4 ms·

Prepare to have your mind blown: https://www.techdirt.com/2018/07/11/shocker-dojs-computer-crimes-intellectual-property-section-supports-security-researchers-dm

Prepare to have your mind blown: https://www.techdirt.com/2018/07/11/shocker-dojs-computer-crimes-intellectual-property-section-supports-security-researchers-dmca-exemptions/ https://www.techdirt.com/2018/07/11/shocker-dojs-computer-cr...

wwweston 2y ago
Certainly blew the mind of the people writing the techdirt article if the opening paragraph is any indication: "Well here’s a surprise for you / This is… flabbergasting." It's almost like they thought they had good reasons to expect something else from TFG's adminstration. Why were the results different? DOJ composition running up through 2018 was pretty strongly influenced by a decade of liberal-leaning but cross-partisan staffing, and this was a legal theory that obviously emerged from within staff rather than coming down from the top. And psychology of liberal or conservative but principled lawyers is likely to be conscientious enough when it comes to their legal theorizing that except where it serves particular organized power plays, you'll see some principled arguments come out, like this one, because obviously the DMCA exists to protect copyright rather than stymie repair. Also, right-to-repair has an appeal that crosses partisan boundaries very well, especially among voters themselves. Sure, businesses and social influencers who'd sacrifice right-to-repair for pro-capital / power-play positions are probably highly represented and influential in the right-wing party, what with the investment in social philosophies oriented around hierarchies of status. But going against right-to-repair is still unpopular enough and likely to piss off conservative-identifying libertarians that there was bound to be some discomfort, even with the usual Republican enthusiasm for being a pro-capital / pro-business capture party. And finally, while it's obvious that the 2018 POTUS is only capable seeing the issue in terms of friends/opportunities and enemies/liabilites rather than principled legal or social theories, it's also obvious that right-to-repair is one of the things that benefited from his shall we say limited range/depth of interest when it comes to policy. Inattention can allow any number of things to thrive. At least until someone offers to buy right-to-repair off of him. Elections matter.
- lisper 2y ago
  > TFG's adminstration Huh? Did you mean DJT?
  - wombatpm 2y ago
    TFG = The Former Guy = Trump
    - lisper 2y ago
      Ah. TIL. https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/tfg/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/tfg/
      - nick3443 2y ago
        Just another UFA.
        lisper 2y ago
        WTF? DYM TLA?
        nick3443 2y ago
        I'll give you a hint, starts with useless rhymes with ducking
- amscanne 2y ago
  I don’t think the surprise was based on the head of the executive, rather it was based on the DOJ taking a stance in favor of exemptions. I just get tired of the idea that the president/executive completely colors every single government action. Let’s stop pretending that every election will completely rewrite the MO and agendas for every agency. The comment I replied to was based on exactly those kinds of assumptions (“couldn’t possibly imagine this happening under Trump”) and was wrong. Now you’re just doing a no-true-Scotsman (“oh, it only happened because he wasn’t paying attention”). I’ve personally seen no evidence that right-to-repair is a partisan issue in the way you’ve suggested, and I’ve seen plenty of evidence that the cronyism charges you’re levying are also not limited to a single party. You can hate the guy for lots of reasons, but the idea that Trump is uniquely capable of being bought on this issue seems very strange to me.

wwweston 2y ago

Certainly blew the mind of the people writing the techdirt article if the opening paragraph is any indication: "Well here’s a surprise for you / This is… flabbergasting." It's almost like they thought they had good reasons to expect something else from TFG's adminstration. Why were the results different? DOJ composition running up through 2018 was pretty strongly influenced by a decade of liberal-leaning but cross-partisan staffing, and this was a legal theory that obviously emerged from within staff rather than coming down from the top. And psychology of liberal or conservative but principled lawyers is likely to be conscientious enough when it comes to their legal theorizing that except where it serves particular organized power plays, you'll see some principled arguments come out, like this one, because obviously the DMCA exists to protect copyright rather than stymie repair. Also, right-to-repair has an appeal that crosses partisan boundaries very well, especially among voters themselves. Sure, businesses and social influencers who'd sacrifice right-to-repair for pro-capital / power-play positions are probably highly represented and influential in the right-wing party, what with the investment in social philosophies oriented around hierarchies of status. But going against right-to-repair is still unpopular enough and likely to piss off conservative-identifying libertarians that there was bound to be some discomfort, even with the usual Republican enthusiasm for being a pro-capital / pro-business capture party. And finally, while it's obvious that the 2018 POTUS is only capable seeing the issue in terms of friends/opportunities and enemies/liabilites rather than principled legal or social theories, it's also obvious that right-to-repair is one of the things that benefited from his shall we say limited range/depth of interest when it comes to policy. Inattention can allow any number of things to thrive. At least until someone offers to buy right-to-repair off of him. Elections matter.

lisper 2y ago
> TFG's adminstration Huh? Did you mean DJT?
- wombatpm 2y ago
  TFG = The Former Guy = Trump
  - lisper 2y ago
    Ah. TIL. https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/tfg/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/tfg/
    - nick3443 2y ago
      Just another UFA.
      - lisper 2y ago
        WTF? DYM TLA?
        nick3443 2y ago
        I'll give you a hint, starts with useless rhymes with ducking
amscanne 2y ago
I don’t think the surprise was based on the head of the executive, rather it was based on the DOJ taking a stance in favor of exemptions. I just get tired of the idea that the president/executive completely colors every single government action. Let’s stop pretending that every election will completely rewrite the MO and agendas for every agency. The comment I replied to was based on exactly those kinds of assumptions (“couldn’t possibly imagine this happening under Trump”) and was wrong. Now you’re just doing a no-true-Scotsman (“oh, it only happened because he wasn’t paying attention”). I’ve personally seen no evidence that right-to-repair is a partisan issue in the way you’ve suggested, and I’ve seen plenty of evidence that the cronyism charges you’re levying are also not limited to a single party. You can hate the guy for lots of reasons, but the idea that Trump is uniquely capable of being bought on this issue seems very strange to me.