Virtually Worthless?

Sunny recently posted this post about a Dutch teenager being arrested for stealing around $5000 worth of ‘virtual furniture’ from an online game.

At first, like everyone else, I just laughed. It sounds ridiculous. Arrested for ‘stealing’ something that isn’t even real?

However, I started thinking about it, and now it doesn’t seem quite so strange.

You see, our world is changing and our laws and attitudes to it are having a hard time catching up. People are buying virtual land, virtual property and the distinction between ‘real’ and ‘not real’ is becoming blurred.

Basically, people are paying real money for ‘virtual furniture’. If I pay real money for something and it gets stolen, doesn’t that make it a real theft anyway you look at it?

It’s a matter of perspective.

For example, this ‘virtual furniture’ may not exist in ‘real life’, but this furniture doesn’t exist in exactly the same way an mp3 doesn’t exist or a movie file doesn’t exist or even a website doesn’t really exist.

People are paying money to have streams of ones and zeros sent to them. Does it really matter what those ones and zeros make up?

Sure, you can say an online music purchase is different because it’s just a new way to deliver music. I personally don’t think it’s different at all.

We think things like this are just stupid because we see ‘virtual’ things as having no intrinsic value. It’s something created by someone in their free time that can be copied over and over. It’s not ‘real’ and therefore can’t be stolen.

However, you could apply that same type of thinking to real world objects. I can buy a set of oil paints and a large canvas for under a hundred bucks. Does that mean the Mona Lisa is only worth about the same amount?

Basically, it comes down to the way we apply value to things. For example, I could grab my microphone, and record an mp3 of me burping for three and a half minutes. What I’d end up with is a ‘virtual object’ that is physically no different to the mp3 currently at number one in the iTunes music store. However, one is worth something, the other isn’t.

What it comes down to is this. If I hacked your computer, copied all your mp3s, then deleted every one of them off your hard drive, you’d call that a theft. But why? Technically those songs don’t exist. You can’t hold them in your hands, technically they’re virtual CD’s.

Of course, you would call it a theft. Just because something isn’t ‘real’ doesn’t mean it doesn’t take real time, money and effort to make and, of course, money to purchase.

If we look at this whole issue at its most basic level, what we have is a creator who makes things and a customer who wants what that creator creates… and are willing to part with money for it.

If someone steals that content, a theft has taken place, whether the item stolen is physically real or not.

Basically, we’re now living in a world where people make their livings buying and selling things that don’t technically exist. It’s been done for years on the stock exchange with the ‘futures’ market. Unfortunately, our attitudes and laws are having a hard time keeping up.

In the end, a painting is still a painting whether it was created on canvas with paint and brush, or in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet and keyboard. Things gain their value by what we’re willing to part with for them, not just what they’re made up of.

Long story short, someone put in the time, money and effort to create this ‘virtual furniture’ and just like actual carpentry, this virtual furniture it took skill to make. Then someone decided it was desirable enough to part with real money for.

Then someone came along and stole it.

I suppose the best way to put this to my fellow bloggers is to point out that under this type of thinking our blogs don't really exist. They're 'virtual publications' and exist only as more ones and zeros on a server somewhere. Do we believe our blogs have no value? Would we mind if someone stole our posts and put them up somewhere for profit? How would we feel if we found a book made up of our posts and someone else was claiming it as their work?

We'd probably sue, despite the fact it 'cost us nothing to make' and we're not losing any money because someone has stolen it.

Long story short, content is content whether it's 'virtual' or not.

Now, is everyone still convinced no 'real' crime took place?

Grown up? Moi?

So Sunny did the second part of her sleep study and the Doc told her that she has sleep apnea. Basically, she stops breathing when she sleeps.

The Doc gave her a machine (I was jealous, it has buttons, lights and beeps). Upon careful inspection, I decided that the thing’s basically a high-tech air-pump. It hooks up to her nose and helps her breathe while she’s asleep. I wanted to play with it in the bath to see if it works like Scuba gear…but Sunny wouldn’t share her toys…selfish.

Anyway, the thing looks a little silly. It has a head strap that holds a plastic thing against her nose, which is attached to the pump with a long plastic tube.

So Sunny puts the thing on, and being a caring, thoughtful husband I tell her:

“You look like a borg who goes to special school.”

Apparently, it’s hard to talk with this thing on. So in response, Sunny just gives me the middle finger.

Then she puts on the chin-strap. This is basically a stretchy bandage that you wrap around your head to hold your mouth closed. (The thing works on the principle of keeping the air pressure outside your lungs higher than inside. It doesn’t work with your mouth open). I look at her again and say:

“Now you look like a borg who goes to a special school… who has a toothache.”

Sunny laughs and tells me to shut up, but because there’s a constant stream of air coming out of her mouth when she opens it, her voice takes on a hissy, snake-like quality.

“Now you sound like Lord Voldemort, who’s been assimilated by the borg, goes to the special school…and has a toothache.”

So, she laughs even more and chooses a few choice words for me. The machine has ‘switched gears’ by now and her voice sounds different. I tell her:

“Actually, I’ve changed my mind. Now you sound like a cheesy 1970’s sci-fi robot.”

About ten minutes later, the lights are off and we’re both falling asleep. Out of nowhere, I hear from the lady in bed next to me:

“Would… you… like… to… play… a… game? How about… a nice… game of… chess?”

Expensive medical apparatus + Extreme Childishness = FUN!

In the beginning....

