Even if companies do not help out the legal way (by releasing their old unsupported products to the public domain)
That's my biggest complaint with the current state of copyright and "IP" -- why should Companies be allowed to sit on stuff like this, after all it is part of our culture, copyright or not. It really is sad that "pirates" may be responsible for preserving the culture of the 1980's. Copyright law is FUBAR and really needs to be fixed -- to bad Congress had been bought by the "IP" industries.
There's also ye olde sneaker net. Back when I was in School, that's the way we would trade music (back in the days of LPs, cassettes, and Ronnie Reagan). We would find someone with the LP we wanted, and would copy it from LP to cassette. If someone wanted something I had -- same thing. Not nearly as fast as P2P can be, but it worked all the same. I discovered REM that way back in the days when they were truly Alternative Rock (1983 or so). Do the same today with CDs and/or MP3s and no bandwith is required -- just a CDR. Streamripper is also a great way to get stuff.
That might work to help build "brand awareness", but I still think for this to work long term, the artists need to get at least as much per song or album as they would get from a RIAA contract, preferably more. So, sticking with $0.10 per song and $1.00 per album and using your percentages, a Snapster exclusive would get $0.02 to $0.05 per song / $0.20 to $0.50 per album.
I propose giving every artist (Snapster Exclusive or not) their $0.05 per song/$0.50 per album, then applying your percentages against the remaining 50%.
This means a band who wants nothing to do with Snapster would get $0.05 per song and Snapster would keep the same. A band that signs on as a "Snapster Exclusive" would get (to start) $0.06 per song ($0.05 + 20% of the other $0.05) and Snapster would keep $0.04. A "Snapster Exclusive" big seller or "hit" could get as much as $0.075 ( $0.05 + 50% of the other $0.05) per song and Snapster would keep $0.025. The math would work the same for Albums.
The percentages and download levels would have to be worked out, but the important thing is the artist is always paid, so Snapster could not be accused of destroying the music community (notice I did not say Industry).
Very, very good point, and something that Cringely misses in his article. On possible solution:
Cringely states : "Each share also carries the right to download backup or media-shifting copies for $0.05 per song or $0.50 per CD, that download coming from a separate company we'll call Snapster Download that is 100 percent owned by Snapster."
Why not double this to $0.10 per song, $1.00 per CD and split half with Snapster and half with the artist. Snapster would still have the revenue needed to run, and the artists would make more than they do now. Databases could be built to also make sure that song and lyric writers get a cut. Since each successful download would be logged, each artist would get what they actually earned instead of going by popularity ala ASCAP. Britney would only get what she earned while the independent band who cut a CD and got it on Snapster would actually get a check! This would keep the production of new music viable, and perhaps even more profitable for Musicians, while reducing the end price of music -- a win/win situation.
You are mostly right, except for Nr. 3. Skylarov came to the U.S. to give a talk on his program at Defcon, and was detained (captured) by the FBI in Las Vegas as he was getting ready to leave his Hotel and go to the airport. He ended up in San Francisco after being flown/driven several different locations. He was stuck in San Fran for several months before he was finally allowed to go home to Russia until the trial.
Not all ads are bad. Back about a month ago I had a wheel break on the lawn mower. Lowes and Home Depot did not have the wheel I needed, so I ended up using Google to find it. I ended using one of the sponsored links and ordered 2 wheels for what one would have cost me at a lawn mower repair shop. That IMHO is "good" advertising.
Telemarketers are a pain in the ass. Nothing like getting a call in the middle of dinner just to find out someone wants to sell you windows (the glass kind). Since KY started their no-call list, I no longer get those calls, but it was fun to tell 'em that I didn't need windows since I have Linux:) That usally throws them off their script...
Thing is, I don't think she saw the RIAA as an Evil Company when she became CEO. Back then, the fight she was involved in was preventing the censoring of music due to Language or Content -- she (and the RIAA) was on the no censorship side.
Then came Napster, and file sharing. Hilary was/is pro copyright and anti-Napster, and (in her mind) could sleep well at night with her convictions.
From what I read (and reading between the lines), the real reason Hilary Rosen left was she could not get the head of the record companies to understand that like it or not, technology is changing and the industry has to keep up. The final straw (for her) was the RIAA going after College Students (what they are doing now).
