I can only see this as a good thing, similar to what Microsoft did to the gaming industry: buy up a bunch of studios, do nothing with them for years, then fire everyone. Basically a money burning party. All those developers are now free to work for independent studios and do something new.

Are blockbuster films and basic cable really things worth preserving?

Well maybe Icogni is for you! For a low monthly fee you can take advantage of their services and reduce your digital footprint. https://incogni.com/benefits/d...

They're the sponsors of this post, you know? We're actually all discussing an ad here.

that's true, but at least it's not negative value yet

Wait, people actually feel a need to maintain a presence on social media? Why?

Mmm, I could go for a hot cup of Mococoa right now.

It's hard to argue with this after reading the latest Penny Arcade comic, which aptly described screen time as "An infinite casino unfolding in the mind of a toddler."

https://www.penny-arcade.com/c...

Social media is a real marketplace of ideas gone wrong. It's like walking into a room and having hundreds of people suddenly start screaming at you while doing obnoxious "look at me" dances, with the audience gleefully going along with it and tearing apart anyone who disagrees. It's exhausting. Why contribute to that? Preening before that unblinking eye is a sick game only attractive to narcissists.

It brings to mind an episode of Star Trek: Voyager which I watched recently: Season 2 Episode 23, "The Thaw." In this episode, the crew finds some people trapped in a virtual world that was supposed to be a utopia... but its program was corrupted, and is now run by a sadistic clown who leads a group of computer-generated characters and forces the trapped "players" to perform torturous and humiliating games.

The episodes aired in 1996 before social media existed, but the sadistic spirit of the simulation really reminded me of the current state of the Internet, only in this case the clown is Mark Zuckerberg.

Before you assign the F.C.C. as further example of the Trump administration, that the F.C.C. is behind the design and operation of this Satellite, go back and read the F.C.C. document. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/at...

They are granting a station license.

Any time a satellite is launched, if it has communication abilities - all do - the regulatory agencies of the world must be in approval. A station license is granted. This satellite needs coordination, and that the F.C.C. coordinating the frequencies in use, and granting them station licenses does not makes them part of the design and operation. I have F.C.C. granted station licenses, as long as I work in the frequencies the license grants, and comply with the modes of operation allowed, they don't have anything to do with my stations.

This coordination happens on everything launched, not just communications satellites. And seriously, unless the satellite never transmits, it needs coordination. RF does not know political parties.

Almost as funny as people who think that the RF spectrum is political.

Make no mistake. The only thing the F.C.C has to do with this satellite is assigninging the Frequencies it communicates on. they have nothing to do with anything else. It has nothing to do with Trump, Obama, Bush II Clinton, or any political party. It has nothing to do with the design or use of the satellite. It has everything to do with RF, keeping radio signals away from each other.

Anyone using it as a further example and source of outrage for their hatred of a country, that this is politics - is only showing that they know nothing about what they are talking about.

Read the official F.C.C. pdf document in TFS. Rather than gaslighting anyone, the F.C.C. is simply doing what they do, asked for frequencies to communicate on, they provided them in conjunction with the NTIA. This action is performed in conjunction with the similar organizations in other countries.

Has nothing to do with politics. Has everything to do with keeping RF emitters from interfering with each other. RF is not concerned with political parties. It is one area where there must be coordination between countries.

Now onto gaslighting - TFA is a fine example of exactly that. An article which paints the F.C.C as somehow being an integral part of this solar reflector is top tier gaslighting. The people in here, in their zeal, yet know almost nothing about the F.C.C or RF, yet demand that it is somehow evil.

RF is how I make my money, and people who know almost nothing about it yet make sweeping pronouncements about it are big gaslighters.

But when the Russians did the same thing, they were just being smart?

Many people in here apparently missed the part that the F.C.C. has absolutely nothing to do with the mirror itself. The F.C.C. has made a conditional grant for the frequencies used in communication, in concordance with the NTIA. And the payload is irrelevant. Other countries have similar groups to coordinate RF emitters.

One does not launch satellites without that coordination, you have to let them know where you plan on emitting RF. Or just as likely, ask where you can.

Why is this? https://www.ntia.gov/sites/def...

I have that chart printed on my wall in a large frame. Occasionally people come in wanting a chunk of RF to operate on. Many have trouble understanding just how crowded the RF spectrum is, and I refer them to the chart. "Pick a frequency". And that turns out to be way beyond their ability.

I don't do it to be contrary, but to educate them that this is seriously non-trivial. Especially when people don't know how RF acts. It is an unruly beast that has wildly different characteristics depending on frequency, and it beats with other frequencies to produce new frequencies outside its allocation.

The mirror sat itself is just a mirror sat, there is perhaps some data to be gathered from its deployment, but this company will find out just as the Russians did, that it is of limited utility. It is on a fast moving satellite, it doesn't provide all that much light, and then there is the clouds and stuff that block the sky.

But the F.C.C. and NTIA are just doing their jobs, which has nothing to do with the purpose of the sat, only keeping the spectrum operating. Just like with every other satellite for every different purpose.

I think the minimum number os sails that would work is the number that would block the sky completely. 8^)

Oh, you have given me my comeuppance, you have.

You are so enraged that you follow me around, posting complete non-sequiturs that fail to make much sense. Even my sig gives you a shitfit.

Thank you - as a troll who enjoys sending the thin skinned into spittle flecked keyboard warrior rage, You've given me the ultimate compliment - well almost. Please post in all caps, and I'll win the internet.

Focus, observe, remember.

It'll have pretty much the same outcome. 8^)

When is the EU going to heave a censor to save people from such terrible treatment, European citizens need to be protected from anything anyone doesn't like.

Perhaps a fundamental difference between Europe and the heathens in 'Murrica. I was annoyed by some of meta's practices. Set my browser to not autoplay. But apparently EU needs to do the pecuniary extraction route.