Recent Posts

6826

Living Room / Re: Amazon closes woman's account and wipes her Kindle

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 09:05 AM »

wow.
bad and odd and weird - and really bad press for Amazon.

-tomos (October 22, 2012, 08:57 AM)

This has apparently been building for a while- hopefully this will bring it to critical mass.  I did a search on amazon closed accounts, and was surprised at how many hits I got, and the details (most of the results are from sellers, but there are accounts similar to this one in there also).  Eventually, this stuff apparently gets sort of solved, as long as you are diligent and persistent.  But their responses until that point are very disheartening, almost like they want you to give up.

6827

Living Room / Re: Amazon closes woman's account and wipes her Kindle

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 09:02 AM »

And this is why I got an Android to read on...

-Renegade (October 22, 2012, 08:48 AM)

I have an iPad, but I'm not so sure that it's the device more than it's the software and DRM.

An example- I purchased a book on a gift card, and through a comedy of errors, the gift card was canceled.  The book still shows on my account, but I can't read it.  I had already read it (and it wasn't something I was going to read again), so it wasn't a big deal... but I never did anything about it so that I could have that image ingrained in my mind whenever I choose to use the software- to remind me of exactly what risk I'm taking.

But I thought it was on a book by book basis - not the entire account.

6828

Living Room / Re: People Turning on Trolls?

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 08:57 AM »

Note: liberties will be lost. But I don't blame the people screaming for redress. There will always be opportunists that seize on the what asking for additional regulations will present. I blame the people who knew better and could have kept the situation under control - but decided not to.

-40hz (October 22, 2012, 08:07 AM)

But those people aren't the victimized ones.  Because the elected representatives couldn't/wouldn't get it under control, it's ok to the people victimized?

-wraith808 (October 22, 2012, 08:23 AM)

Added emphasis. 

Government officials/others could have done something but didn't.  Innocent people get caught in crossfire.  Because government officials didn't address it, the innocents are just collateral damage?

6829

Living Room / Re: Amazon closes woman's account and wipes her Kindle

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 08:36 AM »

An interesting footnote:

Back in 2009, when Amazon settled the lawsuit over its remote deletion of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (you really can't make this stuff up), it promised that it would not perform any further deletions unless ordered to do so by a court. I repeatedly asked Amazon whether DRM-free ebooks, or files that users load onto their Kindles themselves, could be remotely deleted. I never received a response of any kind.

from BoingBoing article on same incident.

6830

Living Room / Amazon closes woman's account and wipes her Kindle

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 08:27 AM »

I was actually thinking about going Amazon rather than B&N.  Not anymore...

The actual link seems to be overloaded or down, so this is a link to the google cache.

A couple of days a go, my friend Linn sent me an e-mail, being very frustrated: Amazon just closed her account and wiped her Kindle. Without notice. Without explanation. This is DRM at it’s worst.

Linn travels a lot and therefore has, or should I say had, a lot of books on her Kindle, purchased from Amazon. Suddenly, her Kindle was wiped and her account was closed. Being convinced that something wrong had happened, she sent an e-mail to Amazon, asking for help. This was the answer:

Dear Linn [last name],

My name is Michael Murphy and I represent Executive Customer Relations within Amazon.co.uk. One of our mandates is to address the most acute account and order problems, and in this capacity your account and orders have been brought to my attention.

We have found your account is directly related to another which has been previously closed for abuse of our policies. As such, your Amazon.co.uk account has been closed and any open orders have been cancelled.

Per our Conditions of Use which state in part: Amazon.co.uk and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or cancel orders at their sole discretion.

Please know that any attempt to open a new account will meet with the same action.

You may direct any questions to me at [email protected].

Thank you for your attention to this email.

Regards

Michael Murphy
Executive Customer Relations
Amazon.co.uk

It gets worse from there.

6831

Living Room / Re: People Turning on Trolls?

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 08:23 AM »

Note: liberties will be lost. But I don't blame the people screaming for redress. There will always be opportunists that seize on the what asking for additional regulations will present. I blame the people who knew better and could have kept the situation under control - but decided not to.

-40hz (October 22, 2012, 08:07 AM)

But those people aren't the victimized ones.  Because the elected representatives couldn't/wouldn't get it under control, it's ok to the people victimized?

