In Reply to: does it matter? posted by eggbird on June 30, 1999 at 12:20:51:
read itma.
Forgive my ignorance, but what is "itma"?
Damn, ripping is one very common thing within
the scene...
And shoplifting is a very common thing in the
world. And theft. And assault. And murder. And
slavery was a very common thing in the 1800s. What
does how common ripping is have to do with
whether or not it is right or wrong? Your argument
here stretches the bounds of logic beyond all
previously known limits.
...and melcom is making such a hassle of it is
something i don't understand. Does he feel so
elite that everyone should know how sad and poor
he is now a tune was ripped from him? Ripping
occurs.
And so do all of the other things I mentioned
(with the possible exception of slavery). So what?
The commonality of an act has no bearing on the
morality of an act. Also, the status of the victim
has no bearing on the morality of an act. Stealing
$10 would be wrong whether the victim were Bill
Gates, me, you, or the homeless guy on your street
corner.
And it occurs more to the more famous, as
more people get to hear those songs. That's
normal. You make it something new and terrible.
Bullshit. buh.
Nobody's making ripping out to be new. We all know
ripping has been around as long as the scene has,
and this just happened to be the straw that broke
Mister-X's back.
Please rip my modules.
Well, at least you're consistent when it comes to
music. But let's see how consistent you stay if we
extend your philosophy to the rest of your life.
Can you arrange for me to meet with your employer?
I'd like to discuss the idea of being paid for the
work you do. How about your college professors or
teachers? I could certainly use more credits and
better grades, especially with the ones I've had
recently, so I'd like to get all of the good
grades that would've gone to you. And if by some
chance you are able to finally settle the
religious conflicts in Ireland and the Middle
East, I'd be more than happy to claim the Nobel
Peace Prize for "my" work. How about if we run
against each other for President and you win with
80% of the vote? Would you let me claim the Oval
Office as my own? To oppose any of these ideas
would be to label yourself as inconsistent.
When trackers track, very often the only pay that
they want is for people to enjoy their music and
acknowledge the skill of the person who made it.
And very often, this is the only pay they'll ever
get. For someone to rip a song is to steal those
few benefits away from their rightful recipient.
And someone who rips is also showing a complete
lack of concern for other people's welfare or for
the value of honesty. Do you really believe that
rippers only have that one sin on their soul and
are otherwise happy, honest, good, moral,
well-adjusted people? To use your own eloquent
phrase from earlier, bullshit. Ripping is a
symptom of the ripper's deeper moral shortcomings.
And we have a duty to put an end to obvious
wrongs. This is hardly a deeply contested issue
like abortion or gay rights, where the line of
right vs. wrong isn't clear yet. When it comes
to ripping, the moral line is big, bold, and
obvious. And you're on the wrong side of that
line.
In closing, Eggbird, you can let people rip your
own songs all day long if you want to. But don't
tell other people that they aren't allowed to
defend their own property.
Sincerely,
Novus