The mixtape ban on this forum...

kevri

Dear Moderator,

just reading through the rules of the forum and while some are common sense, there are others which are absolutely ridiculous! The rule which states people cannot talk about where to buy mixtapes is absolutely crazy and misinformed...I was wondering could you explain to me why this is the case?

Mixtapes are the foundation of Hip-Hop, the accepted way for upcoming artists to make a breakthrough so I don't understand why you would feel it necessary to discourage their use on a Hip-Hop website!?!

I read a post on this forum not so long ago that stated the only person who gets paid from mixtapes is the seller. That argument is completely unfounded as all distributors of mixtapes buy directly from the DJ himself-ask any of them. If the CDs are not bought directly then they are simply pirated CDs, and in the same catagory as pirate albums and pirate DVDs. I dont see how the presence of some pirated versions can affect the actual mixtape product.

The reason I am writing to you is I would like to set the record straight on this matter. Mixtapes are onsale in mainstream outlets such as HMv and Virgin so I don't see why you feel the need to keep it so hush-hush. I suggest you look into mixtapes a little deeper as a huge percentage of the artists you listen to began their career that way. The most successful Hip-Hop DJs in the world are mixtape DJs. To ban discussion of where to buy mixtapes is no different from banning discussion on where to buy graffiti paint.

Executive Steve

first of all, this isn't a hip hop forum, this is the bit of www.boards.ie where threads about hip hop / rap get put. most people here wouldn't know hip hop if it jumped out from behind a lamppost and bit them in the ankle.

second of all, i think the main reason that the mod probably took the your "mixtapes for sale" thread is that www.boards.ie is not a free advertising service. if someone wants to advertise their company / site etc or make money out of boards users by selling them mixtapes than they can talk to the management about a banner ad.

it's up to the mod at the end of the day, having said that, doubt he or she will give a very different answer.

Makaveli

That's pretty much it.
Site pimping isnt allowed, you want to advertise buy an ad off boards. That's not to say linking to sites is banned but should the content of said site look a tad dodgy then it's better safe than sorry.
There are boards.ie site wide rules that have to be adhered to. If you have a problem with them go post on Feedback and see what the response is.
Mix tapes are a legal grey area so unless you can verify they are legit don't post links to them, simple as that.
You're analogy as to mixtapes and graffitti paint is bollocks by the way, paint is a tool, it's not like you're not allowed to talk about where you can buy blank cds.

chiller

how did u even come up with that rule banning mixtapes some of the best hip hop songs out there are from the mix tapes u mustnt really like hip hop if dont wanna listen to the mix tapes or maybe your just a ****ing idiot who knows nothing about hip hop at all are just listen to eminem fifty cent and the game am i right? u dick :mad: :mad:

Makaveli

Did you even read the posts are you just not able to understand them?
If the content of a site is illegal be it in breach of copyright/pirated/warez then it is banned from boards.ie as a whole.
There are site-wide rules. Can you grasp that concept?
Go have a bitch and moan about it on feedback, or take out a ticket at the help desk.

Chiller, you're banned by the way. I'm sure we'll be left with a massive loss due to this, what with your stellar posts, but that's the way it is.

Gordon

Makaveli wrote:

If the content of a site is illegal be it then it is banned from boards.ie as a whole.

Indeed, if illegal and/or blatant advertising occurs I'll take joy in sitebanning someone for it.

Kristok

For the record im pretty sure kevri has something to do with that oh so dodgy site that was linked to recently as he gave me an ear full via pm about how wrong i am and how i should leave the orignal poster Rossb alone.

Mixtapes are great but just like mod chips its a legal grey area and a site like this looking for paid for ads dosnt want to look like it allows illegal stuff to be posted.

Gordon

Kristok, can you pm me the site please, I'll take a look at it.

Stix

Dont worry Kevri

The mods here have alwaysbeen over the top, its like walking on egg shells around here.

I wouldnt be surprised if i got banned just for speaking my mind.

If i do, avenge my death ...

Makaveli

If you don't like it leave.
Nobody is forcing you to post or read what is on this site.

