Situation:
One evening a friend recommends a television show to you. “It’s really funny,“ he says, and”you’d love it.” The conversation continues, but the show comes up several more times. Upon returning home you decide that it’s not that late and you’ll check it out. You open your trusted laptop and type in hulu.com, and then the show’s name. Boom, you’re in luck. Click. Now you’re excited, and your friend was very enthusiastic. You scan the episode list. Episode 12. Episode 15. Episode 19. Episode 20. Episode 17. End. Confused, you look around for more pages, or another link. Nothing. After a bit of reading you click on the “Availability” link. The following text appears:
“We are able to post the last five episodes of Modern Family to air on TV. The episodes posted may vary based on ABC’s on-air schedule.”
This provides you with one point of information: ABC makes this show. You go to ABC.com. You are greeted by a horrible Netflix pop-up, and auto-play Flash ads. Frustrated, you eventually find the show’s page.
You discover the same five episodes.
Do you:
Close both windows (and the pop-up) and go to bed
Go watch something else on Hulu that you already know
Trust your friend’s enthusiasm and google for a torrent or illegal stream of the show’s pilot
One of these options makes ABC view you as a criminal. The other two result in you never seeing their product.