I had a bad experience with someone online trying to get into my real life.  It is for that reason that I don't readily give out my personal information.  I know that this is only the veneer of anonymity, but it is how I've gone on since that happened, as it was very traumatic when it happened.  I stand behind everything said online- other than a few communities and online games, I don't directly interact with anyone, partially as a result of this, and realizing that just because I'm who I say that I am, that doesn't mean that everyone else is.  So it's easier to keep a distance, and that lack of personal knowledge helps with that.  But I'm the same offline as online, other than the fact that I'm less thoughtful in person- my mind moves too fast for my mouth, and I switch topics at the drop of a hat because the conversation gets confused reconciling the two, making it hard to communicate.  Writing slows that down, which is why I like to write a lot.

Even if it's only a veneer of anonymity, why is it ok if someone decides that they are upset with what I wrote and goes and posts my name, address, and who knows what else anonymous posted?  Am I not entitled to share what I want to without fear that some pissed off person will go digging and it will be ok?

6832

Living Room / Re: People Turning on Trolls?

« Last post by wraith808 on October 22, 2012, 07:48 AM »

Yeah, iceberg tips are right, and some of this assumes it's "innocent people with nothing to hide righteously turning in the trolls." We'll also get trolls "turning in" the innocents, the government and corporations turning people in to each other, and all the variants in between.

-TaoPhoenix (October 22, 2012, 06:57 AM)

This. 

This is how liberties are lost.  With the best of intentions.

IMHO, of course.

6833

General Software Discussion / Re: Help me choose an online backup service

« Last post by wraith808 on October 20, 2012, 09:44 PM »

One VERY important note for people setting up backups of multiple family PCs:  *ALL* computers are forced to have the SAME encryption password and account access(!).  This means that anyone on any of these PCs could access the backed up files of any of the other PCs.

This feels like a major security risk to me, though I suppose it's useful in keeping people from sharing a family plan with non-family members.  But you should know that this fact may severely limit the usefulness of the family plan.

-mouser (October 20, 2012, 03:47 PM)

Are there any that don't share like that?  All of the ones that I've tried share if they're on the same account.

6834

Developer's Corner / Re: There's Apple in my Microsoft

« Last post by wraith808 on October 20, 2012, 03:43 PM »

There were other companies who had app stores, way before Apple.

Steam is an example of an download/updater for games, it was around way before ITunes started doing non-music. In fact, Steam has now started selling utilities/applications too.

-dtsouers (October 20, 2012, 10:54 AM)

Steam is quite a different animal.  They don't have lock in to every part of the ecosystem.  That's a big thing to leverage.  Steam is more of a distribution platform than what these are.

6835

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by wraith808 on October 19, 2012, 12:37 PM »

The rational part of me believes that outing is a bad thing. There's the risk of framing innocents, but even if the information is 100% correct, it's a pretty darn slippery slope. On the other hand, I'm glad to see a bully stopped...

-f0dder (October 19, 2012, 02:28 AM)

And I think this is the part where balance is required.  Is it good to stop someone that's exploiting others?  Yes.  But do you throw the rights of everyone out the door in order to do so?  Especially when you could have done it in a more constructive way?  I think that's where gawker's feet need to be held to the fire.  They didn't even try to coordinate with law officials, and still haven't to my knowledge.  If they were so concerned, LE would have been involved long before now, and they could report on the results of that investigation.  That takes care of the problem.  Of course, in that case, there's the chance that they lose their exclusive.  And I think that the exclusive came before the benefits, truthfully.

6836

DC Gamer Club / Pay What You Want for Interplay Games

« Last post by wraith808 on October 19, 2012, 12:04 AM »

DRM free on GoG

Pay anything - get 8 games
CONQUEST OF THE NEW WORLD
M.A.X. + M.A.X. 2
JAGGED ALLIANCE 2: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
SHATTERED STEEL
SCREAMER
EVOLVA
KINGDOM: THE FAR REACHES
VR SOCCER '96

Pay above the average - get 20 games
(the above +)
FREESPACE + EXPANSION
GIANTS: CITIZEN KABUTO
DESCENT 3 + EXPANSION
STONEKEEP
CASTLES + CASTLES 2
LIONHEART: LEGACY OF THE CRUSADER
MESSIAH
BATTLE CHESS SPECIAL EDITION
DIE BY THE SWORD + EXPANSION
EARTHWORM JIM 3D
F/A-18E SUPER HORNET
INVICTUS: IN THE SHADOW OF OLYMPUS

Pay 34.99 or more - get 32 games
(the above +)
FALLOUT
FALLOUT 2
FALLOUT TACTICS
FREESPACE 2
DESCENT + DESCENT 2
REDNECK RAMPAGE COLLECTION
SACRIFICE
EARTHWORM JIM 1 + 2
MDK
MDK 2
SHOGO: MOBILE ARMOR DIVISION
KINGPIN: LIFE OF CRIME

Have some of them, you say?  You get a giftable code that you can use to give away your duplicates (though the code has to go to one person for all of the dupes; you can't split them up).

