the money music, and radio stations take advantage of that currently. The only way for a radio station to afford that sifting process would be to have 1 company (or a very few) sort for many radio stations. That's basically what we have right now.
Don't forget the reverse is true as well: Google has to trust your company to only use the Google checkout. Phone, mail, email... There's plenty of opportunity to turn that customer away from Google's checkout without doing anything shady such as only sending 2/3 to Google and the other 1/3 to something else.
There are also plenty of people that aren't interested in Google's checkout at all, and would refuse this.
If there was a simple answer, this problem would not have existed for so long.
No offense, but isn't that the same as all other types of advertising? If you feel you are getting enough for your money, you buy the advertising. If you don't, you don't.
TV ads continue to be annoying and people are actively avoiding them now. Instead of making better commercials that don't annoy people, they just keep shelling out the money for the same old crap.
Radio, ditto.
Newspapers, magazines... Other than the sale ads and video game magazines (which are disappointing, because the ads rarely tell you anything the actual game), I don't think I've bothered to do more than glance at an ad in years.
How is 'sponsored-search advertising' any different?
And you say 'clickfraud is rampant.'... Are you saying that you think Google is faking clicks? Or pays someone to? I can't see how anyone but Google would benefit from this. (I suppose the paranoid part of me says your competitor could be faking the clicks, to get rid of your ads... But that could have serious legal consequences.)
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You have complete control over your 'culture'. You just refuse to exercise it.
Don't rely on others to control your culture. Write a story yourself, place it in the public domain, and encourage others to retell it. There, now all your arguments are moot.
"Fair use" is a bandaid on the problem: People keep buying goods without liking the contract. If you buy a movie and don't like the permissions they allow you, that's your fault, not yours and not the governments.
STOP BUYING THINGS THAT DON'T SATISFY YOU.
Before 'money', it used to be obvious how to get what you want. Bargain for it. 3 pigs not worth 2 chickens? Tell the other person so. You'll either come to an agreement, or buy from someone else.
Not happy with a DVD you can't freely copy? Don't buy it. Buy a DVD that allows it, or tell the company that they lost a sale because you refuse to buy something that you can't use as you like.
Expecting the government to protect your 'rights' on this clearly is not working. Instead, the companies need to understand that their customers aren't buying it anymore. They need to serve us, not the other way around.
There's more to the hatred of MySpace than their naming convention. It has a lot to do with hot cluttered and horrible-looking nearly every page is. Facebook seems determined to give people the ability to do that on Facebook as well. Honestly, most people don't care what someone's nickname is on the site. They care a lot more about how the site looks and runs.
Another post here has a quote saying they want to make it more like an OS and let you run applications on the pages... If that isn't the worst idea I've heard since I've worked at Microsoft, I don't know what is.
Either they restrict it to so much that it's useless, or they let people do what they want and the 'omgthatscool' takes over and the pages are horrid.
Ning has tried for quite some time now to attract developers to their social network to make 'apps'. Their API isn't good enough to warrant changing your style to use it, and the apps they already have are the type of things you typical see in those 'rails app in 3 minutes!' tutorials. Facebook has an advantage in the fact that they created the social aspect first, and have it running... But I still can't see the apps taking off.
Disclaimer: I do not, and never have, worked at Microsoft.
Base 17 is a bitch, ain't it?
Maybe I'm making a big assumption about Dell, but Gateway 2000 (yeah, it's been a while) used to support Windows and everything they installed on the PC. My understanding was that it was their agreement with MS to save a lot of money and have happier customers.
Dell may indeed have chosen to tell their customers that they wouldn't help them with software issues on tech support, but I seriously doubt it. My main reason is that it's almost impossible to diagnose a lot of hardware issues without first making sure the software isn't causing it to appear that it's a hardware problem.
So while it may be a matter of 'put in the recovery disk' just like it is for Windows, they still have to actually support the software, too.
It's not 'like' that, it's EXACTLY that.
;)
I personally believe it happened, and I'm not attempting to argue that it didn't.
But people -do- have a right to their beliefs, no matter how wrong the majority think they are. No matter how many 'facts' stack up against them. Beliefs do -not- need to be rational or have logic to support them.
