From me to you …
p2pnet news view P2P:- p2pnet used to be a hobby. But it’s now quite literally my life and in one way or another, it affects everything I do.
I still try hard to highlight the terrible damage being inflicted on completely innocent people by the movie and music companies in their efforts to gain control of the internet.
I regularly talk to them. I know what they’re going through and if it wasn’t for the net, the population at large would have no idea this kind of thing was happening.
But, “The site has gone too l33t for me,” says someone in an anonymous Reader’s Write. “I won`t be back.
“Sorry Jon it was good while it lasted.”
Lamescream mainstream
p2pnet has changed a lot since it went online in 2002. And so have I.
Every day, more and more people open accounts and log on and when they do, they instantly become members of this giant global community called the net.
It’s already replaced the traditional lamescream media as the primary and, not in the least incidentally, decentralised source of information and entertainment for hundreds of millions people around the world, and I and p2pnet and everyone who comes here, are a tiny part of that.
How much of a part? I don’t know. But I have to tell you this: the fact I, living in rural village on a small island off mainland BC in Canada, and others like me can stick our fingers in the eyes of multi-billion-dollar corporations (who still mistakenly think they’re in control) and make them pay attention is significant.
That’s the reality of today.
I used to make an effort to include ‘news’ news, posts on what various celebrities were up to, and stuff like that.
But now either I or Marc (who’s on holiday at the moment) try to cover at least some of that end of things through daily p2pnet World Headlines — clips linked to full stories — and I try to concentrate on posts which deal with the net, the people who populate it, the things that are going on within it, and the efforts of the multi-national conglomerates to turn it into another corporate pipeline controlled by them, and them alone.
Real people suffering real injuries
When I started, I was only one posting consistently at length and in detail on the outrages committed every day against ordinary people with no means of defending themselves.
I wanted to make it clear that corporate victims, including very young children, were, and are, very real people suffering very real pain, and not merely names on subpoenas.
And I’m really proud the international readers of p2pnet, a Canadian site, were the first to contribute hard cash — more than $15,000 — to help an American RIAA victim.
Reports in the lamescream media were few and far between, and mostly based on inaccurate material, if not outright lies, supplied by the entertainment industry, with Vivendi Universal (France), Sony (Japan), EMI (Britain), and Warner Music (US) well out front.
What else is new?
In 2009 there are plenty of big sites with plenty of opinions. But for the vast majority, RIAA / MPAA stories are no more than lip service — a way to generate headlines and attract readers. And none of the big (and well-heeled) commercial sites have done anything to actively help the people who provide them with material for their reports and opeds.
Has p2pnet become elitist, in the meanwhile?
A large part of the material posted here by people such as Ottawa Gal, Fred Wilhelms, Russell McOrmon,Tom Koltai, Devil’s Advocate, Chris Parsons, and a lot of others, goes right over my head.
I left school before I was 15 and everything I know I taught myself, or learned the hard way from others. I can grasp some of the general concepts and understand some of the technologies written about on p2pnet, but by no means all of them.
I don’t, however, need to understand everything. It’s enough that other people do, and it’s enough for me to know I’m helping to provide a platform where these ideas can be expressed.
Heated ideas
This isn’t meant to be a rant or a moan.
I’m trying to say I’m just one person who by accident — definitely not by design — has a site called p2pnet.
“I’m sorry you feel the way you do,” I told someone who’s been contributing to p2pnet but who’s decided to stop, but, “You’re dealing with young people with very heated opinions …”
Of course, not only young people have heated opinions. heh. But you get the point.
“Meanwhile,” I went on, “there’s nothing new about the views or opinions on p2pnet — they’ve been this way since it started — and I’ll continue to do my best to continue to highlight the ‘economically debilitating crass commercialism the resulting corporate monopolies and the unfairly lobbied Government legislative apparent imperatives resulting from the monopolistic activities’.”
The words in single quotes were those of the person taking leave.
I’ll keep on with p2pnet for as long as I can and I hope not too many people will decide p2pnet is elite.
But if they decide to ride off into the sunset for that, or any other reason, I wish truly wish them all the best, and I thank them for coming here at all.
Cheers!
Jon
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
July, 2009
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July 19th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Many of the issues we’re at odds with these days really are centered around things that do require some level of understanding, in order to both appreciate their impact and discuss them. I’m a little surprised that there’s still so many people out there who don’t understand even the fundamentals of what’s driving most of our current “conversations”.
I have to ask myself, is the stuff really that far above their heads, or is it that they just don’t have the desire/motivation to know any of it? Since I’ve always been actively interested and involved in many of the things we talk about here, I’m probably not in a fair position to answer that. But, I do think some of these issues can prove to be a little overwhelming for some, as they often contain some unexpected “intricacies” once opened up to a certain degree.
