saynotosecurom's Journal

Welcome to saynotosecurom, LiveJournal's first exclusively anti-SecuROM community. This community was created as a response to the usage of DRM software in increasing numbers of computer programs currently being released. These programs are generally not disclosed to the End User (read: you and me), and their installation on a computer along with the software they're attached to can cause any number of problems.

The worst of these? SecuROM. It may seem innocuous enough, but this program has caused more than its fair share of problems. It can cause a variety of issues with an End User's computer, all in the name of "copyright protection". Somehow, that seems a bit unfair.


Now, onto the rules of the community.

What kind of posts are allowed?

~Anything regarding SecuROM. Whether it's the program itself or the games it's been included with, it's all fair game here.

~Posts to the effect of "I installed x, and now my computer won't burn CDs!" Any advice on removal of DRM software from computers is welcome here. Please note that this is advice only, and the community is NOT responsible for any damage to your computer, its data, or its components by your following that advice. If you do not feel comfortable removing DRM software from your computer by yourself, DO NOT DO IT. Allow a professional to handle it.

~General discussion of downloads/cracks/keygens/etc. I will only say this one time: THIS COMMUNITY DOES NOT ENDORSE DOWNLOADING. Downloading games via the internet without paying for them is illegal, there is no justifying it. If, however, a member asks "What's a keygen?", then general discussion is permitted. If you do use the internet to download games, cracks, or keygens, that is your decision to do so. Please do not directly involve the community in it.

~Links of interest. Seen a blog article, news report, or other story involving DRM? Post it up for others to see. If there are enough, I'll try to create a "Links of Interest" post for links that are most interesting. This is the only area where general DRM-related posts will be accepted, as the topic is a rather broad one.

~Other related discussions. Periodically, there may be discussions related to (though not directly talking about) DRM/SecuROM. These can range from thoughts on piracy to the current state of P2P sharing...anything that might be related.

What types of posts are NOT allowed?

~Trolling/spamming/flaming posts. These will get you a one-way ticket to perma-bansville. It doesn't matter if it's targeting a particular user, the community, or anything else; you'll still likely get a decent-length ban. So don't do it.

~"Hey guys! I found a great cracking program at {link here}!" As I said above, this community DOES NOT condone downloading of games, cracks, keygens, or anything else from the internet. First of all, it's illegal under U.S. law. Secondly, doing so is against LJ's ToS. Thirdly, I don't want members who are newer around the internet to think downloading is perfectly risk free, what with all the garbage you can pick up online via downloads. Violation of this rule will result in your post being edited to remove the link. Further violations will result in banning.

~Off-topic posts. These just tend to clutter the community. Try not to post OT, please.

~Deleting posts or comments. The only reasons you would need to do this are to fix HTML or other problems with comments if you are unable to edit them. If you are caught deleting posts or comments without a good reason, you will be given a short ban.

Note that these rules may be subject to change as the needs of the community change.