Forum censorship and Internet thugs

[marcel-v]

I'm just wondering how I can post a message concerning the topic of Internet thugs and forum censorship without being banned?

I've made a couple of posts regarding private servers for the game 'World of Warcraft' highlighting the issue and both times the topic was locked eg. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=258376. i just want to get some feedback.

In reply, blocking the post was totally ridiculous. I was not being antagonistic, rather making a statement with which the moderator doesn't agree. That is the definition of censorship, so why put it in inverted commas? Comments like "whats next? stealing money, cars, children?" are laughable.

Who can honestly say they have never downloaded an mp3 without paying for it?

If I get banned for comments like these I wouldn't really mind, at least a few people know what kind of crap is going on here for having read this.

[atszyman]

Two points:
1) This is a privately owned forum so the rights of free speech do not apply here. If the mods agree that they don't want discussion regarding "insert topic" here they can go about removing posts and stopping threads however they see fit, regardless of the legality of the topic and your feelings about it.

2) Blizzard may not have gotten your money without the private servers, but technically you are still in violation of the EULA and therefore posts trying to find these servers will be halted/wastelanded/deleted as the mods find them.

[WinterMute]

I made it very clear why that thread was locked, and your insulting language didn't help your case.

Discussion of internet piracy is not barred here, but the discussion of the processes and the condoning of such practices will always draw moderator attention.

These forums are well-known for being moderated to tight rules, if you don't like it, don't post. If you post and get moderated don't be surprised, and if you continue to bait the moderators you will be banned.

I am an audio professional, piracy hurts me directly. I DO NOT STEAL.

If you want to discuss the issues you mention please go ahead and do so without resorting to antagonistic and insulting language.

[Thomas Veil]

Moral issues aside...would you really want MR opened up to a lawsuit from some company that would claim (correctly) that we were spreading information about how to pirate software?

Also, there's nothing wrong with mods insisting that topics be placed under the correct forum category. What's the alternative, just post anything anywhere you want?

Come on, MR is not asking a lot. Just a little responsibility.

[sushi]

II've made a couple of posts regarding private servers for the game 'World of Warcraft' highlighting the issue and both times the topic was locked eg. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=258376. i just want to get some feedback.
Personally, reference the thread above, I think WinterMute exercised extreme patience in his reply to you.

The Mods/Gods are very reasonable on this board. It is a private board and they set the rules of which we all must abide.

[pianoman]

your tone in the referenced thread was very confrontational and antagonistic, despite your saying otherwise.

i think you need to understand the rules of the forums better before you should continue posting. this issue is a very sensitive one, as it pertains to the law being broken, which the majority of people here are opposed to.

[jelloshotsrule]

what i find ironic is that this cat spouts off in what is probably a good 10-20 minute post and then comments on how the nerds here have nothing better to do than worry about what's going on on their computer screen in a rant that... what? worries about what is going on on his computer screen.

awesome

but, i am curious about the million reasons you use the free servers. i'll even start your list.

#1. you're a cheapass.

#2... (you take it from here)

[wimic]

#1. you're a cheapass.


Wow.... i'm not taking sides but this certainly seems like a personal insult to me... which, in addition to posting threads about piracy, is a breach of the MacRumors policy.

How ironic!

[DrStrangelove]

I love this:


If you are going to get offended by that then tough, I'm still going to do it. I also download mp3s, tv shows and movies too. I have the utmost respect for intellectual property and always buy the things I like.

If it only worked that way. You do NOT have the utmost respect for intellectual property. You have the opposite of that.

After purchasing books do you return them if you didn't "like" them? If you go to the movies and don't like the film do you demand your money back? What you're saying is, "If it suits my requirements I'll pay for it."

It doesn't work like that when it comes to many things. In this instance specifically entertainment (at least as we're discussing it). If I could have every dime back from every book, movie, CD that I bought that I didn't end up liking I'd have a hefty amount of dough in the bank. Your statement is ridiculous.

Having said all of that I'll make a confession. Many, many years ago I pirated music as well. Not to some degree that one would consider a "professional criminal enterprise," but in my teens and early 20s, you know, converting friends CDs to tapes, when distribution on the internet came about I'd take songs if provided to me. I also did the same with hacked software (we're talking 8 years ago). Truthfully I never gave it much thought to determine if what I was doing was THAT wrong in the first place. While knowing it was wrong, we certainly weren't educated about it to the degree that we are today.

Then I got into the entertainment business for a while. When I started to understand what I was doing... that whether it was a "professional criminal operation" or "a few songs over the years" was really no different from one another on AN ETHICAL level. I stopped. Almost at the same time that I was discovering this I was talking to my boss about shareware software products. I mentioned that I had some license keys to open stuff that I worked with. And he said, "Some college student is creating this stuff that's pretty good and you're going to begrudge him the $9.99 that he asks to support ongoing development of SOFTWARE YOU FIND HELPFUL?"

It was like a religious conversion. Not only did I stop- but I tend to go out of my way to rail AGAINST the pirating/illegal distribution of any licensed and/or copyrighted material. I don't care how many millions upon millions of dollars a publishing house, record studio, film studio, software firm, etc are making on their wares. Aren't they entitled to it? They developed it. You don't think it's worth the price of admission-- don't enter the theater. Build, compile and run your own game and give free access to whomever you like.

For the record... I have not one 0 or 1 of illegal material (so far as I know) on any of my computers. I've long since gotten rid of any copied music and bought the original-- I even bought some stuff I didn't particularly care for to make up for my wrong-doing. You think that's over the top? Sorry-- it's true.

