I think there are at least 5 or 6 user ID's being used as RIAA trolls here today, maybe even more. That's the primary reason I started using the "Foe" function, so that I wouldn't waste my time trying to engage in dialogue with them.
One sure tip off is if the comment starts "No one hates the RIAA more than me". I think the RIAA trolls, here and in prior posts, are trying to do the following: (a) propagandize for their lawyers' positions, justifying their conduct, (b) take things off topic, (c) waste my time, (d) try to draw me out on undecided legal questions, and (e) discourage people from seeking legal counsel.
Not so. They're an international organization. They just have different acronyms in the other countries. Bear in mind that 3 of the 4 corporations carrying on this litigation juggernaut are foreign corporations, not US corporations.
Well you happen to be wrong. I talk to the people every day, and believe me, many of them are terrorized. People like you and me wouldn't be terrorized.... the typical Slashdotter wouldn't be.... but many of the people who are being sued would be.
People like you or me wouldn't be 'terrorized' by it. But the kind of people who are being sued are being terrorized by it. I talk to these people every day.
Great question. Hope you get moderated up to +5 instantly on that one.
1. The tech community can offer their services as technical consultants to the lawyers and individuals who are fighting these cases, preferably on a reduced fee or pro bono basis. There is a great need for people who can testify and advise about numerous issues that come up in these cases, such as, just to name a few, (a) hard drive forensics issues, (b) IP addresses and the like, (c) file sharing software, (d) the significance of metadata and hash marks, and (e) the unreliability of proprietary software that has never been peer reviewed as a basis for a lawsuit... i.e. all the issues on which the RIAA are trying to mislead the judges.
2. All tech companies who make profits from the internet should be organizing, and contributing financially to, legal defense funds to assist the RIAA defendants. Right now the only fund I know of that is currently operational is the RIAA legal defense fund operated by "Defective by Design".
3. All tech companies should urge their industry trade associations to be assisting the RIAA defendants financially.
4. Everybody, tech community or not, should be writing to their federal congresspeople about this situation and urging legislation to curb the tide of litigation against ordinary working people.
Talk about 'trolling'. I can't believe you really believe that the primary problem with American high schools is the 'liberal' bent of the teachers. Nor do I believe that you are that short sighted as to think the second most important reason is that the teachers are "under qualified".
It is obvious to anyone smart enough to be participating in this thread that: -the personal political orientation of a teacher has nothing whatsoever to do with with their open mindedness or their ability to be a good teacher, and -the lack of qualifications of teachers is a symptom, not a cause.
You have absolutely hit the nail on the head. It is not the children of the wealthy that are dropping out of their excellent prep schools and privileged high schools; it is the children of the poor, and working class, families, who are dropping out of the hellholes that American schools have become in the inner cities.
There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that the reason is the enormous disparity of wealth in our country, which has primarily risen since the inception of the Ronald Reagan presidency.
The people dropping out aren't the wealthier students, they are the poorest ones.
Our educational system does not provide equal opportunity. Poor and working class students have far less chance of (a) receiving a quality education, (b) being able to concentrate on school, (c) being safe from predators, (d) having proper facilities.
In inner city areas, there are high school students without classrooms, high school students who have to eat lunch at 9:30 A.M. and go hungry throughout the rest of the day, high school students who have to fear for their lives when they go to school.
In my opinion, the fastest solution would be to (a) outlaw private schools, except as a place for supplemental education, and (b) overrule the holding of the US Supreme Court in the San Antonio School District case that it is okay for our public schools to be funded by a property tax system that discriminates in favor of the richest in our society and against the poorest in our society.
These 2 steps would ensure that (a) the children and grandchildren of politicians and of the wealthiest in our society would be in the same school system that the rest of us have to live with for our children and grandchildren, and (b) rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods would receive the same per-student funding.
To be perfectly honest with you, usually when I'm "short" with someone on Slashdot it's because I suspect them of being RIAA trolls trying to either (a) get me to say something they can use against me later (b) waste my time or (c) disparage me.
Rather than risk getting into a flame war with you, I'll leave it up to other Slashdot readers -- if they so choose -- to jump into the fray. I don't think you and are cut from the same cloth.
For people who might not be aware of why you are asking this, you are going back to the September 14th interview, and the ensuing comments. There were about 10 parts of the multi-part question. I don't think they were serious questions, and they were all off topic. I believe the user who posed the question, Four_One_Nine, was an RIAA troll, as that question was his first and last Slashdot post. If you have any questions about p2p file sharing litigation, I will be pleased to answer them to the best of my ability. Otherwise, I am not going to take public positions on unsettled questions of law. That is precisely what the RIAA would love for me to do.
I already apologized for being curt with the guy, and gave him some citations of things for him to read if he wants to learn more about the subject. What more do you want out of me?
Slashdot Mirror
I don't have the statistics but I would guess that your "5-10%" estimate should probably be revised to "50%" or more.
Also, if their goal is to find 'pirates', I think it should be revised to "95%" or even "99%".
The 'pirates' would never get caught by the RIAA's so-called 'investigation'.
Good answer!
I think there are at least 5 or 6 user ID's being used as RIAA trolls here today, maybe even more. That's the primary reason I started using the "Foe" function, so that I wouldn't waste my time trying to engage in dialogue with them.
