UCBearcats1125 Wrote:Not real sure how my ethics come in to play here with copy and pasting an artice that the site wants you to copy and paste so it can get its name out there.
And for this whole "depriving the military" thing...If I happened to get drafted I would proudly put on the uniform and fight for the greatest nation the world has ever seen....I am not saying this to say it its the truth...I deeply mean it...So I guess my ethics aren't as screwed up as you may think
UC, in an earlier post you said:
"And you are over reacting...If you do somehow get in trouble is all they will ask you to do is remove it...The police are not going to come and pick you up...The FBI is not going to start and investigation...There is more to worry about than copy and pasting stuff "
This represents the idea that you believe the only thing wrong with copyright infringement is getting caught.
Let's suppose that it is indeed illegal to copy and paste things from one commercial site such as Salon to another site-NCAABBS. This would then be wrong regardless of whether one gets caught doing it. It would be wrong because Oddball, like myself, agreed to follow the rules. To disobey the rules whether out of ignorance of the rules or out of complete disrespect for the rules would be, quite simply, unethical.
That is why I likened the scenario to paying taxes. Many can cheat on their taxes and they do thinking they will never get caught. It is still wrong to cheat on one's taxes. If you don't like taxes, then lobby your state rep, congressman, governor, etc. to lower your taxes, or quit working.
It is wrong to speed, even if one may not get caught doing so. It is wrong to shoplift, although everyone may be doing it, or one may never get caught doing it. It is wrong to beat your spouse even if you will never get caught doing it. It is wrong to beat your dog, although you may never be hunted down and locked up by PETA or the SPCA for doing so.
I don't see how your sense of duty when drafted has anything to do with an ethical code in which it is okay to do something as long as one does not get caught doing it.
Many claim they support the troops, but in the same breath they whine and groan about paying taxes. Support for the troops is great, wave the flag, have a parade, put a sticker on your car, tie a yellow ribbon around the ol oak tree is fine and dandy. To really, really support the troops would be to gladly pay one's taxes while not whining or bee-atching about it.
Most of Americans' tax dollars provide DIRECT support for our troops, while yellow ribbons and U.S. flag stickers are indirect support for our troops. Taxes support the logistics, equipment costs and salaries of those in the military. Do you think those soldiers and Marines over there do what they do for free? Do you think a B2 bomber flies for free? Do you think charitable organizations pay their salaries? Where do you think monies for the military come from?
How much of a soldier's salary comes from tying a yellow ribbon around an oak tree? How much of a soldier's salary comes from having a parade?