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Interviews: Ask Kim Dotcom a Question

Posted by samzenpus on from the go-ahead-and-ask dept.

He was the founder of Megaupload, its successor Mega, New Zealand's Internet Party, and is the world's greatest Modern Warfare 3 player. He was born Kim Schmitz, but you know him better as Kim Dotcom. While he's had a number of run-ins with the law over the years, The U.S. government is currently charging him with criminal copyright violation and racketeering in association with his Megaupload site. Dotcom has recently won a court battle in New Zealand blocking the U.S. from seizing $67 million in assets. Even though he has a lot on his plate, Kim has agreed to take some time to answer any questions you may have. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one per post.

101 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. phys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    how did he turned into such a fat slob?

    1. Re:phys by master_kaos · · Score: 1

      sorry did incorrect mod of overrated.. meant to do funny

    2. Re:phys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well, I am that fat, with a BMI between 39 and 40. It starts like this.

      At age 16, I was told to quit playing football (not hand-egg), because of scoliosis.
      At age 17, I moved out of my parents place and had to cook for myself (guess what, Pizzaaaaaa)
      At age 21, I got my first IT job, sitting all day
      At age 25, I had grown to a BMI of 34
      At age 30, I had grown to a BMI of 37
      At age 40, I'm close to 40.

      I don't eat two pizzas for breakfast. I just sit in a cube all day and work my ass off (or on, actually), by sitting and typing. My gut is the size of the mount Everest, and I can't see my dick anymore. Not even in the mirror, as it is concealed by a big lump of fat.

      But it goes so slowly, that you won't realize until it's too late.

    3. Re:phys by spazdor · · Score: 2

      Thanks, AC, for actually giving a serious answer and putting a human face on the too-often faceless target of fat ridicule. Everyone - literally every single person in the world - is facing their own unique struggle and it bugs me to see people dismissing other people's struggles so nonchalantly, like "Just be skinny! I can do it so why can't you"

      --
      DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
    4. Re:phys by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I'm up at 4:30 to go for my morning run, back home by 5:15 and out the door to work by 5:45. I usually work from 6:00 to 18:00, with a 30 minute lunch break, a 30 minute "tea" break and several 5 minute walking breaks (sitting for too long is very bad for you). I arrive back home at around 18:15, have dinner then have supper later at 20:00 and in bed by 21:30.

      Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Hallelujah.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  2. Gamergate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What are your thoughts on Gamergate?

    1. Re:Gamergate by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Funny

      As a follow up, what are your thoughts on the death of Travon Martin, what are your feelings about Islam (both radical and non-radical), and which is the one true text editor, vi or EMACS?

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:Gamergate by Dins · · Score: 1

      Silly Squiggleslash. You should have added Social Justice Warriors to that list!

      I think if he answers the GP's questions, we will also be able to deduce his position on SJWs.

  3. Just one: by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Was it worth it?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. End game by Sigvatr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Do you foresee an eventual end game to copyright infringement legislation in the future, or a moment when copyright holders throw their hands in the air and give up for good?

    1. Re:End game by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      And if the copyright laws were scrapped tomorrow, what would you do to earn an honest living?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  5. Hmmm by MightyMartian · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Were you born a criminal sociopath and con-artist, or did you evolve into one?

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    1. Re:Hmmm by dissy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Were you born a criminal sociopath and con-artist, or did you evolve into one?

      He was born a criminal, just like you, just like me, just like all of us.

    2. Re:Hmmm by andrewa · · Score: 1

      Those whippersnappers... always complaining...

      --
      :(){ :|:& };:
    3. Re:Hmmm by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      We just see Dotcom for what he is, a con artist who paints on a thin veneer of anti-establishment rhetoric to legitimize what always end up being criminal operations.

      So what you're saying is, against the law baaaaaad.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    4. Re:Hmmm by Powercntrl · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Were you born a criminal sociopath and con-artist, or did you evolve into one?

      You may personally dislike the guy, but running a public cloud storage service isn't supposed to be illegal. The service had substantial, non-infringing uses, which was previously the litmus test for whether a product exists solely to enable copyright infringement. Otherwise, we wouldn't have things like photocopiers, tape recorders, MP3 players, VCRs, DVRs, cameras, and pretty much every form of blank media.

