Comments on: Talking like a pirate http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/ words & music Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:28:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Rustum http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1468 Rustum Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:10:33 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1468 Great blog and great writing; I've enjoyed the several pieces I've read in one sitting. With regards to the above topics, Adam Haupt, a South African academic, has just published a book on these, "Stealing Empire". He managed to convince his publishers to provide free downloads of his book, here: http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=2219&cat=0&page=1&featured Great blog and great writing; I’ve enjoyed the several pieces I’ve read in one sitting.

With regards to the above topics, Adam Haupt, a South African academic, has just published a book on these, “Stealing Empire”. He managed to convince his publishers to provide free downloads of his book, here:

http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/pro.....p;featured

]]> By: Steven http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1444 Steven Thu, 29 May 2008 08:40:45 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1444 Good point, stello. Thanks for the link. Good point, stello. Thanks for the link.

]]> By: stello http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1443 stello Wed, 28 May 2008 18:03:22 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1443 The library analogy becomes incongruous to the piracy debate when you include the digital access to journals, periodicals and databases available to some public libraries and almost all university students and faculty (in the US). The method of payment is simply one degree removed. University libraries usually form coalition-like groups (Ohiolink is the example I am most familiar with) so as to increase their market power with archivers (such as JSTOR). So there is still a sanctioned method of paying for information, and to deviate from that would be technically illegal. (Say, if I used my friend's school account to read publications every now and again) Great writing Steven. You might like the pile of ideas I threw together here: http://stello.us/2007/11/war-of-the-amateurs/ The library analogy becomes incongruous to the piracy debate when you include the digital access to journals, periodicals and databases available to some public libraries and almost all university students and faculty (in the US). The method of payment is simply one degree removed. University libraries usually form coalition-like groups (Ohiolink is the example I am most familiar with) so as to increase their market power with archivers (such as JSTOR). So there is still a sanctioned method of paying for information, and to deviate from that would be technically illegal. (Say, if I used my friend’s school account to read publications every now and again)

Great writing Steven. You might like the pile of ideas I threw together here:
http://stello.us/2007/11/war-of-the-amateurs/

]]> By: Steven http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1431 Steven Mon, 26 May 2008 11:23:11 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1431 The argument used by the RIAA and others, that every download equals one "lost sale", is obviously bogus, since there is no way to prove that the downloader would have chosen to shell out the cash had a free version not been available. I agree that libraries are not really like global file-"sharing". For one thing, a library lends you a book for a specific period of time; an electronic download is yours (effectively) forever, as long as you still have hardware that can read it etc. Some book-as-object fetishists will also prefer to own a pristine copy rather than read a plastic-covered version that has been thumbed through by others. Also, at least in the UK, authors get paid for library loans of their books — not a lot, but it's something. The argument used by the RIAA and others, that every download equals one “lost sale”, is obviously bogus, since there is no way to prove that the downloader would have chosen to shell out the cash had a free version not been available.

I agree that libraries are not really like global file-”sharing”. For one thing, a library lends you a book for a specific period of time; an electronic download is yours (effectively) forever, as long as you still have hardware that can read it etc. Some book-as-object fetishists will also prefer to own a pristine copy rather than read a plastic-covered version that has been thumbed through by others. Also, at least in the UK, authors get paid for library loans of their books — not a lot, but it’s something.

]]> By: cram http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1430 cram Mon, 26 May 2008 07:55:38 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1430 Hi People in favor of file-sharing often bring up the library analogy. But just how many copies of a book are to be found in a library? My town library stocking 50 copies of the latest Harry Potter novel is very different from the entire book being available online, accessible to hundreds of millions of readers. That's millions of copies lost in sales. Or it it? Hi

People in favor of file-sharing often bring up the library analogy. But just how many copies of a book are to be found in a library? My town library stocking 50 copies of the latest Harry Potter novel is very different from the entire book being available online, accessible to hundreds of millions of readers. That’s millions of copies lost in sales. Or it it?

]]> By: Steven http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1421 Steven Thu, 22 May 2008 21:28:20 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1421 Libraries are excellent things, from which I have myself vastly profited (I don't mean financially). But who would bother to go to a library if a perfect, exact copy of the thing in question is available at the click of a mouse? The idea of "sharing" is nice. But there is perhaps some <a href="http://unspeak.net/introduction/" rel="nofollow">Unspeak</a> going on in the use of the term with regard to "file-sharing". After all, it's "sharing" <em>other people's stuff</em>. Libraries are excellent things, from which I have myself vastly profited (I don’t mean financially). But who would bother to go to a library if a perfect, exact copy of the thing in question is available at the click of a mouse?

The idea of “sharing” is nice. But there is perhaps some Unspeak going on in the use of the term with regard to “file-sharing”. After all, it’s “sharing” other people’s stuff.

]]> By: J Martin http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1418 J Martin Wed, 21 May 2008 03:42:05 +0000 http://stevenpoole.net/articles/talking-like-a-pirate/#comment-1418 Brushing aside the contradictions and potential quagmire that ideas like pirate-fashion or the culture of counter-culture produce, what about libraries? The few articles and books I've read focused on the issue of "pirating" under the assumption of binary absolutism - how to appropriately clear cut ownership. But what about sharing? Could this possibly be seen as an alternative to our two current favorite models of greed; the corporate's clench or the pirate's pry? Why not a more nebulous model of ownership? Brushing aside the contradictions and potential quagmire that ideas like pirate-fashion or the culture of counter-culture produce, what about libraries?
The few articles and books I’ve read focused on the issue of “pirating” under the assumption of binary absolutism - how to appropriately clear cut ownership. But what about sharing? Could this possibly be seen as an alternative to our two current favorite models of greed; the corporate’s clench or the pirate’s pry?

Why not a more nebulous model of ownership?

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