Nobody can -prove- the holocaust happened. We've got a lot of people that claim memories of it, but no real 'proof'. It does not matter how many people stand up and say 'I was there' if these people simply refuse to believe that.
There are people that believe we've never been to the moon (or even out of orbit) and that there are helicopters (black ones!) small enough to fly through your circulatory system.
We don't let them rule our society, and anyone else that has a belief that marked differs from the norm should not be allowed to, either. I'm not against informing students that some believe it's a lie, but I -am- against not informing the students at all. In fact, it's just as important for those who don't believe in the holocaust to learn what we think it was, as it is for us to learn that they don't believe it existed. (And why, if they've got even a single reason.)
For the record, I'm not against teaching evolution (and how it works) and creationism (and how it works, even though it'd only be 'God did it') in schools. There'd just be a heck of a lot more info on the evolution lectures than the creationism lectures. The students should not be forced to do anything religious, just learn what is believed and why. Likewise, the children should not be forced to experience evolution in the classroom. I think there's laws against that already anyhow.
Thanks! I appreciate your taking the time to write all that out. It's quite encouraging that it wasn't just a -click- and instead you were able to just muscle into it without any magic. I will definitely try to keep all of this in mind and pick a single project and move forward.
I just looked... The Inspiron E1505 with Windows starts at $699... That makes the Linux version $100 cheaper. Very nice.
Don't forget that at the moment, Windows is also cheaper to support. That cost is built into a Dell, since they provide support for 'free' after you buy the PC. They charge for that up front.
One would initially think that only those who know linux will buy one of these with Kubuntu on it, but as more techs convince family and friends to buy them, support costs will rise.
I've never bought a brand-new laptop because I don't really need one, and it's always been a hassle to guarantee Linux will work on it, before I buy it. For only $600 though, I'm seriously considering one of these. It'll depend on specs and if they sell out too quickly. We'll see.
I disagree. While I like that my hands aren't cuffed together anymore, the majority of the buttons are poorly placed. A and B are the only ones usable during gameplay while holding it as 'intended.' (I use that term lightly.) 1 and 2 are the only ones usable when holding the 'mote sideways, ala Super Paper Mario/Excite Truck.
When holding it sidewides, it fits my hand so poorly that it's not even funny.
When holding it like a remote control, the pointing interface is so horrible that I can't believe they bothered. It's fine for menus, but any time that it's used interactively, it's horrid. Red Steel is a great example of horrid pointing.
My 'best' controller would be the Phoenix Revolution for the PS2. the controls are all placed just where they are comfortable, the analog sticks have adjustable tension, and you can move the sticks/buttons/dpad to any of the 4 positions. Now that I've adjusted it as I like, I rarely change it... But I've always got the option.
The Wiimote has its uses, and it's GREAT for Tennis and the other sports games... It's just not in the running for 'best controller'.
I envy you. I'm at that point you just left. I've got a ton of things I want to do, everywhere from programming the next big MMO (hah, yeah right) to learning several spoken languages (specific ones) to ... well, just about everything. I -don't- have the family/etc, just a job, and I still have no time to do even a fraction of what I want.
Every time I come up with a new idea, I think it'll be the one that I can focus all my effort on and enjoy, but after thinking about it a while, I realize that it doesn't do it for me.
Was there some trick you used to focus on that 1 project, or did it just click and everything else faded away?
And that's before you even start playing!
I managed to snag a copy for about $15 and it came with a free month for me, and a free month for a friend. I figured it'd be worth that... I hope my friend enjoyed the $15 worth of game, because I was bored to tears.
Here's how it went: Run (slowly) around town. More. More. More. Ah, a shop. No money. Run... etc/etc/etc Ah, an exit. Kill something. Health doesn't regen... Wander back to the middle of town to find a place to rest. Back outside, kill, repeat repeat repeat. Finally have a PS2 player tell me there's a key -somewhere- that let's you sit down and regen hp. She tells me it's L1 for her. I finally find it in some odd place on the keyboard. But you can't just press random keys to find it. The animation doesn't start until a full second after you hit the key, and it cancels if you hit any other key.
