DV Henkel-Wallace 's BestNetTech Comments

Latest Comments (131)

• On the post: Comcast Tells The FCC It Should Be Able To Charge Broadband Users A Premium For Privacy

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 04 Aug, 2016 @ 01:07pm

  They probably don't want to win this...

  In addition to trying to argue that the FCC doesn't have the authority to police such behavior

  They should be careful raising this: if they win it, there's a whole raft of FTC lawyers ready to rain down brimstone on them -- with more teeth than the FCC. In fact it might lead to more comprehensive consumer protection. Trust me, Comcast, you have a sweet deal already.

• On the post: Why Is Twitter Sending Legal Letters Warning People About Tweeting About The Gagged Topic Of A 'Celebrity Threesome'

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 20 May, 2016 @ 11:42am

  Deliberate Streisand troll by Twitter?

  Twitter has made some dubious decisions over the years -- if they decided to deliberately troll the crazy English libel system it would help redeem them!

• On the post: The Erdogan Insult Mess: Dutch Reporter, German Politician Arrested For Mocking Erdogan; Swiss Art Exhibit Targeted Too

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 26 Apr, 2016 @ 02:06pm

  thought it was a troll

  Until she actually allowed Böhmermann to be arrested I actually thought it was a materful troll by Merkel. Because if it had been a civil suit it would simply have Streisanded the hell out of Erdoğan's complaints and make him look even more like a dick. Perhaps that was the intent and she let it get out of hand.

• On the post: EA DMCAs Trump/Mass Effect Mashup Video Claiming Trump Re-Tweeting It Made Its Use 'Political'

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 06 Apr, 2016 @ 08:54am

  I think they "had" to

  Sure, they don't care if you make a fan trailer and so I assume their lawyers don't think this case threatens Mass Effect either. They just don't want people to think the company supports any candidate in particular -- because that could affect sales.
  
  So it doesn't matter to them if their DMCA claim works or not - it just serves to get their message out to their audience.
  
  Which is the real story here.

• On the post: Jim Jefferies 'Official' Clip Of His 'Gun Control' Routine Taken Down Thanks To Copyright

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 04 Oct, 2015 @ 01:39pm

  "moral rights" are a bad idea

  It's the first sale doctrine: he sold the clip, so the new owners get to do what they want, even if it's stupid. I don't see that this is any different from, say, me buying a piece of software and wanting to be able to resell it -- or buying an iphone and taking it apart (or gluing it to the wall).

• On the post: If US Is Really Able To Target ISIS Sites Based On Social Media Posts… Why Is It Trying To Stop ISIS From Using Social Media?

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 05 Jun, 2015 @ 09:52pm

  Could be "spy vs spy"

  I doubt the story is true. Photo geotagging could be faked (I could construct a tag for the white house and put it in a picture I post to instagram) so is not enough, alone, to reliably locate a site.
  
  But still there are plausible explanations:
  
  But consider that the military already knew the location via other means, and did want to take the building out but didn't want it to get out how they knew. Then this loser posts a photo and "wham" -- now they have a plausible excuse.
  
  Another point: perhaps now some terrorists will strip the location info out...but may will not. So by publicising this, it will encourage the jihadis to avoid social media sites (since the story will become garbled and all social media sites become suspect). This degrades their recruiting and publicity channels, which makes their life harder. If I were a military strategist the trade off might become worth it.

• On the post: The FBI's Stingray Secrecy May Be Aimed At Preventing Law Enforcement From Overusing A Key 'Exploit'

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 07 May, 2015 @ 08:04pm

  Antibiotics

  It's like antibiotics: overuse breeds immunity.

• On the post: That 20 Mbps Broadband Line We Promised? It's Actually 300 Kbps. Enjoy!

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 01 May, 2015 @ 09:20am

  pedantry, sorry!

  AT&T's so disinterested in the DSL market right now...

  s/disinterested/uninterested/
  
  AT&T actually has a strong interest -- in eliminating DSL subscriptions.

• On the post: Hubris Defined: Dumb Murderer Takes A Selfie With His Dead Victim

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 17 Feb, 2015 @ 09:25pm

  But did he use a selfie gun?

  selfie sticks can be used for battery

• On the post: That Didn't Take Long: UK MP Decides To Put The Blame For The Sony Hack On ISPs, Obviously

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 03 Dec, 2014 @ 07:42pm

  Seems very clear to me who should be held responsible.

  Piracy, a huge international problem, shouldn't be dealt with directly.

  Sounds sensible to me. Piracy is a real problem and people are getting killed. It funds terrorism.
  