I would encourage anyone who feels overwhelmed by the details to remember what brought you here in the first place, then assess how important the issue you’re reading is to you. If you know it’s important, but the details appear a little “elitist” to you, follow any links provided, or Google for more, or ask open questions right here in the comments.
Without taking a “poll”, I would have to assume many of us who post here wouldn’t mind answering such questions – after all, the topics are important to us, and getting more to understand why also furthers the cause. I know I certainly don’t mind helping someone else. And, with the wealth of various opinions you get here, anyone asking questions would most likely receive a healthy outline of more than one side of an issue.
Sometimes, just asking a question and seeing the result is enough to fix the “intimidation factor” contained in a discussion.
July 19th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Why is “elite” bad? Apart from demagogues like (soon to be ex-) governor Sarah “Nailin’” Palin, isn’t knowledge and expertise earned through hard work and study a GOOD thing? Somehow in western culture, “elite” has turned into an insult, and that’s unnecessary and plays into political efforts to make the “consumers” into mindless, uneducated fools and only the wizards behind the curtains who control the strings to have the real information about our world and how it works.
Being snotty and self-important is no good, of course – but that’s not the same as “elite.” In the old days of hacker culture, l337 wasn’t some insult hurled at someone, it meant they had earned their knowledge and could be counted on for assistance in a complex technical situation. It was a badge of honor.
The most insulting thing someone can do is to talk down to another person – I’d prefer someone OVER-estimate my knowledge and experience, than the reverse. One can always say “woah, tiger, slow down and use small words, I can’t follow you” – but when someone treats us as if we’re uneducated dolts, it’s pretty clear they assume they have magical knowledge the rest of us lack.
Fausty
July 19th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
@Fausty:
The word “elite” refers to a relatively small dominant group within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order.
When people refer to something being “elitist”, they’re basically saying…
1) they’re being made to feel “left out”, by design; or
2) they feel that something really has been designed to leave out most other people.
Either way, it may not be desirable to needlessly evoke that feeling in others, particularly if the subject requires discussion or support by the many. Unfortunately, when you’re discussing “all things technical or technically related”, you’re going to lose a few in the process.
Whether you totally lose them is not necessarily dependent on their intellect. Their very desire to understand and their motivations could determine if they try to get back on the horse or not.
July 19th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
” Being snotty and self-important is no good, ”
Absolutely correct.
Answers can be given ( or not given ) without this attitude entering a
conversation.
” The most insulting thing someone can do is to talk down to another person ”
Again, 100% correct.
A percentage of the long time regulars here have more than the average knowledge or
training in the focus of p2pnet. some newer ones may or may not, to varying degrees.
Just because they have a lesser degree of skill in THIS AREA doesn’t mean that they
should be treated unfairly or improperly, any more than I would expect my mechanic
to treat me like a fool for not knowing even the basics of engine repair and maintenance,
( seriously, I am a dolt in this dept ). Having tried and tried again to wrap my head
around engines and the like, I find that I just don’t have the aptitude for it.
Fortunately it is not required to drive an auto.
It should NOT be required to operate a PC safely, and I never treat my clients like
they are idiots because they have trouble grasping some concepts.
A question is never stupid if one really doesn’t know the answer.
I am aware that realistically, no one here has the time to detail a course in PC
safety, routers, spoofing, protocols and such, but it is possible to point them
in a direction to START looking if so inclined.
It is also possible to point the way without making the searcher feel like a fool for
not knowing what some of us understand instinctively after years of study.
The delivery is a choice.
The same stick that can be used to deliver a beating can be used to point the proper direction.
I’d like to see more of the ’sticks’ here used for pointing.
July 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
“And Iâm really proud the international readers of p2pnet, a Canadian site, were the first to contribute hard cash â more than $15,000 â to help an American RIAA victim.”
Don’t forget to mention that this was to pay off the RIAA who’s lawsuit they were on the wrong end of. You need to do this more often to get them off people’s backs.
GOOD LUCK!
July 19th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
What happened to the story about the new Pirate Bay? I came back here to read the ongoing discussion/argument about file sharing in the comments and I can’t find the story. I pull the link out of my history and I get a 404 Not Found error.
Why was this story deleted?
July 19th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
My apologies, yes, it was my story, and I deleted it, this was done completely without Jon’s knowledge. I felt that it was not maintaining the degree of professionalism I think p2pnet deserves. And I personally posted some comments about bittorrent that some considered out of line, therefore I take full responsibility of removing the post I had created. My apologies to anyone either offended by the post or my any of my comments in response to the post.