6837

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by wraith808 on October 18, 2012, 09:55 PM »

But in the meantime, if I hear a commotion next door, or see signs of physical abuse on someone who lives there, I'm not going to sit idly by and ponder how we can "raise awareness" and "best address" the "problem of domestic abuse." I'm going to call the police and go over and bang on the door.

-40hz (October 18, 2012, 09:45 PM)

That's what I'm talking about.  And that's what was said in the quote.  And that's what I said in my post.  Didn't I?

If you have the information, and think that the person did wrong, then report them to the correct authorities, and let them take it from there.

-wraith808 (October 18, 2012, 07:32 PM)

That's all I'm saying.  Outing isn't solving the problem.  Mob rule isn't the key.  Going to the police with the information is.  And is actually more constructive, as they can build up a case without him knowing.  And thereby have a better chance of being able to do something with it.  So it seems like a win win to me.  

It seems that you took part of my post without reading the whole thing.

6838

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by wraith808 on October 18, 2012, 07:32 PM »

^Apples and oranges. If you work long and hard enough, anything can be made to look "almost" like anything else.

-40hz (October 18, 2012, 04:08 PM)

Same thing happened on the article.  People focused so much on the substance of what the 'outing' was used for, that they missed the point.

He wasn't defending Brutsch.  He was condemning outing as a tool.  And I totally agree.  As much as I don't want the government in my life, either via social or financial issues, some things are better handled by an impartial party.  And whether as the result of internet or 'real life' interaction, prosecution is one of those issues.  Mob rule is never going to be the right thing.  It may make short term gains, but in the end, the mob is too fickle, and too subject to direction by a minority of the mob and emotion for an unregulated group of people to ever come up with a truly reasoned and rational approach to any problem.  This is a slippery slope, and one that's far too easy to find one's self downhill of unjustifiably.

If you have the information, and think that the person did wrong, then report them to the correct authorities, and let them take it from there.

But, as I said in a response to this, true change moves too slowly for short term emotion to be satisfied- so that's where the mob comes in. If this is bad, and there is not a law against it, it's easier to pillory the person and put them on display in the town square rather than work for true change that won't just apply in this one situation.  And one that won't put the needs of those that are in similar but different situations at risk.

6839

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by wraith808 on October 18, 2012, 03:14 PM »

I found an interesting comment on a follow up article, and thought it good food for thought.

'Remus Shepherd' is not my real name.

In 1996, I was publicly outed for my sexuality. I chose to flee from the net and all contact with people. I lost my job and many friends, but I survived.

In 2000, a friend of mine was publicly outed for his sexuality. He was the owner of a business and could not vanish the way that I did. He chose instead to take his own life.

Stripping of another person's anonymity is a vile tactic, no matter how flimsy that anonymity may be. If you suspect someone of a crime then yes, out them to the authorities. Let the legal system work. But publicly shaming people for activities with which you do not agree is a tactic used by blind mobs and righteous zealots. Outing is used to prevent rape victims from speaking out, it is used to harass and kill homosexuals and other minorities, and it is used to enforce social dogma on those who are merely different. It cannot and must not become an accepted tactic. The consequences on the weak and vulnerable will be far worse than any good that may come from using it.

6840

Living Room / Re: Social media icon set, including one for DC

« Last post by wraith808 on October 17, 2012, 01:45 PM »

That makes sense... but even looking at the others, they have definitive edges.  For Cody, the edges are there- but you have to look really close to see them.  That's what I like about the splash version; it delineates that edge, while not adding anything like the DC.  Perhaps if the edges were just made a bit sharper, it wouldn't even require doing anything to the background?

