Week 13 – Journal Entry – Oops, That’s Illegal

Using Other People’s Internet Networks
Some people feel this one is rather victimless, but I don’t agree with that statement. If I paid for a service, I expect to receive that full service. Using another person’s internet cuts into their bandwidth. If I paid for 1Gbps, but find out I’m only getting half because someone else decides they’ll stream 4k on my dime, I’d be rather upset. Stop stealing my bandwidth. Especially if it’s metered. If someone was allotted a set amount, you just stole from that allotment. I find that no different than physically stealing an object from another individual.

Collecting Information About People Younger Than 13
I think COPPA sums this one up as to why. It definitely fits the “harmless, but illegal” category. Arguably, it is not harmless when you consider that the minor either does not know the information is being collected, or does not understand the ramifications of how the information may be used.

Bullying and Trolling
More-so the bullying than trolling. Trolling I equate to either just being annoying or obnoxious. Bullying, however, I view in the same light as harassment. The internet and social media has made it easier for people to bully one another online. With the perceived anonymity, some individuals are considerably more aggressive with bullying than they probably would be otherwise.

Using Unofficial Streaming Services
This one kind of could be lumped together with the copyrighted images below. It’s taking potential revenue from not just the larger companies, but everyone involved with the show/event being streamed on that platform. I see this a lot in the wrestling business, actually, and it’s rather odd. Many people will publicly ask for a good stream-link for certain events, especially if someone they may personally know is booked on said show. But the moment it’s them on the show and someone asks for a link, “you’re taking food off my table!” Ironic.

Using Copyrighted Images
This is one I’ve have some experience with from my wrestling days. I always carried my own camera equipment to the shows I was booked for. I would have no problem providing a promo photo or two to the promotion for their advertising needs, specifically posters. However, it’s always a hard-no when they want to use my photos for anything else. The photos I had taken would be used for my own merchandise to sell at the shows. I absolutely would not permit a promotion to use any of my personal photos so they could do the same. It cuts into my livelihood.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *