I'm watching the latest episode of Weeds on Showcase last night (recorded earlier). The last scene in the show is quite moving and there's a lovely song playing that was kinda nice. I'm saying to Darlene, "What a nice tune, I wonder who it is?" No sooner do the words leave my lips, I spy a one second flash of a screen indicating that more information about the music used in the show can be found at a particular web site. I rewind, watch it again, rewind (it's that fast) and finally pause the frame so I can note the web address.Then I go online, type the address into my browser and am greeted by the following message: "We at Showtime Online express our apologies; however, these pages are intended for access only from within the United States." I'm not kidding. See for yourself.
[Anger......... growing......... temper........... flaring........... must.............. not............... kill.............]
8 comments:
This is too easy to solve. Use a proxy server.
By selecting a proxy in the United States you will appear to be from the United States and you will have access to that particular site.
You can do anonymous surfing that way. The list of proxy servers does change regularly, but you may try the following
Proxy 206.117.37.4
Port 3127
You are welcome.
I appreciate the tip. It will be the first time I've ever had to use a proxy in 11 years on the Internet.
Confused.... what point?
Other than a difficulty accessing a foreign site, well stated by the owner of the post, I see no other pending issue.
I nicely provide with an acceptable solution and receive a nice response, again from the owner of the post.
As a third party to the conversation, I ask politely, Jon, what point did I have missed?
It's OK anonymous - unless you've followed the thread I've posted on occasion about what the entertainment industry does to irritate its customer base, the point might have been lost on you. Geoff nailed it on the head and brought up a good point. Showtime is too ignorant to understand that they aren't the only network who will air this series (I watched it on Showcase in Canada). But they insisted on teasing its audience with a web link to get additional information about 'their' program, while conveniently making it available only to the origin country. Very closed-minded thinking. It would be as if (hypothetical situation) a coffee house refused to sell anything to you unless you were a US citizen. So someone offers the solution - lie. Does it work? Yes. But what about dealing with the idiotic rule of only offering coffee to US citizens?
I did miss the point, I also missed the dripping sarcasm from the original reply.
That should teach me something about trying to be helpful. When I mature and reach 11 years of web surfing, maybe I will understand all the finesse of blogging.
Perhaps one should consider that Showcase restricts access to US citizens just because of that, it is only available in the US? If every tom dick and harry from all over the world keeps banging at their site requesting services they cannot provide, might they not be better off by simply restricting access from those foreigners?
It then would be like a bar where there is an age limit, and if you don't match the minimum age requirement, then you cannot get served.
Anonymous - (great name by the way) - There was no dripping sarcasm in my reply to you. Read it again: 'I appreciate the tip'. The sarcasm was in my original post. I still think you're missing the point though. You said 'Perhaps one should consider that Showcase restricts access to US citizens just because of that, it is only available in the US?' I agree with you. But the 'program' is not only available in the US. So I guess I'll just dispense with the analogies and say it straight out:
If you want to offer me more information about a show that I can indeed watch in my own country, then don't place that information on a web site that I cannot access from my country - create a web site just for the show, that is accessible from Canada. Is that so hard?
I don't agree that just because someone doesn't serve my jurisdiction, they don't need to make any data available to me. But my justification for such a position would take a long time to explain. The Internet was not intended to sequester information, it was intended to share it.
Finally, like I said before, I appreciated your tip on how to solve my dilemma. I really do. But the dilemma itself is preventable.
Hey, sorry, sometimes I'm a little touchy.
You said quote It will be the first time I've ever had to use a proxy in 11 years on the Internet. unquote and I really read the wrong things into it. Been having pissing contests with morons all week, and I took it out on you, sorry dude.
Ok, anonymous is the only name I have here, cause I don't have a blogger's account. My name is Russel, I am 19 and a student at UofC.
For showtime, well, Canada is not in their market. Would it be hard for them to have an international site, probably not. But that is only if they wish to have international customers. They obviously don't, their choice.
I understand your point about what the Internet should be, but I am playing Devil's Advocate here, and like I mentioned earlier, since theirs is a commercial site for a service available only in their coutry, preventing access from foreigners is likely the easiest way for them to control requests they cannot fulfill. Not the best of solutions, but I am sure that they don't give it a second thought.
Nice to meet you Russel.
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