I wish Hilary Rosen well in her new persuit -- hats off to her for leaving the RIAA when she did. I don't agree with her stance against Napster, P2P, and file sharing in general, but I do respect that she knew when to leave.
DMCA type laws will just create another black market for DRM free equipment and create new revenue sources for organized crime. Draconian drug laws have not stopped or drasticly reduced the availability of drugs on the street for those who wish to use them. I'm not saying all drug laws are bad, but the War on (some) Drugs is not working as is.
The same thing will happen with "illegal" electronics, media, and programs. Those who want them will know (or know how to find out) where to find them. Current equipment will become more valuable and either DRM free equipment or "illegal" mods will be available in the black market. The MPAA taking 2600 to court did not remove DeCSS from the internet -- it just cost people money and hurt American Freedoms.
The average Joe may not yet care about what is going on, but take away his entertainment and he will learn, and act, real quick. Why do you think that the Roman leaders loved Gladiators and Circuses? An entertained Populus is a happy Populus.
This article is definitely worth the read, even if you have to get a day pass to Salon. The most interesting thing to me was that the one retailer that they talked to was selling "legitimate" CDs for $9.00 (I assume they converted Pesos to USD since they didn't give any Peso figures). Buying a "real" CD for $9.00 doesn't sound bad until one considers the average income in Mexico (according to Wikipedia, average purchasing power is $9000/yr).
Compared to an average in the U.S. of $28K to $30K/year, that means an official CD would be the equivilent of $27 - $30 in the U.S. No wonder "piracy" is so rampant! $0.80 to $1.00 for a "black market" CD is much more affordable for the average Mexican family. The recording industry (in Mexico) has dropped prices by 50%, but at this point it is too little, too late.
The moral of the story is that not only is the Mexican music industry in deep trouble, but the U.S. may be next. The RIAA better take heed - being hard asses will not save their industry.
Commercially published books still have a copy sent to the Library of Congress (for example, the C reference book that I have has a Library of Congress reference number). However, I cannot find any such number on a CD or DVD. Do these form of media have to be registered at the LOC, or are movies and music exempt? I imagine that this is the case since so many early movies are in danger of being lost due to the film crumbling away in vaults and Hollywood Studios. Copy protection and the DMCA just add another barrier to the preservation of movies in the future, unless the LOC has copies that are are not copy protected.
I think that this is a first step in reclaiming Public Domain. This is an attempt to put forward something that (hopefully) the Disneys of the world can accept. One Dollar after 50 years shouldn't be too hard on the Mouse, while otherwise forgotten material would pass into Public Domain.
Modern copyright is a mess. Between the Disneys of the world at the one end of the spectrum, and the Kazaas at the other end, Copyright is broken. I'd love to see copyright rolled back to the original 14 years plus one 14 year renewal, but that will never happen. Something must be done, and this is a good first step IMHO.
...and as an added advantage, whenever you felt the need to mellow out a little, you can smoke your old clothes...
The kind of hemp that would be grown for industrial use has very little THC in it. It would be of no use for recreational use. One of the many reasons (excuses) that the Gov't uses to ban hemp growing is that the DEA would have a hard time telling the difference between hemp and pot plants. This is a big deal in Kentucky right now because of the decline in profits from growing tobacco. The farmers want to be able to grow industrial hemp to replace tobacco income, but cannot under current law. Of course we all know what the number one cash crop in Kentucky is...(hint: not tobacco)!
Google around and take a look at Copyright in the 19th and early 20th centuries, you'll find it interesting. First there was sheet music. When Player Pianos were created, there was an uproar about Piano Rolls (the punched paper that "plays" the keys). When the gramophone was created, a whole new can of worms was opened since music could be recorded and replayed for the first time, and lets not forget radio.
Sampling is just another issue that has come up over the years. I think at some point that we really need to overhaul all the copyright laws. There is a problem when there are many opinions about what is "legal" and what isn't. Between this, all of the file sharing arguements, and the repeated extentions of length of copyright, the system is no longer working as is -- but we aren't the first to face these issues.
I have never had a problem using a cell phone while next to my computer -- laptop or desktop. When I am "on call" and fixing work problems from home, I regualrly use the cell phone to talk to Operations while I am logged on by modem through the landline, and have never had a problem with interference.
