First of all, I, too, would like to learn how to rip DVDs.... and to be perfectly honest, not to pirate, but specifically to rip Moulin Rouge, simply because it's like one big long music video... one of those movies I can watch over and over... and this would be for convenience purposes, so I don't have to take that beautifully packaged two DVD set wherever I go and risk damaging it... can you tell I'm a fan?
Secondly...
It's interesting what's happening to our society... it has now become acceptable to steal artistic performances in the form of movies, music videos, tv shows, and songs... and although warez are popular, they seem shunned compared to the other things stolen.
The difference is that movies and music are usually considered forms of performance "art," whereas software is usually considered a "product"... (although I consider Mac OS X a work of art, and I consider N*Sync a product, that's beside the point)
It's a question of Art vs. Product. But why is one more acceptible to steal than the other? Beats me.