I am guilty of OVER-assuming a level of understanding when it comes to some protocols, and I do have a strong personality, and it comes out in my posts. I offer no reader of p2pnet insult, I am merely generalizing my comments towards ‘those’ people, so please do not take my comments personally.
I have tried to maintain a dignified level when creating posts, and address my comments differently. Please understand the difference between them. p2pnet has been a haven of consolidated information and a necessary resource of defiance against the demigod corporations that daily destroy human lives. It makes me angry, it makes me upset that they can, at their whim, destroy an innocent life merely with heresay and plenty of money.
Jon … I respect, and I felt I may have mired that ideal with, not the post, but in responding to the comments in that post. In an effort to make it right for those for, and against the discussion, I removed it, and that was my only motivation. There was nothing sinister or alterior in my motive to remove it. I only did it thinking that this would respect Jon and p2pnet, and for no other reason.
[Share The Wealth]â¢
July 19th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
@surfer:
Good decision.
July 19th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
@ “Donât forget to mention that this was to pay off the RIAA whoâs lawsuit they were on the wrong end of.”
No. It wasn’t. It was used to pay disbursements. The help was for Patti Santangelo. Her lawyer, Jordan Glass, gave his time totally for free but there are always expenses.
Cheers!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
PS – When I was citing people whose knowledge surpasses mine, somehow I forgot to mention surfer. He’s been a huge help offline as well as on and I know for a fact he wasn’t intending to dis anyone.
Cheers!
July 19th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
It was.
July 19th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Surfer, I read your post and thought it was fine. I’d like to re-read it to refresh my memory and think it would be great if you could post it again.
Perhaps you could add an update if you feel that people might misunderstand it.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
If there is a majority of readers that would like it re-posted, I will.
Feel free to contact me surferserials at gmail dot com with pros/cons instead of posting offtopic to this thread. Thank you.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:04 am
” My apologies, yes, it was my story, and I deleted it, this was done completely without Jonâs knowledge. I felt that it was not maintaining the degree of professionalism I think p2pnet deserves. ”
The post itself was excellent, as nearly all of your submissions have been.
I also have no problem at all in saying that your understanding of the
underpinnings of the net far surpass mine. I really would appreciate
being ‘directed’ to sources that can further what I know.
A person learns very little from those who know less, and learns nothing if they
believe they know it all. I sure don’t know it all.
As far as the discussion, shit happens, i’m over it.
The post AND the discussion in my opinion, for what its worth, should definitely
be reposted.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:29 am
In your article you wonder how big of a part is p2pnet.net in the Internet, the answer is : 0.0034% of global visitors
That’s pretty good! http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/p2pnet.net
July 20th, 2009 at 12:57 am
whoa…ok, how to begin? @Jon, best damn p2p “scene” site I’ve ever looked at.
Am I qualified to make such a statement, lets see, what are my “qualifications”
1. I’m alive
2. I can manage to type some words on a keyboard!
See thats the great thing about being alive during the internet age, we can all
have and share an opinion. does that make DA better than me? Or does it make
me better than Dreddsnik? Hell no!! What it makes us, whether we agree with each
other or not, is EQUALS!! Nothing says we cant get heated about things from time
to time. If we all had the same opinion it would be damn boring IMHO.
So, P2PNET gone elitist?? HELL NO…just need to figure out how to talk to each
other with the idea that our goals are common, and that is get the word out and discuss it.
A new friend of mine,(met him here on p2pnet) gave me the following advice….
“You just need to think before you post. And give yourself time: dont try to be everything all at once.”
Its good advice, and so I’m passing on to the rest or the p2pnet communinity.
I personaly dont see how this place could ever become L33T!
stw
July 20th, 2009 at 1:09 am
“They didnât just take a book back, they stole my work”: student whose Orwell’s 1984 notes were lost w/Kindle deletion http://bit.ly/18rwMH
Via Michael Geist
July 20th, 2009 at 1:45 am
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2706/27062201.jpg
Mirko ‘5%’ Bibic must eat his hat now.