  I'm glad Weatherley is on it: "Unfortunately, the attacks on ships – and their subsequent looting – has been facilitated by refineries of marine diesel and, ultimately, shipbuilders who do have to step-up and take some responsibility.”

• On the post: School District Security Head Takes Call From NSA, Starts Secret Student Social Media Monitoring Program

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 25 Sep, 2014 @ 08:29am

  wait, a _knife_???

  A kid with a knife? Woah, stop the presses!
  
  Unless this were an area of some special interest, like a high level of gang activity, I would expect a kid to have a pocketknife. Hell, I always have one, plus a bigger one in the car (along with a lot of other tools, like tire iron, hammer, screwdriver etc), and I am hardly, as far as I am aware, a terrorist.

• On the post: German Court Rules Ex-Lovers Must Disappear Consensual Previously Taken Nude Pictures Of The Other

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 03 Jun, 2014 @ 03:08pm

  Wait, what about love letters?

  I have a bunch of mushy love notes, in German no less. So should they be destroyed too? And if not, what's the difference?
  
  Luckily I don't live in Germany right now so this is hypothetical.

• On the post: Yes, Net Neutrality Is A Solution To An Existing Problem

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 15 Apr, 2014 @ 11:22am

  Net Neutrality and the dawn of telephony

  Not only is it an existing problem, it's one that goes back at least until the 1880s. Telephone numbers were invented as a way to bypass network control and subversion by telephone operators.
  
  If you don't know about the Strowger switch there's a not very good wikipedia page on it here.

• On the post: Security Researchers Find RSA Even More Completely Compromised By The NSA Than Previously Thought

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 31 Mar, 2014 @ 11:43am

  Can EMC sue?

  Since the government impaired the value of RSA (which was purchased by EMC) could EMC sue the government for destroying their asset? Seems like this would fall after the last clause of the fifth amendment: "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation"

• On the post: The TSA's Mental 'Coin Flip' That May Keep You From Traveling

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 28 Mar, 2014 @ 11:41am

  Asymmetry of consequence

  The worst thing about this is that there is no feedback in the system. If you unfairly prevent someone from traveling you (TSA) don?t suffer at all ? in fact you could be praised. While the innocent traveler is screwed.
  
  On the other hand if you fail to find a gun-carrier, well, there?s an X ray machine to (maybe) find it.

• On the post: Judge Highlights Bogus Collusion By ASCAP, Publishers In Rejecting Their Attempt To Jack Up Pandora's Rates

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2014 @ 11:00am

  Re: Will there be any penalty?

  I assume you?re referring the judge?s rather direct appeal to the Justice Department to take a look on the basis of collusion or racketeering:

  Either way, the judge makes it quite clear that he views ASCAP's activities as "coordinated" with the major publishers, rather than any sort of independent competitive market,

  Sadly, the Obama/Biden administration (referring in particular to Biden) appear to be strongly in favor of supporting the old guard in preference to the upstarts.

• On the post: Rep. Mary Bono Freaks Out Both About 'Gov't Takeover' AND 'Gov't Handover' Of The Internet

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 18 Mar, 2014 @ 01:59pm

  She is HOPING for the streisand effect

  She is suffering from the politician?s nighmare: being forgotten. As long as her name is out there there?s a chance she could be re-elected. So any press is better than no press at all.

• On the post: Law Enforcement Agencies All Over California Have Been Secretly Using Stingray Devices

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 14 Mar, 2014 @ 11:14am

  I would think the FCC would prohibit this

  Perhaps FCC licensing could be used to shut down the sales and use of Stingray.

• On the post: Litigious Congressman Trying To Bury History Of His Arrest Through Lawsuits And Bogus Legal Threats

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2014 @ 11:08am

  Sounds like he has a new name!

  In future he should be referred to in print as Steve ?Streisand? Stockman.

• On the post: The Nation's Entirely Objective Think Tanks And Consultants Want You To Know Comcast Deal Is Secretly Awesome

  

  DV Henkel-Wallace ( profile ), 17 Feb, 2014 @ 03:49pm

  Telecom ALWAYS passes the savings on

  I'm not sure in what plane of reality the cable and broadcast industry ever passes on savings to you...

  I think you have missed the mathematical property that savings is a signed quantity.
  
  Thus what you consider a price increase of 30% is really a savings of -30%, which is a savings of unprecedented magnitude thanks to our wonderful telcos! Be thankful we live in the USA USA USA rather than, say, Europe, where those socialists believe that companies should compete.

Next >>