STS question

[Matt1]

To be of service to self is simply to make the conscious choice to benefit yourself at the cost of another self. With this in mind is it STS to download video games or movies/music without paying for them? You could call this stealing but what if the case is that the material be it the game or music is rather old , perhaps no longer able to buy at least in its original form? Would such an action still be considered to be STS?

[APeacefulWarrior]

Well, polarization is an internal process, not an external one. Aside from a few obvious exceptions, behaviors themselves can't be universally declared to be STO or STS. A wide variety of behaviors could be STO, STS, or simply neutral, based on your thought processes and emotional reactions to what's happening.

IE, online piracy by itself is neither STO or STS. It's how you approach it that matters.

Especially if you're talking about materials that aren't legitimately available for sale, then it's pretty karmically neutral. You're doing no direct harm to anyone. The imperative to pay is more of a moral\legal thing -human stuff- than having anything to do with your karma or polarization. The Cosmos really isn't going to care much whether you bootleg an album here and there.

Now, it could also be used as a springboard towards STO or STS polarization if someone took it far enough. There are, for example, truly dedicated pirates out there -usually ones running seedboxes with hundreds or thousands of active torrents- who are doing it to "Screw the Man" and deliberately try to cause harm to major publishers. Usually they have a complete disregard for the damage this mass uploading does to the artists as well. At that point, they've pushed it into STS territory because they're actively and deliberately causing damage. The deliberateness is needed for it to be truly polarizing.

On the other hand, let's say you download some rare OOP album from the 80s and love it so much that you track the artist down and PayPal him $25. He gets the money AND he undoubtedly gets happy vibes from the surprise. That would be a fundamentally Positive/STO action because you'd be deliberately going out of your way to be of service to someone, even when there's no compelling external reason to.

But if you simply download a movie occasionally? It's probably just neutral. You're doing no significant good or ill, especially in comparison to more important activities in your life. It's a few raindrops into the karmic ocean, at worst.

Basically, it would be best\optimal (for polarizing STO) to try to pay for occasional downloads, but it's not likely to matter if you don't.

[Plenum]

To be of service to self is simply to make the conscious choice to benefit yourself at the cost of another self. With this in mind is it STS to download video games or movies/music without paying for them? You could call this stealing but what if the case is that the material be it the game or music is rather old , perhaps no longer able to buy at least in its original form? Would such an action still be considered to be STS?

I think with the example of media, the question is more about a yellow-ray interaction with other-selves, and the laws that our culture has in place.

The question then becomes about how you choose to relate to the laws regarding intellectual property and so forth.

Choosing to respect the laws may be considered abiding by other selves, and respecting their wishes, but there are also laws that are restrictive and punitive.

Again, it would seem to be a case-by-case unique analysis.

[Minyatur]

I wouldn't pay for anything I download so I don't see anyone having losses. I got to pay for certain things I downloaded because I had downloaded them though.

[Jade]

Yeah, I don't have a media budget really, I stream music and TV shows and movies sometimes. It's money I would not have spent anyway, and, I also think today, multimedia success is also measured in clicks/streams/downloads - even if they weren't paid for, per se, exposure of any sort is good. If you watched something for free then rave about it on Facebook, I'm sure most modern media creators would see more value in your promotion of their material than the few dollars you may have spent to buy it. Just an example of how nuanced the service dichotomy is.

I think, most people (at least want to) create art for art's sake, and the money is a necessary byproduct, and those who are obsessed with copyright violations are the companies that own the media, and not usually the artists themselves. I mean the whole money issue gets sketchy either way, because someone will be protective of their "intellectual property" if it is tied to their livelihood - but I'm of the camp that art is art, and should be freely shared and enjoyed. In the context of watching movies for free online, I'd rather give the few extra bucks I have to spare to someone I'm more certain is hungry.

