Disqus - Latest Comments for Vincent Clement

Re: Artists’ coalition wants you to pay up

Vincent Clement — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:03:50 -0000

What is with the sense of entitlement within the content creator community? Why should I pay a levy on blank CDs when I already have paid for the music I put on them? Why should I pay to transfer my paid content to another medium? What will prevent the content creators from supporting a new medium every decade?

Content is meant to be used. I'm sick and tired of the content creators dictating what we can and cannot do with paid content. Content creators should be embracing new business models that add value to non-scarce goods.

Re: How not to think about music, Part XVII

Vincent Clement — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:45:57 -0000

Don't waste you breath on him Matthew.

Tom believes that suing customers is a good strategy. He believes that file sharing is stealing. He wants people to do community service when the RIAA wins a case (when did civil law become criminal law). He believes that p2p hurts the industry and is depriving fans of music despite there being more music available than ever before.

It's a sad state of affairs when a person in the IT sector cannot come to grips with new ways of doing things.

Re: How not to think about music, Part XVII

Vincent Clement — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:09:49 -0000

Cost does not equal price. In a competitive market, it's hard to justify a high price when MC is at or near zero. Other competitors will just undercut your price, which will drive the price towards zero.

Re: Barcodes: Really clever or really dumb?

Vincent Clement — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:01:27 -0000

Since Google is the kind of company that learns from mistakes and failures, I don't see a problem. It's just a test. If it fails, Google will learn why it doesn't work and move on to solution #4,581

Re: Jeff Zucker: All of our TV pilots suck

Vincent Clement — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:08:59 -0000

The music industry (which is thriving) is not the same as the recording industry (which the RIAA keeps telling is not well these days).

I disagree that fortunes would reverse if the quality of shows would improve. What makes a show good or bad is subjective. While some would argue that shows, movies and music suck today, others would argue the opposite.

The woes can be blamed on increased competition for the almighty spending dollar and the failure of record companies, movie studios and TV networks to adapt to that additional competition.

Re: Sharing presentations is fun — really

Vincent Clement — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:30:55 -0000

I need to have my Manager go to this website. She is absolutely clueless when it comes to PowerPoint presentations. She wants the presentation to be the same as the hand out. It's dull. It's boring. And it's uninformative. I don't want people reading their handout or staring at the screen - I want them focused in on me.

Re: seamonkeyrodeo » Radio Listeners Seem to Buy Less Music

Vincent Clement — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:27:26 -0000

http://som.utdallas.edu/capri/stan-radio.pdf

Re: Trying (and failing) to buy WKRP in Cincinnati

Vincent Clement — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:25:48 -0000

I had heard that one of the reasons for the delay in getting WKRP onto DVD had to do with licences to the songs played in the show. When I read that WKRP was finally coming out on DVD, I was excited - it was one of my favourite shows. But now, reading your post, I'm not inclined to purchase the DVD.

A big round of applause to the lawyers and greedy music companies. You win again. Thanks for destroying yet another good thing.

Re: NBC dumps Apple for Amazon

Vincent Clement — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:26:32 -0000

The DRM at Amazon is far more restrictive than at Apple. So you get to pay more something that has less value. Not the ideal way to grow a business. But then again, we are talking old media here.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » PS III vs Wii in Japan

Vincent Clement — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:29:19 -0000

Pretend bowling still seems silly.

The PS3 (have not seen it called the 'PS III') is selling because Sony finally dropped the price and because the marketing campaign is finally showing people what the console is capable of (and it didn't hurt that Ratchet and Clank was released for the PS3).

Re: For those about to pretend to rock…part two

Vincent Clement — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:12:28 -0000

I can't believe someone took a vinyl-coated hook (available in any hardware store), screwed it into a square piece of wood and is selling them as GH guitar wall holders.

