The Oatmeal had a comic recently about trying to watch the HBO show Game of Thrones. I thought it was funny, but a bit ignorant, and a poor excuse for doing something illegal. It made me a little angry, but I didn’t really want to dwell on it, and after a couple of days of people linking to the comic it went away. Then I saw an article on PandoDaily that made me angry all over again. Luckily, within an hour, another article showed up (on the same site, mind you) that turned all that anger into laughter. On its own, the first article is a poorly reasoned tale of entitlement; however as a pair they are well worth a read!
Help! I’m Being Forced To Pirate Game Of Thrones Against My Will!
Help! I’m Being Forced To Steal An iPhone Against My Will!
As amusing as I found the whole thing, I still want to crystallize the argument that the first author is making, and point out why that argument doesn’t work. Here is the chain of thought:
I want to avoid a rant here, so let me just offer up a couple of options which hopefully illustrate that the author’s train of thought is not logically sound and really shouldn’t be used to justify doing something illegal:
The argument revolves around the author’s apparent belief that he is entitled to have access to this content in a timely manner, even if he doesn’t pay for it. This belief can easily blind someone into thinking they have been left no other recourse but to break the law, but blind men are not always wise men.
Adam Platt is a technologist with more than a decade of experience across the full stack. His passion for technology and penchant for rendering complex technical ideas into simple terms have made him an in-demand speaker. His resume includes BriForum, the PowerShell Summit, teaching engagements and more.
He is one of the 10 types of people who understand binary and he can solve a Rubik’s Cube.
Adam Platt is a technologist with more than a decade of experience across the full stack. His passion for technology and penchant for rendering complex technical ideas into simple terms have made him an in-demand speaker. His resume includes BriForum, the PowerShell Summit, teaching engagements and more.
He is one of the 10 types of people who understand binary and he can solve a Rubik’s Cube.