# Dex, you are not Bill O'Reilly **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 31, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045 "2005-07-31T22:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/1 "2005-07-31T22:53:07Z")
So what’s up with this “I’m going to make a point and then cut off your mic” attitude? **C K Dexter Haven** closed [This CS thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327509) about the upcoming Family Guy movie, which has been leaked onto the internet. Now, I’m not objecting to the decision to close the thread. The SDMB has a history of closing threads about copyright infringement, and this falls perfectly into line. However, I do object to these parting comments: > [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > THE CHICAGO READER does not want people to steal their material, and therefore we do not permit discussions about stealing the works of others. > > Theft is theft. I’m sure it’s much cheaper for you to steal (especially if you think there’s a low risk of getting caught), but it’s still stealing. As anyone who has participated in any copyright-related thread in GD, or the Pit, or anywhere else on the internet knows, comparisons between copyright infringement and theft are controversial, to say the least. I’m not going to argue here whether **Dex** ’s statement was right or wrong, I’m just pointing out that it’s a political opinion that has sparked many debates, not a legal fact. IMO, it is an abuse of moderator powers to post a jab like that in a message that no one will be able to respond to. Imagine if someone started a thread about performing illegal abortions. Such a thread would surely get closed, since illegal topics and serious medical advice are both frowned upon. Would it be appropriate for the moderator who closed the thread to write something like this: > [@A Hypothetical Moderator](#): > > Illegal medical operations are NOT condoned by the Straight Dope Message Board, and you shouldn’t be relying on the Teeming Millions for advice on such a sensitive subject anyway. Cecil Adams does not wish to be murdered, and therefore we do not permit discussions about murdering babies. > > Abortion is murder. I’m sure it’s convenient for you to avoid the consequences of casual sex, but it’s still murder. This thread is closed. No, I think not. The final post in a thread being closed is no place to make political jabs, especially in a forum like Cafe society. This is a board filled with members who are paying for relatively open and honest discussions, not a talk show where you get to make political points and then immediately prevent anyone from rebutting them. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/2 "2005-07-31T23:15:43Z")
This pit thread should have been aborted. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/3 "2005-07-31T23:21:08Z")
Is Dex winning the most pitted mod contest yet? ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/4 "2005-07-31T23:26:09Z")
Your analogy is flawed because downloading copyrighted material without the copyright holder’s permission is defined as theft under US law. Abortion is not defined as murder under US law. As far as the law is concerned, Dex was undeniably right: it’s theft and it’s illegal. (That much is not controversial.) I’m sure that’s all he wanted to emphasize. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/5 "2005-07-31T23:30:24Z")
I’m just jumping in for 2 reasons. First to say I don’t see a pitting of **CKDH** being warranted in this case. One use of the Pit is to bring stuff like this up so the mods don’t have absolute power over getting the last word. (Short of banning that is) Second, just so I can finally be involved in a thread concerning copyright infringement of any kind and not pick up an official warning. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/6 "2005-07-31T23:31:59Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > Your analogy is flawed because downloading copyrighted material without the copyright holder’s permission is defined as theft under US law. Cite? I believe you’re wrong. It’s defined as copyright infringement, not theft. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/7 "2005-07-31T23:32:49Z")
Here we go again. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/8 "2005-07-31T23:33:03Z")
This is the second time I’ve seen you compare file-sharing to abortion, and again, I boggle at the fact that you see no irony in claiming that “theft” is too emotive a term for copyright infringement while having no problem whatsoever in drawing parallels between filesharing and abortion rights. While it’s quite possible you do consider the right to take other people’s works to be as contentious as a woman’s right to choose, I should point out that the comparison does make you look just a little bit loony. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/9 "2005-07-31T23:47:34Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Cite? > > I believe you’re wrong. It’s defined as copyright infringement, not theft. I stand corrected. It appears that the term “theft” is usually not applied to copyright infringement. In my opinion the term should be applicable, but that’s certainly not the point. Based on this knowledge, I agree that Dex shouldn’t have used that term when closing the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/10 "2005-08-01T00:19:22Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > Based on this knowledge, I agree that Dex shouldn’t have used that term when closing the thread. Nevertheless, the thread should have been closed. The OP’s problem, however, is all in his otherwise empty head. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/11 "2005-08-01T00:46:12Z")
