3 ms·

I don't think the attitude is so much pro-piracy as anti-regulation and pro-getting-stuff-done. Hackers tend to be naturally averse to the two traditional means

I don't think the attitude is so much pro-piracy as anti-regulation and pro-getting-stuff-done. Hackers tend to be naturally averse to the two traditional means of combating piracy: government regulation and DRM. Government regulation requires bureaucracy, which hackers hate. DRM creates obstacles to getting stuff done, which hackers also hate. I agree that piracy is probably a big enough problem to make the aforementioned potential solutions a lesser evil. But I doubt there's any way the hacker community will accept that.

bediger 16y ago
piracy is probably a big enough problem to make the aforementioned potential solutions a lesser evil. Got any particular citations for that? I happen to think exactly the opposite, that we've already gone way to far to mititage an almost non-existent problem. I'm dreading the day when I can't use "bittorrent" to download the latest Slackware distribution, because using "bittorrent" automatically makes you a theif.
- JesseAldridge 16y ago
  > Got any particular citations for that? http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music_industry/index.htm?postversion=2010020309 http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music... Making the pie smaller ultimately leads to lower quality. I am virtually certain people will argue that this argument is invalid for whatever reason, but I'm pretty sure that'll be more indicative of the bias seen among hackers than anything else.
  - bediger 16y ago
    CNN? Really, seriously? That's almost certainly CD or album sales, from a source at least as reliable as CNN: http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/07/704350.aspx http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/07/704350... But it looks like overall, sales are up: http://www.prsformusic.com/creators/news/research/Documents/Will%20Page%20and%20Chris%20Carey%20(2009)%20Adding%20Up%20The%20Music%20Industry%20for%202008.pdf http://www.prsformusic.com/creators/news/research/Documents/... I will grant that's for the UK, not worldwide, but still, a good indicator. Further, in a competitive market, the price of a good tends to fall to the marginal cost of production. That's Free Market Econ 101, and we're all Free Marketeers, at least since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The cost of producing (in an economnic, not artistic sense) has fallen to almost zero. Why wouldn't we expect revenues to fall like that? Also: >I am virtually certain people will argue that this argument is invalid for whatever reason, but I'm pretty sure that'll be more indicative of the bias seen among hackers than anything else. Then why bother to ask the question? You've just stated that you're not going to listen to answers, except maybe if they confirm what you already believe ("bias towards piracy").

bediger 16y ago

piracy is probably a big enough problem to make the aforementioned potential solutions a lesser evil. Got any particular citations for that? I happen to think exactly the opposite, that we've already gone way to far to mititage an almost non-existent problem. I'm dreading the day when I can't use "bittorrent" to download the latest Slackware distribution, because using "bittorrent" automatically makes you a theif.

JesseAldridge 16y ago
> Got any particular citations for that? http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music_industry/index.htm?postversion=2010020309 http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/companies/napster_music... Making the pie smaller ultimately leads to lower quality. I am virtually certain people will argue that this argument is invalid for whatever reason, but I'm pretty sure that'll be more indicative of the bias seen among hackers than anything else.
- bediger 16y ago
  CNN? Really, seriously? That's almost certainly CD or album sales, from a source at least as reliable as CNN: http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/07/704350.aspx http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/07/704350... But it looks like overall, sales are up: http://www.prsformusic.com/creators/news/research/Documents/Will%20Page%20and%20Chris%20Carey%20(2009)%20Adding%20Up%20The%20Music%20Industry%20for%202008.pdf http://www.prsformusic.com/creators/news/research/Documents/... I will grant that's for the UK, not worldwide, but still, a good indicator. Further, in a competitive market, the price of a good tends to fall to the marginal cost of production. That's Free Market Econ 101, and we're all Free Marketeers, at least since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The cost of producing (in an economnic, not artistic sense) has fallen to almost zero. Why wouldn't we expect revenues to fall like that? Also: >I am virtually certain people will argue that this argument is invalid for whatever reason, but I'm pretty sure that'll be more indicative of the bias seen among hackers than anything else. Then why bother to ask the question? You've just stated that you're not going to listen to answers, except maybe if they confirm what you already believe ("bias towards piracy").