So things went marginally faster after that... I think after an hour or 2 of grind I finally gained a level.
Utterly bored of that, I went and bought fishing gear. Probably the worst RPG fishing ever. EVAR.
I quit at that point. My friend played a little longer, but it has to be the worst MMO I've ever played, and I started back with The Realm in early beta.
Be so glad you never wasted your time on that utter crap.
And that's just the point. He was not following the rules of using the Wifi for free. It's free for the coffee shop's customers. They apparently define customer as 'one who comes in the shop', as is appropriate. It's just 'free'.
Donna May is obviously not one who studies the law, and "didn't know it was really illegal." That doesn't mean it's not, and it doesn't mean she gave permission. She clearly would have given permission had the man actually stepped inside the shop.
Is the fine overboard? Probably. Is it the law? Yup.
A little off topic: I've always found it stupid that the only way to get a law removed from the books is to break and fight it in court. There's no other way. Why is it the duty of individual citizens to police the government? (They should have the right, not the obligation.)
Your NIC didn't ask the router for permission. It asked it for a number.
Opening an unlocked door is still trespassing.
Did you seriously just say that if the teacher wasn't bothered, there wasn't a disruption in the class?
Schools don't prevent disruptions to help the teachers have a nice day. They do it to foster a learning environment for the students. If 3 or 4 of the students are doing something majorly disruptive like dancing behind the teacher's back, -nobody- is learning at the point, and probably not for a while afterwards.
The punishment may not fit the crime, but I don't remember a time in school when it -did-, so that's nothing new. I was once written up for not doing my work in class (I had finished already) and when the teacher tried to rescind, wasn't allowed. Why? The vice-principal didn't like me. He actually had the nerve to say 'I just wanted to see if you'd show up' when I got there. I still had to do clean-up duty for something I didn't even do. Oh yeah, fair.
I've always seen expulsion as a way to let the kids that didn't WANT to be in school, not be. If they want to pass after that, they're going to have to work their little butts off just to pass. They won't have time to disrupt the class any more when they get back. (Nevermind what they'll have to deal with from their parents.) Nobody I knew ever had it happen to them, though. They cared about their grades too much.
Bingo. Most people don't replace things that work. They don't have the time, money, or energy to do so.
I love Linux. I would use it exclusively if it was possible for a gamer. As it is, I've 3 computers in my house and 2 run Linux. The other is now only used for games.
Why did I switch? I had a use for it. The stuff that can be done on Linux, for a technical person, is awesome. There's been -so- many times I wished that something would work a certain way, and then I searched the internet and it -does-. Usually almost exactly like I'd hoped. Lately, I just try it... It's amazing how many times it just works.
It does take a fair amount of use to get to that point, though. And a fair amount of technical knowledge to make use of all the cool features. They just aren't average-joe things.
Not to say that Linux doesn't have average-joe things, either... It just doesn't do more for them than Windows does. I've forced my father to use Kubuntu while at my house, and after the 'I don't know how to use it' phase (before he'd even seen the computer) he has no issues with it. He really doesn't know how to 'use' Windows either, though. He searches the web and plays games on it. He doesn't want it for anything else.
Linux's low market share really does come down to not having the apps/games, and the fact that Windows is always in front of them.
No seriously, he's right. They're idiots.
I'm not saying 'they don't understand technology' or any other single thing. They lack any sort of sense whatsoever. To fully appreciate the stupidity of the average human, you have to have worked in a non-tech job where everyone has access, like a supermarket or restaurant. You will be amazed at how mind-numbingly stupid people are.
People with average intelligence and above are fine. It's the 50% below that point that really amaze.
That sounds great, but should it be a LAW? Any law that forces someone to give away their work (ie: no direct monetary gain) is screwy, no matter the terms.
If the recording industry was even close to sane, something very much like that would probably happen. Radio stations could play certain songs for free, but would have to pay to play others. The promoter picks the free songs... Albums would contain more than 1 good song, and people would actually like entire CDs again. They'd be willing to purchase them to hear the other tracks.
But the industry hasn't been sane for quite a while now.
Who are you to tell him what he's telling you? Read his post again. He said NOTHING about sensoring other people, merely stated that he agreed with the Senator's opinion that exploiting the V-Tech incident for profit is wrong.