I actually ENJOY paying for little software packages now as well. You can't beat some of the stuff that's out there for $19.99. I not only pay for it, I'll sometimes go out of my way to send an email saying how helpful their stuff is and how reasonably it's priced.

</rant off>

Sorry, hit a nerve.

[someguy]

Wow.... i'm not taking sides but this certainly seems like a personal insult to me... which, in addition to posting threads about piracy, is a breach of the MacRumors policy.

How ironic!
It's OK, he's a demi-god, he can do whatever he wants. :rolleyes:

That said, hasn't this argument been Done. To. Death?

[wimic]

EDIT:

I deleted my post because I'm busy at work today and I don't have the time to defend my opinions against those people who will, undoubtedly, have something contrary to say.

- Wimic

[someguy]

EDIT:

I deleted my post because I'm busy at work today and I don't have the time to defend my opinions against those people who will, undoubtedly, have something contrary to say.
Don't forget the part about how they will be right as well, not so much because of what they said, but more so because of who agrees with it.

[jelloshotsrule]

It's OK, he's a demi-god, he can do whatever he wants. :rolleyes:


actually, demi-gods are just people who contributed to the site financially. they can and have been banned.

my cheapass comment was in jest. i'm a cheapass too. i suppose i could've and should've just said "you would rather not pay the money if you can find a way around it".

[someguy]

actually, demi-gods are just people who contributed to the site financially. they can and have been banned.
Oh, I know. I was half kidding, hence the :rolleyes: . I can't say, though, that I don't sometimes get the feeling that those of you who have contributed to the site feel as though you deserve some sort of special privileges or leniency when it comes to following the strict forum rules.

Good to know this isn't true in your case. :)

[mkrishnan]

*le shrug* So in short everyone except you seems to be happy to not discuss this here. But our moderators are thugs because they suppress your supposed freedom of speech? If your view is important, blog it or submit it elsewhere...

[jelloshotsrule]

Oh, I know. I was half kidding, hence the :rolleyes: . I can't say, though, that I don't sometimes get the feeling that those of you who have contributed to the site feel as though you deserve some sort of special privileges or leniency when it comes to following the strict forum rules.

Good to know this isn't true in your case. :)

fair enough. i thought i recognized your username as a regular member here (ie, well enough to know that i'm sarcastic and generally more joking than not), but it's tough to tell without that visual cue of an avatar (i'm an artist, what can i say, i need visuals. hah)

i think that your idea is true, and i'm probably not even immune to that feeling from time to time. though in general i think that the contribution (not meaning the financial kind) outweighs the sense of entitlement usually. usually. ;)


on topic:
mrkrishnan summed it up. if you're really looking for an answer to your question, i'm positive there are sites that allow discussion of everything, so it just makes sense to go there and not act like a martyr

[someguy]

fair enough. i thought i recognized your username as a regular member here (ie, well enough to know that i'm sarcastic and generally more joking than not), but it's tough to tell without that visual cue of an avatar (i'm an artist, what can i say, i need visuals. hah)
Better? ;)

[IJ Reilly]

The Mods/Gods are very reasonable on this board. It is a private board and they set the rules of which we all must abide.

Yes, but fortunately, bolts of lightening are not yet at their disposal. ;)

[dextertangocci]

I don't even understand whats going on here...

[MacNut]

So I see the "MR Week Of Turmoil™" continues.:rolleyes:

[spicyapple]

I don't even understand whats going on here...
You seem to be confused, a lot. Try reading. :p

No, it confuses me:oFirstly, I don't even know what Benq is, and secondly, who cares if that's the WTC:confused:Why would it be illegal:confused:

The mods have an obligation to keep MR on the right side of the law, and if it means censoring talk of pirating or setting up private servers that break EULA, then it's within their right.

If you censor a book that no one reads, is it still called censorship? :p Why else would this be a big deal, if one can just write it on their own blogs?

[Counterfit]

IIf I get banned for comments like these I wouldn't really mind,

What a coincidence, I wouldn't mind you getting banned either! ;) :D

[dextertangocci]

You seem to be confused, a lot. Try reading. :p





Lol! I am confused sometimes:) I start reading and then I think of something else while I'm reading:D

[mufflon]

Lol! I am confused sometimes:) I start reading and then I think of something else while I'm reading:D

oh that must be a pain :(

Atleast these forums seem to repost the same principles over and over again - i's a pretty linear socio-ethic community - the same principles reoccur frequently which I for one considers quite comfortable - there are many nice debates, but many core ethical believes (don't steal comes to mind) are shared amongst the communal members.

atleast this is how I feel from a semi-lurking state of forum reading.

Too bad there are people who venture here with problems seeing the person behind a product (be it music and/or software) and believe "if I don't pay someone else will - who cares it's 'them' not a real human being" - but piracy is theft and will in the end really hurt real people, which is sad on so many levels.

[zap2]

Admin/Mods here don't need a reason to do things(assuming they all agree on one answer/course of action/ect)...that said the Admins/Mod almost always tell MR public what/why something happened, if they don't they give a reason for not tell us.

WinterMute said you were told why your threads were closed...why bring up another thread about it? If you really didn't understand PM a Mod/Admin.

[Mr. Anderson]

In many cases where members feel slighted by the mods, they usually PM them to find out the specifics if they aren't immediately available.

Starting a new thread complaining or asking for more clarification only opens the topic up for debate again and cause unnecessary potential for more inanity.

You've been given the answers. If you don't like them, I can't really help you there. If you still have questions about it, PM one of the mods and ask them directly.

Thank you and have a nice day. We're done here.

D