Also, not to be morbid, but if I recall correctly, the famous "Let's Roll" from the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on 9-11 came from a cell phone. The plane crashed because of the terrorists, not the cell phone interfering with the avionics.
Seriously, if people end up living on the Moon, or Mars, there will be a need for a time standard that is independent of the Earth. The day on Mars is slightly longer than the day on Earth (only by a few minutes, but it adds up over time). If we do send people to Mars, their local "day" will eventually fall behind the Earth day. The locals will develop their own Calendar, but a universal standard will be needed. Kind of like the "stardate" in Star Trek.
An interesting theory that would answer your question is that time travel is possible, but when one goes back, a new branch of reality is created. So if I go back and kill my Grandfather, I do not cease to exist because on the "home" timeline, my Grandpa lived on and everything proceded as "normal." Meanwhile, I am stuck on a new branch of time where my Grandpa is dead and things happen differently. It's kind of like H.G. Wells meets H. Beam Piper.
Perhaps there is a "Paratime Police" out there attempting to keep order...with a few screw ups here and there. Perhaps Andrew Carlssin is one such screw up;)
Too bad I have no Mod Points right now or I'd mod you up. Wikipedia is a great open source encyclopedia for reports and school projects. My 12 year old daughter (6th grade) has used it for several projects. It had all of the information she needed. It is a work in progress, so it will keep improving/growing as time goes on, and is free (in all senses of the word).
Furthermore, let's assume the copyright holders' worst case scenario. Copyright dies and is buried beneath easy intercontinental copying. Nobody has monetary incentive to invent and anything they do is spread without the author's permission.
Right now the RIAA is so much trying to hold on to the old (control) model that they are totally blind to new forms of revenue. It used to be that the job of the Record Labels was to find new and interesting talent, and the radio's job was to expose that new music to the talent. There was a new sound every decade or so. Big Band, Sinatra/Como, Elvis, Motown, the Beatles, Stones, Disco, Punk Rock, Hair Bands, Alternative Rock, Rap, etc. were all promoted by the system. Some music was great, and much sucked, but at least the system worked in some fashion.
Now we no longer even have that innovation. Manufactured boy bands, Britney et. al. from the music industry, radio stations that sound/are the same whether you are in San Francisco or Philadelphia has destroyed the relevence of the industry. It is so bad that I have found more new music through Slashdot than through the radio!
If the industry wants to survive and thrive, they need to forget about "ownership" of music and concentrate on the service end of the industry. I would be more than willing to pay a monthly fee for their expertise in bringing me new and old music. Let me pay 10 to 20 dollars a month to download high quality oggs, mp3s, wavs, etc. of music. Show me the best new sounds and groups, recommend other music based on what I have downloaded in the past, help me find that song from my childhood I heard somewhere the other day. The industry (and the Artists) could both win this way. The industry has income that they can count on, records can be kept of what is downloaded and the artists payed fairly, no need for piracy (the industry can even have their own p2p application to help cut down on their bandwith costs), and no need for DRM or stupid lawsuits.
I know with the current knuckleheads running the industry that this is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but if any RIAA people are reading this, think about it. Market what you are (should) be good at. Forget I.P. and trying to "own" the music, creating boy bands, and concentrate on bringing us new music.
This stupidity won't stop under they kill the Goose that lays Golden Eggs (tm). Seriously, if I can't run a VPN, do P2P, ssh-tunneling, or run a server, why then spend the money for high-speed internet? If all I can (legally) do is browse the web and get e-mail, 56K dial-up is fine.
What all the *AA's and other big companies forget is that most people only have a limited amount of income to spend for entertainment and other "extras" -- they can make all the laws they want and charge all they want, but there's only so many dollars per month in the budget. If the cost of ISDN or cable internet cannot be justified, then it will not sell. No sale, no money in the Corporate coffers, and this law will end up costing them money. Only when the bottom line suffers will the fascism stop )or at least change.)
Re:Not necessarily the war yet
on
Strike on Iraq
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· Score: 1
It will never happen. Actually what I want to see is IRAQI troops say "fuck it" (or however you say it in Iraq) once they see Saddam is gone or going to be gone, and quit and/or surrender. That way our guys/gals can stop fighting, they just round 'em up and go after Saddam and sons. Once they are gone, work can begin on rebuilding Iraq and our people can begin coming home the way they went -- alive and in one piece.
