Well, my popcorn's finished, and this did turn out to be a very entertaining thread indeed!
Unfortunately, Jon and I (the original instigators of this thread) did two things wrong:
- We should have been clearer and more careful in our poll wording; and
- We should have made sure everyone could see our tongues planted firmly within our cheeks.
Heh...
This poll was supposed to be a moral test, seeking people who believed that they were justified in taking the fruits or other people's labors without paying for them... while they, themselves, worked at jobs that they would not do without the paycheck that came with it. As an aside, it sought to identify people who believed that they have the right to dictate to someone else how much their work is worth in the market.
As some of the other threads here have indicated, these concepts are viewed in radically different ways by many, and get even more convoluted in the details. Admittedly (and embarrassingly), I was
not quite in my right mind when I came up with the idea of this poll in another thread, as I had been involved in an increasingly heated discussion debating the morals and ethics of online piracy... and finding myself surprised and frustrated at some of the things I was hearing. My poll idea was, therefore, an attempt to use irony to get others to see the error of their ways (and the superiority of mine. Told you I wasn't in my right mind).
Actually, I never expected Jon to make it its own thread. And once it was up, it merely provided a new branch of the same piracy argument (because it could hardly have been called a debate by that time) on this site.
However, I have to admit that, as tempers cooled, this thread has proven itself to have clarified many opinions and closed some open wounds (in fact, so has the original thread, thank goodness). Although even Jon and I have some different opinions regarding these issues, I'm sure he's as gratified as I am to see that, confusion aside, the spirit of honest debate and respect of opinions has (mostly) prevailed.
To those who have played along, you have my sincere kudos, apologies for any egos that have not yet recovered from their bruises, and congratulations for proving that this website is, in fact, a community worth reckoning with.
I'm glad I make e-books for you guys!