Goodbye Napster

[WebHead]

I think Cobrage summed it all up pretty good there. And I hope I don't come across as offensive to anyone in my posts on this subject. I just feel very strongly about this issue.

[http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum1/noncgi]

Since Napster started censoring, I haven't purchased even one music CD. When I downloaded music off Napster, if I liked the music, I'd buy the album. Now that I can't download the music to try it before I buy it, I don't buy it. I doubled my CD collection in the short time I used Napster, now I have stopped buying music.

Way to shoot yourselves in the foot, RIAA!

[elbatcho]

This is a prime example of scape goating. The truth of the matter behind the case is that the iindustry was just jealous they never thought of doing this. It's like HBO vs Sony. The problem is that they are using out dated laws to govern a new monster and yet again who really pays, us the people. We created a network of trade, free trade, where we the people could log on to a common site and trade music. Yes on the one hand it was stealing but it is no diffrent from libarys. The music industry and some artist can't stand the fact that they are not making the %95 off cd sales. We are talking about a product that cost nothing to make. The truth of the matter is that greed has made this product die. It's about time we get represented in this case. We the People. This product was made for us and I for one feel it will be a very long time before I buy a Metalica CD, or go out and buy new music. At the end of the day it's all about greed and supply and demand. I demand that we get to sample the music before we buy it. I hate getting on this rant but it's about time the industry listens to us instead of preaching it twisted value system. After all they all sample and steel from each other, so why is it wrong for us to share amoung ourselfs.

[King Grover]

I don't have too deep of an opinion on this one since I don't use Napster alot (56K at home and firewall a t work I can't get through) but, when i did use Napster and if I had a high speed connection at home, I would and have used it for one purpose and one purpose only. Getting music for free. No, I ma not saying this jsut to get people going, but only as the truth. I justify my actions in no way what so ever. I just want to point out that there are many more people like me who use products like this to "steal". Hell, I used to shoplift from large department stores and sell the goods to people at school. In the end, I'm jsut a common thief. Honesty can be brutal and ugly, but not as ugly as a lie.

[twelve]

I agree with Cobra on almost all of it but I feel there is something missing from the equation.

These are some things I guess I am curious about how others feel.

1. Overhead costs of producing music have dropped by the decrease in equipment costs and media costs, however, CD's are at the same price as they were 10 years ago.

2. Napster represented an unsuccessful business model (without subscription fees) however a subscription fee based service becomes a virtually no overhead business. Users pay to download and buy their own media. Obviously the RIAA couldn't have competition so Napster is out.

3. Dstribution-wise, there is no current way to distribute music faster than the internet, I actually do own probably about 95% of what I downloaded, I wanted it in MP3 format but like most I am too lazy to take the time to rip it, T1 speed at home helped. How many others are there like that.

4. I (and I think many others) would pay $10-20 per month for unlimited downloads, but the Napster-size library (all encompassing) would have to be there too, can this be done with the current number of labels.

[Sowulo]

Without commenting on content, I would commend King Super Grover for being honest about it at least....


Now, if Napster (or anyone like them) had gone to a subscription service to which the artists and recording companies received properly negotiated percentage, I would gladly retract all my statements regarding issues surrounding the exchange of copyrighted materials.

[King Grover]

Originally posted by Sowulo:
Without commenting on content, I would commend King Super Grover for being honest about it at least....

huh? commenting on content? what, did i spell something wrong.

[Sowulo]

Originally posted by King Super Grover:
huh? commenting on content? what, did i spell something wrong.

Content: We definitely do not agree on the ethics involved in this discussion. But at least you don't try to justify your opinion/actions and end up contradicting yourself....sometimes, the contradictions in people's justifications/rationalizations upset me more than their actions....

[King Grover]

Originally posted by Sowulo:
Content: We definitely do not agree on the ethics involved in this discussion. But at least you don't try to justify your opinion/actions and end up contradicting yourself....sometimes, the contradictions in people's justifications/rationalizations upset me more than their actions....

Dude, we don't seem to agree on the ethics of ANY discusson here, unless it is actual PC realted. However, I have said in the past that I have a set of ethics that most will not agree with. One thing that i do have is honesty. I am not going to go around pretending to be this moral and upright citizen when I know that I really could care less about most everything unless it has to do with me personally. I do hold a high value to some things like my children and my family, but nothing els is really important to me in teh grand scheem of things. The less I let bother me, the less stress I have wondering about stupid petty sh@t that have no revelance in "my world" anyways. Like I said before. "Honesty can be brutal and ugly, but not as ugly as living a lie".


Grover rules!

[mahdi]

I always thought of Napster as a giant joke. I was LMAO from the first time I heard about it. A massively public ring of pirates, how funny that was! And they honestly thought they would get away with it! Too damn funny!

I personally own over 600 MP3's (95% I ripped myself) and the 5% are promo's, game soundtracks give out by the companys and other misc. stuff that was just too hard to find anywere...and I'm still rippin' tracks, I need more time to rip my CD collection to MP3.

I think P2P is a wonderful tool and work of software, but in it's infancy is it being greatly abused and miss treated (it's future will be like those of child stars when they get older...)

Stealing...pirating...what's the differance, your still getting something that is not rightfully yours. If someone makes a game that is based on one of my "work-in-progress" don't you think I would be mad? They stole my idea! SAME THING WITH MUSIC...they did the work and you take it from them! Try to look at it from their view. Yes they still have it and it wasn't physicaly stolen, but you did take their work...which in business would be 'considered' stealing and punished equaliy (if not more greater) then physical theft.

I have my friends bands stuff in MP3's but they asked that it not to be distributed, so it has not been (honestly in that case though, it should be for exposure...). Respect the rights and work of the bands, if they want you to 'trade' their music they will tell you and have people download it off their web sites...if they don't want this they won't do it...so DON'T DO IT!

[GOVTECH]

If I like the entire CD I'll buy it but if all I want is one song why should I by the entire CD? There are some CD singles but most off the wall bands don't have singles.

[HotFix]

Napster is still alive. You just have to use Napigator to get on a good (read not filtered) server. It takes a few times to find one that isn't full.

[CobraTekMax]

I'm using Morpheus now and it rules...Napster is a distant memory.

[WebHead]

I prefer mIRC.