Yeah, after a certain point, the network effect takes over. That doesn't answer how Facebook got to be big enough for network effect to dominate. Or maybe network effect started at the beginning, because it was school-by-school.

In fact, MySpace is only about 6 months newer, and I think was dominant for a while. It seems like maybe Facebook grew from people becoming dissatisfied with MySpace. I don't think we have seen a similar service growing considerably from dissatisfied Facebook users.

We used to have social centralization, the difference now is that there are a lot more choices. Decades ago, it might have been "everyone watching the same channel", a bit before that, "listening to the same station".

"Yes. Someone makes this comment every time, for the last 9 years, since version 1.0. "

Well, then it's pretty clear that you're the only guy who understands this issue!

There are so many variables here it makes no sense to enumerate them. Allow me to enumerate them. In part.

1) What OS, and who is the admin?
2) This is Slashdot. If you didn't answer Linux and Me, subtract infinity points.*

* You are an idiot using a proprietary OS in 2014, with no ability to see the source code if you don't "have the rights" and No Ability to verify that the system on your drive is the same as the source code you are looking at!

Yes, but don't you think we have enough crime? If God really loves us, he'll keep us in the dark as always!

Where was I, or anyone else, demanding anyone sell anything at cost? There is no justification for a 3000% wholesale markup. None, whatsoever. My proposal is a reduction from 3000% to 1000%, still a very attractive markup, and an increase of retail margins from 25% to 50%, with the introduction of new, profitable, first-party services and a shift from less profitable 3rd-party streaming to more profitable (for the studios) and less expensive (for the consumer) first-party streaming services. That spells a win all around and would put an enormous dent in piracy.

It would convert me, at least.

The Italians will block it, you just watch. Them and their seductive moustaches undermining American values and American drones.

I'm all for artists and production crews getting paid for their hard work. After all, I survive on copyright and I enjoy getting paid or my work. What I can't get behind is (and let's simplify by making the assumption that the theatrical release brought in just enough to cover production, distribution, and the gap between wholesale and retail, for the BluRay release, that none of that revenue went toward paying for the production of the movie itself, and that there was no profit from the theatrical release) being asked to pay $40 for a BluRay copy of a $20M budget flick *after* it's sold 500,000 copies. Pay *something* for it? Yes, but they've recouped their production costs. Remember that a movie budget includes *every* expense, pay for the actors, production crew, stage hands, and the guy that brings the director his coffee, the cost of renting props (and creating one-off props) and buying or renting set locations. Everything. 500k * $40 = $20M. They've been paid at that point. All of them. Everyone.

Now, let's acknowledge that the theatrical release already covered the production budget and brought in a bit of profit. Moving away from the earlier simplification, we also have to admit that, while the $40 cost of a BluRay isn't pure profit, the production and distribution costs of that BluRay disc are much less than the $30 wholesale; pennies per disc, but let's call it $1 to be extra fair to the industry. So they're making $29 on that disc when the store buys it; on a movie that's already been paid for and turned a profit. The people who did the actual work have already been paid by this point, so piracy really and truly is not hurting them; the store they might have bought it from lost $10 or so in profit (and if that store happens to be Target, they probably deserve it at this point, anyway), but the studio can't say they lost the $29 they would have made when the store restocked that sold copy, because the store likely won't restock it unless it's a brand new release, anyway.

For a large subset of pirates, this is the motivating factor. Wholesale the damn disc for $10 with a retail of $15, $5 and $7.50 for DVD, and make a noticeable dent in piracy. Allow (DRM-free) downloads, from the day the BluRay becomes available, for 2/3 of those prices (since there's no resale possible -- and those prices would be $10 for 1080p, $5 for SD) and take out an even larger chunk. Allow *unlimited* streaming, also from the day the BluRay becomes available, at 1/3 of those prices (for those having trouble following along, that's $5 for 1080p and $2.50 for SD) and one-time streaming for $2 for 1080p or $1 for SD, and yes, there will still be pirates, but nobody will bat an eye when you prosecute them.

And if the studios do this first-party, they will reap all of the profits. As it is right now, They see less than $2 for 1080p and $1 for SD from Apple, when someone streams a movie from iTunes, so it would be a win all around.

Yes, you can resell you physical BluRay disc, but why would you, and who would buy it? Then, you're stuck with a viewing license for media you no longer posses, while the buyer now holds media they have no license to view. I actually read something to this effect in a license that came with a BluRay copy of a movie once; if I happen across it again, I'll reply to this post with verifiable details.

Uhm... then what's the problem? Do consumers want to pay more? Or are you saying that I should have to pay the entire cost of production just to get to see the movie, and if I don't do that, I'm a pirate? If so, fuck you.

Same here. It also allows me to give out a US address to those who can't process international numbers. A surprisingly large number of very large businesses can't process an international number (for one, nobody in the IRS not in the International Department can call international, for another, Wells Fargo can send me international mail, but also can't call international) - or so say the people I've spoken with in such organizations. It could be training, rather than technical/financial, but most companies lock down international dialing for fear of scams. There are still constant reports of PBX exploits generating $100,000+ phone bills to a 900 number equivalent outside the US.

The problem with Voice is that I signed up in the US, so I get free calls. But those that don't sign up until they are outside the US will not get that treatment, unless they sign up from within the US, and Google has taken to identifying IPs based on usage, not GeoIP, so you could use a VPN service with a US ARIN address physically located in Texas and Google will still consider you as being in Europe. The only "reliable" away is to have someone in the US sign up for you, then send you the login.

Having a strong believe implies involvement with religious activities.
I can understand why GP interpreted it as such.

The two don't need to exclude each other.

Create a user interface that can do everything without javascript and without any flashy graphics, then add some CSS stylesheet to make it look nicer and flashier and add javascript to add more convenient ways of doing what you could already do without.

For example, take a classic list ordering GUI with up/down buttons. Works fine without javascript. Add javascript to make it also do drag&drop. It works better with javascript, but still works just fine without.

Web interfaces can gracefully degrade down to a very low level.

The standard is mathematical reality, not some "we like zeros" standard. 2^10 = kilo, 2^20 = Mega. Binary trumps decimal when dealing with computers.

It's OK. You weren't. I stopped reading once I got most of the way through the subject line.

" Microsoft is very good with backwards compatibility"

I am completely flabberghasted. They can't even keep backwards compatibility from one version of word to the next. It friggin blows my mind that someone would come here and post something that absurd. Seriously.

Oh come on! I can already hear the Reeses song in my head: Two great bloats that churn great together!