schmevil | Two more articles about the still-unfolding Scans Daily thing

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Two more articles about the still-unfolding Scans Daily thing

Scans Daily Gets Crossed Out, And The Content War Continues

Whatever else you may think of SD, Gail is right in pointing out that it was a major comics community not beholden to the industry, as the major sites like Newsarama, CBR, etc. are. Just like the typical corporate media relies on business and government for “access” and exclusives, comics media relies on the goodwill of Marvel and DC to ensure it gets front-row seats at all the cons, exclusive previews, etc. That naturally leads to generally favorable (or at least not negative) treatment of the content itself. Places like SD, which did not rely on Joe Quesada’s or Dan Didio’s largesse, were free to call bullshit on bullshit, and give people who love comics but hate the industry as it stands a chance to vent in a friendly space. We need more places like that, not less.

Now, as far as the issue of infringing on copyright goes, this is another example of the vagueness and broadness of law colliding with entrenched business interests who are paranoid about their futures. What constitutes “fair use” when it comes to scanning comic pages, for instance? Is one panel okay? One page? Five pages? Where is the line drawn, or scanned in this case? Who decides when it’s okay to use something like SD to promote work and get people interested in buying a comic, and when it’s flagrant copyright infringement?

Marvel Shuts Down LJ Users

At this point anyone with an internet connection can in fact download the majority of new comics coming out on Wednesdays if not all of them. This has in fact been going on for a few years but people still do go to shops every week (or however you get your comics) and plunk down money for their favorite books, merch and what-have-you . Why do they do this if you can get them for free? People like paying for their books and supporting the medium they love, it’s that simple. People understand that if they don’t buy their favorite book with their favorite artists, writers, and characters they might not be on the shelf next month (though sometimes low book sales on fan faves can still lead to cancellation, no matter how much fans try to help promote their books). True, some do in fact download comics and do not in fact pay for them (and then go on the internet to complain about said downloaded comic), but I honestly can’t think of any way to stop them as do the companies producing the books (though Marvel may in fact be working on something legally actionable considering their Digital Comics). With that, nothing has been done by any companies (that I’m aware of) to stem the tide of new books available on torrent sites across the internet.

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Upon reading that second one?

kali921 is SO going to get booted off LJ because of the reposted abuse form letter. She (?) probably didn't get it, but her (?) name is mentioned there, so LJ abuse will go after her.

That's an ugly possibility.

To clarify, it's ugly because this kind of thing is going to have a chilling effect on the relationship between lj and users. As if it wasn't chilled enough. *g*

I don't think they should have included the name, or contact info of the Marvel rep though.

LJ Abuse doesn't have the right to tell people they can't repost any comments that they make to users either, so. Secret police, just like someone else mentioned...

Exactly. Go after copyright-infringing posters and Scans Daily? Ok, whatever. Technically kosher, if poorly executed. But the bully tactics are going too far.

wow. I hadn't realized that, but yes, I think she will be.

Edit:
Never mind, removed because I don't want schmevil to get yelled at. :p

Er...I didn't repost the letter on LJ. I didn't receive one.

Yes, you didn't.

But your name was mentioned, and you know how... unreliable... LJ abuse can be. Sorry. :\

I've requested that he edit the article and he has. All I did was refer him to the locked post by

fullmetal_cute over on

noscans_daily about her notice from LJ Abuse. You sound awfully gleeful about the prospect of me getting suspended.

... Excuse me? Gleeful? Are you fucking kidding? Why the hell do you think I'd enjoy seeing you banned?

Stop being so paranoid. I hate power tripping admins and moderators, especially fucktards that hide behind a clout of anonymity "for the greater good". I'm sorry for feeling afraid for you.

... And my previous message was a bit... over the top.

I'm sorry. I just hate it when people assume things about me like that. I'm not removing the message, though. Take responsibility and such.

Bleh. -_-

Probably a good idea. LJ has a history of being utterly ridiculous about these things.

Re: First article.

All I'm getting from that one is that the writer's article is taking potshots at the S_D community while padding said article with excerpts from other articles to give it an air of intellectual authority and superiority.

Ha! I linked for his comments on the futility of trying to crack down on piracy. You can't just stamp it out, you've got to work around it somehow. Give fans a reason not to pirate. And also that the harmfulness of piracy is still up for debate.

That's the thing. The "padding" on his article, like the possible suggestions to curb piracy, are things already said repeatedly on other places (possibly even verbatim, considering how they sound very familiar--if I'd be bothered, I'll probably run it through google to check), while the "new points" are just a hate diatribe masked in polite terms.

I'll probably run it through google to check

Good idea - if I had the time. ;)

Did you read the post that was like... "Scans Daily is Gone, Fuck 'Em'? I loled.

Scans Daily hates comic authors, tells them to go fuck themselves! News at eleven!

I loved the fact that at PW Beat ()'s report on it all, at the bottom it says:

A few people have linked to this post at Mightygodking (http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2009/03/01/and-i-shall-call-it-dumbassopalooza-scans_daily-and-peter-david/) as being of interest, but we couldn’t tell you exactly why.

But to be fair, in the midst of all that bitchy rambling, he does actually admit that s_d was helpful to people new to comics, and that that kind of thing is something "comics desperately fucking needs in order to survive in any way".

What's funny is that SD members have been pretty awesome about the whole thing. All this supposed SD vitriol towards PAD was confined to my original info post, and one or two rants in NSD. That's it.

The haters, on the other hand, have been flipping out all over the place.

Well, F_W linked a box_in_the_box post with many comments with mild venom, which naturally leads to an impression of much venom for those not paying attention. And the YABS thread got very anti-PAD in places... but then it seems like a lot of people at YABS have something of an axe to grind with PAD already, and it was as much about any of that as about the actual S_D thing.

