Comments for Massachusetts Pirate Party

Comment on CISPA is back. Fight it! by On Bombings, Sharing, Privacy and Security | Massachusetts Pirate Party

On Bombings, Sharing, Privacy and Security | Massachusetts Pirate Party — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:07:14 +0000

[...] As we said in April 2012, we view this bill as a violation of our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of speech. We urge you to oppose it and have a handy page to get in contact with your Senators and Representatives. …More [...]

Comment on Our Issues by Mech

Mech — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:41:46 +0000

I think this Pirate Party should, despite still primarily concentrating on the existing “core issues,” should take a stance on other issues that are debated, considered, and are important to other parties, so as to be comparable and better represent all the views of the members.

Comment on Mass. Pirate Party opposes CISPA, urges supporters to tell Congress by CISPA is back. Fight it! | Massachusetts Pirate Party

CISPA is back. Fight it! | Massachusetts Pirate Party — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:31:30 +0000

[...] we said in April 2012, we view this bill as a violation of our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of speech. We [...]

Comment on Why you should oppose the AG’s Mass. electronic wiretapping bill by Mass Pirate Party on AG’s Electronic Wiretapping Bill « Defend the 4th Amendment

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:07:53 +0000

[...] Posted on February 9, 2013 by jokeefe [...]

Comment on Keep the TSA out of the MBTA this Saturday by Papers, Please! » Blog Archive » “TSA out of the MBTA!”

Papers, Please! » Blog Archive » “TSA out of the MBTA!” — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:22:15 +0000

[...] An ad hoc TSA out of the MBTA! group help a march and rally Saturday on Boston Common to protest the ongoing warrantless, suspicionless searches of passengers’ property on the Boston-area MBTA subway and streetcar system. The protest was endorsed by groups including Occupy Boston and the Mass Pirate Party. [...]

Comment on Honor Aaron this Friday by my blog

my blog — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:59:43 +0000

Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such great info being shared freely out there.

Comment on Aaron was a casualty of the War on Sharing by jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:15:18 +0000

First lets not confuse tangible objects with digital objects. Making a copy of a digital research paper is trivial, your house not so much.

The point of the research journals and thus JSTOR who indexes them and provides them on-line, is to inform other researchers of the results of new research. Putting a pay wall up hinders that free flow of information. Institutions like MIT can pay JSTOR’s fees, institutions in developing countries cannot. If our ultimate objective is to encourage research and the sharing of ideas and results, then we need new ways of funding such tools so that access is maximized.

The Internet is a copying machine. If I copy something, I am not taking the original so it is not theft. The Constitution allows copyright for a limited time. Originally it required the author to register it and it lasted for 14 years, with the possibility of 14 year extension. It is specifically for the purpose of encouraging people to create new works for the public benefit.

Now copyright attaches the moment the work is published and lasts for the life of the author plus seventy years. Copyright maximalists act like it is property that the creator has a right to, not what it is: a government granted monopoly.

Shakespeare copied. Bob Dylan copied. Picasso copied. Lots of people copy, it is how we learn and try things out. Before the Internet it was just more difficult. The question is will we develop new ways of helping creators get paid or will we throw everyone who copies in jail. The prisons are full, how many more do we need?

Comment on Aaron was a casualty of the War on Sharing by SidDavis

SidDavis — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:13:13 +0000

Isn’t sharing something people do voluntarily? If I don’t choose to share my home, my clothes, my time, or any of my other property with you, should I be compelled to do so? If you use force to take those things from me, am I sharing, or are you stealing?

If my mind creates thoughts and commit them to paper or electronic media, and I don’t want to share them with you, how do you justify taking them without my permission? I can’t force these thoughts on you nor can you take them from me against my will. If I offer them for sale, and you choose to take them anyway without paying, what does that make you?

I think some people have real boundary problems, a sign of a personality that never gets past the childhood stage of narcissism.

Comment on House GOP yanks copyright reform proposal, we put it up by jokeefe

jokeefe — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:43:51 +0000

Actually, various US Pirates did write a book – No Safe Harbor. You can find it at: