FreeBSD Torrent Server

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeremy Faulkner" <gldisater at gmail.com>
To: "Ted Mittelstaedt" <tedm at toybox.placo.com>
Cc: "Eric Hildebrandt" <hildebeb at mts.net>; <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: FreeBSD Torrent Server


> On 1/31/07, Ted Mittelstaedt <tedm at toybox.placo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Why?
> >
> > FreeBSD isn't commercial software, there's no need to go through
> > all the hocus pocus to conceal the uploader so the RIAA doesen't
> > sue him.  Standard FTP works perfectly fine at any of the mirror sites,
> > and you will get your ISO no slower.
> >
> > Ted
>
> Bittorrent does nothing to conceal the uploader's identity.
>
> The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of Amarica) doesn't give a
> damn about the piracy of commercial software, the RIAA cares about the
> piracy of music distributed by their member companies. <opinion>The
> RIAA exists to be the bully for their member companies and to draw the
> negative public relations away from those member companies.</opinion>
>

Which is exactly why I cannot understand why anyone would want to
use bittorrent to legitimately distribute anything.  Why use a service that
the RIAA is actively attacking, because such service is being used to
illegally distribute pirated music?

It's called guilt by association.

For the same reason I would be very dismayed if a large porno site like
playboy.com, hustler.com, etc. put a bunch of banners on their website
offering free downloads of FreeBSD.  Those porno sites are being used
for the perfectly legal distribution of images legally obtained, by willing
participants, all above board, monitored, and such.  From a technical
perspecitve, the porno sites have some of the best bandwidth available.
You could make a dozen freedom of speech, etc. arguments about how
it would be a great thing if those sites started distributing FreeBSD.

But, it would be nothing more than a public relations disaster.

Sure, bittorrent can be used to legally distribute software.  So can porno
sites.
But,  with all the number of willing FTP mirrors out there, who are engaged
in
noncontroversial businesses, is it really necessary to deal with bittorrent?

The FreeBSD Beastie was struck from his position as logo for FreeBSD
for some EXTREMELY minor controversy surrounding religions icons.
Well, using  a Devil image didn't pirate anyone software or break a law.
Yet Beastie was axed for exactly the same "guilt by association" reasons.

It seems to be EXTREMELY hipocritical to on one hand, strike out Beastie
for some morons based on a guilt by association reason, then on the other
hand turn a blind eye to the guilt by association of using a service,
bittorrent,
that is extremely heavily used for distribution of pirated software and
music,
to distribute FreeBSD.

Ted