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Saturday, March 19, 2005 · posted at 4:28 AM

The age of invention. Sliced bread. Lipgloss that doesn't stick. Convertible mittens. Sports cap bottle tops. These are good inventions.

And the antithesis of a good invention? loses points for being two letters away from mitch albom Mitch Altman's TV-B-GONE.

As if the FCC crackdown following Nipplegate wasn't bad enough, now this guy effectively lets every man (or person obnoxious enough to buy Tv-B-Gone) play tv nazi in public places.

Tv-B-Gone is a small key-chain sized remote that functions solely as a power on/off button for most tvs. The idea behind Tv-B-Gone was to improve conversation - when there's a tv present, people tend to pay attention to that rather than each other.

In my experience, tv is actually an important tenet to socialization. Having a tv on promotes conversation (e.g. "Nick Lachey is so mean to Jessica." "I know, he's my hero!") not to mention eases over awkward lulls in conversation (talk is necessary only during commercial breaks - and those last 3-5 minutes, getting in under the "silence every seven minutes in a conversation where inevitably someone brings up the fact that there's a pause every seven minutes" rule with time to spare).

Tv in general is a useful tool to stimulate thoughts and ideas. What are 90% of water cooler talks about? I'll give you a hint... it's not the company's awesome benefits. Tv can also be a useful learning tool. In a Wired article, Altman brags that turning off a tv running Sex and the City for a lone bar patron "just saved him several minutes of his life." Maybe that's the case, but you also just decreased his chances of getting some because he didn't get to hear Carrie's spiel about, well, everything.

Turned on tv sets can also serve a functional purpose. Altman goes to Best Buy and successfully uses his device on tv sets there, but those tv sets are on for a reason - to sell the product.

And let's not forget when the tv is the focal point of gatherings such as the Super Bowl or Playoff games? I dare you to use your Tv-B-Gone in a crowded sports bar during the finals...

Tv-B-Gone tries to draw a parallel with cigarette smoke: Some people may like breathing in someone else's smoke, but that's not for everyone. Similarly, not everyone wants to be disturbed with someone else's media.

But then goes on to say: If someone were smoking a cigar in a public place and you were disturbed by it, you would probably either leave, or you would ask them if they would mind putting it out. Similarly, if someone is filling your space with disturbing sights and sounds of a tv, you have the same choices. Except that the Tv-B-Gone is more guerilla in its use - it's analogous to a non-smoker ripping the lit cigarette out of the smoker's mouth.

I can understand the concern. America has seen a spike in sedentary activity and an accompanying rise in obesity. Tv is no doubt part of that problem. However, the problem I have is that Tv-B-Goners are imposing their preferences on tv-watchers in the same way that they accuse tv-watchers do. "It's my way... or my way."

Altman said he prefers to ask people to turn off TVs. The problem is places where there's a captive audience and no one is available to respond to requests, like the Laundromat or the airport.

If there's a captive audience, what makes the Tv-B-Goner think that his rights override the rights of the watchers? and that it is appropriate or acceptable for him to force his values on another? or many others?

There's also the danger of malicious intent. "It fills you with naughty laughter to know you did this and other people have no idea what happened," David Burke said.

In public places, everyone's rights should be regarded as equal. When in doubt, refer to the rules of utilitarianism (although there's still the subjective perception of doing good by "saving" others from tv pollution). Btw, there is a difference between tv as background noise and tv as one's primary focus (e.g. captive audience). Using Tv-B-Gone on the latter may result in physical harm. I wonder if there's a disclaimer.

"I was always trying to get people to do something good. Some people do something for the disabled or something. But that's not really my thing, so I did this."

Does he have anyone's vote for the Nobel Peace Prize? Anyone? Anyone?



	Saturday, March 19, 2005 · posted at 4:28 AM The age of invention. Sliced bread. Lipgloss that doesn't stick. Convertible mittens. Sports cap bottle tops. These are good inventions. And the antithesis of a good invention? loses points for being two letters away from mitch albom Mitch Altman's TV-B-GONE. As if the FCC crackdown following Nipplegate wasn't bad enough, now this guy effectively lets every man (or person obnoxious enough to buy Tv-B-Gone) play tv nazi in public places. Tv-B-Gone is a small key-chain sized remote that functions solely as a power on/off button for most tvs. The idea behind Tv-B-Gone was to improve conversation - when there's a tv present, people tend to pay attention to that rather than each other. In my experience, tv is actually an important tenet to socialization. Having a tv on promotes conversation (e.g. "Nick Lachey is so mean to Jessica." "I know, he's my hero!") not to mention eases over awkward lulls in conversation (talk is necessary only during commercial breaks - and those last 3-5 minutes, getting in under the "silence every seven minutes in a conversation where inevitably someone brings up the fact that there's a pause every seven minutes" rule with time to spare). Tv in general is a useful tool to stimulate thoughts and ideas. What are 90% of water cooler talks about? I'll give you a hint... it's not the company's awesome benefits. Tv can also be a useful learning tool. In a Wired article, Altman brags that turning off a tv running Sex and the City for a lone bar patron "just saved him several minutes of his life." Maybe that's the case, but you also just decreased his chances of getting some because he didn't get to hear Carrie's spiel about, well, everything. Turned on tv sets can also serve a functional purpose. Altman goes to Best Buy and successfully uses his device on tv sets there, but those tv sets are on for a reason - to sell the product. And let's not forget when the tv is the focal point of gatherings such as the Super Bowl or Playoff games? I dare you to use your Tv-B-Gone in a crowded sports bar during the finals... Tv-B-Gone tries to draw a parallel with cigarette smoke: Some people may like breathing in someone else's smoke, but that's not for everyone. Similarly, not everyone wants to be disturbed with someone else's media. But then goes on to say: If someone were smoking a cigar in a public place and you were disturbed by it, you would probably either leave, or you would ask them if they would mind putting it out. Similarly, if someone is filling your space with disturbing sights and sounds of a tv, you have the same choices. Except that the Tv-B-Gone is more guerilla in its use - it's analogous to a non-smoker ripping the lit cigarette out of the smoker's mouth. I can understand the concern. America has seen a spike in sedentary activity and an accompanying rise in obesity. Tv is no doubt part of that problem. However, the problem I have is that Tv-B-Goners are imposing their preferences on tv-watchers in the same way that they accuse tv-watchers do. "It's my way... or my way." Altman said he prefers to ask people to turn off TVs. The problem is places where there's a captive audience and no one is available to respond to requests, like the Laundromat or the airport. If there's a captive audience, what makes the Tv-B-Goner think that his rights override the rights of the watchers? and that it is appropriate or acceptable for him to force his values on another? or many others? There's also the danger of malicious intent. "It fills you with naughty laughter to know you did this and other people have no idea what happened," David Burke said. In public places, everyone's rights should be regarded as equal. When in doubt, refer to the rules of utilitarianism (although there's still the subjective perception of doing good by "saving" others from tv pollution). Btw, there is a difference between tv as background noise and tv as one's primary focus (e.g. captive audience). Using Tv-B-Gone on the latter may result in physical harm. I wonder if there's a disclaimer. "I was always trying to get people to do something good. Some people do something for the disabled or something. But that's not really my thing, so I did this." Does he have anyone's vote for the Nobel Peace Prize? Anyone? Anyone?	Recent Posts Star Search. There is a huge difference between g... I get so weak in the knees... I was sitting in th... gambling makes funRound 3 question: What is a sure... I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm also a m... Just not that into you. Every season I pick one re... Hair-raiser. At the risk of sounding like a Long H... Retract those claws.Evelyn: Well, I wonder where M... Beautifully Human. 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