intellectual property rights

[Chuck]

If I get to choose the encoding scheme then the joke would be encoded at the beginning of pi.

[hhEb09'1]

If I get to choose the encoding scheme then the joke would be encoded at the beginning of pi.

The Bad Astronomy Pi Code

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1 B A D A S T R O N O
2 M Y A C E R L F G H
3 W K N P Q U N X Z A
4 E V M E N I A L J M
5 S Y E T O C K I A D
6 R I C O P F W Y I S
7 H A R D T O B L O G
8 M E A T U Z S V B P
9 S T R E N D R G A F
0 W E V O C G X J N U

Just take the digits of pi, two at a time. For instance, the first two digits, 31, translate into W.

[cjl]

WE ARE IRRATIONAL NEVER TRANSCENDENTAL

That correct?

[hhEb09'1]

and pi said so

[Nereid]

on jokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Man, I knew this board was overmoderated, but that's more than ridiculous. I'd be embarrased to be a moderator today.

crosscountry, are you referring to the specific actions of one mod, or BAUT's rule #4* (or both, or something else)?

If it's not the specific action(s) of one mod, then I'd appreciate it if you would make that clear; if it is the specific action(s) of one mod, then I'd appreciate it if you could send me a PM.

*4. Copyright

Do not post copyrighted material here. This is very serious. It is within the law to post small, relevant quotes, but not whole passages from newspapers, magazines, books, etc. If you do, the post will be deleted, and you will be warned. Do it twice and you will be banned. If you want to reference material somewhere else on the web, give a brief summary and link to the rest. People can go take a look at what you're talking about and then return to discuss it further.

[Jeff Root]

Please stop resurrecting old threads where people retell jokes
they've read or heard elsewhere. This is a serious concern as
far as intellectual property is concerned.

antoniseb,

I think you don't understand that the only way jokes live is
by being retold. The reason jokes exist is to be passed on
from person to person. Not allowing jokes to be retold is
completely, utterly, totally, absolutely against the rise of
civilization, mom, the flag, and apple pie.

The only reason you close the joke threads is that you can't
think of any jokes yourself.

You can't, can you?

Be honest, now. You can't bring to mind even one joke.

I can't, either.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

[hhEb09'1]

I think you don't understand that the only way jokes live is
by being retold. The reason jokes exist is to be passed on
from person to person. Not allowing jokes to be retold is
completely, utterly, totally, absolutely against the rise of
civilization, mom, the flag, and apple pie.

But they're not restricting the re-telling of jokes person to person, it's the publishing of jokes that is under restriction. As much as some of us might like to think that this forum is a one-to-one conversation (how many times have we seen posts like "don't answer me, I was talking to someone else"? ), it's not.

[Moose]

Be honest, now. You can't bring to mind even one joke.

Jeff, it's been explained to you multiple times why hosting copywrited material isn't a good idea.

Gillianren pointed out to you both how net-copied jokes get misattributed (if they are attributed at all), which has to be frustrating for the actual authors.

01101001 pointed out to you both that there are people out who make their livings on their jokes and are willing to defend them.

I pointed out to you both that there are people out there (like the RIAA) willing to hair-trigger lawsuits to anybody regardless of validity, causing a lot of unneeded expenses to their victims.

Yes, it's a somewhat ridiculous situation, but there are people like that out there.

The fact that you and Tofu have contrary opinions is utterly irrelevant. My opinion on the matter is utterly irrelevant. The management of this board is unwilling to accept the risk on your behalf. This has been explained to you several times now.

[Moose]

But they're not restricting the re-telling of jokes person to person, it's the publishing of jokes that is under restriction.

Exactly. This is worth repeating.

Very well said, Grapes.

[antoniseb]

The only reason you close the joke threads is that you can't think of any jokes yourself.

The reason that I close these threads is that Fraser and Phil asked me to, for good legal reasons. I find your assertion that I can't think of even one joke both insulting, and ironic, since I'm part of an improv comedy troupe, and a writer for them. If you'd made such an insulting remark to another member, and not myself, I'd give you a warning.

[hhEb09'1]

I'm part of an improv comedy troupe, and a writer for them.

OK, tell us original joke.

Sorry, I guess that's like asking a doctor for medical advice at a party.

I did just notice that my attempt last night to start an original joke thread was deleted--albeit, the OP had asked that it be deleted, but I thought it could be savaged.

[antoniseb]

OK, tell us original joke.

I say a lot of things on this forum which would have to be taken as amusing.

Like the flow of threads, most things in improv comedy are only funny in context. Sometimes you can extract a single line, but that is rare, and not particularly valued. A lot of the comic stuff I do is either religious in nature, or off-color, or steeped in Italian Ren culture, and often all three. It doesn't really work well here.

On the other hand, there was a stretch last summer when I posted a lot of things to the fun & games section. I thought quite a few of my acronyms had some humor value.

But you're right about the request. Some famous comic said that if you have a choice between going to two parties, one with comedians and the other with undertakers, you should always pick the undertakers.

[crosscountry]

I have something appropriate to say for this situation, but it would be moderated, and I'm getting tired of that.

[R.A.F.]

I have something appropriate to say for this situation, but it would be moderated, and I'm getting tired of that.

Oh come on...the only reason a mod would er... "moderate" someone's post is if that someone were to break the rules of this board...

So "something appropriate" would be a rule breaker?...and you are "tired" of following the rules?

Too bad....we all have to follow the rules, and accept the consequences of breaking those rules.

I fail to see the problem.

[Jeff Root]

The reason that I close these threads is that Fraser and Phil asked
me to, for good legal reasons.

I don't believe the "good legal reasons" part. I would believe
"because it's the easiest thing to do in this situation".

