Posts by Rich of Observationz
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Yeah, Rich, that's what I posted last night.
Sorry. Didn't follow your link.
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On the subject of unintended consequences, John McCain's campaign videos on YouTube have been being pulled as a result of DMCA takedown notices served (presumably) by his opponents.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/15/youtube_responds_to_mccain/
McCain voted for the DMCA.
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I wouldn't take my eyes off Cullen and English if they got within arm's length of the cash box
I think not enough kudos is being given to our government for having left us in a situation where no mainstream banks have gone bust and the fundamental economy remains pretty sound. This isn't the case in many other OECD countries.
Governments are of course jammed between a rock and a hard place. It would have been desirable (as I pointed out many times) if the property boom had been choked off at an early stage through taxation and other measures. This wasn't done because the electorate had dreams of getting rich through house price speculation.
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trading old CDs for new, spending cash money
Which of course also reduces the artist and record companies income. If a CD passes through several sets of hands rather than everyone buying their own, the creator sees less cash. Of course it isn't illegal to resell CDs (although attempts have been made to make it so with software).
On the Real Groovy closure, I can't help thinking that their "attitude" might have contributed to their demise. They did have a lot of "customers must not" signs, their comprehensive stock was uncatalogued and having to line up separately for tickets and other checkout items always deterred me from buying a CD at the same time as a ticket.
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I spent this afternoon with a tech company trying to figure out different delivery methods for audio at different quality rates
Eh?
- Get the mastering engineer to produce a FLAC (or WAV) file at the same time as they create the MP3.
- Stick it on the website as a downloadable item.
What's hard. www.cytopia.org have this going now, and if hippies can do it, you surely can?
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Oh, and there have been a range of solutions where one can get music in remixable form with the separate vocal and instrument tracks. I was really expecting this to take off at one stage, but it didn't.
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In an ideal world, there would be a sliding scale of quality vs price - if I'm prepared to drop some serious money, I could get something that approximates the original digital multitrack in native or SACD or DVD-A format.
A lot of specialist DJ suppliers, like Cytopia do just this and offer WAV/FLAC/320k MP3 files. I though iTunes did lossless now as well.
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Although the V8s turn both ways, they're still governed by some wierd rule that ensures that the makers of Proper Fast Cars (like various large German and Japanese companies, or indeed dedicated racing car makers like McLaren) don't join in. (Though I assume that Ford and General Motors contract the car design out to external specialists?).
Unlike F1, where basically it's a competition to make the quickest car that fits the formula, thus seeding a whole hi-tech industry.
And what happens to the V8s if GM goes bankrupt. Ford vs Ford?
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if you are going to sell a service (broadband) then you have a responsibility to make sure it is used legally and fairly
Doesn't apply to many other services. Car makers and oil companies aren't responsible for the dangerous use of their products.
I think the media industry's current business model is akin to somebody getting a bunch of white bicycles with collection boxes attached, scattering them around town, and expecting that people will borrow the bikes and put gold coins in the tin to pay for them. (This has been tried with predictable results).
To follow this analogy, section 92 is like the wannabee bike rental firm demanding that cops be sent to break into peoples houses and yards to try and find the stolen bikes.
It isn't going to work. There are things that might:
- make legitimate content more attractive so that people pay a dollar to download off iTunes rather than fluff around.
- try and make more money from revenue sources other than recorded media
- lobby for a broadband levy, but for this to work the money needs to go to artists rather than being salami-sliced by middle men. -
1/ Should stupid people be allowed to vote? If so, who should they vote for?
Peter Dunne.
2/ If you were secretly an Arab terrorist, what would be the first policy you'd enact on taking office?
Send paramilitary cops against some of NZ's nuttier Maori and other agitators, abolish Maori seats and try and forcibly suppress the gangs.
5/ You are holding a dinner party for famous New Zealand political and historical personages. Who do you seat next to Graham Capill?
Antoine Dixon
8/ Which gay MP would you least like to have babysit your children?
Stephen Franks
10/ On taking power, which bureaucrats would you sack? Please provide names and addresses.
All the staff of Censorship, Police, Immigration and Customs.
13/ Without going outside to check, what make is your ministerial car?
Bugatti Veyron - If it isn't now, its gonna be soon
15/ Who is your favourite New Zealand band? Prove it by posting a youtube clip of you singing one of their songs.
Courtenay Love. And no.
16/ Name three prominent New Zealand bloggers. Which one would you most like to punch in the face?
Whaleoil - lowered feed first through shredding machine rather than punched in the face.
That stupid lawyer woman who lives in Hong Kong - left in South Auckland at 2am with no phone or money rather than punched in face.
Farrar - locked in a small room with five of his commentors rather than punched in face.17/ How much did a one kilo block of Anchor cheese cost at Pak 'n' Save Moorhouse Ave last Tuesday?
No idea - shall I'll enquire of the under-cook?