I'm sure you know all about the site and mod attitudes and how they have always been over the top what with you being here 6 months.

Gordon

If this is what the mods are doing on this forum then they are doing a bang up job imo. Protecting boards from any legal action against it is vital to its existance, and if boards didn't exist you wouldn't be able to post here to complain about it...

Kristok

sorry Gordon no idea what the sites address is makaveli snipped it.

As for the argument that mixtapes are legal, I was recently in Ny and went to loads of record shops and only found the same selection of comercial mixtapes that you see in hmv etc. Went to canal street on a saturday and everyone selling music on a stall had all kinds of mixtapes alongside people selling fake designer handbags and rolux watchs. I also read an article last year in the source or xxl about the police cracking down on shop owners who sold mixtapes and they where talking about how they usualy have a cd burner out the back making them. Noone is disagreeing that they are a part of hip hop but there not a legal part even if they are a big one.

Pen0s

im confused.

are we talking about advertising a site that sells mixtapes or one that u can download free mixtapes?

Think i'll have to agree with the mods on this one.better to be safe than sry tbh.

i take it that its ok to link to a site like HMV or Virgin because the game has 2 or 3 mixtapes out now that u can buy in hmv in town, there is alot of dogey sites, what about the record labels site wud it be cool to post mixtape links from them?

Makaveli

As stated in the charter if you can show the sites are legitimate there is no problem posting links to sites that sell them. Otherwise you can't and links to downloads are certainly not allowed.

echomadman

christ, that pillock pm'd me about this too.

I DONT MOD THIS FORUM ANYMORE IDIOTS

keep fighting the power anyway lads.

Makaveli

Storm in a teacup but let them fight it.
I've been cut to shreds by chiller in a pm too, he can't believe I had the audacity to call myself Makaveli and that I'm power tripping big time. OH NOES!
Blah-di-blah-di-blah.

sceptre

chiller wrote:

how did u even come up with that rule banning mixtapes some of the best hip hop songs out there are from the mix tapes u mustnt really like hip hop if dont wanna listen to the mix tapes or maybe your just a ****ing idiot who knows nothing about hip hop at all are just listen to eminem fifty cent and the game am i right? u dick :mad: :mad:

I understood none of that. None of it. Except for the u dick part so how about a ten day site ban for being abusive. I believe there's already a local ban in place, the duration of that is up to the mods.

It's like this and I'll put it simply: no-one moderating this forum or any forum is going to put the whole site at risk just because a few blokes want to swap music, movies or any other content that they didn't pay for through completely legitimate channels and that they themselves have the right to swap. That means that just because you paid for something at some dodgy stall down the market doesn't mean it's legit. It also means that just because you paid for it in HMV, you don't have the right to distribute it over the Net. If any music is linked to and any of us aren't entirely satisfied that all rights holders have been compensated, I'll happily hand out site bans like they're going out of fashion.

That's the same rule that's followed anywhere else on the site. You're not being treated differently, you're being treated just the same as everyone else for a pretty good reason - turn boards.ie into some sort of itsy-bitsy mini Napster and there won't be any boards.ie before you can take off your hoodie or whatever floats your boat. That's a warning. It's a full warning, it's a final warning. That's before I get to any tosser who decided to actually sell his mixtapes on this site, which is both doubly stupid and illegal. And I don't like dumbass spammy pimps.

Part of the hip-hop culture gone? Well, that's a pity. Perform your mix tapes out of the back of a truck for all I care but don't distribute them over the internet and use boards.ie for promotion on it. The least you'll get is a banning. The most you'll get is a possible willingness on the part of the admins to hand over your IP address to the relevant rights holders if they feel like making an issue of it. Faced with losing you or losing the site, no-one's going to be willing to lose the site over someone distributing their sodding mix tapes who can't read and understand that it's not permitted.

Now, I could have put all that in a friendlier way, I could have sugar coated it, but while I realise that there are probably quite a few people who are disappointed, I'm assuming that most of them understand why so I'm posting specifically at the small percentage of people who reckon their free speech is being infringed upon or something equally notional. Not here, see?