      Megaupload was used quite extensively for storing open source projects and homebrew Android ROMs. That alone should've demonstrated the service had substantial, non-infringing uses.

      I understand that Megaupload was allegedly not acting on DMCA takedown requests as promptly as they should've. Still, that seems like something that should be handled with fines, not going all Gestapo by seizing the domain and servers. You wouldn't torch a restaurant to the ground for failing a health inspection, would you?

      --

      ---
      DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    5. Re:Hmmm by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Defending Dotcom is like defending a known fraudster because "this time, it really isn't a scam!"

      Anyone who puts legitimate important data on one of Dotcom's sites deserves what they get.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    6. Re:Hmmm by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Well, no. That idea is wildly incorrect, psychopaths and narcissists are born not made. With lots of extra effort and careful well managed upbringing their poor behaviour can be moderated but never eliminated. They are basically born with emotional social learning disabilities, the narcissists born with a lack of autonomic empathic response (a emotional learning trigger that teaches them to become a part of a human society ie sharing emotions) with the psychopath also lacking a full range of emotions (brain chemical states they simply can never achieve except via medication).

      So current statistics on psychopaths, 1% of general population, 20% of prison population and 50% of violent crimes (those statistics are continuing to rise as more testing is done). So absolutely most definitely not true that all people are born criminals, in reality only a tiny percentage are but the commit many crimes and create many victims, hence they impact is far greater than their number and it makes it seem like the whole human race is corrupt when it is only a tiny minority.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    7. Re: Hmmm by Salis · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, low-digit Slashdot accounts just mean you've been a nerd for a very long time ...

      --
      Favorite /. tagline: "On the eighth day, God created FORTRAN." And it was good.
    8. Re:Hmmm by BiggerIsBetter · · Score: 1

      Still, that seems like something that should be handled with fines, not going all Gestapo by seizing the domain and servers

      Going after the domain and servers sucks. But going after his home and family is fucking inexcusable.

      --
      Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
    9. Re: Hmmm by IMightB · · Score: 1

      I've been reading /. Before they even had accounts. What does that make me?

    10. Re:Hmmm by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Depends.

      One can (and I frequently do) make a case that drugs should not be illegal, and it is not morally wrong to produce, distribute, or consume them.

      Bill believes this too. He grows weed and sells it for a profit. He shies away from dealing in hard drugs because while he believes one should have the legal right to choose to poison themselves with heroin, he's not willing to be a party to it. He would love to see an end to the war on drugs so he can open a legitimate pot farm or storefront. You could even give him some "responsible" or "altruistic" features like primarily targeting cancer patients who need it for medicinal purposes, and refusing to sell to kids because he's concerned the effects of THC on developing minds are not adequately studied. Still, though, he engages in a criminal enterprise in which he turns a profit.

      Jim doesn't give he a shit about the morality of drugs. Where there is a black market there is money to be made. He'll sling anything. Weed, black tar heroin, crack cocaine, meth, fuck it, so long as it makes bank. If anyone O.D.s or generally ruins their life using one of his products, fuck them, he doesn't care. He may say it's all about "stickin' it to the man," but at the end of the day all he really cares about is the money. He engages in a criminal enterprise which turns a profit.

      Both of these people engage in criminal operations to turn profits. Which one is a "criminal sociopath?"

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    11. Re:Hmmm by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      That idea is wildly incorrect, psychopaths and narcissists are born not made.

      Is that true? I was under the impression this was still an active area of research, and that whether the cause of psychopathy is a genetic issue or a developmental issue is very much up for debate.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    12. Re:Hmmm by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Only up for debate by psychopaths, just like global warming, just like austerity economics, just like uncontrolled capitalism and what ever other disingenuous debates psychopaths like to foster in order to continue their egoistic destructive criminal enterprises. http://www.medicaldaily.com/co... as an example. They should be identified at the earliest possible age and tracked, to ensure all who come in contact with them are aware who they are.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    13. Re:Hmmm by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      No, that's not what your article says at all. And I don't think the article correctly expresses the conclusions of the study about which it reports.

      The article opens with the line "Psychopaths...may be born with physical abnormalities in their brains..." (emphasis added).

