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Comment: Re:This just in: (Score 1) 302

by gomiam (#48612347) Attached to: The Pirate Bay Responds To Raid

I'm just pointing out that Mike at Techdirt's "Zero Marginal Cost, Infinite Good" argument applies equally well to empty seats at a concert or sporting event, or to lack of capacity crowd at a museum.

Does it? Can you put an infinite number of people in those seats with marginal cost? I would posit you can't so it doesn't.

By Mike's argument, 1) people should expect to be admitted free under such circumstances, and 2) the organizers should welcome them for the possibility of incidental business (concessions, swag).

And they do. Not everyone, not always, but they do. Remember the last bar you went to that didn't make you pay for listening to the music they were playing?

Obviously, it's a ridiculous argument in the case of a rock concert, particularly because the very same people who condone piracy often recommend that musicians make their living by selling tickets at live performances. But what makes it ridiculous is that there is an obvious, visible security apparatus in place at the concert that will either physically prevent gate crashers, or who will likely get them hauled down to the local police station.

Of course, they are there _only_ to avoid freeloaders getting in. Never mind the limits of people in the venue, the need to avoid altercations, etc.

Comment: Re:Apple REULEZ! (Score 1) 408

by gomiam (#47958247) Attached to: Why You Can't Manufacture Like Apple
Well, I'm a computer tech too, I repair tech all day long too, I also know one or two things about technology in general.

My informed choice is I won't but Apple products. Yes, they are sleek and pretty, and do what they must mostly without a hassle. But, guess what? They live in their own little world: connect a USB hard disk that doesn't have the approved formats from Apple and your computer will ask you to "fix it". If you make the mistake to accept, say goodbye to your data (unless you have a tech around who knows the tools to get it back). Try to set up a network connection that doesn't conform to what Apple thinks wifi connections should do and you have to jump through hoops to create an installer so it gets set up correctly because Apple decided to cut the ability to set it up from your phone.

These are just two examples of how easy dealing with Apple products is.

"Oh yeah "Ooh, aah", that's how it always starts. But then there's running and screaming." (Ian Malcom, "The Lost World")

Comment: Re:Baking Soda May Help! (Score 2) 140

by gomiam (#47901825) Attached to: If We Can't Kill Cancer, Can We Control It?

When you have lost loved ones to cancer -

Excuse me if you aren't the only one to have gone through that.

and watched them suffer horrendously and miserably after receiving chemotherapy "treatments" -

Or not. Different people react differently to differente chemotherapy treatments.

only to have their last days on earth be an agonzing, living hell for them -

Sorry for that to be your case. Fortunately, chemotherapy actually avoids that fate in many cases.

you start to question the validity of these treatments and begin open yourself up to the possibility that others who have had a very measurable success with unorthodox treatments may very well be onto something very real and special.

Until you notice that they have had no measurable success, that they are based on quack science (cancer grows on acidity? How does that explain leukemia?), and that, actually, some of them have narrowly escaped being sentenced to prison for manslaughter.

Comment: Re:Its all because of graphics drivers (Score 1) 158

by gomiam (#47548699) Attached to: Valencia Linux School Distro Saves 36 Million Euro

Or do most people lack the cognitive ability to use more than one OS, and need crappy 'Microsoft Essentials' classes to teach them anything beyond how to game and access their Facebook accounts?

They lack the interest the same way someone who learns driving an automatic usually has little interest in learning to drive a stick-shift (actually, here in Spain there are very few automatic transmission cars so everyone needs to know about the stick-shift, but I digress).

I deal with last-year undergraduates who still don't know about Word styles, who still write the content tables by hand (because they don't know about the possibility of using the title styles in their Word documents). Believe me, they don't care to investigate in most cases.

Actually, most of them still will put text walls in their Powerpoint presentations so they can read them. And yes, they usually had classes about it in high school. But they didn't care.

Comment: Re: TCO (Score 2) 158

by gomiam (#47548667) Attached to: Valencia Linux School Distro Saves 36 Million Euro
No. Unfortunately they usually don't. <semi-rant>I support a university campus and I'm tired (not really, but it gets boring) of being asked for copies of university software by students for whom there is no licenced copy available. The reason? The teacher will be accostumed to using that software and doesn't even consider changing to another.

Mind you, I'm not even talking about changing to Linux or some open source program. I'm talking about students (teachers too) persistently asking for Windows XP-compatible software to be installed in their Windows 8 computers when we aren't allowed to do it and asking for us to help them when the magically appearing copy of our licenced software doesn't work with their computers' Windows 7 or 8</semi-rant>

So no, they usually don't know better: they stumbled upon the software (or were taught to use it by someone who already used it) and never looked back. I have even had teachers tell me (because some licenced-software seller told them) that the costless option I suggest is worse when the licenced version is the same software with some useless extras bolted in (and yes, I mean useless extras because they can be substituted with standard Windows software).

Comment: Re:The proofs (Score 1) 512

Excuse my shortsightedness. Would you be so kind to explain _why_ the fact that british imams condemned the demonstrators showing those placards as being extremists has anything to do with Israel? Do you have any proof about those condemnations being false? Why do you resort to the "guilt by association" fallacy? While we are at it, would you be so kind to point out where is that memo referenced in the link you posted? Which, by the way, doesn't paint Palestinians in too good a light either:

Palestinians who were responsible for the killing of Israeli children after the establishment of the PA in 1993 also benefited from impunity.

Update: I found the reference you pointed out. Great work putting a link that explains next to nothing about your point of contention. Next time, link the document itself.
