[gui-talk] did anyone see this coming?

Thu Aug 18 07:14:02 UTC 2011

Ray,

The point is not that blind people do not pirate, of course they do.  The point is that it is wrong to go around suggesting, as you did, that blind people do this more often than others.  Where is the evidence to back up this claim?

Nor was it me that suggested that blind people do not watch movies.  If you reread my message, you will see that I was attributing that ridiculous assertion to the article in question.

Both you and Mike seemed to suggest that it was a good thing that the blind person was being treated like everyone else, and I was simply pointing out that that was not at all the point of the article.  It would be good if he was being treated like everyone else, but the article was in fact suggesting that charging a blind person with piracy must be a mistake because blind people can't watch movies and therefore would have no reason to pirate.  So there is no confusion, let me stress that this is not my claim, this is the claim of the article.

Marc
On 2011-08-17, at 8:12 PM, Ray Foret Jr wrote:

> 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-bittorrent/>
>>>>> because he is legally blind."
>>>>> 
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