Slashdot Mirror
Analysis of RIAA vs Princeton Student
An anonymous reader submits: "Joe Barillari, a computer science student studying
under Prof.
Ed Felten, posted an analysis on his blog of
the lawsuit
filed by the RIAA against a Princeton college student for running "Napster-like" networks. He
argues that the case doesn't quite live up to its contributory infringement
claim due to limitations in the DMCA. A good
read!"
It is the RIAA number where you can inform them of people who download music.
Or, instead of ratting out fellow bretheren who are excercising their fair use rights, you could give the # a slashdotting and let them know that you think they are taking away our fair use rights.
This student is a criminal and should be forced to pay the full amount to the RIAA for his criminal misconduct. If he can't pay he should be imprisoned and enslaved or executed. He is a criminal and a terrorist.
According to the filing, this student had shared several songs from his own collection, which apparently includes "music" from Blink-182 and Everclear. Yuck, string him up.
Self-acceptance: I AM Gay
by: A Slashdot Reader
I was so scared. My palms were sweating and I was so full of doubt. It's taken awhile but I've finally come to accept something about myself but I was thinking, "Should I go ahead and tell my friend?" This is about self-acceptance. Its so difficult to be different. It hurts to feel like you're always left out and can never fit in. But don't get me wrong, I LOVE being different from everyone else...its just that sometimes I wish that I was just normal. You know, that way at least I would fit in or at least have better chances to, right? I wouldn't have to feel like an outsider and I could finally be like everyone else I mean that's all I've really wanted: to be like everyone else. And that's especially the case with this one certain thing I was going to tell my friend.
This past summer, I got a crush on someone. That's a big thing for me because I've got some pretty uncompromising standards when it comes to liking someone and this was special like nothing I've ever felt before, it was so new and it FREAKED me out. So my friend asked, "Who is she?" I looked at my friend then looked away and looked at her again and looked away again. And all the while I'm holding her hand as if I couldn't say anything unless I was holding her hand because she might run away at what I was going to say. I looked at her again and said, "It's not a she." Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened, it was actually pretty funny =0) She had to make sure she was getting this and asked me "So you're gay?" and I nodded.
Yup, I came out and it felt good, you know, after all that nervousness and anxiety,... it was great! It came as the biggest surprise to her. She said that it would have been the last thing she would have ever thought of about me. I guess it makes sense since I've already established the fact that I'm NOT NORMAL!!! lol - which just means I will not fit into any stereotypes gay or otherwise. Was I always this comfortable about it? Nope, not the slightest.
Then I asked my friend, "Do you think I'm a freak?"
She smiled and said, "No, of course not."
Yay! She didn't think I was a freak! What a relief! lol.
You have to learn to accept yourself no matter how different you are. It's tough when you don't want to accept it but you'll only be at war with yourself because you won't be true to yourself. And that's specifically for anyone who's ever felt like you were on the outside looking in. It doesn't have to be that way. We all have a need to feel like we belong but what if right now you don't feel like that?
That's how I've felt for so long. I never felt like I belonged anywhere, I was always the ugly duckling! And that made me feel horrible. I mean it really hurts to know that you don't fit in and you don't know how to. But that's just because I hadn't accepted myself for who I am. I pride myself in that I will NEVER fit into any stereotype, that I am NOT like everyone else and I really like that. We've all got differences and some of us just have a little more differences than others but that's cool. Its about acceptance and the need to feel accepted but before you get there, you have to accept yourself first. How else is anyone going to do that if you can't even do it, right? Just something I had to learn, something you've got to learn.
But, WHOA, the night before, I was going crazy. I was praying and giving thanks but the mood changed and I was almost angry, but mostly frustrated. I told God, "Why me?! I never asked for any of this. I never asked for this! I don't want to be like this. What did I do to deserve this!?" And that's all I could say...I became extremely emotional. But I told myself that this is who I am.
I still haven't fully come to terms with it but I'm getting there, I AM gay. It feels so weird to say that, even weirder to read it. But I accept it; I'm not going to deny it. And I've grown so much this past year, coming out only furthered my growth. I'm so happy about where I am in life right now, things couldn't get any better. And for once, everything seems to be falling into place for me! I'm seeing, as CJ would say, "the bigger picture" and let me tell you, its lookin good!!!