Posts by Rich of Observationz

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  • Hard News: Intellectual Properties,

    Is that finally a comprehensive gig guide? All the others have tended not to be (anything that charges for listings or expects advertising as collateral won't be).

    Maybe they'll do one for Wellington, although reading flyers gives you a good sense of what's on down here..

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    Something I noticed on Media 7 was that various of you were using a "TV voice". Why is it that on radio people talk in a relatively normal voice, but point a camera at somebody and they have to switch into a Smashy & Nicey accent? Or am I imagining it?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    On the Media7 thing, I'm surprised nobody mentioned the "wall of worry" concept.

    Everything keeps going up until it crashes. Particularly when you work for a newspaper that lives on real estate advertising revenue - that must put journos under pressure to keep being positive on house prices?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Speaking freely,

    So what do I need to install to make the podcast stuff work from IE7?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: 49 Chinese to Replace John Campbell,

    Muldoon-ist tizzy

    It's become this clincher in NZ debates. A bit like Godwin's Law, all you have to do is say "Muldoon did that" and you win.

    I mean, I have it on good authority that he liked bacon sarnies - does that make them bad?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: Piled in bins like summer fruit,

    South Africa was constituted on a fundamentally evil basis, in service of a ruling racial minority. It was globally recognised as such. I don't think the same can be said of modern China

    It's better if the ruling minority is the same race/colour as the oppressed majority, then?

    Incidentally, I've come to an understanding of why there are always lots of Chinese kids willing to demonstrate in favour of their government. Imagine if NZ was run as a dictatorship by ACT. Imagine also, that a tiny minority (less than 1%) had all the money and could afford goodies like overseas education. Wouldn't all the kids off doing degrees overseas be dead keen on ACT? - because they'd be part of the elite.

    That's broadly how China works.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: 49 Chinese to Replace John Campbell,

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: You can't always get what you…,

    The reasoning was that technology intended merely to control geographic pricing was no business of copyright law.

    Wierd. But the Bill doesn't exempt any other non-financial uses of copyright law, does it? (Is it still forbidden to ship stuff between markets against the wishes of the copyright holder, or was that removed in NZ some time ago?)

    Is one allowed to use copyright law to regulate the use of a copyrighted item whilst not charging for that item (I'm getting at the GPL here)? Would a GPL enforcement device, if one could conceive of such a thing, be a protected TPM?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Island Life: 49 Chinese to Replace John Campbell,

    I think that the PM should sack Peters, announcing publicly that his lack of support for the principles of the labour-led government, coupled with his parties racism, makes him unfit to be a Minister.

    She can't do that because he'd bring down the government?

    Well, there's a way out of that.

    Firstly, she asks John Key to abstain on confidence and supply until an agreed election date in September, thus neutralising Peters.

    If Key agrees, then NZF become a bit of a spent force, especially if the agreement becomes mutual (pairing off NZF MPs so that they become ineffectual).

    If, as would seem likely, he refuses, then there will be an early election. National will have limited ability to spend its warchest or dream up some policies. NZF (and to some extent National) will get most of the blame for forcing the election date. Labour might just win, but if National wins, they're straight into the teeth of the recession, with a new PM and questionable coalition support. The public will see it as the Nats screwing up after 8 good years with Labour.

    Win/win/win, really.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Hard News: You can't always get what you…,

    if you want to play your DVD on anything other than an RIAA approved platform

    Guess I won't be buying my first DVD for a while then..

    Isn't physical media going to be obsolete in 10 years or less?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

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