For the record, I'll start by saying that I contacted the board mod first, and the response was less than satisfactory. Hence, posting here. On the Poser board, a review of P5 transformed into a discussion of warez and software piracy. It was hardly a hostile thread -- instead, remarkably enough for this place, it was almost decorous in its discussion style. Good points were being made... ... and suddenly it's locked off. Why? "Because we don't like to see that kind of discussion here." Nothing about moving it to OT or maybe someplace a little more appropriate, just lop it off at the knees and that's that. Would someone at admin kindly explain why we have yet another example of Rsity thinking we're incapable of talking amoung ourselves like real, honest to God adults?

You're free to discuss the subject in OT if you like, but that thread is done.

Thanks for the enlightening post, Jeff. Really appreciate your desire to help us understand the situation a little better. Really, I mean that. Honest. ::shaking head: THEN WHY NOT MOVE THE THREAD HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, DUFFLEBAG???

Should I take that as a personal attack? If so you've got an offical warning.

Take it however you wish, Jeff. But when you come down from that mountain, remember that you still haven't answered the question.

Aw, c'mon. No need to be childish! I can understand R'osity's desire to quash the thread - given its overtones of an illegal activity per US standards, but there is no reason to act like children on a playground during recess trying to discuss why it was locked. Since this is an International Community, people need to realize that there are no "universal laws" about anything online or with IP that are applicable to all nations of the world. Just say that the US considers "warez", regardless of the intent or reasons, illegal and since R'osity is in the US you cannot partake in that type of discussion. Otherwise, I would advise you both to either play nice or pick up your marbles and go home.

Cyber, for the record, I was playing nice till this dufflebag started pulling rank with "I'm the mod". Maybe he should consider getting his skillset brushed up a bit so he can deal with these difficult questions. And after the AOY fiasco, you'd think the mods around here would have learned to be a tad more responsive.

Official warning number two.

JeffH, If "dufflebag" was such a serious "personal attack", then all of the US Armed Forces would be spending more time in court than protecting the various parts of the world. Considering what others have said about myself and other members at times, "dufflebag" is a compliment! You need to seriously lighten up a bit there. Perhaps take a leisurely vacation or some time off to regain some of the humanity that appears to be lacking.

It's little things like this cordial exchange that make me so proud to be a member of Renderosity. The consideration, the tolerance, where would we be with them? Exactly! let the bad times roll!

Serious or not it's a TOS violation and a warning was given only to have it repeated.

...Said with all of the compassion and emotion of a script. Sometimes, you just have to loathe technology! BTW, for those not in the know, the term "dufflebag" - as used by US Armed Forces' Drill instructors - is reserved for people who are disheveled and/or disorganized; referring, of course, to the usual state of an unused, unfolded dufflebag (a bag to carry cloths/supplies in). Not necessarily a TOS violation observation, IMHO.

Although I don't advocate warez, I also found the discussion to be interesting and generally civil. If people here would like to continue the discussion without fear of censorship, you can do so at newsgroup alt.binaries.3d.poser, where there are no TOS. However, be aware that the regulars of that group are severely anti-warez, you you'll have to endure a bunch of the same metaphors that occurred in the original thread here. This is not to dis' Renderosity, only to suggest that the discussion can go somewhere where anything can be said. It's the only Poser forum I know of with such freedom.

The thread contained a warez situation not just a discussion.

We lock all threads of this kind and if there are contact addresses posted those replies are deleted as well.

I'll be posting an addendum to that thread sometime today concerning changes to the TOS.

-JH.

I'm sorry, but this thread has given me the best giggle I've had in days...A person can get banned from here for calling someone a DUFFLEBAG?? You are kidding, right? :::Walks away shaking her head; dufflebag?:::

lol this is why i very rarely post in any forums

It's the only Poser forum I know of with such freedom It isn't but I'm not allowed to post a link to a rival site that has a brokered store. But, you are welcome to talk openly and freely about things at 3-DArena. We don't have dufflebags (watch out for the carniverous cushions though) or people so stuck up on the big red button that you can't ask questions; and mostly, the people who do post there actually try to answer questions. Obviously warez distribution and requests are not tolerated but discussion is welcomed. Feel free to drop by and chat there. If in doubt, just hit the Bar, it's where all the best parties end up. :)

"Dufflebag"? LOL Jeff, you're getting silly. Silly-er. ;] Given Renderosity's stated policies and past enforcement of them, then locking the thread under the TOS was consistent. Probably should have happened at the first post, but allowing for time for a mod to see it, understandable that it took a bit. Two warnings and a ban over "dufflebag" though - now that's hilarious. Was it a personal attack? Or was it merely an objective appraisal based on observation of the situation? ;]

Lordy. I would've said JeffH was more a plate of fried calamari than a duffelbag. But that's just me.

Attached Link: 3-D Arena

I dunno Mosca - if you call a sailor a squid, some squids think it's an insult. There've been a lot of port town bars wrecked in those discussions. ;]p~

Ok, ok--he's a wide-screen t.v. Yeesh. Can't say anything without offending SOMEbody.

The texture of this thread reminds me of a face sausage.

I missed it, was Atthisstage actually banned over that, I only saw the two warnings?? Duffelbag??? you have got to be kidding, it reminds me of when I was a kid and my grandmother convinced me that souflay was a dirty cuss word. You try to be six and say that 20 time fast. OH I thought I was so bad!!! :0 I think all invalved need a chill pill.