July 20th, 2009 at 6:22 am
It’s not very professional to delete a story and the comments just because people are arguing in the comments. I vote to restore the story and comments.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:09 am
thank you jon! for this lil letter.it keeps me informedit tweaks my intrest of different levels. and if i want really indepth analize of something well there are “those ” kind of sites littering the net! as far as i be concerned,”you rock”! and as a fellow bc er and a vancouver islander,i say keep up you good work,or maybe it’s still a joy for you,and if and when it becomes work you’ll close the door? i hope not.and i don’t understand why sufer you deleted the story just cause it stimulated some discussion??but i respect the fact that it was yours and your right to do with it as you saw fit! but it would be kinda cool if you could repost it! ok i have lots moreramblings roaming me brain but it’s only 06:15 and i’ve only half a pot of coffee in me! so Jon,be well and keep up your throughly enjoyable site! oh but i must say one more thiong,as a pirate,it saddens me greatly that the once mighty pirate baywill be come,the private bay,pay site.rest in peace ,it was a great ride and you fought the good fight!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Hey David:
Whereabouts are you?
Meanwhile, I didn’t delete the story: surfer did (see his comment above)
Only 6:15? I’ve already been up for three hours. heh
Cheers!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:21 am
mornin’ Jon. i be in our lovely capitol city!ya i realized after the submit that it would sound like that.oops!and as for get up at 03:15,not a chance,i be on holidays and normally work nites so i’m enjoying living in the day time world for a spell!anywho you have a good day,and be well.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
^^
Cheers!
July 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Wow, that didn’t take long. I knew there would eventually be some transitional pains with surfer joining the ranks of Jon and the others helping to run the site. It is very different from simply being a comment poster. Kind of like being a customer at a restaurant versus working behind the counter, being a chef for instance. Mistakes are bound to happen the first couple of weeks of starting any new job. While I haven’t had a chance to read the comments regarding the article in question yet, I do agree that it probably shouldn’t have been deleted.
Okay, I’ve quickly read the story and comments in question. Personally I don’t see what the big deal was. Surfer is opinionated and brutally honest. He shouldn’t need to apologize for simply being himself. If there are people who can’t handle that, they probably shouldn’t be on the internet. I learned a long time ago to grow a thick skin and take nothing personally. His comments weren’t even all that bad. I’ve certainly seen far worse over the years. In fact, I actually agree with him some what about Bittorrent. It’s not safe, yet a lot of people really do think it is. Same goes for all those that came before it. In my case this was Napster, KaZaa, IRC and Shareaza.
Sheeple is accurate but not because of ignorance so much. As far as my own reasons for using Bittorrent, it is because of the quantity of content and ease of use. I actually tried to resist it at first, experimenting with several encrypted p2p applications for a while. I even donated cash to one of the projects for a few months. Sadly, development was slow and content scarce. Unfortunately the majority of folks, including myself, had no choice but to go with the flow. We use what everyone else is using because that is the path of least resistance. Eventually Bittorrent will be replaced some day and everyone will move to that, hopefully something encrypted at the very least. I look forward to seeing what comes next. Maybe that makes me a sheeple, I don’t know. Ask me whether I care or not if it does.
PS: Oh, and now that I’ve read the comments, I affirm the opinion that the article should not have been deleted. The question isn’t so much about whether or not the comments hurt someone’s feeling but more so about whether they were on topic lol.
July 20th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
” Okay, Iâve quickly read the story and comments in question. Personally I donât see what the big deal was. Surfer is opinionated and brutally honest. He shouldnât need to apologize for simply being himself. If there are people who canât handle that, they probably shouldnât be on the internet. ”
This isn’t 4-chan or Fark.
It shouldn’t be necessary to be degrading or insulting or deliberately rude to discuss the topics here.
Conversely, if you can’t have an intelligent conversation without being a ‘dick’ then you should
probably never associate with people ( in person, the results of such a conversation could be .. bad ).
No, I am NOT directing this at Surfer or anyone else. Ray Beckerman’s blog seems to get along quite
well without b/tardish behavior, so it IS possible to have conversation without having slapfests.
Slapfests are not why I come here, and I would guess that more than a few may feel the same way.
No, you shouldn’t have to get a thicker skin to post here.
It should be just as easy to not be a dick.
And once again I stress that I am NOT singling anyone out.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
@ Dredd:
Ray moderates his blog.
Cheers!
July 20th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
” Ray moderates his blog.
Cheers! ”
I know, and I’m not ever going to suggest you do the same.
Self control IS possible. Some think it’s fun to not bother to
try.
As I said, this isn’t Fark or 4-chan, and since you don’t moderate
( rightly so ) it’s up to us as poster to show restraint, and at least
a little respect to other posters so we don’t beome a bunch of b-tards.
It really IS possible.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I should also learn to proofread
July 20th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
toning down my rhetoric has been resolved by not posting comments. thick skin or not, I have made it perfectly clear, when I post (an article that shows on the main page of p2pnet) I maintain a semblance of civility, and state the facts as I see them, with a flavor of opinion. This make a good read, just stating the facts, well, you can get that anywhere without having to come here.
