Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor514ce
Google's business model was to make a profit by intentionally circumventing laws. While individuals may do so and plausibly claim "civil disobedience" in some instances, public companies can not. Google did not set out to act as they are now doing, they were sued into doing so by the people from whom they were stealing. Perhaps they should change their name to "Robin Hood", the way some are reacting.
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i don't claim that google was engaging in civil disobedience ; i only mentioned that to make the point that i don't think laws should be followed blindly
just because they are laws, and to explain why i am not more scandalised by google's actions in this case. (and i kind of have a soft spot for Robin Hood, you're right... but that is really beside the point). but you're confusing the issue. i know that this is falling into semantics, but copyright infringement and theft are different things, and not of equivalent gravity (to me, but also from a legal standpoint in fact, since if i've understood correctly, theft is a criminal offense whereas copyright infringement is only a civil offense in the US. correct me if i'm wrong ; i think i read that here somewhere). this is an important distinction. and again, if copyright laws were not as morally bankrupt and thoroughly unjustifiable as they are, i would be significantly more likely to defend them. my point of view here though is that
neither side is less guilty / more virtuous than the other, and the ultimate result of google's actions are significantly more beneficial to society as a whole than anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daithi
zelda_pinwheel,
I have to say that I am extremely impressed by how well you write and argue your points. You have the ability to disagree without being either condesending or smug (something I don't do very well). I just wanted to let you know that I appreciated reading your thoughts on this subject (I also tend to agree with your position).
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thanks for the kind words daithi
i think most people would agree with me that one of the things we like most about MobileRead is the friendly ambiance, so we do our best to maintain the respect of other members that makes that possible. it's really refreshing to see how we can discuss very controversial topics here and rarely see a conversation degenerate... that is thanks to *everyone* making an effort to keep things respectful. it's one of the things i appreciate most about this site. i'm glad you appreciate that too.
of course, it's a lot easier to keep a rational and respectful tone when everyone else is respectful too.