[Citizen - Passed 10:0] VOP2288 (Patron: Chandrashekar Azad)

**Tom Paine** · July 31, 2007, 09:14 AM

[user]VOP2288[/user]

ClientAlright...well I'd like to be a Civitate in this forum community. I must say - this has been the very first forum I've ever been a member of that actually has some of the more intelligent, mature, and interesting people around. This provides countless debates, articles, and such to read and so I've always felt the need to post and contribute.

Some of my contributes have been music and game reviews which I intend to continue writing, two (unfinished...I plan to finish one one day though!) RTW AARs, I've also opened a few threads that have had 5+ pages of debate and the like, and finally when anyone is looking for information on something I know about or love I always tend to give them links, info and such to further help them in finding out what they want to know rather than waiting 3 days for one person to reply with a "I don't know" kinda response.

In the future I plan to continue all this contribution and pump out more stuff in The Arts, Circus, Thema Deva, and RTW threads.

So...yeah...hope to become a Civitate!

VOP

PatronI've enjoyed talking to VOP on numerous occasions. He always posts thoroughly and contributes with fully flushed out posts on any topic. He has received a caution, which I feel should not affect your decision on him, because he was not promoting the material that he was talking about, but merely discussing it (in terms of watching Rome and how his ISP didn't like how he downloaded it through torrents...I don't remember the details.)

If you look at his posts I feel it greatly outweighs this slight.

Look at some of his reviews:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...05&postcount=1

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...82&postcount=1

Or some of his game reviews:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...43&postcount=1

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...98&postcount=1

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...85&postcount=1

As you can see, he's a solid contributor, and I feel that it would be a shame if he went unrewarded for his extensive posts.

-Pra

Usernotes: [When someone knows, please fill this is for me. Thank you]

**selenius4tsd** · July 31, 2007, 11:47 AM

Good candidate, I like him.

**Wild Bill Kelso** · July 31, 2007, 11:54 AM

I second

**Scorch** · July 31, 2007, 05:42 PM

I'm not sure, the reviews are good, but are those the only examples of decent posting?

As for the usernotes, one expired warning for flaming and one caution for promoting illegal activity.

**Hader** · August 01, 2007, 09:54 PM

Looks like a good canidate

**Lord Rahl** · August 03, 2007, 10:40 PM

Even though I wouldn't say that he is a "usual" candidate for becoming a (what I would guess) Civitate/Citizen, I think he contributes in his own way, especially in the forums about gaming. I say yes.

**Scorch** · August 04, 2007, 01:01 AM

I just realised I mixed him up with another user, think someone can switch my no vote to a yes?

**the Black Prince** · August 04, 2007, 07:21 AM

illegal activities? can we know what, precisely?

**Mímirswell** · August 04, 2007, 08:02 AM

Post: File Sharing and Copyright Laws
User: VOP2288
Infraction: promoting illegal activity
Points: 0

Administrative Note:

advocating illegal activity

Message to User:

For various reasons (most especially potential liability) it is a policy on this site not to allow the advocating of illegal activity. This includes, but is not restricted to, online piracy. In your post you stated that you intended to continue pirating music and urged other members to do the same since copyright laws (in your opinion) will change at some point in the future. They have yet to do so, however, and until they do, urging other members to fileshare is an express advocation of illegal activity.

Since this is your first offense of this kind I am just giving you a caution. Consider yourself forewarned, however, and please refrain from doing so in the future.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact myself or any of the moderators.

Regards,

Manstein

Original Post:

How the hell did they catch you?

Also, are you going to jail?

From what I understand, supposedly whoever "owns" the HBO TV series Rome decided to "red flag" their show for online file sharing. Usually cases having to do with file-sharing and copyrights cost the "victim" up to and past 20,000 bucks to get off the ground so thus they do a "mass copyright infringment case" or whatever. Anyway, I happened to download Rome season 1 online like 2 months ago, watched it for 2 weeks, and then got rid of it (cuz it was taking up mad space on my PC). So, with those red flags the internet providers (who as we know or will soon find out in situations like this) know EVERYTHING you do online report you and then issue the legal statement, etc.

Anywho, my theory is that whoever "owns" Rome saw themselves in a bit of a financial bind after the second season drew to an end and talk about how the show was canceled via debt and the ends not justifying the means ($) started to come up. What better way to make up for that lost money then rake in 40,000 bucks via copyright infringment cases against people who didnt feel like paying the 100 bucks for the first season DVD set? It makes sense. I dont know where ppl on here are getting off saying that the entertainment business is all hugs and kisses and cares about such things as preservation of "work"...it's out there for the $ and will do whatever it takes to make that $

Concerning the second part of your question: No. It's extremely unlikely I'll have to do anything of that sort unless I were to say "F you" to the company and refuse to pay their fine.

Most likely I'm just gonna get a fine for infrigement or whatever. These cases almost never go to court b/c that costs the "victims" too much money to go through thus they just issue fines. Then multiply those fines by say...a minimum of 30 ppl nationwide...if each gets fined for like a maximum of 3,000 that's a nice almost 40,000 - 80,000 profit for the "victimized" entertainment company.

@Rhinosaur

Get off your high moral horse. I dont truely believe your the perfect law abiding citizen your making yourself seem. Open your eyes man! There's absolutely NOTHING morally wrong with filesharing or music downloading. You may think this b/c the law slaps "illegal" all over the subject but how bout thinking for yourself? There's an idea. Try using that brain which all of us are so blessed with (or I should say most of us are blessed with in this world). Despite what you may believe every time I download a song off the internet by Nine Inch Nails a tear doesnt roll down the side of Trent Reznor's face...when I download a movie staring Will Farrell he isnt handed an eviction notice from one of his houses. The people who actually are creating and doing the art and work care little if people are "stealing" their stuff for free while they arent raking in that extra buck the distribution company hands them per sale. The ones who do care are the cut-throat money hungry companies and businesses that plague the world.

@ the music subject

My policy is if I'm not sure about an artist or album...I download..and get this...I do it ILLEGALLY! Anyway, then if I really like it (wait for it) I actually go out and BUY the CD anyway! Oh my God! I own something like 350+ CDs...multiply that by your average price: 15.00 and that's $5,250 at the LEAST. I think I may have earned the right to have maybe 10 or 11 illegal CDs.

While I may not ever download movies or TV shows again I certainly will keep downloading music. And to all the people out there that fileshare....KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING! At some point the copyright laws and such will change, as long as people keep downloading either the law will change or the industry will change eventually. Unfortunately some of us will have to pay the price of change, and I'll do it with a smile and then download some more ILLEGAL stuff

**the Black Prince** · August 04, 2007, 03:41 PM

ummm....citizen candidate? really?
please no...

**Publius** · August 04, 2007, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by Scorch

I just realised I mixed him up with another user, think someone can switch my no vote to a yes?

Done.

**Evariste** · August 05, 2007, 06:05 PM

Well, aside from his "illegal activities", his reviews seem good.

I'll vote yes unless someone can bring up some compelling evidence on the contrary.