Category — Internet Issues

LiveJournal decided that it made really excellent business sense to redesign their site. In doing so, they removed subject lines, added a full size icon browse feature, and changed how comment links worked.

Truly an excellent design, full of useful and helpful things to make using the site easier, and value-added. Bravo.

Expert: Invalid Warrant Used in Raid on iPhone Reporter’s Home | Threat Level | Wired.com

I am shocked, and frankly appalled that anyone would have their home searched and things confiscated over a story reported in the news.

Between the idiotic behavior of those in Washington, the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, and the idiots at LJ/6A, lots of fodder for musings.

First of all: Washington.  The Attorney General is contradicted on sworn statements to Congress.  The Vice-President invokes executive privilege then turns around and says that his office is not part of the executive branch.  Bwah?

Second of all, the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis.  Our infrastructure in America ie bridges, roads, airports, pipes, utilities and ports are falling apart.  Our national parks are in genteel poverty.  We’re spending money flexing muscles and getting people killed while at home things are falling apart around our ears.

And finally, LJ/6A’s behavior.  WTF?  Not even warning for infractions. Summarily deleting accounts including permanent accounts. 

I have two posts at The Abbey Annex, my LJ journal with more links.

• Updates about the Recent Mess
• LJ Makes Fandom Bend Over and Cough

The Great HDCP Fiasco

Idjits. Hollywood, the MPAA, ATI and nVidia, not to mention Sony and Microsoft are all just a big bunch of money grubbing IDIOTS who seem to think making it *harder* to even WATCH what people f'ing buy will cut down piracy.
Bullfuckingshit.
They have farted around about HDTV, DRM and copyright and they who THINK they are the powers that be are merely bringing on a lovely little fight between people who want to watch or listen to what they buy *LEGALLY* and those who think that there are pirates around every corner. No they are in bed with those who give a nod and wink to piracy in China and other places and punishing the legal buyers of their products be it software, DVDs, games or music.
I for one, would be very pissed about not being able to watch a DVD on my snazzy new HDTV (not like I could afford one for a few YEARS) or hell play a game on my new PS3 (altough I'm seriously reconsidering that in light of my little run-in with MediaMAX courtesy of Sony/BMG) that I bought and paid for.
Of course the article has the disturbing news that the GPU manufacturers-ATI/nVidia- have been *advertising* a feature that the retail versions don't have but OEM versions that can only be in new computers, which is a bait and switch in my opinion.

I bought the Backstreet Boys' latest CD- Never Gone and had completely forgotten Jive/Zoomba was owned by Sony BMG. Well I popped the CD in to copy to iTunes so I could listen to it without tying up a CD player and it installed MediaMax (tiny print on the case and it said it "enhanced" Windows. I had fun cleaning it up and once it was gone, I could copy noncorrupted files. Sheesh. I only pay for my music and want to listen on the computer which is the ONLY place I can listen to music as I don't have a CD player in my cars. I definitely don't like companies telling ME, the freaking customer (for without a customer, they are out of business) what I can and can not do with stuff I buy legally. GRRR.

USATODAY.com – Towns battle big companies to expand broadband

I'm rooting for the city. The cable and telephones companies think they got away with not opening their infrastructure to competitors, but technology and an effort by local government and citizens will change that.

Technorati Tags: broadband,