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The Israel debate taken to weird extremes (or: activism gone weird)
Daedalus
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, I was looking around today for some software to make my Wii Remote work with my computer.
Bear with me here, I'm getting to the topic.
I came across what looked like the preferred solution, a well-polished Windows app called GlovePIE. I was looking at the creator's website and reading about the program and such when I came across a rather strange disclaimer stating that this software was not allowed to be used in Israel (among other strange disclaimers).
After a quick Googling, I learned that he, in fact, "enforced" this by checking if the user had an Israeli IP address, a Hebrew-language installation of Windows, a computer whose serial number indicates that it was manufactured in Israel, etc, etc, and if any such signs were detected, would cause the program to fail and pop open a browser window redirecting to some "Boycott Israel" page.
Now, certainly this guy has a right to license his software however he wants and making a program fail because of your IP address block is probably not too much more absurd than, say, Bioshock failing to start if Microsoft Process Explorer is detected in the background, but is this becoming some kind of trend? It bothers me, a bit, that somebody would think to themselves "Well, the Israeli government does X, so therefore everyone who lives there must support X, and so I'll discriminate against them," and I must admit that my first thought after seeing the ubiquitous "please give me money over Paypal" button I thought to myself, "yeah, sure, right after I donate some money to Aryan Nation," but at the same time I'm probably going to use the software, because, well, it works. I don't know if this makes me a hypocrite or what.
So, what do you people think about the fairness of this sort of thing? Is it misguided activism? Thinly-disguised anti-semitism? Legally irrelevant because you can't actually put that kind of language in a copyright license? Does using the (free) program support that kind of bullshit, or does it not really matter? Discuss (or whatever).
Bear with me here, I'm getting to the topic.
I came across what looked like the preferred solution, a well-polished Windows app called GlovePIE. I was looking at the creator's website and reading about the program and such when I came across a rather strange disclaimer stating that this software was not allowed to be used in Israel (among other strange disclaimers).
After a quick Googling, I learned that he, in fact, "enforced" this by checking if the user had an Israeli IP address, a Hebrew-language installation of Windows, a computer whose serial number indicates that it was manufactured in Israel, etc, etc, and if any such signs were detected, would cause the program to fail and pop open a browser window redirecting to some "Boycott Israel" page.
Now, certainly this guy has a right to license his software however he wants and making a program fail because of your IP address block is probably not too much more absurd than, say, Bioshock failing to start if Microsoft Process Explorer is detected in the background, but is this becoming some kind of trend? It bothers me, a bit, that somebody would think to themselves "Well, the Israeli government does X, so therefore everyone who lives there must support X, and so I'll discriminate against them," and I must admit that my first thought after seeing the ubiquitous "please give me money over Paypal" button I thought to myself, "yeah, sure, right after I donate some money to Aryan Nation," but at the same time I'm probably going to use the software, because, well, it works. I don't know if this makes me a hypocrite or what.
So, what do you people think about the fairness of this sort of thing? Is it misguided activism? Thinly-disguised anti-semitism? Legally irrelevant because you can't actually put that kind of language in a copyright license? Does using the (free) program support that kind of bullshit, or does it not really matter? Discuss (or whatever).
Daedalus on
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Far as I can tell, he lives in the US. And it looks like a personal view.
Besides, he's got a Paypal donation account, like I said, and Paypal doesn't serve Syria, Iran, etc. etc.
Still makes it stupid though. Also, anti-israel != anti-zionism != anti-semitism. Please be very very very careful throwing those terms around because people use them differently all the time and nobody has a clear definition.
Just uh, FYI.
But you know, the kid who made this piece of software is probably young, does not hold a position of power and his voice will be ignored. Screwing over a few Israelis is pretty much the only way he can show his anger at the Israeli government.
Anyhow, on the question about whether or not it's hypocritical of you to use the software: hell no. Even assuming you were some sort of heavily hawkish, pro-Israel Jew it wouldn't be, because what is it giving this guy? Nothing. Maybe using a bit of his bandwidth, which is, in a small way, hurting him.
I don't think he is. To me, it looks more like he's trying to encourage (albeit in fairly negative way) people who live in Israel to put more pressure on their government not to act the way they do.
That's different from blocking the citizens of a country whose government's policies you don't agree with.
Then he'd be a racist, but it looks like he's not blocking Israel because he doesn't like Jews, and once you start specifically changing the rationale for your example it becomes useless.
Fuck, a Dutch company tried to release an internet specifically for the Netherlands, they envisioned it as a huge network everyone living here could connect to. Of course it never worked, but hey, its possible.
- "Proving once again the deadliest animal of all ... is the Zoo Keeper" - Philip J Fry
Except he's made no indication that he's an anti-semite. Unless you believe anti-Zionism == anti-semitism, in which case there are several forumers (including myself) who would wish to disabuse you of that notion.
Care to explain?
So what do you people think about the fairness of this sort of thing?
Many people refuse to serve others for various reasons, which may or may not be good ones. He's hardly unique.
I'd file that under "Why PayPal is a corporation in serious need of regulation."
No.
Well it more or less started with this debate between Norman finkelstein and Alan Dershowitz where Normal Finkelstein accuses Alan Dershowitz of having written a Hoax of a book and having plagiarized from another author. This turned into a major conflict where Dershovic started a lawsuit, sent various false accusations about Finkelstein (calling him a holocaust denier, things about his parents, etc etc) to the other proffesors at De Paul university where he had tenure, aswell as eventually getting first his tenure denied and then fired, despite massive protests from students aswell as other proffesors.
All more or less an attempt to discredit him as he has critized Dershowitz and Israel.
Googling should get you plenty of better written summaries but then they probably will not mention alot of the "behind the scenes" shit against Finkelstein.
- "Proving once again the deadliest animal of all ... is the Zoo Keeper" - Philip J Fry