[gui-talk] did anyone see this coming?

Thu Aug 18 03:46:29 UTC 2011

Right on. I had something similar (though not a lawsuit) happen to me many
years ago when a United Airlines stewardess wasn't going to charge me the
usual fee for a headset to watch the in-flight movie. I wasn't able to
convince her I should pay but every instance we, the blind, let such things
happen (including this one wherein the reporter thought the blind guy
shouldn't be charged because he couldn't see the film) is a step *away* from
first-class citizenship and shouldering the responsibilities that go with
it.

I shall say no more as this thread is off-topic for this list.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ray Foret Jr
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 7:12 PM
To: Discussion of the Graphical User Interface, GUI Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] did anyone see this coming?

Mark, you are, I think, missing the point which Mike and I are making here.
I have seen quite a few instances where blind people have stated on lists
that they do this sort of thing and can get away with it because they're
blind.  I don't care whether you steal from a physical store or the
internet.  It's the same sin.  It's still  wrong.  And that applies whether
you are blind or sighted.  As for the idea of a blind person not being able
to watch a movie or film, man, come on now.  Just who do you suppose you're
kidding?  Blind people watch TV all the time.  It just gets me going the way
some blind people say "I listened to TV".  Why change your language just
because you're blind?  That's just plain sophistry big time.  

Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!

Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!

Skype name:
barefootedray

Facebook:
facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1

On Aug 17, 2011, at 5:37 PM, Marc Workman wrote:

> Ray,
> 
> Many people, including plenty of sighted people, pirate copyrighted
materials everyday, and they do it for a variety of reasons.  Unless there
is some evidence that blind people do this, on average, more than the
general population, something I very much doubt, then such comments about
blind people amount to nothing more than the same prejudice and stereotyping
that organizations like the NFB are trying to eliminate.
> 
> Besides, both you and Mike seem to have missed the point.  Both the blog
post and the article linked to suggests that this person didn't actually
pirate the movie.  Why? Well, of course it's because blind people can't
watch movies, especially not pornographic ones.
> 
> The original article is about how over-zealous content producers are going
after pirates with such abandon that even innocent people, such as a blind
man who, according to the article, is physically incapable of watching any
film, are being swept up in these efforts.
> 
> The man himself says his movie watching ability is non-existent.  So the
point is *not* that the poor blind person should get a free pass because he
is blind, but that blind people can't watch movies, so they couldn't
possibly be guilty of pirating.
> 
> Marc
> On 2011-08-17, at 1:28 PM, Ray Foret Jr wrote:
> 
>> My own thoughts exactly.  This is quite a big bone I have to pick 
>> with some blind people who; to speak frankly, feel that their being 
>> blind excuses them from law breaking.  it does not.  Just because one 
>> is blind does not mean that one can or should be able to illegally 
>> obtain copy righted material.  Some blind people whom I have run 
>> across in my time on various lists posit that they have the right to 
>> break the law and get copy righted material all they want.  Yes, this 
>> includes keys to JAWS and Window-eyes also.  Some blind people are so 
>> brazen, they actually come right out and ask for license keys to 
>> screen reading software which under normal circumstances would cost 
>> them at least $1000.00.  I suspect that with these blind people, they 
>> feel like they have gotten such a raw deal from the rest of the world 
>> that the world owes them everything for free just because they are 
>> blind.  when ever I have raised this point with them they go ape and 
>> you would not believe the things
 they say.
>> 
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!
>> 
>> Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!
>> 
>> Skype name:
>> barefootedray
>> 
>> Facebook:
>> facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Aug 17, 2011, at 12:21 PM, Mike Freeman wrote:
>> 
>>> The dude should feel honored for not being excused because of his
blindness!
>>> 
>>> Mike Freeman
>>> sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Aug 17, 2011, at 9:42, "Hoffman, Allen" <Allen.Hoffman at dhs.gov>
wrote:
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Anti-Piracy Lawyers Accuse Blind Man of Downloading Films 
>>>> <http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/08/16/2346248/Anti-Piracy-Lawyers
>>>> -Accu
>>>> se-Blind-Man-of-Downloading-Films>  237
>>>> 
>>>> Posted by Soulskill <mailto:soulskillatslashdotdotorg>  on Tuesday 
>>>> August 16, @10:23PM from the you-wouldn't-download-a-seeing-eye-dog 
>>>> dept.
>>>> souravzzz <http://souravchakraborty.co.nr/>  writes "As the 
>>>> mass-lawsuits against BitTorrent users in the United States drag 
>>>> on, detail on the collateral damage this extortion-like scheme is 
>>>> costing becomes clear. It is likely that thousands of people have 
>>>> been wrongfully accused of sharing copyrighted material, yet they 
>>>> see no other option than to pay up. One of the cases that stands 
>>>> out is that of a California man who's incapable of watching the 
>>>> adult film he is accused of sharing 
>>>> <http://www.seattleweekly.com/2011-08-10/news/porn-piracy-bittorren
>>>> t/>
>>>> because he is legally blind."
>>>> 
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