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The entitled generation....Are they right?

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40hz:
I wonder if they would have gotten less of a slap if they didn't insist on acting like defiant little macho twits all the way through the trial.-40hz (April 17, 2009, 12:57 PM)
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And that is actually the only thing I have against TPB (even if it's been amusing).
-f0dder (April 17, 2009, 01:18 PM)
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My grandfather used to say: You can get whatever you want - or you can say whatever you want - but you'll seldom get away with doing both.

I'm one of those people who would rather get what I want.

When I was in high school, some of us used to do a thing we called "soft parade." What it boiled down to was getting good grades, keeping your mouth shut, paying minimal lip service to the powers that be, and pretty much doing whatever the hell you wanted the rest of the time.

We got away with a whole lot more than the 'wild crowd' because everybody mostly ignored us. The wild boys thought we were boring. And the school staff figured we were the "safe ones," so they left us alone.

I'd have thought the PB4 would have been smart enough to do something similar. Lots of people trifle with unfair laws, and get little more than a frown of annoyance or an amused smile from the courts.

But the people that thumb their noses at the judicial system invariably get their butts handed to them. Sometimes even if they're innocent of what they're being charged with.

Oh well. What's done is done. We'll have to see how this one ultimately plays out. :huh:

sgtevmckay:
I have pondered this for a few days, and having been raised by grandparents, and great relatives, in my younger years have given me many unique perspectives.

I will start with a few quotes:
"You have to work for your freedoms"
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
"From time to time; the tree of freedom must be watered with the blood of patriots."
"If it's free there is always a price"
" 'free' is a four letter word"
And I could go on and on.

I have had an opportunity to watch and watch closely, being a Generation X'er, I have watched as the "Entitled Generation" has grown up.
I am part of the beginning of the "Entitled Generation", but the new Entitled generation has something else attached to it!
A friends son's incident sums it up nicely for me, and I will relate the story to you:
my friend's son (I will use the name David for him) came over to the house a few days ago, and he was cursing up a storm. He stated to us that while riding his bike, he was almost hit by a truck. he explained the situation to us, and after understanding his location and the maneuver that he made, I realized that he had cut off the driver, and was riding his bicycle in the middle of the oncoming lane.
I was flabbergasted, I could not believe what I was hearing, and what I could not immediately comprehend is the "fact" that he thought he was in the right.
David exudes the Entitlement Generation: he has a college education, and does nothing with it, as he has trouble understanding why someone has not handed him a 6 digit career on a platter. Therefore David is a waiter/busser at the local Casinos. David's grades and education are such that he could become and ambassador to a foreign country. He has Schools loans, and received subsidiaries from his father to support his education, but because his education has not served him any, he believes he has no responsibility to pay his loans, and when he gets warning bills, he comes to his family, and literally telling them off, explains that his failures are not his fault, therefore he should not have to suffer these harassments, and that his family should cover his expenses.
He does not understand why, or the concept, of patience or job application or interviewing skills, although we have all offered to assist.

He is also a pirate!
David will openly discuss that he downloads all types of software, music, movies whatever, and he seems proud of the fact, but in the same breath I will hear him curse the folks that would pirate software music and movies, and then sell them.

I could go on, but the bottom line is that; he feels self justified in what he does.
I believe the that we are now not only dealing with a group of folks that feel Entitled, but also a group of folks that feel They can Do No Wrong!!!
David is by no means poor by any standard and makes decent money in what he is currently doing, he recently went out and paid cash for a new Toyota Hybrid, out of his own back pocket.

It is not that they are "Right", but rather they have been doing things the way they have been doing things for so long, that now they are being told "No" they do not understand.
It is like convincing yourself of a truth, and after awhile it must be so.

As for the record companies and it's agents I think the are at the other end of the extremes.

And as we have all learned two extremes butting heads is a battle of amusement and overall damage, eventually it is the folks stuck in the middle that get hurt.

But I will point out there is a group that is missed in all this.
The poor.
I have found a lot of "poor" that pirate, and they do so based in the fact they can not afford various what have you. These folks are not Grey/Black hats, but they pirate none the less.
I am not saying it is right, but I do not blame them, especially at the expense of some of the better software.
I have acquaintances that are still running windows 98 on older systems, because the can not afford new systems, or OS upgrades, and refuse to pirate, and I applaud them.
But I hold no harm from those that do pirate, but have a consciences about what they have done.
I have a personal friend that must have pirated about $12,000.00 of software about 6 years ago. He then took what he pirated and built a business, and eventually paid for the software, and upgrades he was using, even though he knew he could pirate it. He paid.

By pirating are we taking food out of the mouths of hard working people? somewhere along the line the answer has to be; Yes.

I have a friend that has built ad-dons for FireFox for years, and recently stopped, because he was tired of the "Entitled Generation" Demanding he do this and do that.

Do I believe the "Entitled" are Right; Possibly
But only based in the fact that folks have continuously let them get away with the things that are freely offered.
Understand; the Entitled Generation does not understand the concept of respect. Respect of others and their accomplishments, and others works.

