"This DRM is Orwellian!"

[Phrozenflame500]

Meh, it's hyperbolic language used to condemn EA, and while it's a bit silly to compare a totalitarian state to a power-hungry and somewhat stupid corporation it really isn't anything new. Although I find it interesting that in the 1950s the book was written in fear of excessive governmental control, while nowadays the terms are used to describe excessive corporate control.

Really though, DRM isn't the problem, it's intrusive DRM. Steam did it right by making a free, mostly reliable platform that allows usage of one account to pretty much any multiplayer game available while (with the exception of the "do you really own your games controversy") retaining most of the consumer control that purchasing the product entails. And while not everybody is willing to use Steam, it's definitely attractive. Contrast this with EA and Simcity, whose DRM is not just draconian, but rather pointless and stupid so due to the fact the backlash from PR probably hurt sales more then piracy would in addition to the fact that both pirates and legit modders have cracked the always-online part of the game already.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Aaaand congratulations, you have just brought me back full circle as to why I asked the fish what he thought taking a stand entailed. Glad we could take this little round about trip together, did we enjoy the sights we saw along the way?

Though really, no just not buying a product is not taking a stand, but not buying the product and saying WHY the product is bullshit, WHY you are not buying it to anyone who will listen IS taking a stand.

If you refuse to buy a car because it damages the ecosystem and ride a bike instead, that could be a stand so long as you are spreading your word about why you are doing it to those who will listen.

If you dont buy yogurt because its cruel to bacteria, or whatever, thats up to you if you are making that known to those who will listen.

But again, thats why I asked what HIS definition of a stand against something is.

Keep yer pants on, it's the weekend. I'm not going to get back to you on anything lickety split.

"Taking a stand" implies a degree of emotional or ideological investment. As I implied with my Pepsi analogy, me telling you I don't like Pepsi is not me "taking a stand" against Pepsi. It also implies a level of direct personal opposition. Wang Weilin took a stand. Rosa Parks took a stand. Cesar Chavez took a stand.

You are expressing an opinion. You are co-opting the term "took a stand" because you want to infuse your opinion with a sense of righteousness. You want to give the impression of moral authority. You're not just turning your nose up at a luxury entertainment product because of an annoying feature, by gum, you are taking a stand. You are the last proud man, resisting the encroachment of corporate devilry! The true and good will stand with you! The weak willed sheeple will look upon you with awe!

If you want to extend the term "taking a stand" to cover every single person who ever threw a strop over some purchasing decision, then the term has become functionally meaningless. You wanna tell all your friends about it? Fill your boots. You want to imagine you're some kind of 21st century revolutionary? Well...I guess that's your prerogative. It's pretty funny, and I recommend keeping it to yourself, but I'm just a stranger on the internet. Why would you care about anything I had to say.

 

[Altorin]

american slave owners barking about british taxes turning them into slaves because they couldn't afford to buy more slaves.

people have been using overblown and careless language since language became a thing.

 

[octafish]

Let's assume we're talsking about Sim City 5, since that's kind of the hot topic at the moment. The always online DRM in that isn't Orwellian. Far from it.

It's got far more in common with Paranoia, in that the seemingly monolithic and all-powerful system is actually utterly self-sabotaging and running on incompetent, ineffectual policies. It's not a dangerous regime, it's a bleak farce that no one who's actually a part of would dare to question, because they know that someone's going to get them long before they could actually change anything.

That's the difference between this DRM and an Orwellian government. In 1984, the government actually had a clue what they were doing.

The Computer is your friend!

Anyway, you are getting bogged down in semantics, just go with the flow. Some DRM does invade your privacy and is invasive, plus it implies guilt. That ticks enough boxes in the commonly accepted definition of Orwellian to fly. You want to argue hyperbole? Sure go ahead, but the phrase fits well enough to apply to DRM...and UK CCTV laws. Just because it isn't exactly like 1984 or Burmese Days doesn't mean it isn't somewhat Orwellian.

 

[Meatspinner]

I think the issue here is not the misuse of the word Orwellian but not understanding what a hyperbole is

 

[Abomination]

I think the issue here is not the misuse of the word Orwellian but not understanding what a hyperbole is

I for one find the use of hyperbole to be a terrible attempt at conveying any idea as it frequently blurs the water of any reflection of a topic - and on this I can see where the OP is going with this.

At the same time who the hell cares? There certainly are Orwellian ASPECTS to DRM and the way how the AAA industry operates so someone mentioning the parallels is hardly worth making a thread about.

 

[Therumancer]

"Soma"

Nitpicky, but Soma is from Brave New World, not 1984.

OT: It's hyperbole, on the internet, directed at something we're annoyed with. It's not something that should really be taken literally, even if there is some small connections between DRM and Orwell. Also, you're the first person I've ever seen refer to DRM as Orwellian.

Fair enough on the Soma it's been a long time.

For the record however I was never calling DRM Orwellian, more or less agreeing with the OP about the misuse of the term.

 

[ArmorKingBaneGief]

I think the issue here is not the misuse of the word Orwellian but not understanding what a hyperbole is

Either that, or disliking the hyperbole because of the misuse of the word Orwellian.

 

[Something Amyss]

Like many, this is the first time I've heard of such a statement.

 

[MPerce]

DRM is Orwellian, EA is the Antichrist, Sarkessian wants to enslave all men and create a feminist regime, and Mass Effect 3 murdered my family.

We're gamers on the Internet. We overreact to things. It's how we roll.