The Cost of Piracy: A Rant

[jimmalenko]

I've called for a review of the rules a couple of times to attempt to remove the ambiguity but I've fallen upon deaf ears. It has been a long and frustrating road. I guess I've learnt to not get my back up about it and let the mods decide. I've certainly gone through stages where I'll argue the point, double dip and/or generally carry on, but at the end of the day, it is up to the mods to decide who/what breaks the rules.

I haven't seen anyone carded for brown-nosing in the "Report This Post" thread yet

[Grimey]

The reason no one reads EULA's is beacause it's usually an entire afternoons worth of reading in there.
The rules for posting are in big red letters right above the post entry and theres only 8 points in it. not that hard to read.

[mastersmurfie]

The reason no one reads EULA's is beacause it's usually an entire afternoons worth of reading in there.
The rules for posting are in big red letters right above the post entry and theres only 8 points in it. not that hard to read.

Grimey, you're absolutely %100 correct...

However, what's the first thing you do when posting a reply? Do you read the rules everytime??? Or do you scroll down, so you can start typing? (I know I do, and I can almost guarantee that I'm not alone...)

Essentially the same thing with the EULA...you (not saying everyone) typically just click the "next" or "continue" button...

I'm just saying that, regardless of what "rules" might be posted, there's always going to some that think that the "rules" don't apply to them...and that they can just overlook them...

mastersmurfie

[Supreme2k]

Numero Uno: Not all rar files are for warez. Rar (especially self-extracting rar's are the best way to distribute files when other means like CD or DVD are not available. I personally have 44 rar files on this site http://briefcase.yahoo.com/rogergray1964/VIDEO_TS and it is DEFINITELY NOT a copyrighted illegal movie.

HOLY SHIT! You are one in a BILLION, Gabriel! Better buy that lottery ticket, 'cause you're sure to win.
Either tell your 3 million friends to foot the bill for a blank and postage, or stop trying to distribute your "home movies" to such a mass audience.

Numero Dos: No matter what anyone else says this site does contain a great deal of "Backup the ole DVD" which IS basically illegal regardless the reason. There may be a "Gray Area" for fair use, but it's definitely not 100% legal.

Something's either 100% legal or 100% illegal, there's no in-between.
The "grey-area" means that it's grey enough to make it legal. I've always hated that "not 100% legal" term. Either say that what you're doing is legal, or it's not.
This brownie is not 100% legal. Yes, it has flour, cocoa and eggs, but it also has hash in it

Numero Three-0: Videohelp.com is a misnomer. Videopersonwith10000postscondecends2personswith3po sts.com is what this site should be called. Different people learn through different means. Many people are A) don't learn well by just reading guides B) have trouble sifting through the hundreds of guides or maybe even C) can't read well or at all. Moreover, nothing is worse than being told in a forum to "Read the help file, when the help file is 1) confusing & limited 2) antiquated or my fave 3) just plain wrong, and yes it does happen.

Do you realize what you typed? Do you REALIZE WHAT YOU TYPED?! If they can't READ, then they're quite simply FUCKED, since they won't be able to READ any answer given to them.
Grow a pair, please. (Hopefully, that wasn't too condescending )

In conclusion I do believe this site could go under but not to new people trying to learn how to rip DVD's but to idiots who have too much time on their hands who fuss & whine to make up for their lack of penis size that run everybody off who actually want to help.

That's not what your girl was saying last night. It was more like "It's nice to finally have a man who doesn't have a man-gina! You know it's the third time this week I caught ol' Rog doing the 'peanut butter trick' with the dog!"

Rog

Short for Roger. Those in the UK know what's wrong with this guy

[burnman99]

To Supreme 2k: Let me make this clear. I did not mean this as a personal attack on you, and apologize if it seems so. I used your quote referring to several people in this forum who do not seem to care to help, but would rather just vent their anger at people, but was not specifically talking about you so sorry if there's a misunderstanding. What i'm saying is that this forum seems to be less about helping and more about spewing venom and feel this type of attitude will kill this site before any "warez" talk will. As for the illterate part, I totally blew that 1 and should be flogged. I'll ignore the "peanut butter" remark for the reasons i stated earlier. I'm not from the UK so if Rog means something derogatory, i have no clue of it.

Have fun stormin' the castle!

Rog

[d_unbeliever]

This is a FREE a site... i think anybody CAN use information from this site in any way they want.

for those NOOB who posted or discussed "illegal" topics, if they violated any rule then let the MODERATOR ban them or give them a WARNING...