Using that ever so addictive “Stumble” button on my browser, I came across a writer’s website.

It’s quite a neat idea. You write, publish posts like a blog, and 50% of the site’s revenue goes to the writers based on how many votes your posts get.

I know, I know…it’s not going to make anyone rich, and I’m pretty sure that the website owns the rights to anything you publish on there, but I decided I had a ton of blog posts, so I might as well try it out. I doubt I’ll earn a single cent, but it can’t hurt, can it?

So I decided to have a read through some of my older blog posts to find some that I could give the old cut and paste treatment. It was as I was reading some of my first posts from back in April ’05 that I made a discovery.

The quality of my writing has taken a freaking nose dive since then.

I read some of those old posts and found myself thinking “Hey, this is good, I wish I could write that well!”

Halfway through reading, I popped my head around the monitor and told Sunny my findings.

“You know, I used to be a halfway decent writer. Today I’m pretty much sitting at this desk, banging on the keys like a monkey.”

I think I figured it out, though.

Back in ’05, I started this blog, and like everyone with a new blog, I wanted one thing… Lots and lots of readers.

Back then, I’d write a post in Word, go through it three or four times, editing as I went, trying to make everything as good as possible. Then I’d go through again checking for spelling and grammar errors.

Back in ’05, starting every paragraph with “So” “You know” or “Basically” wasn’t an option. Having 7 commas in a single sentence wouldn’t have happened. I was actually concerned with the rhythm of my writing. Spelling and grammar were important. I’d actually triple check that I hadn’t used ‘where’ where ‘were’ was meant to go.

If we fast forward to today, it’s a different story. Back then, I started with maybe 6 ideas for blog posts and wanted to make sure I nailed each and every one of them. Today, I honestly don’t care about having a huge audience. I’ve gone from ‘performing’ to just plain writing.

Today I’ll have an idea, write it and publish it. That’s the process from start to finish. No leaving a post for a day to get some ‘distance’ from it, so I could edit it with ‘fresh eyes’.

However, I have to say that I’m a little sad that my work ethic has suffered so much.

I’ve found that I’ve gone from writing with an audience in mind, the same way I would if I was being paid to write an article, to a sort of hybrid style that’s somewhere between article writing and a private journal.

Maybe I should go back to writing the way I did in ’05.

…if I can be bothered.

Frickin Meme's

Tagged by my missus…which she will soon receive retribution for:

What was I doing 10 years ago:

I’d just graduated high school and was getting ready to start college. I was working at the Cricket Club bartending and hoping the truck driver’s strike would end their blockades so I’d be able to get the fuel to drive to my first day of college.

What was I doing one year ago:

Waiting on my Greencard, sitting in front of the computer and blogging a lot…pretty much exactly what I’m doing today, but looking for work instead of waiting for my Greencard.

What was I doing yesterday:

I hadn’t slept, so I spent most of the day on the couch, verbally sparring with Sunny as we tend to do a lot anyway. I also watched Mythbusters and, as usual, wished as hard as I could that it would turn out that Adam is my long lost uncle Uncle…because that would be awesome… imagine the Christmas presents.

Five Snacks I Enjoy:

Doritos

Cheese & Saltines

Snickers Ice Cream

Beef Jerky

Egg Rolls

Five things I would do if I won 100 Million:

Give half to my Mum and Dad…they deserve it.

Buy a nice house and car.

Buy the $15,000 Falcon Northwest computer I’ve been drooling over.

Build my own private movie theater in the basement.

Buy the food network so I could fire Paula Dead and force the Italian cooking girl to pronounce ‘spaghetti’ properly instead of saying “spa GEE Tee”

Five Locations I’d run off too:

I don’t care as long as there are no freaking phones.

Five bad habits I have:

Smoking.

Leaving dishes in the sink.

Not tidying my desk.

Starting every written sentence with "So" "Basically" "In other words" or "Anyway"....and having 7 comma's in a single sentence.

Generally being a slob.

Five things I like doing:

Writing

Making things

Video Games

Learning new things

Talking.

Five TV shows I like:

Doctor Who

Scrubs

Sanford and Son

Dirty Jobs

Mythbusters

Five things I hate:

Only 5? Geeze….

Liars.

People who never admit they’re wrong.

People who never contact you unless they need something.

People who wait until their purchases have been rung up before they search their bottomless purses for the cash to pay.

Being hurried up as I get ready…only to be kept waiting for 20 minutes once I’m ready to leave.

Five biggest joys of the moment:

Sunny.

That I’ve come up with a new book idea and I’m actually writing it.

That I’ve found probably the only WoW Guild that has no tolerance for douchebaggery.

Watching a TED talk that makes me think.

…and that’s all I can think of.

People I tag:

OzzyC, MC Etcher and Cindy

Just a thought....

It seems that at least twice a week I need to download updates for Windows XP.

While this is annoying, it appears that every time I need an update to fix yet another security hole, I also have to download the 'Genuine Advantage' application...a bit of software that checks to make sure my copy of Windows isn't pirated.

I'm using an operating system that Microsoft stole from Apple, after Apple stole it from Xerox.

So, basically, I'm using an operating system based on software that was stolen from a company who stole it from another company.

...and they have the balls to check my copy isn't stolen?

Fuck, Bill, the Windows emblem should be a pirate flag. On top of that, you have the balls to block legal software in Vista...because it can be used for piracy.

Oh, I get it...it's only bad when people steal from you.