Warnings and Site Ban Theater

[RedHeadAngel]

I see many people getting in trouble for using profanity. That, coupled with the number of users who get banned for piracy, tells me that people don't read the guidelines. I know that's nothing new for the Nexus veterans, but it's different for someone relatively new like me. So, there you go. How hard is it to take 5 minutes to read the site rules? I did it. What's your excuse?

As a side note, I have nothing against profanity. While I don't use it here and almost never on LoversLab, I do use it quite a bit in real life. However, I still follow the rules because I don't want the month of work I've put into my stuff to be lost because I couldn't avoid talking like a sailor.

[LenaWolfBravil]

46 minutes ago, RedHeadAngel said:

It doesn't matter. You can still get in legal trouble for buying pirated media. Not to mention the safety risks that come with it.

Safety risks - yes. Get in trouble - no. Not in many countries.

[RedHeadAngel]

9 minutes ago, LenaWolfBravil said:

Safety risks - yes. Get in trouble - no. Not in many countries.

In my country, it can result in up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Just because it won't legally affect people in all countries doesn't mean it's something that shouldn't be mentioned; it can still affect people, which is why it's worth noting all the potential risks, whether it's people bootlegging the games or those buying them. If you want to try and dissuade people from doing something potentially harmful, you need to be thorough. At the very least, it can convince people where legal penalties are possible from doing it. That's why I bring it up.

If I can help at least 1 person avoid getting in trouble for pirating, I'll know I can help others.

[HeyYou]

I have found that very few people actually READ the rules they agree to when they join a site..... I would expect that the vast majority do not...... As for profanity, I think the site is rated as PG-13.... or some such, whatever they call that in the UK, where the site is based..... so, profanity is a no-no in that case.

Here in the US, there is very little legal action against individuals for piracy. There are a (very) few examples where folks were seriously taken to task over it, but, they are the exception, rather than the rule. For the most part, piracy has no LEGAL repercussions here. Malware, on the other hand, is a very real possibility. One of the biggest reasons to avoid pirated software.....

[LenaWolfBravil]

11 minutes ago, RedHeadAngel said:

If you want to try and dissuade people from doing something potentially harmful

I do not want to dissuade anyone from doing anything. I am not a crusader. Neither do I want to pursuade anyone to do anything. This is also not what this thread is about.

[RedHeadAngel]

12 minutes ago, LenaWolfBravil said:

I do not want to dissuade anyone from doing anything. I am not a crusader. Neither do I want to pursuade anyone to do anything. This is also not what this thread is about.

I'm not trying to tell you to do anything. I'm simply explaining my reasoning for mentioning what I did.

Also, this thread discusses people who get banned, so I feel like my comments are appropriate for discussion.

[JimboUK]

7 hours ago, AaronOfMpls said:

@RedHeadAngel Realistically, legal efforts against piracy tend to target distributors more than consumers.  And even then it's pretty much impossible to completely stop it.

That said, there are other risks that deterred some of us, like downloading a virus or a broken game, or having a troubled conscience.

That's pretty much how it is here, there's zero enforcement against end users but those profiting from it get the book thrown at them, it makes sense, get rid of the suppliers and the end users will vanish along with them.

[RedHeadAngel]

2 hours ago, JimboUK said:

That's pretty much how it is here, there's zero enforcement against end users but those profiting from it get the book thrown at them, it makes sense, get rid of the suppliers and the end users will vanish along with them.

Well, unless the users learn to do it themselves. If people want something bad enough, they'll do whatever it takes to get it. People want what they want, and sometimes, they'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Then, they'll learn how to sell their ill-gotten gains to others. Basically, it's a "junkie becomes the dealer" situation.

This is why I believe it's important to try and stop people from doing it before it happens.

[HeyYou]

39 minutes ago, RedHeadAngel said:

Well, unless the users learn to do it themselves. If people want something bad enough, they'll do whatever it takes to get it. People want what they want, and sometimes, they'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Then, they'll learn how to sell their ill-gotten gains to others. Basically, it's a "junkie becomes the dealer" situation.

This is why I believe it's important to try and stop people from doing it before it happens.

Where there is a demand, a supplier will show up. Doesn't matter what it is, or whether it is legal or not. You can reduce the impact, but, you will never stop it. Consider that here in the US, a wide variety of drugs have been banned for decades, with harsh penalties simply for possession.... yet you can still find them everywhere, without much effort.

[JimboUK]

58 minutes ago, RedHeadAngel said:

Well, unless the users learn to do it themselves. If people want something bad enough, they'll do whatever it takes to get it. People want what they want, and sometimes, they'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Then, they'll learn how to sell their ill-gotten gains to others. Basically, it's a "junkie becomes the dealer" situation.

This is why I believe it's important to try and stop people from doing it before it happens.

The trouble is people won't stop because there's no deterrent, in this country the chance of end users getting prosecuted is close to zero. If some guy downloads an album worth £10 it's going to cost more than that to get their details from their ISP, then there's the expense of putting a case together and taking them to court, they'll be well into four figures to prosecute someone over a £10 album, and it's not like the court will do anything to do them other than a fine and if they're on a low income or a minor that fine will be next to nothing, it'll just be a waste of taxpayers money, money that could be better spent elsewhere. 

The guys who own the sites and make the money, they're a different story, it's well worth going after them and they do.

When it comes to end users I don't know what the answer is to be honest, people have stealing things ever since there were things to steal and that'll never change.