# A Question About File-sharing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [April 29, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713 "2005-04-29T14:31:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gommsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@gommsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gommsn)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713/1 "2005-04-29T14:31:52Z")

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No! Not that kind of question.

For some of you old time Dopers. I was back in the old threads, catching up on things and came upon a thread in The Pit regarding file-sharing. Someone was bitching about K-z-a and in the course of 52 posts there were numerous sites mentioned. Some were praised, some were panned and there were even links cited.

My question is: Did something happen around this time ( June, 2002 ) to make the subject verboten? Did someone get in some kind of trouble to change the boards stance on this subject? I understand the present policy but in reading the old thread, it seems no one had a problem back then.

Just curious. Can anyone enlighten me?

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**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713/2 "2005-04-29T14:33:49Z")

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I could be wrong, but I believe it was around that time that the RIAA got involved in file-sharing issues and the powers that be at the Chicago Reader decided it best to err on the side of caution.

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**Author:** ![gommsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@gommsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gommsn)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713/3 "2005-04-29T19:45:38Z")

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> [@LifeOnWry](#):
>
> I could be wrong, but I believe it was around that time that the RIAA got involved in file-sharing issues and the powers that be at the Chicago Reader decided it best to err on the side of caution.

Yeah, that makes sense. It seemed like a real 180 in policy, so I was just wondering.  
Thanx for taking time to answer. 😉

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713/4 "2005-04-30T05:12:33Z")

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We’re very keen on respecting copyright here; that’s always been how management has preferred we operate. The Reader spends a great deal of time protecting its own works from misappropriation and outright theft, so it would stand to reason that they would not allow it to go on here.

your humble TubaDiva

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**Author:** ![gommsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@gommsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gommsn)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-file-sharing/301713/5 "2005-04-30T11:18:53Z")

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I understand perfectly **TubaDiva** and thats what precipitated my question. You’ll notice I qualified it right at the start. In my preusal of the old threads I have some other things, which at the time, puzzled me but werelater cleared up by another thread.  
I really should learn how to cite threads in my questions, it would be much easier for the reader.  
Thank you for your patience. 🙂