Let the Moderator do the talking, and the OTHERS should stop bitchin'

[Cobra]

Please keep it clean. This was a good post, and I'd hate to see it get out of control and have to be locked.

[chicola]

What i'm saying is that this forum seems to be less about helping and more about spewing venom and feel this type of attitude will kill this site before any "warez" talk will.

I totally agree!

You now have a rules reference and some threads that go with it. Fine, next time someone cites illegal stuff, hammer him with the rules!

To all big members: please, help only the legal ones! Disregard all others and call the mods for deletion.

[Cobra]

Use the "Report this post" link at the bottom-right of every post to report those who you believe to be in breach of the AUP. The mods will deal with it much more effectively than another member laying into them.

Cobra

[Supreme2k]

I needed to add a couple of relevant links:

The dreaded Rar question

obvious piracy talk (with a "I didn't read any guides" chaser)

And probably the most relevant link

[menes777]

.....or you could just lurk like me and learn everything covertly without exposing anything to anyone......

[tygrus2000]

You know what, piracy is a crime no doubt. But also, companies that dont give you true choice or saddle you with infoerior products are just as bad. I dont hear any body quoting that cost.

Some people would like to get new movies in their house rather than shell out 20 bucks at the theatre with a bunch of audience morons, but do you think we could get that service....no. I want to choose only 50 of my favorite cable or satellite channels, nope I have to buy 200 crappy ones. I want to buy my music one file at a time and have unlimited rights to listen or burn it...well you can buy i that way now finally, but its use is still controlled. I want to buy software that works and have a person to call when it doesn't...nope, not even the top selling product can claim that.

Before you trash people and piracy, think about what drives this beahvior. If nobody ever challenged the status quo, we would still all think the earth is flat. I don't advocate illegal actions, but I can understand frustrations people have with always being under corporate control.

[Supreme2k]

The most obvious thing is that you give the masses (of pirates/bootleggers) way too much credit (ie. having "noble" motives).

Most of the Rent/Borrow-Copy-Return people don't think too deeply about these things. It's the thrill of getting it free or the slightest bit cheaper. They're not coming here with a quasi-political agenda, but simply "Gimme gimme gimme!"

Hell, I've seen people buy copied DVDs off the street, when they were available brand new down the street for $3 more. I've read countless times about people wasting 5-10 blanks (and a few re-encodes) trying to burn a downloaded movie.

As far as the theater deal goes, MOST people do like to go to the theater for "the experience". That's been a big anti-mpaa stance for a while. Look at the record box office sales that still happen on a daily basis. Last time I checked, record sales didn't equal lost revenue

[gitreel]

Whatever the figures really are, they are over-inflated.

About a year ago, there was a piracy ring broken up.

According to the riaa, a 52x cd burner = 4 burners.

I suspect the mpaa uses this convoluted math as well.

Just my 2 cents.

[VCDHunter]

Please keep it clean. This was a good post, and I'd hate to see it get out of control and have to be locked.

No you wouldn't - you'd love to lock and you bloody well know it

[tmw]

• For your communications problems with your friend: http://www.drphil.com/

Too much fun--this made me laugh out loud.

Videohelp helps with home movies--and converting videocamera recordings to DVD. My father really appreciated the DVD I made of a family event for him, so he could share that with other family not present. I could only create it because videohelp gave me the links and knowhow to do so.

But, here's my rant: I also laugh when people post about trying to burn a new release, that's not yet out on DVD. It sounds like a distribution problem--the public has an appetite to watch movies outside the theatre, and the industry is not willing to provide products to fill that demand. A similar analogy exists in drug trafficing. Is America's drug problem really because of some poor farmer in Columbia groing cocaine?

For the movie industry, I think the obvious answer is to meet the public demand for products at a reasonable price, and "substandard" knock-offs will be greatly reduced. Drug usage is lower in Denmark--ever wonder why? But, maybe I'm an optimist, since I don't do either.

Don't pirate movies, and don't do drugs. Let the others be the 'problems' while we look to educate ourselves, for sake of home movies and legitimate backups. Let's also hope for reform.