However, in comments (posted in reference to the post, or original article) I have made it incredibly abundantly clear that I will post whatever the fuck I want, regardless of hurt feelings, indentured opinion, or pissing off anyone in particular.
e.g. Personally, I could have ripped Tom Koltai a new asshole for the bullshit he was posting, not commenting on, and I refrained. I think he is an aged IT guru that doesn’t understand, or reply to valid arguments to his points of interest.
With that in mind, I will continue to maintain the objective civility with a flavor of opinion in my postings, and rip assholes in my comments. I did this before I was an editor on p2pnet as a regular commenter on p2pnet, and will continue to do so.
So, if anyone has a pussy, hurt feelings boo hoo whine about one of my posts, don’t contact Jon, contact me, and I will be more than happy to send you away crying, privately, without including Jon.
If you have a problem with one of my comments, then post a legitimate argument to counter mine, otherwise, well, don’t go away mad, just go the fuck away.
and yes, Ray Beckerman moderates hes blog, I have been a victim of this. And he is entitled to this. It also makes for a bland read.
I went out of my way to hand post every single comment in reposting the New Pirate Bay post, ensuring there was no editing of any of the comments, pro, or con. I did this for the integrity of p2pnet, not because it was demanded.
Yes, I am learning how this works, and in hindsight, mebbe I should not have removed it, therefore I resolved this by putting it back, at great length and exercise, so donât think for one second I did this due to pressure from anyone, including Jon.
I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do, so if you have an issue with me, or my comments, then do the right thing as well, address me, not Jon. He allowed me to be an editor of p2pnet for reasons the regulars here probably donât understand, and thatâs fine with me. But I get it, and I need to rise to the responsibility, instead of avoiding it.
stw
July 20th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
wow. you’re quite a douchebag. nice pick for an admin. oh well, p2pnet was good while it lasted.
If this is what p2pnet is going to stand for no wonder the labels are winning.
July 21st, 2009 at 12:47 am
don’t let the door hit your ass as you leave.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:28 am
yup a great pick for an admin. he’s real impressive. such wit.
i really hope all of your readers like getting punched. the prolly won’t mind were just too stupid to get it.
right douchebag ?
July 21st, 2009 at 2:53 pm
1. Surfer said:
“e.g. Personally, I could have ripped Tom Koltai a new asshole for the bullshit he was posting, not commenting on, and I refrained. I think he is an aged IT guru that doesnât understand, or reply to valid arguments to his points of interest.”
-
ok you little dim-witted fool (that clear enough for your pea-sized brain?), Tom Koltai played you. You were (and still are) to ignorant and self-righteous to see it. Tom played everything out perfectly. I suggest you review each of his stories and all the comments that followed. Once done, go reflect upon the stories he put up here over the past year.
Once your pea-sized brain awakens (if that ever happens) and you realize you were played you just might find something meaningful in the “bullshit” you fell for.
As for you stating you, “could have ripped Tom Koltai a new asshole for the bullshit”, well you tried to. Again look at your previous comments.
More Tom, less BS from Surfer.
2. Surfer said:
“With that in mind, I will continue to maintain the objective civility with a flavor of opinion in my postings, and rip assholes in my comments. I did this before I was an editor on p2pnet as a regular commenter on p2pnet, and will continue to do so.”
-
I think something has gotten to your head. I will dismiss it as a learning curve.
3. Surfer Said:
“So, if anyone has a pussy, hurt feelings boo hoo whine about one of my posts, donât contact Jon, contact me, and I will be more than happy to send you away crying, privately, without including Jon.”
-
I don’t think your tarded lip-flapping bullshit to regular readers should be tolerated. Who the fuck are you to tell people not to contact Jon?
Again, something has gone to your head, and it isn’t oxygenated blood.
4. Surfer said:
“If you have a problem with one of my comments, then post a legitimate argument to counter mine, otherwise, well, donât go away mad, just go the fuck away.”
-
Legitimate argument? How about making a legitimate post instead of putting people like Tom down.
Here is a legitimate argument for others to ponder:
Who here thinks Surfer is a Jon wannabe but is failing miserably? Raise your hands.
It’s one thing to accept and reply to some criticisms, but another to try and paint people (contributors) like, Tom, because your pea-sized brain couldn’t grasp what he was getting at, and because you couldn’t realize you were played even after a commenter told you that you were played.
Feel free to try & make me cry. You may have to try real hard…
5. RW said:
“yup a great pick for an admin. heâs real impressive. such wit.”
-
Guess good help is hard to find these days…
Ignore him as a Jon wannabe.