You have to love capitalism.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » Music 2007

Vincent Clement — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:17:56 -0000

Good question Suvendu. I would buy more DVDs if they were DRM-free I would buy even more DVDs if the movie studios include a Divx or Xvid version of the movie that I could copy to a compilation DVD and play in my kids portable DVD player.

Unfortunately, the movie studios think that DRM adds value to their products. It's clear that we are all pirates when almost every DVD includes copyright and FBI anti-piracy warnings. Imagine walking into Wal-Mart and being required to read an anti-theft notice before shopping.

Re: There’s a new sheriff in town

Vincent Clement — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:52:26 -0000

How can something be "overwhelming" and "unacceptable" when the customer has paid for it? Treating your customers as thieves will not result in a successful business.

This isn't just AT&T. NBC-Universal is joining with AT&T. I hear Microsoft is also jumping on this bandwagon.

The MPAA has been pestering ISPs to spy on their customer's content and filter the material that is allegedly illegal. They will do whatever they can do to maintain their dying business model.

Imagine leasing a GM vehicle for four years with a 30,000 mile annual limit. GM notices that most lease returns are at or close to the limit. They deem this overwhelming and unacceptable, even though the customer has paid for this.
G
GM decides to install a device that requires the driver to enter their destination. Based on some criteria determined by GM, the devices deems certain trips as unnecessary and prevents the car from starting. Would you buy that car?

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » HBO’s ‘free’ downloading service headed in the right direction

Vincent Clement — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:58:55 -0000

Except that you over looked one thing: HBO is owned by Time Warner, the same Time Warner that will be introducing metered internet service.

So on one hand, they will be offering a free service - so long as you subscribe to the channel and so long as you subscribe to a cable ISP (which appears to be limited to Time Warner for the time being).

On the other hand, Time Warner will charge you for going over bandwidth cap. It's a win-win for Time Warner.

Obviously, the bean counters came up with this scenario.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » HBO’s ‘free’ downloading service headed in the right direction

Vincent Clement — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:40:34 -0000

I completely agree that consumers should have more flexibility in consuming TV, movies and music.

I would prefer that every network offered their shows on-demand via digital cable and online. I would probably watch more TV than I do now.

It all comes down to control. Mainstream media is afraid that giving up some control means less profit. I suspect the reverse is true.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » When free isn’t cheap enough

Vincent Clement — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:36:06 -0000

Just shows how little the record companies understand their customers. EMI offered them music in a format that was of no interest to the teens. Now, if they offered a certificate for 50 free downloads, I think the story would have been different.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » Music - meet your saviour

Vincent Clement — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:49:27 -0000

This post falls for the fallacy that equates the music industry with the recording industry. The music industry is more than record companies. It's concerts. It's musical equipment. And so on.

The music industry was never dead. In fact it is thriving. It is the recording industry as represented by the RIAA and IFPI that is dying.

So long as the RIAA and IFPI continue on piracy, lawsuits and draconian copyright laws, the recording industry is heading for failure and quickly. They need to focus on increasing the value of their product to consumers.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » Canadians care about gas prices more than safety or education

Vincent Clement — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:52:43 -0000

Are you really surprised? It's all psychological; it's all about perception.

The price of gasoline is hammered by the media every day. The price of gasoline is clearly visible every time you travel past a gas station.

Many people buy gas at least twice a month, if not more, so it's something that we have to deal with on a constant basis.

Only a small percentage of the population has kids in school. Only a small percentage of the population is affected by crime.

Re: Wikinomics » Blog Archive » The variable impact of oil prices on everyday life and our increasing vulnerability

Vincent Clement — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:56:05 -0000

So decades of market distortion via subsidies and low taxes have finally caught up with reality in rural areas.

Re: 6 Cities That Were Caught Shortening Yellow Light Times For Profit

Vincent Clement — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:34 -0000

"no effective system was in place to verify the timing of the traffic signals despite their direct impact on safety."

I guess they haven't heard of stop watches in Union City?