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https://qz.com/mcdonalds-broken-ice-cream-machines-federal-regulators-1851339089
Federal regulators want to fix McDonald's broken ice cream machines, and they're asking to expand right-to-repair laws to address the issue. In a letter to the U.S. Copyright Office on Thursday, regulators asked for commercial soft-serve machines to be exempt from current laws making them difficult to repair. The laws also make it more difficult for you to get a McFlurry.
"In the Agencies' view, renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions would promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair, and maintenance services," said the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in a joint letter.
The McDonald's broken ice cream machines have found themselves at the center of the right-to-repair movement. The reason McDonald's ice cream machines are always down is because of copyright law. Only technicians licensed by the company that made the device are allowed to touch the machines, and they charge over $300 for a 15-minute servicing, according to the letter. The DOJ and the FTC identified commercial soft-serve machines as one of four device categories that would benefit from an easing of copyright laws.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by janrinok on Thursday July 04 2024, @05:34AM (14 children)
There are plenty of opportunities for humour - you don't need to turn every story into a political issue. Leave if for your journal please.
Enjoy your 4th of July!
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Thursday July 04 2024, @03:27PM (13 children)
Uh-huh. Do you make that same post when people are dumping on Trump? Didn't think so.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Thursday July 04 2024, @03:28PM (11 children)
Besides which - the discussion is about GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT in an issue that many of us feel strongly about. Yeah, it's a political story.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday July 04 2024, @04:30PM (10 children)
It is NOT about the current or future President. Don't act like an idiot. It is about your government and in particular federal regulators.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Thursday July 04 2024, @11:26PM (9 children)
Don't act like an idiot, the man says. And, I could ask you to stop being an overbearing ass. More specifically, stop using your position as an administrator to shape discussions to your liking. My comment got 13 moderations, with a net of +4 funny. Public figures are ALWAYS subject to ridicule. Well, in America they are, at least. I don't need a special dispensation from janrinok to mock a D, or an R, or an Independent, or any third party political figure. Nor do members need that special dispensation to laugh at the joke.
Is this the sort of thing that Soylent members have to look forward to, when SN ownership has changed? Are you going to ban all non-progressive members?
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday July 05 2024, @05:59AM (8 children)
Now your comment either got 13 moderations or I am shaping the discussions. Which do you want to claim is the truth?
If you want to discuss politics please put it in your journal. If you want to discuss the topic then your comments are welcome. It was a request. I don't care about your politics. If you wish to mock your politicians then you can do so elsewhere. I don't care on which side of the political divide you want to position yourself. The thrust of this site is STEM. What we are currently seeing is a repeat of the commenting that happened prior to the 2016 and 2020 elections where almost every story is picking up political sniping and being twisted into another political argument. It resulted in a loss of community on both of those occasions. We cannot afford to do that again.
You haven't been censored - you have been moderated. Your comment is still visible. Please learn the difference between the two. You use moderations yourself frequently - are you claiming that you censor others too?
On the 5 Jan 2022 the then lead admin (Martyb) posted a Meta [soylentnews.org] which explained that the primary rule for the site was Wheaton's Law [wheatonslaw.com]. Please try to follow that advice.
If you wish to continue the discussion please send me an email. This thread is rapidly becoming off-topic.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 05 2024, @11:45AM (7 children)
Bottom line here is, a discussion involved government. I inserted an entirely appropriate joke about a government figure. One or more Sensitive Sallies have whined about me mocking their ideologic hero, and you are taking their side. My joke didn't constitute starting a political discussion. Nor did it properly require a request from a staff member that I restrict political discussions to a journal.
No, I don't want to communicate via email. The community needs to know what is happening, you don't get to hide your actions behind the scenes. Transparency, remember? Why don't you run a poll, asking how many members approved of my post that you object to? Oh, wait, we already did that. Some disliked my post, but more liked it. It's all right there in the moderation history. You have no grounds upon which to ask me to change my posting. No grounds at all.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday July 05 2024, @12:11PM (6 children)
What a good idea. Shall we also run a poll asking members how many agreed with statements that you have made elsewhere in your journals? How many support your views regarding how many Americans should die on order to justify the world that you want to see. How many agree with your insistence that every American should have the right to hold weapons which are used to kill schoolchildren, or people shopping in a mall?
I am not taking sides. The worst offender also spent many years trying to get his extreme political views, which were quite opposite to your own, on the front page. He got the same advice that I have given you. Put it in your journal. Leave the rest of us to have our on-topic discussions. You are more like him every day. You already have a place where you can write what you want and I will support your right to do so. The front page stories are NOT that place.
You want a poll? Get of your backside and organise it. Make it fair. Include everyone. Don't try to pass that task to the handful of volunteers that are currently trying to save this site and ensure that it has a future. Contribute time and effort rather than trying to have things your own way. You are only 1 member of a community.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 05 2024, @12:50PM (5 children)
A lot of damned fools like to quote and/or misquote that post I made jan. There was a discussion about another civil war in the United States. I pointed out in that discussion that in our first civil war, 0.8 million Americans died - officially. That doesn't count civilian deaths, that were direct and indirect results of combat. Nor does it count some of the "irregular" forces casualties, who weren't officially part of the Union or the Confederacy. I pointed out that we can expect a helluva lot more deaths in a more modern day civil war, for reasons including a much greater population, as well as more efficient killing methods. And, I clearly stated that I want those deaths to be disproportionately high on the liberal/left/Democrat side.
You have alluded that you take great pride in your military service, jan. Tell me that if you were involved in a hot war, that you would want anything other than disproportionately high casualties on the other side? You know, the sort of thing we see in Gaza today, where Israel has killed hundreds of enemies for each casualty they have suffered. Are you going to tell me that you would PREFER that your side suffered all the casualties? Or, "proportionate" casualties? That concept of 'proportionality' is so god-damned retarded, I can't find the words to properly describe it.