I find your assertion that I can't think of even one joke both
insulting, and ironic,

Not ironic enough to be humorous.

since I'm part of an improv comedy troupe, and a writer for them.

I told someone at an improv comedy theater that I was a writer
and had some material for them. He laughed at me.

He said they don't use writers-- they improvise.

If you'd made such an insulting remark to another member, and not
myself, I'd give you a warning.

Certainly. But I'll switch from a sniper's rifle to a shotgun:

Nobody here can come up with an original joke that is funny.

Please note that I say "joke". A pun is not a joke. You can come
up with tons of puns but I assert that not one person will be able
to come up with a funny joke that is certifiably original. If it is
original, it won't be funny. If it is funny, either it won't be original,
or it will be a story of an actual event, or it will be a pun rather
than a joke.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

[crosscountry]

I got one you haven't heard before

[Frog march]

WHat do you call the art movement started by Damian Hurst?


The postmortemists

[antoniseb]

I told someone at an improv comedy theater that I was a writer
and had some material for them. He laughed at me.

He said they don't use writers-- they improvise.

And so do we, but we improvise from an outline. What we do is not the standard Second City, or Upright Citizen's long form, and we do have a written base. It includes entrances, exits, and simple plot points. We improvise how these are achieved, back story, context, and specifics.

Nobody here can come up with an original joke that is funny.

That's fair, but it is not a reason for us to change our rules and policies.

[hhEb09'1]

Nobody here can come up with an original joke that is funny.

Please note that I say "joke". A pun is not a joke. You can come
up with tons of puns but I assert that not one person will be able
to come up with a funny joke that is certifiably original. If it is
original, it won't be funny. If it is funny, either it won't be original,
or it will be a story of an actual event, or it will be a pun rather
than a joke.

You're just playing the odds there, since you've eliminated all the usual ways that most jokes are developed. A lot of "pollished" (i.e., funny) jokes have been re-worked.

JR: how're we going to get through life without humor?
MO: I dunno, we'll improvise

The board admins are telling us that this is an astronomy board--there are plenty of "joke" boards and sites. Regardless of the copyright issue.

[Maksutov]

Alllll riiiight. See what happens when you start telling jokes? That's why we're careful around here, we don't let people run around with sharp comments and pointed barbs. Sure, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Completely correct, hhEb09'1! Let this be a lesson to all who would do such things!

[Maksutov]

OK, tell us original joke.

Sorry, I guess that's like asking a doctor for medical advice at a party.

I did just notice that my attempt last night to start an original joke thread was deleted--albeit, the OP had asked that it be deleted, but I thought it could be savaged.

Well, I thought about savaging it, but in this brave new world, the results would have been, shall we say, about the same as Darwin beating Huxley.

[Maksutov]

[edit]I told someone at an improv comedy theater that I was a writer
and had some material for them. He laughed at me.

He said they don't use writers-- they improvise....

That's been a complaint of writers for many years.

Case in point: what George S. Kaufman said. Here's a link (see the third paragraph). I don't want to risk violating copyright law by posting his words here.

[Jeff Root]

Hmmm... Mak, reading your last two posts, did you somehow
guess the specific improvisational theater I referred to?

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

[Maksutov]

Hmmm... Mak, reading your last two posts, did you somehow
guess the the specific improvisational theater I referred to?

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

Perhaps I did.

Might be related to one an ex-girlfriend performed at a while back. I not only provided her with some sure-fire material, but also musical accompaniment for her vocalization of my parody of 16 Tons.

Needless to say, being a liberated woman, she departed from the script and started doing her own stuff.

Finally it got so bad that, looking around, I noticed one of the people booing her was an old friend of ours. He and I then struck up a conversation across the room that touched upon many things, including some of her quirks. The audience started getting a real kick out of this, while she started yelling in the microphone about the real show being up there, which caused even more hilarity in the audience.

Of course she was furious on the way home. All I said to her was, "Next time, stick to the script!"

[Frog march]

Did you hear about the school that ran a course on Existentialism?

They had to end the course because the kids wouldn't do their homework, said that the school and teachers stopped existing when they were at home.

[Laguna]

Posting a joke is more like posting the lyrics to a song or a single page from a book. People don't get sued for doing that.

Oh yes, they are sued for doing that. Try to find a german page with song lyrics on the net. Good Luck! Won't find any single one anymore. They even sued 8 year old kids for hosting the lyrics of their favourite song.

Oh and try posting the last page of the next and last Harry Potter before it is published. Guess what would happen? No, Miss Rowling would not pat you on your back. Her lawyer would.

[Maksutov]

Oh yes, they are sued for doing that. Try to find a german page with song lyrics on the net. Good Luck! Won't find any single one anymore. They even sued 8 year old kids for hosting the lyrics of their favourite song.

Oh and try posting the last page of the next and last Harry Potter before it is published. Guess what would happen? No, Miss Rowling would not pat you on your back. Her lawyer would.

DICK: The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

- Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene II.

Whoops, I've just set myself up to be sued by the Shake's heirs.

[Laguna]

Shakespeare is public domain. At least under German law.

[Maksutov]

Shakespeare is public domain. At least under German law.

That leaves 242 countries where potentially they could still come after me.

I'll just supply links from now on, and let the poor suckers who posted the material experience the "merciful" wrath of the attorneys.

[Doodler]

That leaves 242 countries where potentially they could still come after me.

I'll just supply links from now on, and let the poor suckers who posted the material experience the "merciful" wrath of the attorneys.

Shakespeare is public domain in the US. Copyrights cannot be held for more than the life of the author plus 50 years or so. I think you're safe.