[mythtv-users] CableCard Chain.

[Simon Hobson]

Ben Kamen wrote:

>It's truly sad that people have forgotten how to vote with their wallet.

Unfortunately, in many cases it's no longer practical. Back in the 
days when there were many small companies it worked, now each area 
has more or less a monopoly - your cable co can simply turn round and 
say "so which other cable company are you going to ?" knowing that 
the answer is "err, there isn't one".

>Imagine if everyone  cancelled their Cable for just 3 months with 
>the message to their provider at disconnection that, "I'm unhappy 
>how you've been railroading me to pay more for less content and even 
>less choice. Bring back my choice and my content without the fees 
>that goes with DRM everything, and I'll happily sign up."

But the problem is that the vast majority don't see any problem.
Talk to msot people and they can't see a problem - there are hundreds 
of fart apps for i<stuff> so why does it matter that it's a closed 
system ?
Try explaining and you tend to get lumped into one of two crowds. As 
Nick Rout wrote :
>... the blame will be squarely laid at the pinko long haired 
>cheating pirates who broke their previous TVs safety features...

To those doing the screwing over, anyone questioning it must be 
either an extremist against any form of copyright at all (Richard 
Stallman doesn't exactly do much to dispel this image), or a pirate 
simply out to steal. Somehow we need to break down those sterotypes 
and persuade people (especially politicians) that there are people 
who just want to make fair use of what they are paying for.

**** knows how we do that when we're up against people with vested 
interests and very deep pockets to buy laws with.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.