      Thereafter they report the findings of the study, which merely addresses the differences discovered in the brains of psychopaths. I don't doubt this, and I don't think many do. The primary mechanisms which give rise to psychopathy are almost certainly neurological. But never again in the article do they discuss the cause of the psychopathic brain structure, and nothing in the summary of the paper indicates the researchers addressed the causes at all.

      So, psychopaths have different brain structure than non-psychopaths. But what causes a brain to exhibit those mechanisms? Can a healthy baby's brain turn into a psychopathic brain because of developmental reasons, like poor nutrition or childhood abuse and neglect? Or is it genetic, and are they actually born that way?

      The article you linked says they may be, and that may be the case, but I think it's an example of poor reporting. The study concludes with: "Evidence of robust structural brain differences between persistently violent men with and without psychopathy adds to the evidence that psychopathy represents a distinct phenotype." They specifically call it a phenotype, and not a genotype. The study does not seem to address the cause of the difference in gray matter between those with and without psychopathy.

      I do not believe one can reasonably say that "psychopaths are born." Given the current state of research, it seems most reasonable to say that some are likely born with genetic predispositions to psychopathy, and it is then likely that environmental factors during development result in psychopathy.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    14. Re:Hmmm by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Just like I said, only up for debate by psychopaths. It is going to be a different world when the psychopaths can no longer hide and are actively excluded from all roles of governance, control and influence.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    15. Re:Hmmm by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      I think we agree that psychopathy is neurological, right? It's a manifestation of a defective brain. And we could do brain scans to detect this condition.

      But you said "psychopaths are born not made."

      That is not known.

      The conditions that produce the psychopathic brain are still up for debate. There are only moderate links to psychopathy from genetic markers. There are much stronger links from environmental factors, like abuse and neglect.

      So, if your idea is to scan the brains of adults to see if they're psychopaths, that's possible.

      But if you think you can genetically test babies and say "oh, this one's going to be a psychopath" then you're wrong.

      And I really don't understand what makes you say it's "only up for debate by psychopaths." Who are these psychopaths, and what, exactly, are they arguing?

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    16. Re:Hmmm by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      We just see Dotcom for what he is, a con artist who paints on a thin veneer of anti-establishment rhetoric to legitimize what always end up being criminal operations.

      So what you're saying is, against the law baaaaaad.

      The default position should be that breaking the law is bad, yes. And breaking it solely to make money is never justified. If a law is bad, you get it changed.

      People on slashdot seem to think of Kim Dotcom as a modern day Rosa Parks, except better because he's a multi-millionaire.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    17. Re:Hmmm by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Were you born a criminal sociopath and con-artist, or did you evolve into one?

      He was born a criminal, just like you, just like me, just like all of us.

      Speak for yourself, psychopath.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  6. Photo Op by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    If we are ever visiting in New Zealand, can we get a picture with you?

    1. Re:Photo Op by war4peace · · Score: 1, Funny

      You wouldn't fit.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    2. Re:Photo Op by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      Two words: Panorama mode.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  7. Exposure by StikyPad · · Score: 1

    Every time someone says the name "Kim," I now say "Dotcom." But nobody ever gets it, because nobody has heard of you. Then I have to explain it, and they're like "file sharing what?" and it's all very confusing and anti-climatic. Much like this post. Please gain more publicity so that people laugh at my nerdy references.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  8. Guest speaker by Java+Pimp · · Score: 4, Funny

    We're holding a conference on file sharing in Baltimore later this summer and we were wondering if you'd like to be a guest speaker?

    Thanks.

    --
    Ascalante: Your bride is over 3,000 years old.
    Kull: She told me she was 19!
    1. Re:Guest speaker by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Nice try Mr. FBI man!

  9. Mega by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Was there ever a plan make money with Mega by bundling malware to downloads as Sourceforge is doing?

    1. Re:Mega by nazsco · · Score: 1

      Hi megaupload public relations person.

    2. Re:Mega by nazsco · · Score: 1

      Why are you spamming this question over and over, megaupload public relations person?

  10. After reading the first dozen questions... by tompaulco · · Score: 4, Funny

    After reading the first dozen questions, how many million years would you say it would be before you ever agree to answer questions from slashdot posters again?

    --
    If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
    1. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by Minwee · · Score: 2

      After reading the first dozen questions, how many million years would you say it would be before you ever agree to answer questions from slashdot posters again?