But what do I know, I'm a selfish, bitter comics-hating pirate and wannabe fanfiction writer. >.>

But what do I know, I'm a selfish, bitter comics-hating pirate and wannabe fanfiction writer.

OMG ME TOO. WE SHOULD START A CLUB.

I think Box should come with a warning label. Contents under pressure, or something. *g*

Judging from some comments at F_W, he's already ... well known there.

There's only one person I know of that strikes F_W with even more fear and loathing. So bad that it's forbidden to say her name in fear that she'll return. :)

OMG ME TOO. WE SHOULD START A CLUB.

YAY I'M NOT ALONE ANYMORE

But to clarify my posts, I'm not saying who's write or wrong, or that people aren't entitled to criticize closely knit communities of geeks, but that like

schmevil said, the irrational "haters" who are just hating for hate's sake are coming out of the woodwork now like vultures circling over a dying elephant.

Of course, they and their apologists would say it's all in the name of comedy. But some things just don't come across as parody, and the mood of their articles are more of a genuine glee over other people's misfortune (that, like

parsimonia, confuses and saddens me). But hey, we all know sarcasm never come across well through the internet, anyway.

the irrational "haters" who are just hating for hate's sake are coming out of the woodwork now like vultures circling over a dying elephant.

I think what makes this even more obvious is the observation that I've seen all over, that we've never seen this kind of vitriolic criticism before. All of a sudden, hating on the Scans Daily Pirates is the thing do. Hilariously, many of our harshest critics are former members who left, not because of our ethics, but because they couldn't stand all 'the hate'.

I know.

And honestly, if everyone were such crusaders against copyright as they seem to believe themselves to be, why did nobody report us to Marvel or DC before? As far as I'm concerned, if posting scans is as obvious a crime as everyone seems to think it is, then they're kinda complicit in the act for not reporting it.

But the sheer joy some people appear to have had with our getting crushed is something that I still can't quite understand.

Heh, I do know what Schadenfreude is! It's just that usually when I feel it, it is usually because I have some pre-existing dislike of the person.

Cute video, though.

As the writer of the first article in question, I certainly didn't need to steal anyone else's ideas to make my point--because the whole point is that ideas are meant to be traded and shared amongst a larger community. If you ever bothered to Google the ideas I postulated, you'll find many other people have said them in many other places, and many others will share them after my turn at bat. You can't stamp them out, nor can you claim "Mine! Mine! Mine!" and deny others the right to use them without good cause or a justifying legal framework. That's free culture and copyleft (as opposed to copyright) at work.

So I was actually standing up for what Scans Daily was doing, even if I personally didn't like it. But because I also took the time to explain why I didn't like it, doesn't make it "padded" or a "hate diatribe."

This may be a radical shock, but two people do not have to agree on something completely and without reservation without the disagreement in question turning them into haters. Scandalous, I know. What will they think of next?

:( For some reason I get a blank page on the 2nd article.

Me too! It's driving me crazy I want to know what it says...

(deleted comment)

Thanks!

Did you get all three parts?

Yes, thank you. I thought at first they'd pulled the article due to lawyerly things.

God, that's frightening! I didn't think Kali had gotten one of those--did she just pass along what someone else showed her? Because she's gonna get blamed if someone gets pissed.

When you first said that you couldn't see it, I thought the same thing. "Oh shit! Marvel and LJ work fast."

I don't know if she got one. It'll be interesting to see what comes of their threats. I don't want to see anyone TOSed, but if they start TOSing people for their behaviour on other sites? Well, I think that would cause an uproar.

I did *not* get one of the notices from LJ Abuse. I did *not* post any such notice that anyone else received on LJ or off of LJ. I did not receive a copy of any such notice on my LJ.

I wasn't accusing you. The article made it sound that way, sorry. :( Didn't mean to add to your worries.

Oh, hey, it's cool. The whole secret reprisal thing by LJ has just left me very jumpy and not wanting there to be *any* ambiguity over what I did and did not do. There's been enough disinformation and accusations leveled at me (and plenty of other people) all around in this festering pile of bullshit. All I did was refer the owner of BigShinyRobot to that flocked post (http://community.livejournal.com/noscans_daily/20818.html?nc=43) on

noscans_daily where recipients of the warning letters from LJ Abuse openly discussed receiving them. I didn't do *any* passing around or posting of those notices on LJ or anything like that.

The thing that kills me is... it's a serial Big Two comic featuring superheroes... AND HE'S WORRIED ABOUT SPOILERS?! HAahhahahahahaa! Fuckme. "Spoilers." Sheesh.

And what was the spoiler? A CHARACTER HAS COME BACK! WOOOOOO! Yup, that's a spoiler and very surprising and not at ALL what happens all the bloody time in these sort of comics.

Honestly, s_d was starting to draw me back into the superhero genre but after this bullshit I remember why I left superheroes to their own wanky devices years ago.

I KNOW! The culture that surrounds superhero comics is so... incestuous in some ways. So navel-gazingly self-important. *g*

wow, I'm pretty late in hearing about this.

I wish there was some way I could tally all the money I spent on comics *because* of scans_daily. I never would find the hidden gems otherwise, never be able to figure out what I really like. Before I would just randomly buy comics from the 'old' bin at my comics store, because I didn't know what anything was. I have a lot of crap from that time.

Since S_D, I've been able to buy only what I know and like, and I buy more because of it. I don't download (except Miracle Man, obviously) because reading from the screen just isn't the same. The fact Gail and Warren posted actually made me buy more of their stuff too. I couldn't help it.

I...just needed to vent somewhere. That is all.

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Two more articles about the still-unfolding Scans Daily thing

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“What the hell did he just say?”

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Phoenix Wright explains all!

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What I said versus what you read

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Re: I hope you get comment emails

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