[earth_spirit]

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[upensmoke]

I can only say think of your actions and how it relates to all other-selfs I know a lot of people would disagree, but if you are the type of person who would sell there intellectual property for money instead of giving out for free open source style then yea i think its sts. Treat others how you would want to be treated. so if you created a super good video games and started to sell it way overpriced, would you be mad at people illegally downloading your game or would u be like its cool i would have done the same thing.

i wanted to add that if it is something you couldn't find in its original form or for purchase, who are you stealing from then ? it doesn't seem like any other selfs we experience any negativity in that situation

[Monica]

There is an old thread in the archives that really got into an extensive discussion about downloading games, movies and music. I don't remember the exact title but it started with ARRRGH! but it might have been spelled differently. (What is the correct spelling of Arrrgh?) I think I remember adding the word 'downloading' to the title so you might search for that. We covered a lot of ground so I definitely recommend resurrecting that old thread if you can find it.

[isis]

There is an old thread in the archives that really got into an extensive discussion about downloading games, movies and music. I don't remember the exact title but it started with ARRRGH! but it might have been spelled differently. (What is the correct spelling of Arrrgh?) I think I remember adding the word 'downloading' to the title so you might search for that. We covered a lot of ground so I definitely recommend resurrecting that old thread if you can find it.

http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=385

[darklight]

Do you guys using a vpn server with encryption?

[Minyatur]

Do you guys using a vpn server with encryption?

I live in Canada and have no fear.

[Nicholas]

To be of service to self is simply to make the conscious choice to benefit yourself at the cost of another self. With this in mind is it STS to download video games or movies/music without paying for them? You could call this stealing but what if the case is that the material be it the game or music is rather old , perhaps no longer able to buy at least in its original form? Would such an action still be considered to be STS?

I suspect not buddy.

41.14 Questioner: Is this energy center, then, on a very small scale related to the orange energy center in man?

Ra: I am Ra. The true color is precisely the same. However, the consciousness of the second-density beginning is primitive and the use of orange ray limited to the expression of self which may be seen to be movement and survival.

In third density, at this time, those clinging to orange ray have a much more complex system of distortions through which orange ray is manifested. This is somewhat complicated. We shall endeavor to simplify.

The appropriate true color for third density is, as you have ascertained, yellow. However, the influences of the true color, green, acting upon yellow-ray entities have caused many entities to revert to the consideration of self rather than the stepping forward into consideration of other-self or green ray. This may not be seen to be of a negatively polarized nature, as the negatively polarized entity is working very intensively with the deepest manifestations of yellow-ray group energies, especially the manipulations of other-self for service to self. Those reverting to orange ray, and we may add these are many upon your plane at this time, are those who feel the vibrations of true color green and, therefore, respond by rejecting governmental and societal activities as such and seek once more the self.

I think it is more fruitful to ponder why we are at times controlling or manipulative, rather than see these qualities as worthy of avoiding.

[Monica]

There is an old thread in the archives that really got into an extensive discussion about downloading games, movies and music. I don't remember the exact title but it started with ARRRGH! but it might have been spelled differently. (What is the correct spelling of Arrrgh?) I think I remember adding the word 'downloading' to the title so you might search for that. We covered a lot of ground so I definitely recommend resurrecting that old thread if you can find it.

http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=385

Thanks Isis!

...

[Monica]

I just reread the old thread. Funny how the new discussion on the same subject is totally different from the old discussion with different people. Totally different views.

...

[Aion]

Yeah, when a friend comes to my house to play a video game / watch a movie with me, the first thing I do is demand to see the purchase receipt which proves that he has paid for the same "product".

Music, movies, video games and such that are stored in a computer are essentially raw data which can be effortlessly reproduced. Good luck trying to "sell" something you can't grasp with the palm of your hand.

Ideas and information can't be the exclusive property of one.

What bothers me the most is when I can't tell whether the money I am paying profits some corporate execs instead of the creators themselves, or when the said execs do nothing but sit on the IP rights of fascinating, inspirational titles which prevent hobbyist developers from rebooting an old title for free.

If I made a video game myself, I'd prefer people to demonstrate their support by donations instead of guilt-tripping them into upholding some ridiculous intellectual property rights.

This is basically the same as my thoughts.