      I predict it will be some time after Anita Sarkeesian and Brianna Wu agree to an "Ask Slashdot".

    2. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by vux984 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yup; its an embarrassment to associated with this site right now.

    3. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by dugancent · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's an embarrassment to have a ask Slashdot featuring Kim Dotcom.

      --
      SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
    4. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by vux984 · · Score: 1

      It's an embarrassment to have a ask Slashdot featuring Kim Dotcom.

      Touche.

      Still.... we're just being represented by the idiots and trolls on this one.

    5. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

      The questions read like they were pulled directly from a The Oatmeal comic.

      --
      "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    6. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      That would be...interesting...

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    7. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Are you fucking kidding me?

      With all of the ridiculously non "news for nerds" stuff that appears on this site since the dice acquisition, you're going to pick a fight against an ask Slashdot of Kim Dotcom? This is exceptionally relevant to the tech community, far moreso than how IBM is helping to fashion a "smarter planet" or whatever tautological benign platitude advertisements they're plastering around websites this month.

    8. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by Xest · · Score: 1

      Yeah because it's not like the Slashdot crowd have anything in common with someone who has a problem with overarching US governmental efforts to apply universal jurisdiction outside of their authority, who thinks that linking shouldn't be copyright infringement, and that believes someone needs to stand up and stick it to the RIAA/MPAA.

      Wait, are you sure you're on the right site?

    9. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by quenda · · Score: 1

      And would you rather be questioned by Talkie Toaster?

    10. Re:After reading the first dozen questions... by dugancent · · Score: 1

      His problem is with getting caught. It's sad that no one remembers that lying thieving bastard he was known to be just a few years ago. Forget about him claiming to hack Bin Laden?

      He's opportunistic. He's anti-govenement, copyright stance is nothing but ruse to gather people to his side and to make him more money.

      --
      SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
  11. Mega Technique by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've seen some criticism from open source advocates and hackers that Mega can't be trusted because the source isn't available.
    What assurance could you give someone to the point that their files may not be kept secret while hosted on your platform?

  12. Mana party. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You created the "internet party" as a fight against privacy laws being tramped in your adopted country, helped shape policy and pushed for "digital rights" not just for yourself but others.

    Yet your "party" formed an alliance with the "mana party" who once claimed that broadband was stealing the soul of the country and sought compensation from the Govt, a party who has never gotten more the 1.30% of the popular vote, Nationalisation of monopolies and duopolies (which means they will never get any business votes, and which constricts their only policy of "for the people" (aren't people allowed to make profit?)

    I was absolutely with the "internet party" and digital rights, until they made a coalition with the "mana" party.

    Was this a choice that you had a part in for the betterment of the political party you bankrolled, or was this out of control?

    1. Re:Mana party. by MoaDweeb · · Score: 1

      That makes the Mana Party about twice as popular as the ACT party at the last election and ACT have a seat.

      Seen the policies from the far-right that ACT have had pushed through over the last three parliaments?

      Would Mana be able to do the same thing when they were expressly excluded from a coalition by both major parties?

      --
      New Zealanders are well balanced with a chip on each shoulder. One represents Australia, the other the rest of the world
  13. Morality, ethics and religion by chadenright · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What is your opinion on morality, ethics, and religion?

  14. License Plates by Chadz · · Score: 1

    Can you send me one of your awesome license plates. Pretty epic. Also, how does one acquire vanity plates like that?

  15. the elephant in the room by nazsco · · Score: 1

    i know it, you know it, everyone knows it. While megaupload was great, most of the content there was illegal *for the users*. I'm not saying the carrier should ever be penalized for it... but regardless of law, what are your thoughts on the ethics of it? What if at the time you were a music wirter or a indie game developer instead of Kim Dotcom, how would you have felt about your company?

  16. Re:So what's it like? by stoned_ritual · · Score: 1

    Probably the same feeling as being an idiot that uses the word "epic" to describe every day happenstance.

  17. Re:How... by nazsco · · Score: 1

    asking the important questions.

  18. Modern Warfare 3 by Spy+Handler · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Did you achieve your rank all by yourself, or were there other people you shared your account with?

    What is your favorite...
    -Game type? (Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, etc)
    -Loadout
    -Perks

    Any other comments or stories you'd like to share about your COD experience?

