The point isn't "piracy is bad." The point is "trying to create rules whereby you may pirate another's work but not have your own be pirated in kind is both hypocritical and base." The discussion goes well beyond Akiba-Online and is applicable to file piracy in general.
And let us please call a spade a spade! Piracy is piracy. There is virtually
nothing on this site which is the original creation of its members. (Few and notable exceptions exist.) The bulk of data people seek out via A-O is data which was created by somebody else far, far away and was later replicated -- very probably without their permission -- and subsequently
re-replicated almost
certainly without their permission the moment the file is cloned to any one A-O member's computer.
Regarding respectful behavior towards our beneficiaries (i.e. "don't bite the hands that feed us"), sure, you're absolutely right that it's not practical to piss off providers. But do we pay lip service or don't we? Do we opt to be part of a community of charitable file-sharers or do we opt to become one of respect-requiring file-lords? Do we want our bellies to be full and our tongues dusty from licking shoes? or do we want our bellies to be empty but our tongues to be clean?
Do I really think the community would be hurt all that much if we were to ban intra-forum mirroring of files? No. Would it probably be more beneficial than harmful in the end to help protect the so-called "rights" of the file providers? Probably. The problem isn't one of practicality but of philosophy: it is the
idea that I am criticizing, the idea that someone who is distributing content they are not authorized to distribute by the content's creator is in some sense entitled to his own "rights" against being robbed in return. To me, the idea itself is mildly offensive and supremely ludicrous.
Finally,
it's up to the board owner and mods if they want to institute a system of restrictive rules or not
Very true, illuminatus3. But this is after all a
forum. Discussion is our bread and butter. If the mods didn't want members to discuss general forum policy, they would easily lock us out of replying to threads. That we can reply to these threads is proof enough that such replies are welcomed and should not be dismissed as mini-modding.
Thanks to both of you for your thoughtful and courteous dissenting replies. I appreciate it, and it's one reason I am happy we have Akiba-Online.