6841

Living Room / Re: Social media icon set, including one for DC

« Last post by wraith808 on October 17, 2012, 01:12 PM »

It's just a little hard to make out cody on the white background.. Maybe it could stay grey if the grey background was darkened a bit.

-mouser (October 17, 2012, 12:49 PM)

That's what I meant said better

6842

Living Room / Re: Social media icon set, including one for DC

« Last post by wraith808 on October 17, 2012, 12:32 PM »

I guess the reason I like the other one is that the edges are more pronounced- not necessarily for the blue.  If the splash of blue was removed,leaving it with just the edges cleaned up, it would look good to me also.

6843

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: MakeMKV beta 1.7.8

« Last post by wraith808 on October 17, 2012, 12:15 PM »

Thanks for updating with this info

6844

Living Room / Re: The Apotheosis of The Pirate Bay

« Last post by wraith808 on October 17, 2012, 06:34 AM »

@Renegade: Apotheosis? You actually used apotheosis in a sentence? I love it!

-40hz (October 17, 2012, 06:17 AM)

This.  So much this!  Better than the actual subject matter, truth be told LOL

6845

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: MakeMKV beta 1.7.8

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 10:14 PM »

I've been using makemkv for everything and just saying I'll buy more space after my initial problems with encoding.  I might try this though- if I can keep two copies of everything for backup purposes, I'll be happier than just cherry picking my backups.

6846

Living Room / Re: Social media icon set, including one for DC

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 10:12 PM »

Nice tweaks Edvard 

-mouser (October 16, 2012, 09:53 PM)

agreed... I like the second one (codysplash) better

6847

Living Room / Re: What A Different World Than What I Grew Up In :(

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 10:10 PM »

Some laws have been added to the books since then so that case might be handled differently today if it came up today. But even so, it's different in that the harassment was primarily conducted by Lori Drew. Which is different than posting some things on the web and then see other people go into "Vanna White mode" on the victim.

I'll have to do some digging. I'm not sure you can be held accountable for everything that follows from something you said except under very extraordinary circumstances. Even advocates of vigilante action are seldom charged in cases where somebody took them at their word and actually went out and killed somebody. Some prosecutors have tried, albeit unsuccessfully so far. At least with the cases I'm familiar with.

-40hz (October 16, 2012, 05:12 PM)

Incitement perhaps?  The same thing as if your words to a person cause an action?

http://en.wikipedia..../Brandenburg_v._Ohio

http://www.law.corne...CR_0395_0444_ZS.html

Of course, correlation would have to be proven, which would be problematic at best...

There does seems to be a feeling that blanket abridgment of free speech (just because somebody might "do something" because of it) doesn't seem to fly with the pubic or the courts. (Something I agree with BTW. I much prefer a surgical strike over carpet bombing when it comes to drafting criminal law.)

-40hz (October 16, 2012, 05:12 PM)

Well, I think there's a difference between reporting on what someone has done, and a call to act, or the supply of the means to act.  I do agree that abrogation of free speech is something that should be off the table.  But how do you draw the line?  What you say crosses the line, I don't... and vice versa.  It's not clear cut.  And truthfully, I don't trust our legislative branch to decide at this point.  I've become more (not less) cynical as time has gone on.  And in the case of our legislature, sometimes less is best.

6848

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 8 prices seem to have been announced during period to 31st January

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 09:56 PM »

^ Thanks.  I might actually do that.

6849

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 09:55 PM »

Did he do any more than what I said, or what was said in the article?

-wraith808 (October 16, 2012, 04:11 PM)

Here's one of his:

Warning: Graphic, NSFW, VDA

http://metareddit.com/r/PicsOfDeadKids

-40hz (October 16, 2012, 04:43 PM)

Very sick.  Very very sick.  And no, I wouldn't cross the street to piss on someone that did that if they were on fire.  But, no.  Still doesn't meet my definition of evil.  Just sick and twisted.

Now if he posted up stuff like that about things that he had done, or did any of that stuff to the kids, then yeah.  Or (and I read this recently about him) if what he said was true about what he did to his step-daughter, even if she was of 'legal age', then yeah.  But just reposting stuff that is around is sick and perverse.

6850

Living Room / Re: Social media icon set, including one for DC

« Last post by wraith808 on October 16, 2012, 09:50 PM »

Very cool!  I recently found the site and subscribed (it has some really good themes), but this is great!  I just had to make some, and I like these better!