VSU Ratting Out Students Using P2P Clients

[poxenium]

In theory all universities, schools and other government run institutions should crack down hard on criminal activity within their walls ... but what they have done is clearly overkill. To forbid students from using one certain technology (P2P) that is not necessarily used for breaking the law is an extreme measure. It's like confiscating all knives in a whole city to bring down crime rate.

 

[djsprinkle]

So they are arrested and fined for just using a P2P client.. it mentions nothing about downloading illegal or copy written material, just using it. Yeah that makes sense.

 

[Shadow703793]

[citation][nom]stm1185[/nom]Every student needs to start using p2p to download massive legal files and cripple their network with it. I would suggest DVD iso files of Linux Distros.[/citation]
Agreed. Specifically, might I suggest you download Debian?

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]MDillenbeck[/nom]Sorry, I disagree with most of you. It is the universities choice on how to handle the network they own. If a university refuses to give out information to the RIAA without a court order, I fully back them. However, I also fully back the university's right to monitor their own network and report any potential illegal activity.Think of it this way: if a professor reported a group of students passing around what appeared to be guns in his lecture, would you fault the University for bringing in the police to investigate these illegal activities? Now, just because you believe the activity should be illegal doesn't make it so. Don't like the law, either break it in obvious protest and accept the consequences (and get as much media coverage out of it as you can) or change the law first.[/citation]

you have a great and valid point, but make a retarded if this happened and ruined it. bringing a gun to school only happens for one reason, to kill students. useing a torrent program, happens for any number of reasons, and here is the kicker, VICTIMLESS CRIMES

no matter how much the riaa or mpaa says they lose because of piracy, i believe the largest figure they ever quoted was 1 billion worldwide off 1 movie, the usual is about 1-200 million for a movie, and 10 million per album.

now these students, people who have a future, get it taken away because of legal fees, fines and other bs because a there university decided to do that. you have to wonder exactly how much the riaa or mpaa gave them under the table to do this.

and so you know, the moment you have a prison sentence of any kind, you have only 2 realistic options of a future, and 3 total options,

1 dive head first into a criminal life, and try to build an empire
2 work minimum wage (lower in many cases because the government takes the money you make to pay for some of the prison fees)
and
3 just kill yourself.

you can think in the now with it, stop there piracy, but at what cost?

 

[lashton]

so they can see if you have it installed but not using it wtf lol how american

 

[fordry06]

this story is untrue.... Way to check out the story before posting it toms.....
http/www.technobuffalo.com/blog/opinion/valdosta-state-university-p2p-policy-shows-issues-in-tech-blogging/

 

[Travis Beane]

Some of the best connections I've gotten have been from universities.
[citation][nom]poxenium[/nom]In theory all universities, schools and other government run institutions should crack down hard on criminal activity within their walls ... but what they have done is clearly overkill. To forbid students from using one certain technology (P2P) that is not necessarily used for breaking the law is an extreme measure. It's like confiscating all knives in a whole city to bring down crime rate.[/citation]
Exactly.
I actually was about to acquire a a nice knife, and was going to use it at work (cheap works knives weren't enough), but then I learned that the knife was illegal. Back to flimsy cheap blades at work...

 

[joemamasmurf]

I just graduated from VSU. It's kinda funny that they are doing this because our RA actually told my roomates about Ares. I'm sure there is some financial compensation going on. The university system of Georgia is strapped right now. Strapped to the point that most schools raised tuition by nearly 80%.
This isn't the first rime they've pulled some shananigans either. They are on the Foundation for individual rights in education watch list already

 

[firebee1991]

Even though the vast majority of torrents are used by pirates, they do have several legitimate uses. I would be pissed if they reported me to the police without even making sure that I was doing illegal stuff first.

 

[WarraWarra]

So what about legally downloading free opensource linux live cd iso files ?Guilty until proven innocent. Must be some delusional religious sect running this university.

Waco Texas / VSU Georgia.

Maybe the copy right mafia is bribing this university's. I love the "non-existing" legal system / "lack of a" constitution in the USA.

So will they rat out the communist to President Nixon and what about the Salem witch hunt, then we can burn all of them at the stake ?
Everyone knows the Education system here in the USA is upto-sh*t but this just takes the cake.

 

[WarraWarra]

[citation][nom]anonanonanonanon[/nom]load up some linux distros and share away... avoid any copyright works and wait for the expulsion and arrest... then call ACLU[/citation]
Wonder what the EFF would say about this after it happens then they can sue the living daylights out of this communist education system ?

Wonder what financial liability study these Rednecks at VSU did before they started this stupidity.
No insurance company would support VSU in this legal battle = close down VSU and repo it's staffs property.

 

[rawoysters]

Looks like a job for 4chan.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]MDillenbeck[/nom]Sorry, I disagree with most of you. It is the universities choice on how to handle the network they own. If a university refuses to give out information to the RIAA without a court order, I fully back them. However, I also fully back the university's right to monitor their own network and report any potential illegal activity.Think of it this way: if a professor reported a group of students passing around what appeared to be guns in his lecture, would you fault the University for bringing in the police to investigate these illegal activities? Now, just because you believe the activity should be illegal doesn't make it so. Don't like the law, either break it in obvious protest and accept the consequences (and get as much media coverage out of it as you can) or change the law first.[/citation]
Not all uses of P2P is for illegal matters. Most people download Linux distros using P2P, even blizzard uses P2P on some of their downloads. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Oh, that's right when it comes to P2P it's guilty until proven innocent.

 

[gti88]

I know how to bypass it easily. A student can use p2p on his home computer, by remote control program, and then download files through ftp.
Bingo!

 

[Parrdacc]

Let me look into the crystal ball.........Yes, I see. It is becoming clearer now. VSU's network will soon be attacked by disgruntled students. They will also see drop in enrollment as well as lawsuits funded by the collective of students or their parents. Yes. Yes. it is clear.

 

[hang-the-9]

School has the perfect right to do this. When they go on campus every student signs a computer usage agreement, just like people in real jobs do. Calling the police is a bit extreme though, I'd just block the mac address of the computer from accessing the network, then the kid can explain to the parents why his 2,000 laptop can't go online anymore.

If you think about it, they had to donwload a way to bypass security settings in place, if you need to sneak around to do something, there is a clue that you should maybe not be doing it?

 

[bill gates is your daddy]

[citation][nom]fordry06[/nom]this story is untrue.... Way to check out the story before posting it toms.....http/www.technobuffalo.com/blog/ [...] -blogging/[/citation]

This is called backpedaling and cover up.

1. School starting complaining and probably said something about turning kids over to the police

2. Someone got wind of it and started the story to let the students know about it

3. It becomes national news and now school officials are trying to play the "good guy" by saying the story is untrue, they would never do such a thing....blahblahblah

 

[hang-the-9]

[citation][nom]Vladislaus[/nom]Not all uses of P2P is for illegal matters. Most people download Linux distros using P2P, even blizzard uses P2P on some of their downloads. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Oh, that's right when it comes to P2P it's guilty until proven innocent.[/citation]

Did everyone miss the quote from the student where he said "if i'm just listening to music and not selling it, what's the big deal"? They don't exactly say "I was only downloading source code for open source works."

 

[tommysch]

[citation][nom]rawoysters[/nom]Looks like a job for 4chan.[/citation]

... is not your personal army. ebaumsworld are the one raiding anyway.

 

[bustapr]

I see this university going bankrupt pretty soon. Just how many student DONT use p2p ever...

I use P2P for college when I have to give things at presentations, just upload it on the net and give everyone the url. You cant kick me out for trying to get an A legally...