One sure tip off is if the comment starts "No one hates the RIAA more than me". I think the RIAA trolls, here and in prior posts, are trying to do the following: (a) propagandize for their lawyers' positions, justifying their conduct, (b) take things off topic, (c) waste my time, (d) try to draw me out on undecided legal questions, and (e) discourage people from seeking legal counsel.
Not so. They're an international organization. They just have different acronyms in the other countries. Bear in mind that 3 of the 4 corporations carrying on this litigation juggernaut are foreign corporations, not US corporations.
Well you happen to be wrong. I talk to the people every day, and believe me, many of them are terrorized. People like you and me wouldn't be terrorized.... the typical Slashdotter wouldn't be.... but many of the people who are being sued would be.
It's outrageous.
People like you or me wouldn't be 'terrorized' by it. But the kind of people who are being sued are being terrorized by it. I talk to these people every day.
Great question. Hope you get moderated up to +5 instantly on that one.
1. The tech community can offer their services as technical consultants to the lawyers and individuals who are fighting these cases, preferably on a reduced fee or pro bono basis. There is a great need for people who can testify and advise about numerous issues that come up in these cases, such as, just to name a few, (a) hard drive forensics issues, (b) IP addresses and the like, (c) file sharing software, (d) the significance of metadata and hash marks, and (e) the unreliability of proprietary software that has never been peer reviewed as a basis for a lawsuit... i.e. all the issues on which the RIAA are trying to mislead the judges.
2. All tech companies who make profits from the internet should be organizing, and contributing financially to, legal defense funds to assist the RIAA defendants. Right now the only fund I know of that is currently operational is the RIAA legal defense fund operated by "Defective by Design".
3. All tech companies should urge their industry trade associations to be assisting the RIAA defendants financially.
4. Everybody, tech community or not, should be writing to their federal congresspeople about this situation and urging legislation to curb the tide of litigation against ordinary working people.
By the way, this is the case against the home health care aide.... who has never even used a computer.
But why are families being destroyed?
I submit it is the insane redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top.
Talk about 'trolling'. I can't believe you really believe that the primary problem with American high schools is the 'liberal' bent of the teachers. Nor do I believe that you are that short sighted as to think the second most important reason is that the teachers are "under qualified".
It is obvious to anyone smart enough to be participating in this thread that:
-the personal political orientation of a teacher has nothing whatsoever to do with with their open mindedness or their ability to be a good teacher, and
-the lack of qualifications of teachers is a symptom, not a cause.
You have absolutely hit the nail on the head. It is not the children of the wealthy that are dropping out of their excellent prep schools and privileged high schools; it is the children of the poor, and working class, families, who are dropping out of the hellholes that American schools have become in the inner cities.
There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that the reason is the enormous disparity of wealth in our country, which has primarily risen since the inception of the Ronald Reagan presidency.
The people dropping out aren't the wealthier students, they are the poorest ones.
Our educational system does not provide equal opportunity. Poor and working class students have far less chance of (a) receiving a quality education, (b) being able to concentrate on school, (c) being safe from predators, (d) having proper facilities.
In inner city areas, there are high school students without classrooms, high school students who have to eat lunch at 9:30 A.M. and go hungry throughout the rest of the day, high school students who have to fear for their lives when they go to school.
In my opinion, the fastest solution would be to (a) outlaw private schools, except as a place for supplemental education, and (b) overrule the holding of the US Supreme Court in the San Antonio School District case that it is okay for our public schools to be funded by a property tax system that discriminates in favor of the richest in our society and against the poorest in our society.
These 2 steps would ensure that (a) the children and grandchildren of politicians and of the wealthiest in our society would be in the same school system that the rest of us have to live with for our children and grandchildren, and (b) rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods would receive the same per-student funding.
Thank you very much for your kind words and support. It helps to keep us going.
To be perfectly honest with you, usually when I'm "short" with someone on Slashdot it's because I suspect them of being RIAA trolls trying to either (a) get me to say something they can use against me later (b) waste my time or (c) disparage me.
No problem.
There's a lot of reading here.
Thank you. No problem. On behalf of Ms. Schwartz and her family, I appreciate your good wishes.
Rather than risk getting into a flame war with you, I'll leave it up to other Slashdot readers -- if they so choose -- to jump into the fray. I don't think you and are cut from the same cloth.
For people who might not be aware of why you are asking this, you are going back to the September 14th interview, and the ensuing comments. There were about 10 parts of the multi-part question. I don't think they were serious questions, and they were all off topic. I believe the user who posed the question, Four_One_Nine, was an RIAA troll, as that question was his first and last Slashdot post. If you have any questions about p2p file sharing litigation, I will be pleased to answer them to the best of my ability. Otherwise, I am not going to take public positions on unsettled questions of law. That is precisely what the RIAA would love for me to do.
Thank YOU.
Yes indeedy.
I already apologized for being curt with the guy, and gave him some citations of things for him to read if he wants to learn more about the subject. What more do you want out of me?
Thank you for helping to explain to Slashdot readers what my client is going through.
Thank you for helping explain to the readers what my client is going through.
All good stuff. Thank you.