-----Original Message-----
From: TekDz9ER@aol.com [mailto:TekDz9ER@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2000 6:00 PM
To: idm@hyperreal.org
Subject: [idm] That Napster Thing
I came to a realization the other day that I may never have to buy a Cd
again.
In the past few weeks, I must have "stolen" hundreds of dollars worth of
music that I otherwise wouldn't ever have bought on my own.
This is interesting. You say you would never buy this music on your own, yet
you are still worried that you are 'stealing' it. If you wouldn't buy it in
the first place, how are you hurting the artist's financial situation?
So all in all, trying to shut down Napster was certainly not blatant greed.
The greed is now mine. It's a contradiction because I can't live without
it, but I am fully aware of how dangerous it is to the music industry.
The only way Napster is dangerous to the music industry is that it shows how
record companies present recorded music as a mythical medium and inflate
it's value through ownership and control. Those Britney Spears CDs don't
seem too valuable when you can grab all the Baby One More Times you want in
under two minutes. MP3's are a very demystifying and liberating experience.
What I'm saying is that rich bands are going to be rich bands anyway. The
only reason record companies (and the bands that act as their puppets) are
complaining is that a distribution model such as Napster presents just how
un-special pop music can be. Take away all of the hype and advertising
lacquer and you are left with a file that says "Metallica-FadeToBlack.mp3"
that you have to listen to it face value. Giving listeners a chance to hear
some of one's music in a private situation is about as harmful as playing a
mix tape while a friend is in the car with you.
As for artists not working in the pop world, it just gives a good example of
who's fronting and who's for real. For example: I downloaded an MP3 from
Napster by a band called Neutral Milk Hotel. A friend told me about them and
I wanted to check out the sounds before I put down dollars for a CD. It was
a great song. I was inspired to get the album. I did and most of the others
songs on the album don't please me as much as that one song. I'm glad Jeff
Magnum and friends got a piece of my $12 so they can pay rent or buy a new
set of guitar strings or whatever but I would have much rather have bought a
concert ticket to see them live than put down money for a CD that I don't
really listen to that much.
I don't see how you can think that shutting down Napster would accomplish
anything except make a bunch of people angry and a bunch of record execs
snicker a little more greedily.
Also, I must note that Napster is not really that innovative, just
specialized. I've been grabbing/sharing MP3's off Hotline servers since '96
(Hotline is basically Napster but more versatile).
-Lee
quoted 16 lines Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 07:33:00 CDT>Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 07:33:00 CDT
>To: ian@webice.net, idm@hyperreal.org
>From: "Twine sound" <twine_sound@hotmail.com>
>Subject: RE: [idm] "assholes" metal/lica?
>Message-ID: <F248FopYC98Bi89Qtpf0000028c@hotmail.com>
>
>I just had to throw my 2 cents in. Who could respect a money-grubbing
>band
>like metallicocksuckers. Trying to shut down Napster was the most blatant
>
>show of greed I have ever seen. I never liked them to begin with. If
>you
>want to hear good metal, check out RUINS from Japan! :)
>
>Peace,
>Chad
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