aryayush
Aspiring Novelist
Hello!
I created a topic about one book publisher making a couple of books available for free download via BitTorrent a fortnight ago and it was deleted.
Similarly, a topic about ImageShack's new service which would allow people to use BitTorrent even if it is blocked or something was closed today.
Apparently, Digit doesn't "encourage or want any discussions with respect to Torrents Trackers or related news (TorrentSpy shut down or Cult of Mac/iPhone available for download at Mininova, etc..). While we know that P2P by itself is not illegal to use (and we you can ask for support should you face any issues) but we all know what you download hence such discussions are grounded here."
Wait. Come back again.
A technology forum is essentially barring all discussion related to exciting developments in what is one of the most commonly used and essential technologies around these parts?
What?!
Something doesn't sound right to me. There's nothing wrong with BitTorrent, the technology. People can put it to illegal usage but that is none of Digit's business. Sure, they shouldn't encourage or aid said usage on this forum. I accept and support that. But putting a blanket ban of anything connected to BitTorrent, even things that are perfectly legal, just does not make any sense.
If some publisher makes some good technology books legally available for free on the Internet, people ought to know about it, no matter which technology is being used. What if those PDFs had been available via direct download? Would it have made any difference in the legality of the download? No, it wouldn't.
Similarly, a service like ImageShack's is a very useful one and, for all intents and purposes, is supposed to be used for legal downloads. Sure, one can use it for illegal stuff, but that should not stop us from pointing out its existence. It's not as if not discussing it will put a stop to people using it.
If this BitTorrent "ban" stays in place, then we should put a stop to all the hyperlinks on this forum. After all, sites like RapidShare are accessed via hyperlinks and we wouldn't want to give the pirates any ideas, would we! Maybe we should also stop all discussions about music players because we know they are used to listen to illegally acquired music.
Then again, why stop at that, we should also stop all discussions about computers in the first place, because that's where it all begins. Let's make the Digit forum a place where people can just log in and wish happy birthdays to other forum members. That'll keep the purists happy and no one will be able to put information gathered from the Digit forum to any illegal use.
What a wonderful place that would be!
I know I'm exaggerating but that has been done in purpose to put the weirdness of this rule into perspective. BitTorrent != piracy. Let's stop this pretense and dogma. We all know what everyone uses BitTorrent for. There's no point in plugging cotton into your ears and running around shouting "no BitTorrent, no piracy".
By all means, it should be a moral duty of the moderators and administrators to put a stop to any discussions veering into illegal territory and to ensure that everyone knows how wrong it is to use BitTorrent and other Internet technologies to illegal use, but they shouldn't put a stop to discussions about the fascinating technologies themselves. That would just hinder our intellectual growth and I thought that's what we came here for in the first place.
Think about it and let me know your opinions. If people agree with me, I'm hoping the forum policies will be changed to accommodate more frank conversation about BitTorrent and related technologies.
Disclaimer: None of this is aimed at anyone in particular. I believe that the moderators on this forum are just doing their duty and ensuring that the forum rules are adhered to. I respect and admire that. This is a protest against the system and is not aimed at any individual(s). I hope no one takes any offense. ]
I created a topic about one book publisher making a couple of books available for free download via BitTorrent a fortnight ago and it was deleted.
Similarly, a topic about ImageShack's new service which would allow people to use BitTorrent even if it is blocked or something was closed today.
Apparently, Digit doesn't "encourage or want any discussions with respect to Torrents Trackers or related news (TorrentSpy shut down or Cult of Mac/iPhone available for download at Mininova, etc..). While we know that P2P by itself is not illegal to use (and we you can ask for support should you face any issues) but we all know what you download hence such discussions are grounded here."
Wait. Come back again.
A technology forum is essentially barring all discussion related to exciting developments in what is one of the most commonly used and essential technologies around these parts?
What?!
Something doesn't sound right to me. There's nothing wrong with BitTorrent, the technology. People can put it to illegal usage but that is none of Digit's business. Sure, they shouldn't encourage or aid said usage on this forum. I accept and support that. But putting a blanket ban of anything connected to BitTorrent, even things that are perfectly legal, just does not make any sense.
If some publisher makes some good technology books legally available for free on the Internet, people ought to know about it, no matter which technology is being used. What if those PDFs had been available via direct download? Would it have made any difference in the legality of the download? No, it wouldn't.
Similarly, a service like ImageShack's is a very useful one and, for all intents and purposes, is supposed to be used for legal downloads. Sure, one can use it for illegal stuff, but that should not stop us from pointing out its existence. It's not as if not discussing it will put a stop to people using it.
If this BitTorrent "ban" stays in place, then we should put a stop to all the hyperlinks on this forum. After all, sites like RapidShare are accessed via hyperlinks and we wouldn't want to give the pirates any ideas, would we! Maybe we should also stop all discussions about music players because we know they are used to listen to illegally acquired music.
Then again, why stop at that, we should also stop all discussions about computers in the first place, because that's where it all begins. Let's make the Digit forum a place where people can just log in and wish happy birthdays to other forum members. That'll keep the purists happy and no one will be able to put information gathered from the Digit forum to any illegal use.
What a wonderful place that would be!
I know I'm exaggerating but that has been done in purpose to put the weirdness of this rule into perspective. BitTorrent != piracy. Let's stop this pretense and dogma. We all know what everyone uses BitTorrent for. There's no point in plugging cotton into your ears and running around shouting "no BitTorrent, no piracy".
By all means, it should be a moral duty of the moderators and administrators to put a stop to any discussions veering into illegal territory and to ensure that everyone knows how wrong it is to use BitTorrent and other Internet technologies to illegal use, but they shouldn't put a stop to discussions about the fascinating technologies themselves. That would just hinder our intellectual growth and I thought that's what we came here for in the first place.
Think about it and let me know your opinions. If people agree with me, I'm hoping the forum policies will be changed to accommodate more frank conversation about BitTorrent and related technologies.
Disclaimer: None of this is aimed at anyone in particular. I believe that the moderators on this forum are just doing their duty and ensuring that the forum rules are adhered to. I respect and admire that. This is a protest against the system and is not aimed at any individual(s). I hope no one takes any offense. ]