Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: The file-sharing bill, in reply to Don Christie,
Russell, it is a shame you chose a straw man comment to supposedly illustrate the position of those that disagree with this Bill (Act).
Oh come on, Don. There are a number of similar comments in that thread alone. My point isn't to "supposedly illustrate the position of those that disagree with this Bill" -- because that would be me -- but to note that some people are being a bit silly about it.
Your presumption of restraint on the part of so called “rights holders” seems misplaced. Currently Lime Wire is being asked for $75 trillion by the US recording industry. That’s about 6 times the US GDP and more than the world’s GDP. Services such as Youtube are constantly taking down content that has no business being removed, because the presumption of guilt is a less risky position to take, even if it is not exactly what the law says.
Nuisance lawyers are springing up all over the world. There business model is to use laws like this to threaten and shake money out of Internet users, such as you, your children and Melissa Lee.
It's worth noting that lawyers, nuisance or otherwise, will not be able to argue at the tribunal, and that this law doesn't provide for the kind of actions you've cited.
Frankly, the ignorance demonstrated by those who spoke in favour of the bill was far more terrifying than your commentator on NBR. Lee and Young – take a bow.
I'd add "stupidity" to "ignorance".
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Up Front: Fairy-Tale Autopsies, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
With some really good, well-thought-out replies and responses. And that often makes me feel very stooopid.
On the basis of your contributions, I think of you as being very smart.
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Also, a relevant and very amusing video:
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Muse: Hey Greg O'Connor, Krup You!, in reply to Damian Christie,
He does (often) perform it as part of his set. I kinda agree that doing it because he saw police in the bar was potentially a dick move, but not an arrest-worthy dick move.
There's a suggestion in news reports that Dick dropped the track, and if so it was his dick-move.
I look forward to the It wasn't me/It was my DJ defence.
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Muse: Hey Greg O'Connor, Krup You!, in reply to BenWilson,
Does that ever happen? I think a talking to from their bosses is the most that could realistically be hoped for.
And I'd have been okay with an officer having a word with Tiki on the night just to point out he wasn't making their job any easier.
If I'm reading the reports right, they've doubled down. The staff member/promoter was released without charge, but is now facing resisting arrest and other charges on Friday too.
Seriously, fuck off.
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Up Front: Fairy-Tale Autopsies, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
Do you know if they're all separate individuals or are they the same people coming back repeatedly? Is there some way of knowing?
As Mark noted, measuring the number of absolute unique visitors is very hard, and different people do it differently. Google Analytics (which gave us 40,000 uniques in earthquake month) tends to give a much higher figure than Nielsen. Unfortunately, Nielsen is still basically the industry measure.
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Muse: Hey Greg O'Connor, Krup You!, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,
That’s what this reminded me of – only problem, Tiki had a mic.
In 1981, at the Gladstone Tavern in Christchurch, the Newmatics were playing at part of the legendary Screaming Blamatics Tour.
The police, as they did in those days, entered, lined up along the back of the room and started eyeballing people.
The Newmatics, meanwhile, halted the song they were playing and launched into 'Riot Squad'. It was a tense little moment in a very tense year.
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Just in this morning from Nielsen: Public Address has the highest proportion of "high internet users" -- 39.2% -- of any NZ website it tracks.
Unlimited and Computerworld are 2nd and 3rd, and The Standard 10th. No sign of Kiwiblog.
For purposes of clarity, "high internet users" means "people who use the internet for 20+ hours per week" and NOT "people who use the internet while high".
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Muse: Hey Greg O'Connor, Krup You!, in reply to Steve Barnes,
I remember the “Team Policing Unit” that used to go around pubs looking for trouble.
I missed the worst of that, but I well remember cops turning up near closing time at the Windsor Castle and hassling people until they swore and then throwing them in the van. It was insane, and it went on for years.
Fuck Gideon Tait for that.
Another time, I enlisted the help of officers, also at the Windsor, because a guy I knew had had his leather jacket taken by skinheads.
"I think they're spoiling for a fight," I warned the officer.
"Well that's what we're after too," he snarled as he headed over.
Shit, I thought.
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Muse: Hey Greg O'Connor, Krup You!, in reply to Joanna,
I think it sounds like Tiki was being a bit of a dick, to be honest. Unless he usually sings ‘Fuck tha police’ as part of his set …
I don’t know about “usually”, but loads of times in the past 10 years apparently.
So maybe he was trying it on a bit. But coming back more than an hour later and arresting him, the promoter and DJ Dick Johnson? Just bullying.
Also, I know Dick Johnson and I struggle to imagine him doing anything that would get him legitimately arrested. He's a total sweetie.