[sunderland]

at the end of the day if you are going to give all the links to all the copying programmes. people will take advantage of them for the reasons your talking about. that is life

[nelson133]

Oh Lord, much ado about nothing again. The thing I like least about this site is the number of self important people with too much time on their hands. I asgree that illegal acts are bad, but if anybody thinks that kind of stuffed shirt orations posted above will change anything, I suggest they get out in the real world. The pirates will ignore you, hell, I agree with alot of what is said above and I'm bored with you. Too many of these posts sound like a bunch of junior high school monitor wannabees.
BTW, when I am capturing TV broadcasts, I capture in avi format, so there is a legitimate reason for asking about avi conversions. Nyah Levi

[menes777]

For those who are adamantly against pirates, ask yourself this....

Are you angry against pirates (bootleggers, newsgroup downloaders, all manners of wrong doers) because they truly hurt you or because secretly in your heart you wish you were one of them?

[Supreme2k]

Outside of this site (or any of the others I frequent), I couldn't care less. If all of the warez boards got shut down tonight, I wouldn't shed a tear.

I just so happen to like this place and would be pissed if the warez-kiddies got it shut down.

I don't pirate (anything) myself, and don't care if others do it in the privacy of their own home. It's just that when they bring that crap here, they make it everybody's business.

[d_unbeliever]

hey Cobra congrats!!! you deserve to be a moderator!

Stop these bitchin' already, your soundin' like my Korean wife...

let the wives and ladies do the BITCHIN', and let Cobra do the Talkin' or Bannin'

and let us do the Copyin' :P

[indolikaa]

For those who are adamantly against pirates, ask yourself this....

Are you angry against pirates (bootleggers, newsgroup downloaders, all manners of wrong doers) because they truly hurt you or because secretly in your heart you wish you were one of them?

I am not angry against pirates because I don't spend all my life worrying what other people are doing. I have my own problems in life and I don't have the luxury of worrying about what other people are doing to punch their ticket to Hell. I am also a better yeller than you because I can yell in many different colors so stop your yelling and use a normal text size because you can't compete with my arrogance!



Now where were we?


Oh, we were bashing Cobra, weren't we? This I can do.

[menes777]

I can talk in different colors too. Although it looks funny so I don't do it.

Red Blue Yellow

But seriously, I agree with Supreme that it would suck to lose such a helpful place because of some immature people (most of them pirates of their own pants). India, ooops I mean indo great comeback, yet it falls short in the arrogance part.....

[GKar]

Without Newbies there wouldn't be Flamers, without Flamers this site would be dry and technical :P :P

[indolikaa]

I can talk in different colors too. Although it looks funny so I don't do it.

Red Blue Yellow

But seriously, I agree with Supreme that it would suck to lose such a helpful place because of some immature people (most of them pirates of their own pants). India, ooops I mean indo great comeback, yet it falls short in the arrogance part.....

Well, at least you saw it was done in humor. I'll give you that...

[lacywest]

Oh and I just love that cute little gold square above my call sign ... how many other folks here have them ??

Only one? Rookie...


@Supreme2k,

Excellent post. However, can you imagine what this place would be like if what you have dreamed of actually came true?

For starters, I wouldn't have anybody to pick on..

How long do I have to wait until this Gold little square [above my Icon Handle] goes away ... or will I never be forgiven ... I have over 7 years clean and sober ... does that count ??

[Capmaster]

I can talk in different colors too. Although it looks funny so I don't do it.

Red Blue Yellow

But seriously, I agree with Supreme that it would suck to lose such a helpful place because of some immature people (most of them pirates of their own pants). India, ooops I mean indo great comeback, yet it falls short in the arrogance part.....

Well, at least you saw it was done in humor. I'll give you that...

As he re-holsters his "Indolikaa Special" .....not having had to use it this time

[iooi]

Its interesting to see all the rants about newbies and silly posts about wearz and how to do this that and the other, piracy and how it could get this site shut down...
But everybody has missed the one thing that stands out to me more than this......that could cause a shutdown.....
SOFTWARE GUIDES....
There are guides about how to use dvdshrink dycipter etc the list goes on... Now you tell me how the use of these software's is legal, There isn't as yet a fair use policy on dvd's and breaking the encription is illegal at present. So the mere fact that they can do this is dodgy to say the least...They are only the same as 3-2-1 who got shut down.

[sunderland]

you are spot on iooi. like i said they give you all the sofware and the guides on how to do it. what do they expect. think about it people.

[iooi]

I've seen the light (and a nice stadium it is too) Sorry i missed your post higher up, but then again sunderland are higher than leeds........
Seems it needs a brit or two, to point out whats right under their noses...