On Piracy, And Being a Cheapskate

Although I had the excitement of turning 21 yesterday, the 30th was also a bit of a sad day. One of my favorite websites, NinjaVideo.net, was shut down. For those not familiar with the site, it featured streaming video of a wide selection of television shows, recently released movies, documentaries, etc. I don't own a television as a student, so the site was the perfect place to watch Law & Order episodes on a lazy Saturday or catch up on an episode of the Daily Show.

It was also lovely because the shows didn't have commercials, so an hour of television could be conveniently watched in 42 minutes. It doesn't get much better.

But the reason the site was shut down was due to piracy, so viewing wasn't necessarily guilt-free. If I steal music, which I admit to doing occasionally, I can ease my conscience by buying the band's album on vinyl or going to their concert. With stolen TV or movies, it's not as easy to rationalize. But paying for a TV and cable or a movie ticket seems even less worthwhile than paying for music. You can't choose when things are playing, and you can only see them once.

I understand why pirating is wrong, and I can't say I really disagree. As a writer, I'm quite annoyed when my work is quoted or posted someone else without attribution. I think Hulu.com has the right idea. A limited amount of television shows are posted, but everything is good quality, free and has a small amount of ads. Upon my last visit, I was pleased to discover excerpts from smart but lesser known shows such as MythBusters and Top Gear. I just hope full episodes are posted soon. While I want to say that NinjaVideo's shutdown will lead me to watch on more legal websites, I'll likely just be heading over to SurftheChannel.com. What's convenient and what's morally right are too often separate things.