4 ms·

Lots of people aren't victims, they choose to remain ignorant after being warned. What makes you think that? It seems highly unlikely to me that the average cu

Lots of people aren't victims, they choose to remain ignorant after being warned. What makes you think that? It seems highly unlikely to me that the average customer of an ebook reader or a streaming TV/movie service or one of the gaming networks has any idea about how the DRM works or how intrusively the provider of their electronic content can later monitor their use of it and change or revoke their access to it. Who do you think is going around and warning all these people, in such a way that they can reasonably understand the implications of what is being said, about the risks that come with these kinds of technologies? Now, if you were arguing that governments should be regulating these industries, mandating information for customers about the risks and prohibiting abusive behaviours by content providers, then I'd be the first to agree with you. I think such measures are long overdue. But that's not the same thing as what you wrote before.

unix_fan 6y ago
Yeah, but all those things only happen to the other guy. It can’t happen to me. It’s like trying to explain to people why they should care about privacy on the Internet. They can’t see themselves in that position, ever.
matheusmoreira 6y ago
> What makes you think that? I used to tell people and most of them ignored what I said. > It seems highly unlikely to me that the average customer of an ebook reader or a streaming TV/movie service or one of the gaming networks has any idea about how the DRM works They don't have to understand technical details. They just have to understand one fact: they don't actually own what they're spending their money on. I told them, they understood and they didn't care. > Who do you think is going around and warning all these people, in such a way that they can reasonably understand the implications of what is being said, about the risks that come with these kinds of technologies? Me. I used to tell everyone I know. It was useless. > Now, if you were arguing that governments should be regulating these industries, mandating information for customers about the risks and prohibiting abusive behaviours by content providers, then I'd be the first to agree with you. Don't get me wrong. I generally agree with this. Actually I have a radical opinion: copyright should be abolished and it should be illegal to implement DRM in any form. This doesn't change the fact that these people cannot be helped. They want their pleasure and if you're pointing out issues you're just getting in their way. They absolutely deserve to be blamed if their accounts get banned and they lose everything.
- shawnz 6y ago
  Have you considered that the people you told don't really believe you are as expert as you claim, or believe that you were overdramatizing the situation? > They just have to understand one fact: they don't actually own what they're spending their money on. The consequences of losing access don't necessarily follow from that though. Lots of people for example understand the principle of leasing an apartment or car, and in those cases it's much harder for the true owner to arbitrarily take the property away from you. > Actually I have a radical opinion: copyright should be abolished and it should be illegal to implement DRM in any form. Radical opinions further tell people that you are not being pragmatic about what you are saying and therefore it can't be very practical advice. That is another reason why I expect people weren't receptive to your warnings.
  - matheusmoreira 6y ago
    > Have you considered that the people you told don't really believe you are as expert as you claim, or believe that you were overdramatizing the situation? I don't claim to be an expert. I'm just a guy who cares a lot about this stuff. I suppose I can be dramatic but I don't think that makes me wrong. > The consequences of losing access don't necessarily follow from that though. Currently, they do. That could change in the future but right now when people spend money on media they're merely buying some company's permission to enjoy some content. That permission can be revoked at any time and for any reason or no reason. > Lots of people for example understand the principle of leasing an apartment or car, and in those cases it's much harder for the true owner to arbitrarily take the property away from you. People aren't leasing content though. They're buying it. They buy books, they buy video games... > it can't be very practical advice Ignoring copyright is actually the most practical advice there is. Everybody understands how to do it. I've yet to meet a single person who has never infringed copyright. People do it without even realizing it. It's how people naturally operate, especially on the internet. When people want something, they right click on it and save it. Nobody really thinks about the creator's rights to monopolize imaginary property. The only problem with this advice is it's technically illegal. We can fix this by abolishing copyright.
    - 6y ago

unix_fan 6y ago

Yeah, but all those things only happen to the other guy. It can’t happen to me. It’s like trying to explain to people why they should care about privacy on the Internet. They can’t see themselves in that position, ever.

matheusmoreira 6y ago

> What makes you think that? I used to tell people and most of them ignored what I said. > It seems highly unlikely to me that the average customer of an ebook reader or a streaming TV/movie service or one of the gaming networks has any idea about how the DRM works They don't have to understand technical details. They just have to understand one fact: they don't actually own what they're spending their money on. I told them, they understood and they didn't care. > Who do you think is going around and warning all these people, in such a way that they can reasonably understand the implications of what is being said, about the risks that come with these kinds of technologies? Me. I used to tell everyone I know. It was useless. > Now, if you were arguing that governments should be regulating these industries, mandating information for customers about the risks and prohibiting abusive behaviours by content providers, then I'd be the first to agree with you. Don't get me wrong. I generally agree with this. Actually I have a radical opinion: copyright should be abolished and it should be illegal to implement DRM in any form. This doesn't change the fact that these people cannot be helped. They want their pleasure and if you're pointing out issues you're just getting in their way. They absolutely deserve to be blamed if their accounts get banned and they lose everything.

shawnz 6y ago
Have you considered that the people you told don't really believe you are as expert as you claim, or believe that you were overdramatizing the situation? > They just have to understand one fact: they don't actually own what they're spending their money on. The consequences of losing access don't necessarily follow from that though. Lots of people for example understand the principle of leasing an apartment or car, and in those cases it's much harder for the true owner to arbitrarily take the property away from you. > Actually I have a radical opinion: copyright should be abolished and it should be illegal to implement DRM in any form. Radical opinions further tell people that you are not being pragmatic about what you are saying and therefore it can't be very practical advice. That is another reason why I expect people weren't receptive to your warnings.
- matheusmoreira 6y ago
  > Have you considered that the people you told don't really believe you are as expert as you claim, or believe that you were overdramatizing the situation? I don't claim to be an expert. I'm just a guy who cares a lot about this stuff. I suppose I can be dramatic but I don't think that makes me wrong. > The consequences of losing access don't necessarily follow from that though. Currently, they do. That could change in the future but right now when people spend money on media they're merely buying some company's permission to enjoy some content. That permission can be revoked at any time and for any reason or no reason. > Lots of people for example understand the principle of leasing an apartment or car, and in those cases it's much harder for the true owner to arbitrarily take the property away from you. People aren't leasing content though. They're buying it. They buy books, they buy video games... > it can't be very practical advice Ignoring copyright is actually the most practical advice there is. Everybody understands how to do it. I've yet to meet a single person who has never infringed copyright. People do it without even realizing it. It's how people naturally operate, especially on the internet. When people want something, they right click on it and save it. Nobody really thinks about the creator's rights to monopolize imaginary property. The only problem with this advice is it's technically illegal. We can fix this by abolishing copyright.
  - 6y ago