But that being said, do I believe that the Entitled, can do no wrong, self righteous are correct: NO!

One simple reason, they have not earned the right.

Even war time Vet's still pay taxes, work hard and support their countries and the capitalism  market, and I think such people "Deserve" it, and are "Entitled", but these folks never feel they should it on a platter.
I use Vet's as an example there are folks everyday that sacrifice for themselves and others that "deserve" more, that "Entitled" to at least some respect.

I feel ultimately it is a battlle of extremism, and unfortunately the various record and movie companies are right. Not because it is law, and they have money and power to manipulate law, but because they have been getting away with bilking the singers and the public for so long, it must be right.

The "Entitled" are wrong not because they are pirating, but because of the selfrighteous, 'I can do no wrong" attitude.

Although ultimately both are wrong and neither will compromise.

I will say it grinds my butt, when a person goes to a "free" software site, gets the software, does not donate to, or respect, the hard work and time that the developer has placed into the work, and then "Demands" that certain changes and updates be made.

I have no understanding of this.

I do not believe in the "Free" software.
I am poor by any countries standards, but I donate what I can, when I can.
My recent donations to DC add up about  2% of my annual income last year.
But I donated and gladly so.

I would also point out that the "Entitled" makes up for a larger group than represented. I see folks all the time complain about this and that, these people also feel disappointed they have to do anything to get their Needs and Wants.
These people are miserable and have no understanding.

On and up note though, I would like to congratulate the folks at ADOBE, they have just opened a program for the low income and students, where you can currently apply and get there new web building software for free, and a full version to boot. Apparently their is talk of expanding this to there flagship software and packages.
Now I understand that this is in the hopes that they will bill potential customers for products later on, but it is the emergence of understanding from big software sellers that is coming through.
I am just sorry it came at the expense of the current world economy.

Eóin:
Nicely said sgtevmckay, 'David' certainly seems like a spoiled brat. He almost sounds so extreme however that I'd seriously question the quality of his parenting. Though such people can easily come from the best of homes and yet be warped by society around them instead.

Writing some free apps myself I mostly find the world quite grateful and so I try to not let, what often amount to, personal attacks ever get to me. But the ferocity of some do take you back initially.

By coincidence I came across this message just yesterday on the Exodus Jabber client issue tracker.

Come on. Its not even worth my time jot them the issue with this version.
Peter would be turning in his grave, god bless his soul.  What you guys did
to destroy this package is unbelievable - PEOPLE - OPEN SOURCE, FREE OR
NOT, QUALITY ALWAYS COUNT - LEARN THAT!   I've been using Exodus for many
years, and only by change did I came across this 0.10 version - Wonderful I
said, lets see what what the gookids have done - WOW! JUNK!!!

Let me name the most obvious!

- Non-sticky layout - does not stay when you exit and come back.
- Attempting to bring up the plugins - POOF - GPF!

Come on people, take PRIDE in what you do!!  Just became its FREE doesn't
make you have to produce and release junk.  Gees, what this world coming to
- BUGS are an exceptable way of life - I'm tired of this baloney.

"There is no such thing as a bad languange, just bad programmers!"
    - Doctor Debug, 1986
-http://code.google.com/p/exodus/issues/detail?id=68
--- End quote ---

Now I haven't used the latest version to know if the technical complaints are justified but clearly the personal insults are uncalled for. We all suffer from the like of these people.

I fear to think how many neat free applications have been abandoned not because the developer got tried working for free, but rather because (s)he became disillusioned from all the harassment. I personally made a rule for myself that every thank you should count for about 1000 insults. That approach so far has the thank yous in the lead, hopefully that will continue. :)

sgtevmckay:
Ouch!

I would have no truck with someone freely hanging that individual from the tree earlier discussed, I would gladly donate the rope.

Even if there was something constructive in the post, but all we have learned is that this individual is an idiot, and if there are serious issues I would not have much of an understanding as to where to start troubleshooting and debugging.

I worked phone centers for a long time, and eventually moved onto IT Administrative work at the local jail, and If one of the folks that requested anything from me had pulled this, I would have cleared my desk of all other issues, until that individual was no longer a problem to the collective work environment. As it is I did exactly that twice in 10 years.

What bothers me is that there seems to be more ond more of these people every year.
An ugly phenomenon.

40hz:
There's a video over on blip.tv of a speech given by Cory Doctoro (yes THAT Cory Doctoro) at the O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference that's an absolute must see for anyone interested in the whole DRM debate.

In this presentation, Cory points out how DRM not only doesn't prevent piracy, but also gives distributors such as Amazon and Apple unprecedented control and leverage over the actual rights-holders of creative works. In the course of the speech he also explains how the music and movie industry made pirating music what almost seems like a moral necessity for many people in response to the way the industry treated its artists and customers.

An excellent and thought provoking speech. Give it a listen. It's twenty-three minutes well spent. :Thmbsup:

Link: http://blip.tv/file/1996369

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