You are still free to think anything you want, no matter how sick and twisted it is. However, if you want to live in a society (and you do, I assure you, or you would have found a way not to by now) then you'll have to obey it's laws. Feel free to look for a different society if this one doesn't suit you. Or even lobby to change it. Maybe there's more people like you and you can get the laws changed.
Okay, you have an edge case.
But that doesn't mean anything other than that your money will go more directly from your pocket to the RIAA's than before.
Before: You -> Radio ~> CD sales -> RIAA
After: You -> Radio -> RIAA
Radio music causes people to want to buy CDs of music they like. Previously your money funded advertising which provided money for the RIAA in the form of CD sales.
I'd like to think that your option would be the one chosen, and that radio stations would listen to those who pay them money directly... But XM and Sirius take money directly from their consumers and they seem to ignore their customers as much or more than regular stations, so I don't have much faith in companies doing the 'right thing' for their customers in this case. (And most others, anymore.)
Enjoy your radio station. It may end up being the last decent one in this country.
Payola assumes that price varies per song, artist of company. If everyone has to pay the same amount, it's no longer illegal. In fact, if they wish to state so, the radio station can just call all songs 'advertisements' and charge whatever they want each song. It's only illegal if presented as "regular airplay."
That's okay, because we don't even have 'won't sue'. They've only ever said that their current plan is not to sue immediately. They've never said the plan isn't to sue later, and they've never said their plans will never change. They could decide right this instant to sue, and they haven't lied. (About this, at least.)
We all (slashdotters) know this is FUD. The problem is that not everyone is as sensible. Most of the world feels the need to be extremely cautious, and this FUD will work. Even if they are damned sure they can get through this without issue, if it's more certain they can do so by dropping FOSS from their systems, a lot will do it. Oh, it'll be a few at first, here and there... And then more follow until there's an avalanche. MS knows this. They're just waiting for that. If they have to start a lawsuit to do it, they will... But if they can do it for free, with a baseless threat, that's much cheaper and easier.
Because radio stations, if they have to pay more money, will need more income.
I see 2 ways to get more income:
1) More ads.
2) Charge the content producers to air their music.
2 sounds stupid at first, but if the options are 'massive advertising' or 'pay the radio a few cents to play your song', I know which would be cheaper and better. The consumer (that's us) loses either way, and the RIAA is the only one who gains.
'Overpaid Shock Jocks' exist because they bring in listeners, no matter how stupid any single individual may think them. If they didn't, they wouldn't exist.
'Indie music' doesn't get much airplay because radio stations don't think it'll bring in listeners and because it is so hard/expensive to find good stuff. Music producers sift through the cruft and find the money music, and radio stations take advantage of that currently. The only way for a radio station to afford that sifting process would be to have 1 company (or a very few) sort for many radio stations. That's basically what we have right now.
Don't forget the reverse is true as well: Google has to trust your company to only use the Google checkout. Phone, mail, email... There's plenty of opportunity to turn that customer away from Google's checkout without doing anything shady such as only sending 2/3 to Google and the other 1/3 to something else.
There are also plenty of people that aren't interested in Google's checkout at all, and would refuse this.
If there was a simple answer, this problem would not have existed for so long.
No offense, but isn't that the same as all other types of advertising? If you feel you are getting enough for your money, you buy the advertising. If you don't, you don't.
... Are you saying that you think Google is faking clicks? Or pays someone to? I can't see how anyone but Google would benefit from this. (I suppose the paranoid part of me says your competitor could be faking the clicks, to get rid of your ads... But that could have serious legal consequences.)
TV ads continue to be annoying and people are actively avoiding them now. Instead of making better commercials that don't annoy people, they just keep shelling out the money for the same old crap.
Radio, ditto.
Newspapers, magazines... Other than the sale ads and video game magazines (which are disappointing, because the ads rarely tell you anything the actual game), I don't think I've bothered to do more than glance at an ad in years.
How is 'sponsored-search advertising' any different?
And you say 'clickfraud is rampant.'
That assumes that:
;)
A) We can't revive her.
B) Copyright law doesn't change by the time she dies