  19. What could possibly ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We're holding a conference on file sharing in Baltimore later this summer and we were wondering if you'd like to be a guest speaker?

    Yean, travel to America. Great idea. What could possibly go wrong?

    Or more accurately, what could possibly induce Kim Dotcom to travel to a country owned by the special interests that have called for his head, and are trying every legal and extra-legal method they can to financially break him without a trial (no presumption of innocence) and ultimately imprison him (after what may well amount to a Kangaroo trial)?

    Seriously, while I've never liked the guy's public persona, or used his services, he's entitled to due process (not the chirade that passes for "due process" in today's American police state). The unconstitional behavior of the US government at the behest of the country's copyright cartels should frighten everyone out of their wits. Today Kim Dotcom, tomorrow maybe you, whether or not you're actually guilty of anything.

    1. Re:What could possibly ... by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      You probably missed the whoosh as it was so far above your head.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  20. How much ... by maestroX · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ... did you pay for the Modern Warfare 3 ranking?
    (once a cheater, always a cheater)

    go ahead, mod me down wannabe gangsta hackers

  21. Hello Kim by Rinikusu · · Score: 3

    Can I have a million dollars? I have no story or noble cause. I just think a million dollars would make my day more amazing.

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
    1. Re:Hello Kim by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

      Only if your cause is two chicks at the same time.

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    2. Re:Hello Kim by Rinikusu · · Score: 1

      I have no qualms with this condition.

      --
      If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  22. Re:How... by war4peace · · Score: 1

    I'm guessing both. At the same time. On top of a dozen other equally fattening products. For breakfast.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  23. Perspective on jurisdictionally conflicting laws by Capt.Gingi · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What are your thoughts on the conflict of laws between jurisdictions with specific regard to how countries like the U.S. can claim jurisdiction over the actions of people and business in other countries if U.S. citizens seek to use the internet to purchase or use services not available in their own country?

  24. End to End Crypto by psyclone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is there a market in the world for strong cryptographic file sharing? Meaning only the end users control their private keys and the "network" just connects users -- it never knows the keys.

    Or does that only work on the small scale such as one user sharing some files with a few friends. If that same user shared those files with ten thousand friends, then would the sharing would be public as the keys would be "leaked" by nature of lots of people having them? (And thus those files could be examined for copyright infringement.)

  25. Uhm, Telelconferencing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You know, like Snowden did. And many many others before him.

    If you think he HAS to do it in person.... Slashdot may not be the website for you.

  26. Q: by doug141 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What do you teach your children about fairness, morality, and legal authorities?

  27. Ethics by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    Sside from all the niceties of whether copying does or doesn't take the original from its owner, or whether one is legally entitled to copy something, isn't the basic notion of copying or making available someone else's works, for which they fully wish to have a copyright, ethically wrong?

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:Ethics by vux984 · · Score: 3, Informative

      isn't the basic notion of copying or making available someone else's works, for which they fully wish to have a copyright, ethically wrong?

      You tell me.

      Person A writes a song and plays it on the radio.

      Scenario 1
      Person B hears it, likes it, and wishes to play it on the piano at home. He listens to it a few times, figures out the melody, etc (1) Is this ethically wrong?

      Scenario 2,3,4
      Person B hears it, likes it, and wishes to learn to play it on his piano at home. He's not as good as the person B in scenario 1 though and can't figure it out.

      Person C however figures it it out, rights down a piano arrangement on sheet music for Person B to use Is that unethical? He realizes lots of people would like his sheet music so he posts it online. Is that unethical? Can the original artists wish that the arrangement not be distributed have force?

      Scenario 4.
      Copyright is what ... 75 years now? What if the original artist wants it to last 100 years. Is it unethical to copy his music after the copyright expires. Sure it would be LEGAL... but it still violates his -wishes-.

      Scenario 5
      What if he wishes to transfer copyright to an incorporated trust that lasts forever and the trust as the new copyright owner wishes for the copyright to last forever... is the basic notion of copying or making available the work, even 500 years from now, given the trust still exists and still fully wishes that you not copy it... is it ethically wrong to copy it?

    2. Re:Ethics by goombah99 · · Score: 1

      yes, and if you don't like the laws change them.

