Comments on: Steal This Film, Part II: the Internet makes us into copiers http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 02:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Dybbuk http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98837 Dybbuk Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98837 no problem peacelove :) i was just a lil confused and starting to feel a little like the proverbial chicken head ;) no problem peacelove :)

i was just a lil confused and starting to feel a little like the proverbial chicken head ;)

]]> By: mcantelon http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98452 mcantelon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98452 I haven't seen part 1, but part 2 was dull. Despite interviews with some prominent netizens, very little was said that would be surprising to anyone who actually uses the Internet. I haven’t seen part 1, but part 2 was dull. Despite interviews with some prominent netizens, very little was said that would be surprising to anyone who actually uses the Internet.

]]> By: PeaceLove http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98483 PeaceLove Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98483 I couldn't disagree more strongly with #2, and I think Cory dramatically underrates the film. <i>Steal This Film II</i> is the first film I've seen anywhere that gets to the true heart of how copyright originally happened and why it's now evil. The selection of wise talking heads, including some certifiable adults (over 40!) makes for a clear, convincing, and mature rebuttal against all the well-intentioned people who still believe file-sharing is stealing, rather than an inevitable, profound, and healthy development in human culture. As one guy says, "Music was around before there was a recording industry and I'm sure it will continue to be around after they're gone." It's a film I can show my parents -- and they might actually understand the stakes. <i>Steal This Film II</i> shows the links between information control and fascism, and explains why open sharing is an essential part of being human. I couldn’t disagree more strongly with #2, and I think Cory dramatically underrates the film. Steal This Film II is the first film I’ve seen anywhere that gets to the true heart of how copyright originally happened and why it’s now evil. The selection of wise talking heads, including some certifiable adults (over 40!) makes for a clear, convincing, and mature rebuttal against all the well-intentioned people who still believe file-sharing is stealing, rather than an inevitable, profound, and healthy development in human culture.

As one guy says, “Music was around before there was a recording industry and I’m sure it will continue to be around after they’re gone.”

It’s a film I can show my parents — and they might actually understand the stakes. Steal This Film II shows the links between information control and fascism, and explains why open sharing is an essential part of being human.

]]> By: Dybbuk http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98506 Dybbuk Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98506 peacelove you dont think it was a good film? or is it that you dont believe encryption works? peacelove
you dont think it was a good film?
or is it that you dont believe encryption works?

]]> By: nex http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98510 nex Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98510 I guess where #4 references #2, she/he means #3 ;-) I can sort of understand both standpoints. The interviews are interesting to watch, but you only get insightful conclusions if you draw them yourself. Actually they aren't so much interviews as monologues; there are no hard questions, no investigation. It's also quite one-sided; I wouldn't say there is an interview with Dan Glickman; it's rather like snippets of what he had to say were used to the end of piracy apologetics. The film explains quite lucidly and eloquently that it's impossible to stop file sharing (at least in a free society). While your typical bb reader already knows all that, of course, this is a powerful message that many people should see. But related topics that would also be interesting -- e.g. what should and shouldn't be shared, which consequences this change in culture could have, what's right and what's wrong, how policies should be changed -- are barely touched. It's a bit shallow. One thing I found peculiar: They show one "Sebastian Lütgert" of "Pirate Cinema" (who's part of the Steal This Film team AFAICT), and less than 30 seconds after that scene, they show the exact same guy and label him "Robert Luxemburg, Artist." What gives, does he represent a different opinion when he's wearing his artist's hat and therefore must be considered a different person? I guess where #4 references #2, she/he means #3 ;-) I can sort of understand both standpoints. The interviews are interesting to watch, but you only get insightful conclusions if you draw them yourself. Actually they aren’t so much interviews as monologues; there are no hard questions, no investigation. It’s also quite one-sided; I wouldn’t say there is an interview with Dan Glickman; it’s rather like snippets of what he had to say were used to the end of piracy apologetics. The film explains quite lucidly and eloquently that it’s impossible to stop file sharing (at least in a free society). While your typical bb reader already knows all that, of course, this is a powerful message that many people should see. But related topics that would also be interesting — e.g. what should and shouldn’t be shared, which consequences this change in culture could have, what’s right and what’s wrong, how policies should be changed — are barely touched. It’s a bit shallow.

One thing I found peculiar: They show one “Sebastian Lütgert” of “Pirate Cinema” (who’s part of the Steal This Film team AFAICT), and less than 30 seconds after that scene, they show the exact same guy and label him “Robert Luxemburg, Artist.” What gives, does he represent a different opinion when he’s wearing his artist’s hat and therefore must be considered a different person?

]]> By: nex http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98261 nex Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98261 I've been waiting for part 2 ever since I saw the first one. From time to time I remembered to check their site, and each time I was a bit disappointed that apparently there hadn't been all that much progress. But finally it's here, and thanks to bb I didn't miss it -- thanks Cory, thanks Robbo and all the others! I’ve been waiting for part 2 ever since I saw the first one. From time to time I remembered to check their site, and each time I was a bit disappointed that apparently there hadn’t been all that much progress. But finally it’s here, and thanks to bb I didn’t miss it — thanks Cory, thanks Robbo and all the others!

]]> By: PeaceLove http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98778 PeaceLove Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98778 Apologies to DYBBUK for my silly error; of course I was responding to #3's criticism of the film. #6 NEX has a point about the one-sided slant of the film, but for me it's a refreshingly straightforward viewpoint. Most people I know are so immersed in a copyright paradigm they have no conception that ownership of intellectual property is a historical artifact, rather than a moral and ethical imperative. For me, <i>Steal This Film II</i> does a beautiful job of laying out the history of intellectual property. It describes how small groups of powerful interests have consistently tried to suppress every social change that comes along to threaten their top down control over information. The film makes clear that such top down control is a thing of the past, and that's a good thing. As for the lack of analysis of what this ultimately means for society, no one has any idea what this means and anyone who tells you otherwise is just guessing. The changes yet to come will surely dwarf those we've already seen -- if we can just keep the would be Internet censors out of the way. Apologies to DYBBUK for my silly error; of course I was responding to #3′s criticism of the film. #6 NEX has a point about the one-sided slant of the film, but for me it’s a refreshingly straightforward viewpoint. Most people I know are so immersed in a copyright paradigm they have no conception that ownership of intellectual property is a historical artifact, rather than a moral and ethical imperative.

For me, Steal This Film II does a beautiful job of laying out the history of intellectual property. It describes how small groups of powerful interests have consistently tried to suppress every social change that comes along to threaten their top down control over information. The film makes clear that such top down control is a thing of the past, and that’s a good thing.

As for the lack of analysis of what this ultimately means for society, no one has any idea what this means and anyone who tells you otherwise is just guessing. The changes yet to come will surely dwarf those we’ve already seen — if we can just keep the would be Internet censors out of the way.

]]> By: Dybbuk http://boingboing.net/2007/12/29/steal-this-film-part.html#comment-98280 Dybbuk Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-98280 downloaded this Fri its a good film. remember people if you use a P2P client with encryption. like utorrent there is no way for your ISP to peek into your lil packets. Ergo no bandwidth throttling or NAPO visits downloaded this Fri its a good film.

remember people if you use a P2P client with encryption. like utorrent there is no way for your ISP to peek into your lil packets. Ergo no bandwidth throttling or NAPO visits

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