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From: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke)
Newsgroups: ut.general,tor.general
Subject: Re: decoder schematics/parts list
Message-ID: <1248@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 09:34:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsri.1248
Posted: Fri Jul 12 09:34:32 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 12-Jul-85 09:39:17 EDT
References: <2217@utcsstat.UUCP> <616@utai.UUCP> <617@utai.UUCP> <618@utai.UUCP>
Reply-To: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke)
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 21
Summary: 

I think the relevant point of news-posting etiquette says something like,
"Don't tell anyone how to do anything illegal, or ask anyone to tell you."
It is apparently illegal to decode pay-TV signals without paying for them,
and we should not therefore post news explaining how to build a decoder,
since the building is the only part of the illegal decoding that would need
an explanation (... unless you really need to be told how to turn your
TV on!)  It's true that this illegal means of watching pay TV would have
the non-illegal side effect of causing you to own your own decoder, but
that's beside the point.

Likewise, we should not ask for nor give instructions on how to set up an
illegal satellite dish, should we? -- even if the government would never
prosecute.

None of this has (I think) anything to do with the morality of do-it-yourself
decoding.  Personally, I find the idea that I can't do what I like with
signals entering or passing through my property rather offensive.  ("Entering"
covers my annoyance with the bit in the cable-TV contract about not connecting
a second TV to the cable.  I don't want to, but I almost wish I did want to.)
But there are only a few news networks, and there's not much sense putting
this one, and in this case our university too, in danger of being sued.