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    3. Re:Ethics by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Do I look like I could afford a Senator?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  28. Politics - Internet Party and the TPP by vinn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So you've recently taken a foray into politics with the formation of the Internet Party. What are your thoughts about what's needed to actually improve New Zealand politics? One of the stated goals of the Internet Party is to review the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which has recently become a hot topic in the US as well. What are your thoughts on the TPP?

    --
    ----- obSig
  29. Poliitics by AK+Marc · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why do you think the Internet Party didn't do as well as hoped?

    --
    Learn to love Alaska
  30. Re:I've got a good one. by Revek · · Score: 1

    Hey! That was my question.

  31. If you could rewrite copyright by NotInHere · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What would be your proposed copyright ruleset, so that content producers still can live off their creations?

  32. The fence's warehouse by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    You may personally dislike the guy, but running a public cloud storage service isn't supposed to be illegal. The service had substantial, non-infringing uses, which was previously the litmus test for whether a product exists solely to enable copyright infringement.

    Much as a Fencing operation or a chop shop might occupy similar premises to legitimate businesses?

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:The fence's warehouse by Powercntrl · · Score: 1

      Much as a Fencing operation or a chop shop might occupy similar premises to legitimate businesses?

      Bad analogy. A fencing operation or chop shop is taking possession of stolen property and re-selling it. It was more like Megaupload was a strip mall and they leased out space to legitimate businesses and a few chop shops.

      eBay essentially gets away with the same thing (and takes 10% on each sale). You don't honestly think all these iPhones are from people who just forgot their iCloud password, do you?

      --

      ---
      DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    2. Re:The fence's warehouse by PatientZero · · Score: 1

      No, a crack house in a mall would be immediately obvious as a mall only has a hundred or so stores. That's very easy to police.

      It's more like a Public Storage with 180 million units containing 12 billion items where some percentage of them are illicit. Every so often the someone points out an infringing item and asks that it be removed. And every so often those items are not actually infringing.

      --
      Freedom to fear. Freedom from thought. Freedom to kill.
      I guess the War on Terror really is about freedom!
  33. Do you plan on showing up for court? by Nyder · · Score: 1, Interesting

    While I understand you do not want to be extradited, are you actually planning on showing up for trial if it happens? And what are you plans when the USA grabs you and puts you in jail at that point?

    --
    Be seeing you...
  34. best place to live & work by pekeler · · Score: 2

    I guess New Zealand isn't what you were hoping for in 2010. If you could, where to would you move now to live and work?

  35. What drives you to keep going? by timrod · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've seen many a file-sharing site shutter its doors or become overly restrictive after even the merest hint of action by law enforcement officials, doing things like requiring logins to upload or download, sometimes even requiring people to sign in via social media (4Shared). The end result is that a lot of these places become borderline unusable.

    Unlike a lot of those website operators, you have personally been dragged out of your home by law enforcement and had actions taken against MegaUpload by the United States government. It could be argued that you have more to fear as a "face" of file-sharing that the Department of Justice would want to make an example out of than pretty much any other file-sharing or torrent tracker operator out there (apart from maybe the Pirate Bay founders).

    So my question is this: What drives you to keep going with Mega after having such things happen to you? What kind of mindset does it take to (metaphorically) keep spitting in the face of the United States government after having them raid your house by proxy?

  36. Location, location, location by nut · · Score: 2

    If, hypothetically, you had emigrated to San Francisco USA rather than NZ and Megaupload had been a US-based company do you think it would have been more or less vulnerable to the kind of action it was shut down by? Bonus points for an insightful discussion of the value of political contributions, etc.

    --
    Never trust a man in a blue trench coat, Never drive a car when you're dead
  37. Finland by rasjani · · Score: 1

    What's your real connection to Finland? At one point there was lots of media coverage about german/finnish millionaire being busted and what not but besides of few photos of finnish in nz mantion and side remarks of your mother being a finn, there hasn't really been any proper statements from you and your ties with "juro" roots..

    --
    yush
  38. MegaCar by colonwq · · Score: 1

    At one time you drove your Megacar around Munich. Now manufactures are shipping chars with internet connectivity and mobile hot shot access. How do you feel this has vindicated your early attempt at this design.

