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Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

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Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#121

Post by eridius »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #110
scrollaway wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I apply the golden rule: if someone found the code I wrote for a groundbreaking piece of software, and I didn't want to open source it, I'd really like for them to respect my wishes and return it. Is that really the golden rule? What about "the good of the many"? Returning it to Blizzard directly is good for Blizzard . Returning your code is good for you . Realistically, it has little monetary value (all the "value…

> Returning it to Blizzard directly is good for Blizzard. Returning your code is good for you. To expand on this, it's good in general to return leaked code of active-development projects because that helps the social contract of turning work into something that can be sold. So if I found jakebasile's 2015 code in an alley, it would be in some sense good for everyone for me to return it. But that doesn't apply to a 2…

So it's ok to take other people's property, as long as it's "culturally important"?

TBH this makes me think of the old practice of smuggling jade artifacts out of China. Hey, it's culturally important, so clearly that means it's ok for other people to take it, right?

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#122

Post by peterwwillis »

la_oveja wrote: post #115
peterwwillis wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It enters the same ethical flexibility as things like wikileaks in my opinion I agree with you, it is completely unethical and totally self-serving.

Your ethic smells bad.

Well, at least i'm not the only one who smells this way:

https://iapp.org/news/a/ethics-and-the-privacy-harms-of-wiki...

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/30/131699467/is-wikileaks-release...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-wikileaks...

http://theconversation.com/wikileaks-journalism-ethics-and-t...

https://www.seeker.com/wikileaks-the-ethics-of-revealing-sec...

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2011/02/11/februar...

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#123

Post by ilugaslifg »

gottam wrote: post #118
ilugaslifg wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Liberating proprietary software is a moral good. Full stop. The number of hopeless herbs on here who have so thoroughly internalized "legal == moral" is depressing.

You're the one who is making that connection, not me. I never implied it.

Yeah, sorry, I didn't at all intend that as a slight against you specifically.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#124

Post by Dylan16807 »

FooBarWidget wrote: post #114
scrollaway wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I apply the golden rule: if someone found the code I wrote for a groundbreaking piece of software, and I didn't want to open source it, I'd really like for them to respect my wishes and return it. Is that really the golden rule? What about "the good of the many"? Returning it to Blizzard directly is good for Blizzard . Returning your code is good for you . Realistically, it has little monetary value (all the "value…

> What about "the good of the many"? That's like saying that robbing Bill Gates and distributing the money to millions of poor people is morally good because it's good for many people.

That degrades property rights, so it's bad for the many.

Unless you systematically take most of the money away from billionaires, which could be totally justified if society wanted to enact such a tax.

In the case of 20 year old source code, there's not really an important norm to uphold.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#125

Post by peterwwillis »

peferron wrote: post #113
peterwwillis wrote: post #87

So, instead of giving back to their community, or giving some underprivileged kid an opportunity to have an amazing experience, or donating to Child's Play, or something for someone who might need some help, Blizzard instead pays for the expensive flight, hotel, con, and drinks for a 32 year old white male computer nerd who accidentally found a CD in a storage unit and then agonized over returning it until being thre…

Wait, is the "32 year old white male computer nerd" just a drive-by stereotype, or did you actually research the real life information of this person just to be able to post this? I'm not sure which is worse.

I took the 30 seconds to look up who he was before I rushed to judgement. I briskly walked to judgement.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#126

Post by taneq »

peterwwillis wrote: post #87

So, instead of giving back to their community, or giving some underprivileged kid an opportunity to have an amazing experience, or donating to Child's Play, or something for someone who might need some help, Blizzard instead pays for the expensive flight, hotel, con, and drinks for a 32 year old white male computer nerd who accidentally found a CD in a storage unit and then agonized over returning it until being thre…

If you believe that someone is automatically a less valuable person because of their race or gender, you're a bad person.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#127

Post by ilugaslifg »

peterwwillis wrote: post #122
la_oveja wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your ethic smells bad.

Well, at least i'm not the only one who smells this way: https://iapp.org/news/a/ethics-and-the-privacy-harms-of-wiki... http://www.npr.org/2010/11/30/131699467/is-wikileaks-release... http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-wikileaks... http://theconversation.com/wikileaks-journalism-ethics-and-t... https://www.seeker.com/wikileaks-the-ethics-of-revealing-sec... http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2…

I can't believe you have the balls to write "hacker" on your profile, you fucking toad.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#128

Post by peterwwillis »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #117
peterwwillis wrote: post #87

So, instead of giving back to their community, or giving some underprivileged kid an opportunity to have an amazing experience, or donating to Child's Play, or something for someone who might need some help, Blizzard instead pays for the expensive flight, hotel, con, and drinks for a 32 year old white male computer nerd who accidentally found a CD in a storage unit and then agonized over returning it until being thre…

> Blizzard instead pays for the expensive flight, hotel, con, and drinks for a 32 year old white male computer nerd who accidentally found a CD in a storage unit I'm all for charity, but wait, so rewarding a person _actually involved_ and who actually did the good (for the company) deed is somehow bad these days? Also, white male computer nerds are people too, you know.

I think the $250 and a game was reward enough. The rest was what felt gratuitous.

Are they, though? Some of the ones on reddit seem like animals.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#129

Post by jakebasile »

peterwwillis wrote: post #87

So, instead of giving back to their community, or giving some underprivileged kid an opportunity to have an amazing experience, or donating to Child's Play, or something for someone who might need some help, Blizzard instead pays for the expensive flight, hotel, con, and drinks for a 32 year old white male computer nerd who accidentally found a CD in a storage unit and then agonized over returning it until being thre…

I really don't see what his demographics have to or with it or why you bothered to mention it.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#130

Post by Majestic121 »

jakebasile wrote: post #56
scrollaway wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you? :) Starcraft influenced the culture and politics of an entire nation and became a national sport. It pioneered "e-sports". It's a piece of history, and this disc is standalone a piece of history as well. I think I know right from wrong, but I would still have absolutely no idea what to do if that disc landed on my doorstep. Edit: I cannot believe this is such a controversial thing to say. Shame on the people…

But it's still owned by Blizzard. It doesn't matter how important it was, they still own it. I am 100% sure the guy did the right thing in returning it, not only legally but morally as well. If Blizzard were to MIT license it that'd be amazing but they're the only ones with the power to do so, no matter who finds a copy in a box.

It's not owned by Blizzard anymore, it is a major piece of human culture and should be treated as such.

To poorly translate Victor Hugo : "The principle is twofold, let us not forget it. The book, as a book, belongs to the author, but as thought, it belongs - the word is not too vast - to the human race. All intelligences are entitled to it. If one of the two rights, the right of the writer and the right of the human mind, should be sacrificed, it would certainly be the right of the writer, for the public interest is our sole preoccupation, and All, I declare, must pass before us."

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