And, please stop hiding behind declarations of impartiality. Your comments over the years quite clearly put you well over on the progressive side of the spectrum.
Trying to save this site by silencing ME???? Really? I endanger this site? Explain that. In depth. Seriously, you need to publish for all the world to see how Runaway1956 endangers this site's future. Could it possibly be that one or two or three individuals who help to finance the site are threatening the site, if I am allowed to post my thoughts to the site? Please, publish those details for all the members to see. Transparency. Soylentnews once seemed to pride itself on transparency. And freedom of speech. Please explain how freedom of speech endangers the site.
I'll state plainly here, for all to see: If there are one, or six, or even twelve supporters of this site who require my silence for them to continue supporting the site, then THEY are the danger to the site. Not me, jan, but them. The gatekeepers are the danger, not me. You don't need gatekeepers in a free society.
Also, once again, you compare me to HeWhoWillNotBeNamed. And, you are blowing smoke out your ass every time you do so. That individual clearly stated his mission or goal of "taking down" SN well before the sock puppet war. You may apologize to me at any time, for casting me in the same light with that individual. I started that sock puppet war for the purpose of exposing him, and that little war was a complete success from my point of view. Not only did I expose him, but I enraged him to the point that he spelled out his own mission in life, for everyone on SN to see. Only the blindest of the blind could pretend that he wasn't out to destroy the site.
Do you think maybe it's time for a reset? Stop treating me like the enemy. I contribute to the site, financially and otherwise. Stop comparing me to that damned fool who was quite properly banned years ago. And, don't make another offer to PAY ME to go away. Yes, that's right, I still have that email in which you offered me money to just go away, and stop bothering you. Was that your idea, or one of those Sensitive Sallies who keep whining about my posts?
Transparency, jan. Put all your cards on the table. WTF do you want from me? You put it all out there, so that all the membership can see, and understand what you are demanding of me. We ain't hiding any of this in emails.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by janrinok on Friday July 05 2024, @02:00PM (4 children)
I have supported your right to say what you wish in your journal. I have argued with others here that your right to express yourself remains a right that I, and this site, support. You can say whatever you wish in your journal. Just do not bring it to the front page stories.
Nobody is trying to silence you. Where have I said that? You do not endanger the site. I requested that you leave your political views for your journal. You are the one that has blown it out of all proportion IMO (again). You could have just let my comment be and this would have been finished.
I know that others found your comment funny - so did I. I acknowledged that humour has a place on this site. However, it is a slippery slope. If we allow you to start with little things such as an out-of-place joke then others will respond. You will possibly make further similar political statements. After all, nobody said anything after your previous one. I nipped it in the bud. it stopped. Please don't do it again.
It does not matter what your motives are for making political jibes. If it results in the same thing that others wished to achieve such as turning people away from the site then it will have the same result. Leave the front page stories alone, please.
I am not treating you as an enemy. But you are currently too sensitive. You object even to polite requests given in private via Admin-to-User messages. There isn't meant to be a way for you to respond to them other than email. Use it.
Ah, so you like some jokes but not others? That is exactly how people feel about your political sniping. It is great fun to you, but others just want to have a site where they can have intelligent discussions. That is also a problem with humour - it can be misinterpreted. But I didn't publish mine. I thought you would see it for what it was. I am disappointed but perhaps not surprised.
I want you to enjoy being on the site. I want you to participate as much as you wish without driving others away. If what you are saying is on-topic then fine. The discussion was about McDonald's broken ice cream machines about which some people have made informative comments which explain how the company forces the franchisees to fit the machines, but also has a second company that charges exorbitant prices to repair them. The Federal Regulators are arguing that the 'right-to-repair' the machine is being blocked. They are both topics (business / liberties) that we regularly discuss. It has absolutely nothing to do with your Presidents - current or past. It is NOT a political topic.
I, along with other staff, are being entirely transparent. We have made our aims and intentions clear. They have been published. We do not want political comments anywhere that they do not belong. But if you want to continue this discussion then you had better be prepared to use emails. This is Off-Topic. I will moderate myself accordingly.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 05 2024, @02:03PM (3 children)
That is what I have told you, in emails, and elsewhere. Stop policing me.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 06 2024, @01:24AM (2 children)
Will you just shut the fuck up and take your L like a big boy? It's not the end of the world.
Maybe, and I know this is asking the impossible, sit down and do some self-reflection. Ask yourself "am I, Runaway1956, so vile that the administrator of a site created around free speech uber alles sees the need to publicly humiliate me? And if so, what can I do to improve?" Yeah, probably not happening but a girl can dream right...?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Saturday July 06 2024, @11:57AM (1 child)
One word: no.
Free speech uber alles is history, ask jan. What happened to AC posting? And, no, I don't need to "improve", so you just keep dreaming. Don't you have a queer pride to attend? Don't you want to watch naked men prancing among the children, with their junk hanging at eyeball height of the children? Just look at this little girl committing a hate crime against queers https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/heartbreaking-photo-young-girl-covers-her-eyes-as-nude-men-walk-past-during [lifesitenews.com]
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 06 2024, @11:11PM
I've actually never been to any sort of Pride event and find the entire concept baffling. It seems like a stupid idea to make people think you're any more bizarre than they already do, but what do I know...?
That said, what does that have to do with Jan giving you a well-deserved public spanking and you whining and crying like a spoiled little toddler about it? The more you bitch, the worse it's gonna sting, bottom boy :D
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday July 04 2024, @04:31PM
Yes, if they do it in a story that has nothing to do with politicians.
[nostyle RIP 06 May 2025]