Gizmodo reports that Defective by Design, an anti-DRM group, is going to clog up the Apple Genius Bar this weekend with people complaining about the restrictive nature of the iPhone.
This is an idea (DRM sucks) that I totally support, but a terrible way to protest it. I mean, when I see idiots from PETA dressing up like animals or throwing blood around, it just makes me want to go on the Atkins diet. When I see Truth.com's super-obnoxious anti-smoking commercials, I want to buy cigarettes for minors.
I support treating animals humanely. I support keeping kids from smoking (And encouraging adults to stop). And I support telling Apple and the rest that they're a bunch of jerks with their insistence on DRM.
But this isn't the way to do it. The response to bad behavior is not more bad behavior. Apple's anti-customer policies are not justification to make this much of a nuisance of yourself.
Remember, when someone buys an iPhone, they've made a decision, based on their knowledge of the product, that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. For you, they may not. They don't for me. And really, we all know the only thing that would make me buy an Apple product (Except as gifts for my wife, because she's great) is if all of you stopped liking them.
And yes, DRM is bad for everyone, and everyone who buys DRM-infected content or devices is making it tougher on the rest of us. But this is a free country, and that includes the freedom to make decisions based on your own relative needs and desires.
Anyway, not that anyone listens to me, but I urge you to ignore Defective by Design's request to mess with the Apple Genius Bar. It's not the right way to protest DRM. I mean, really, does anyone think Apple cares?
Anti-DRM = pro-piracy,
Anti-DRM = pro-piracy, right? You <3 communism. Thankfully, we don't actually live in China, so consumers don't have to purchase any of this crap if they don't want.. Few, protest need averted!
All this being said, I agree with your primary message. This "protest" is just going to piss off other poor consumers who have to wait in line longer to buy their iPod accessories. What "pro-consumer" group would do that?... Jerks.
Anti-DRM is not necessarily
Anti-DRM is not necessarily pro-piracy. Sure, many who are pro-piracy are also anti-DRM. But DRM does not prevent piracy. It never has. It never will. The very nature of infinitely copyable content means that one single copy is an infinite number of copies.
I want to see more business models based on offering incentives to purchase (See: Nine Inch Nails) and fewer based on treating customers as criminals.
DRM is just dumb. It takes a product and makes it less valuable. It's completely anti-consumer.
Remember, I don't pirate movies or music or software. Don't call me pro-piracy.
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