Mosca, WHo's a wide screen transvestite?? ;)

It looked like that other thread had some guy who was trying to justify warez and cracks, so it was a T.O.S. violation. The whole story was suspect, since when do these warez dudes write cracks for stuff they download? It's more believable that he downloaded a cracked version, and saying he's in some other country doesn't justify violating U.S. laws or Curious Labs copyright.

i alerted Jeff to the thread since he missed it. The TOS does state that warez subjects are dealt with.. now as for the possible banning of atthisstage i think this is very silly. Especially since Jeff has been called worse than a dufflebag.

U-- Ummm... No. I am not going there. You can't make me go there. Newp.

Yahh! Go there, go there IB, (poking IB with a stick)

so does jeffs banning for such a stupid reason constitute a personal attack?

All right, damn--lemme think... Ok, he's a cute little fuzzy wuzzy bunny wabbit. I dare anybody to get offended by THAT!

The member has not been banned. What action was taken is private information.

Uh-oh... Run away! Run away!

"dufflebag" O.M.G... ROTFLMAO! Dude, things really need to lighten up 'round here. Was there an actual warez transaction going on? Hard to tell post-mortem... /P

"The member has not been banned." Better tell him that. He thinks he was. Not that it's any of my business, of course.

ROFL!!!! I REALLY love this place :D

The member has not been banned Bullshit, Jeff. It is too, and you know it as well as I, so don't try to tapdance when you ain't got the shoes, boy. Guess it's easy when you can write something like that with the knowledge that a banned member won't be able to respond -- unless, of course, he has a second account that he's been quite open about for a couple of years now. So let's try that again, huh? And this time, make it plausible...

I guess a screenshot would suffice as evidence. ;0) I have never been banned, but would like to know what to expect when the inevitable comes. :0)

I'll post one later tonight when I drop by a client's with a Mac with Internet access. This Internet PC has no paint program I can use to get one. But right now, as of 4:12MST, "atthisstage" is a banned account.

Questor, I appreciate the correction regarding freedom of speech in other Poser forums. The reason I adovcated a.b.3d.p is because there are absolutely no inherent rules there, which has its pros and cons. However, like every Poser forum I know of, the "regulars" there view warez requests and boasts as fodder for well-deserved flames. At least one regular there is a copyright lawyer for a very well known content provider. Still, if you want to discuss ethics and interpretations of such, you can do so in places like that without risking locked threads. By the way, in case you're reading this, Questor, a big THANK YOU for all the very cool and high quality free stuff you've provided! Peng, no. No transaction. Neither did he claim to download a cracked version. I'd explain more, but I suspect it might get this thread locked. Suffice to say that the ensuing discussion of "gray areas" of ethics was interesting. Probably best to just let it go away.

Uh-oh... BTW - I read the thread, and ther was no actual warez transaction at all going down, as was intimated (you could've at least deleted the account before making such a statement, eh?) I did notice the guy who started it claiming to have gotten a copy and cracking it, but if it's legal in Sweden (hell if I know), then there would be no basis for prosecution. OTOH, to be honest there is no real ethical justification for "testing" a cracked copy under any circumstance. If there's no legal demo, I just don't buy the thing. All that aside, I still think it's funnier than hell that someone got banned because they were offended at the word "dufflebag" as an insult. I mean, really Jeff: It's like being whacked on the shin by a 4-year-old girl wielding fluffy foam pillow, and remedying the situation by shooting her in the head with a .45 auto. To carry the similie further, perhaps you should've not pulled the trigger, 'cause you likely shot yourself in the foot this go 'round... ( heh - when it comes to similies, damn I'm good :) ) /P

err, "deleted the thread" sucks typing and grading a test paper all at once... I really gotta stop doign that. Fortunately, the student passed :) /P

lol Penguinusto...

I just want to know if the word "dufflebag" has been added to the please don't use this term in the forums list under penalty of tptb. Cant blame a plant for being curious.

Peng,

I am not personally offended by any name calling, but the TOS does not provide for enforcement based on wether someone is offended or not.

-JH.

JeffH > I'll be posting an addendum to that thread sometime today concerning changes to the TOS.

JeffH > I am not personally offended by any name calling, but the TOS does not provide for enforcement based on wether someone is offended or not.

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Well, if you change the TOS, you can make an effort to base the enforcement on wether someone is offended or not.

Careful Penguinisto, people have been banned here for careless mention of ordnance (or rather twilight zone interpretation of mention of ordnance). BTW, there is a difference between 'banned' and 'suspended'. Although the technical mechanism is the same (hence 'account banned' greet screens), the admin here consider 'banning' to be permanent. Most of the rest of us use the term for both banning and suspension. I suspect the atthisstage account has been suspended for a set period rather than outright banned (of course, circumventing a suspension is regarded by admin as a serious offense, so who knows now...). Here's what the greet screen looks like: It's a kind of 'rights of passage' thing. ;-)

So, if two people who know each other start "ribbing" one another in the open fora, then one, the other, or both could get banned for joking around? This just keeps getting better by the post!

Rendo screenshot > Please press Back, correct the errors, and try again. ROTFLMAO

It's happened before, Cyber. Mayhaps not banning, but weeks suspensions etc. PJF got his 2nd warning and a suspension for joking around with Micheleh and then pulling Spike's chain. ;] Mehndi for making a wisecrack that some of Renderosity's policies were like China's/the PRC's policy of making you pay for the bullet they execute you with. ;]

TY, PJF. I fully expect to see it myself sometime in the future.

I can foresee the future when all members, (except a "chosen few"), will be banned for posting anything in the fora based off a retro-active TOS du jour. ;0)