I agree with the OP. And **Dex** is not the only moderator I’ve seen do this. Strictly the closed thread is not even discussing any illegal acts so I can’t see why it’s closed but I don’t really care much either. I just think that it’s bad form to post a jab at someone and not give them a chance to reply. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/12 "2005-08-01T00:58:13Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > I agree with the OP. And **Dex** is not the only moderator I’ve seen do this. > > Strictly the closed thread is not even discussing any illegal acts so I can’t see why it’s closed but I don’t really care much either. I just think that it’s bad form to post a jab at someone and not give them a chance to reply. I think the sentence that was deleted said something like “also available on your favorite filesharing service” or words to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/13 "2005-08-01T01:27:23Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I think the sentence that was deleted said something like “also available on your favorite filesharing service” or words to that effect. Oh ok, thanks, that explains why the thread should be closed. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/14 "2005-08-01T02:25:40Z")
If **Dex** isn’t O’Reilly, then fuck it–I’m gonna go take off my Al Franken get-up. (I’m going to smack the guy who told me this was a costume pitting.) ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/15 "2005-08-01T02:30:30Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > If **Dex** isn’t O’Reilly, then fuck it–I’m gonna go take off my Al Franken get-up. (I’m going to smack the guy who told me this was a costume pitting.) Do you need to borrow my fish? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/16 "2005-08-01T02:37:49Z")
**Dex** , if you _are_ Bill O’Reilly, may I be the first to say… falafel. (Fixed coding–Veb) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/17 "2005-08-01T02:46:39Z")
> [@Dead Badger](#): > > This is the second time I’ve seen you compare file-sharing to abortion, and again, I boggle at the fact that you see no irony in claiming that “theft” is too emotive a term for copyright infringement while having no problem whatsoever in drawing parallels between filesharing and abortion rights. I’m not comparing them, though I see how you might get confused. I’m comparing the use of a loaded, controversial, and legally incorrect term to describe one act to the use of a similar term to describe another act. In both cases there is a neutral and legally correct term that could be used instead, and I contend it _should_ be used instead in a situation like a mod making one last post before closing a thread. If **Dex** didn’t want to look like a jerk, he could have easily posted something like this instead: > [@](#): > > The link is to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) and legitimate purchase, so I’m leaving it. > > However, since the product is not yet legally available, I’m closing this thread. Illegal file-sharing is NOT condoned by the Straight Dope Message Board, and in fact even discussions of illegal file-sharing are not permitted. > > Thread done until the film is legitimately available. Doesn’t that look more professional without the needless editorializing? > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Nevertheless, the thread should have been closed. I agree. > [@](#): > > The OP’s problem, however, is all in his otherwise empty head. So you’re saying **Dex** _didn’t_ make a political point immediately before closing the thread? Gee, maybe there’s a bug in my browser that inserts random opinions into people’s posts. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/18 "2005-08-01T02:58:53Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Cite? > > I believe you’re wrong. It’s defined as copyright infringement, not theft. Depends on the circumstances: [http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/netact.htm](http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/netact.htm) “NO ELECTRONIC THEFT (NET) ACT An Act to amend the provisions of titles 17 and 18, United States Code, to provide greater copyright protection by amending criminal copyright infringement provisions, and for other purposes” ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/19 "2005-08-01T03:00:12Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Depends on the circumstances: [http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/netact.htm](http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/netact.htm) > “NO ELECTRONIC THEFT (NET) ACT An Act to amend the provisions of titles 17 and 18, United States Code, to provide greater copyright protection by amending criminal copyright infringement provisions, and for other purposes” That’s just the title of an act. It doesn’t make copyright infringement equivalent to theft any more than the Patriot Act makes wiretapping patriotic. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045/20 "2005-08-01T03:01:47Z")
> [@Pedro](#): > > I agree with the OP. And **Dex** is not the only moderator I’ve seen do this. > > Strictly the closed thread is not even discussing any illegal acts so I can’t see why it’s closed but I don’t really care much either\*.\*\* I just think that it’s bad form to post a jab at someone and not give them a chance to reply\*\*\*. Pray tell what the fuck this thread is doing?!? You’re getting a chance to counter the statement. At the same time trying to whine about not getting a say about it? What the fuck are you talking about? Bitch away. It’s the Pit. It’s part of what the forum was created for as far as I can tell. Just don’t complain you can’t give your opinion on a closed thead because the mods closed it, when you come right here and bitch about it. We see it. You’re not being oppressed. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dex-you-are-not-bill-oreilly/315045.md?page=2)