Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 17:04:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at keithlynch.net>
To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Subject: [WSFA] Re: The industry take on digital rights...
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

> http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/3200101.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Excerpted under fair use:

   Jamie Kellner, head of Turner Broadcasting, part of the AOL Time
   Warner conglomerate, told the newsweekly CableWorld that you are a
   thief if you use one of a PVR's best features -- skipping commercials.

   ``Your contract with the network when you get the show is you're going
   to watch the spots,'' he said. ``Otherwise you couldn't get the show
   on an ad-supported basis.''

   Whenever you fail to watch a commercial, he added, ``you're actually
   stealing the programming.''

I have signed no contract with any TV networks.  The contract is
between the networks and the advertisers.  The viewers are the
*product* the former is promising to deliver to the latter.

No doubt Kellner would really be foaming at the mouth if he knew I was
automatically snipping the following ads from this list:

  Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
  Do You Yahoo!?
  GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
  Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
  Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
  Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
  Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
  MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
  Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
  Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email!
  Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more
  Yahoo! Greetings - Send FREE e-cards for every occasion!
  Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness
  http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
  http://games.yahoo.com/
  http://greetings.yahoo.com/
  http://health.yahoo.com/
  http://mail.yahoo.com/
  http://movies.yahoo.com/
  http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
  http://sports.yahoo.com/
  http://www.hotmail.com/

But neither I nor WSFA has any contract with MSN, Juno, or Yahoo
agreeing to rebroadcast their ads.

If advertisers want their ads to be viewed, they should make them more
interesting.  And shouldn't use the same ones over and over again.

I'm only able to snip the above ads because I've seen them numerous
times.  If they were different every time, I wouldn't be able to.
(Well, I might if I were clever enough, but I wouldn't bother, since
they would be less annoying.)
--
Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
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