Howard and Amber, perhaps my age is showing here, and the
fact that I don't work in the computer biz. I was raised in the day
when you were expected to pay for things like new books, bicycles,
etc.... But once you'd bought them they were yours and you could loan
or give your magazine or bicycle to a friend or neighbor as you
wished.
What has happened in the past few years is that the software
companies, telcos, and cable companies have managed to pass
tyrannical laws that stand centuries of legal tradition dating back
to english common law on it's head. As a result people working in the
computer biz are terrified that they'll be fired and blacklisted for
installing an unwrapped copy of Windoze 95 on a friends old computer,
etc.
For us ordinary civilians who do not rely on the Micro$oft et
al food chain for our sustenance this paranoia is pretty ridiculous.
For example over the years when I had nothing to do at work I'd
download my e-mail from the coffee shop across the streets Wi-Fi. I
also went over their on breaks often and bought coffee and such. Was
I stealing, or merely taking advantage of a free service they were
providing? While travelling at night I have also parked next to a
closed public library and used their Wi-Fi to check my e-mail, the
weather, etc.... Was that stealing?
Now if I were to walk into my local police station and turn
myself in for these crimes they'd laugh me outa the place- they have
real crime to deal with and don't want to be bothered with this BS.
If I really insisted and it was a slow day they might write me a
ticket for petty misdeanor theft and give me a phone number to call
to set a court date months off. When I arrived in "court" (most
likely an office cubicle with a fresh out of law school referee
presiding) my case would go to the bottom of the docket. Around 5 pm,
after all the real petty misdemeanors had been dealt with, I'd get my
day in court. His eye on the clock, the prosecuting attorney would
offer to drop the charges... when I refused to accept that he'd tell
me to prosecute myself then, and head out the door. The referee would
sentence me to one hours probation and maybe $100 court costs if I
complained further as she put on her jacket and raced out the door.
So let's quit being paranoid and let some common sense prevail.
On 14-Jan-06, at 8:18 AM, Dyna wrote:
This theft of service bull is nonsense!
If I buy a subscription to say, MacWorld, then leave it in
the break room at work for my coworkers to read after I've read it,
that's sharing, not stealing. If I buy bandwidth from the local
telco or cable company and let my neighbors have what I don't need,
that's sharing, not stealing.
Actually, the latter is normally against your terms of service so it
is theft of service - not from you, but from the cable company.
You allowing it to happen makes you just as guilty.
Granted, the telcos and cable industry with their lobbyists
have managed to persuade congress otherwise, but those laws are
unenforceable anyway- is anyone doing time in club fed for "theft
of service" with their home computer?
Just because the laws governing the theft of signal are currently
difficult to enforce, it doesn't mean it's okay to break these laws.
It would seem that as long as you can get away with something, it's
okay for you or others to do it.
Here is an example of a law being temporarily unenforceable - There
is a major riot going on in a large city and people are looting
stores/businesses left and right because there are not enough police
resources to apprehend them. Laws are still being broken. Theft
and vandalism are still are occurring. Just because these people
are not being caught and charged does not mean a crime has not been
committed.
Amber
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