    --
    -- Phase 1: Collect under pants Phase 2: ? Phase 3: Profit
  39. Why Banks ? by Bob+A+Trollmuncher · · Score: 1

    What did you expect when you donated money to John Banks ? Were you expecting help when the various US three letter agencies came gunning for you at the behest of the *IAA ?

    --
    come to the dark side, we have penguins.
  40. bandwidth cap by Espectr0 · · Score: 1

    does mega have a bandwidth cap? I'm pretty sure if i download something big, after 24 hours i get really slow speed (10KB/s) for 24 hours.

    --
    Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
  41. Do you still do Gumball 3000? by metalheadsunite · · Score: 1

    I went to the finish line party of Gumball 3000 this year and it reminded me of how many times you had been on the rally. When was the last time you went on the rally, and do you plan on going on another rally some day? Your enthusiasm for driving and the rally itself made many of the documentaries worth watching.

  42. Wait... what? by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 1

    It's an embarrassment to have a ask Slashdot featuring Kim Dotcom.

    And why is that?

    We're supposed to be the smart crowd in the internet, and pride ourselves in having open minds and hearing both sides.

    Is it important to get information that wasn't delivered by the news outlets?

    Is it important to give both sides a chance to tell their story?

    Is it effective to make judgements based on arrest claims, and not on convictions?

    The GP has it dead-on: these posted questions are an embarrassment to our community. You could fault sock puppets and spammers, but our moderation system is supposed to let us suppress the junk and let our true natures shine forth.

    I am astonished at the crass and low-born nature of the posted questions.

    I thought we were better than that - I honestly did.

    1. Re:Wait... what? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I am astonished at the crass and low-born nature of the posted questions.

      Did it not occur to you that it's because the majority of people here hate him and have no interest in getting his opinion on anything serious?

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  43. Re:How bad are the Data caps in NZ? by MoaDweeb · · Score: 1

    Spark (aka Telecom) ADSL Incl. landline:

    Up to 10 Mbps down & 1 Mbps up.
    40 Gb $79
    80 GB $89
    Unlimited $99

    Naked Unlimited $89

    --
    New Zealanders are well balanced with a chip on each shoulder. One represents Australia, the other the rest of the world
  44. What is the future of cyberlockers? by Karmashock · · Score: 1

    Seems the government can take them over, harass the devs, etc... so what is the future of them?

    Is the best we can hope that you can set up new ones faster than they can destroy the old ones? Or can you establish a stable platform that can't really be attacked?

    --
    I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
  45. Racetrack by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

    When are you getting your cars back? You need to buy out the Taupo track for a day and invite everyone over.

    --
    Learn to love Alaska
  46. obstacles by greenfruitsalad · · Score: 1

    how many separate instances of businesses trying to please governments have you encountered so far in your mega.co.nz project? e.g. paypal/visa/mastercard refusing to process payments for the service.
    and have you come across any that went the opposite way? i.e. going out of their way to help you

  47. Most and least by DriveDog · · Score: 1

    What have you done that you're the most and least proud of (or does that count as two questions)?

  48. Re:So what's it like? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    Probably the same feeling as being an idiot that uses the word "epic" to describe every day happenstance.

    No, Kim Dotcom is far from an every day fuckwit. He truly takes fuckwittery to an epic level.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  49. Re:There is history here you might not be aware of by tehcyder · · Score: 1
    Q: Why do most people hate Kim Dotcom at first sight?

    A: It saves time.

    (Original joke copyright Brian Clough, I believe).

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  50. Re:Father my child. by tehcyder · · Score: 1

    I am 32 and single, I have a PhD in Physics from one of the best universities in the world and am wealthy in my own right. Your size and intelligence appeals to me and I would like you to be the biological father of my child. You would not have any obligations whatsoever. Would you do it?

    This would involve visiting the US presumably?

    Nice try G-man.

    --
    To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  51. MEGA Storage by frodobagginsfll · · Score: 1

    How can you Mega afford giving 50 GB to everyone? P.S. MEGA is a gr8 service; keep up the good work. :wq

  52. Abuse of the justice system by metrix007 · · Score: 1

    The way the government went after you was an abuse of the system. Seizing your domains and assets before a court hearing, the raid, the fact that you were not doing anything illegal etc..Do you plan to use your resources to highlight this corruption and prevent it from happening to others?

    --
    If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.