Re:About time.
on
Strike on Iraq
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
It didn't solve anything because Bush SR only had our troops kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait -- once Kuwait was liberated, our job was done. Bush wanted to kick Saddam's ass, but the political situation didn't allow him to. This is different than in '91 -- I remember watching the war start live on the evening news -- they were talking to their correspondant in Bagdad and he said all was quiet. They were just about ready to break away when he started hearing explosions. They stayed on the story the rest of the night. This looks like a single bombing (so far...) as I look live I don't see any active bombing at the moment (22:35 EST)...
That's where fuel cells will come into play. A fuel cell will give your laptop enough power to run all of the wizbang stuff that many people want, as long as they want.
Wireless will be essential in the future for any laptop. With wireless, one will be able to go online and check e-mail, surf, etc. almost anywhere. Security will get better with new 802.11 standards -- default 802.11b is very poor, even with 128 bit WEP. There are more wireless hubs out there every month -- my Orinoco card and net stumbler keep finding new ones in my area all the time, and that is just 802.11b.
The best example I can think of showing the uses of photorealistic animation is Lord Of The Rings. In The Two Towers most of the background fighting by the armies were all CG "actors." Imagine the cost of hiring extras, training them, costuming them, then shooting the scenes. Another use is the elimination of "all Aliens have different noses, ears, and head ridges" that all of the Star Trek series seems to suffer from. Gollum from LOTL is a good example of this. A live actor provided the voice and basic movements of Gollum, but the animation is what made Gollum more "realistic" in terms of the fantasy world.
I believe that was an episode in the first season of the original (1970's) Land Of The Lost. It had several big name writers during the first season. It was well written for a Kid's show, at least until the third season. The 1990's version IMHO sucked.
Exactly. This makes 2 years in a row that an album that was not pushed by the machine made it to number one. Last year's winner was Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, which was good ol' Bluegrass, and this year it was Nora Jones. CNN has an interesting article (considering they are Time/Warner) about the fact that these 2 albums were made hits by word of mouth instead of by radio play.
The commercial music industry is broken. Music is being discovered through word-of-mouth instead of through industry channels. I know that is true for me, I have investigated more music through slashdot posts in the last year than from radio and this means more business for indy (non RIAA) labels. I fact I listen to NPR talk radio on the way to work, and to an '80s stationn if the wife is in the car (she hates talk radio). The RIAA isn't going to sell anything to me this way -- I already have most of the music that the '80s station plays.
Slashdot Mirror
Even if companies do not help out the legal way (by releasing their old unsupported products to the public domain)
That's my biggest complaint with the current state of copyright and "IP" -- why should Companies be allowed to sit on stuff like this, after all it is part of our culture, copyright or not. It really is sad that "pirates" may be responsible for preserving the culture of the 1980's. Copyright law is FUBAR and really needs to be fixed -- to bad Congress had been bought by the "IP" industries.
There's also ye olde sneaker net. Back when I was in School, that's the way we would trade music (back in the days of LPs, cassettes, and Ronnie Reagan). We would find someone with the LP we wanted, and would copy it from LP to cassette. If someone wanted something I had -- same thing. Not nearly as fast as P2P can be, but it worked all the same. I discovered REM that way back in the days when they were truly Alternative Rock (1983 or so). Do the same today with CDs and/or MP3s and no bandwith is required -- just a CDR. Streamripper is also a great way to get stuff.
That might work to help build "brand awareness", but I still think for this to work long term, the artists need to get at least as much per song or album as they would get from a RIAA contract, preferably more. So, sticking with $0.10 per song and $1.00 per album and using your percentages, a Snapster exclusive would get $0.02 to $0.05 per song / $0.20 to $0.50 per album.
I propose giving every artist (Snapster Exclusive or not) their $0.05 per song/$0.50 per album, then applying your percentages against the remaining 50%.
This means a band who wants nothing to do with Snapster would get $0.05 per song and Snapster would keep the same. A band that signs on as a "Snapster Exclusive" would get (to start) $0.06 per song ($0.05 + 20% of the other $0.05) and Snapster would keep $0.04. A "Snapster Exclusive" big seller or "hit" could get as much as $0.075 ( $0.05 + 50% of the other $0.05) per song and Snapster would keep $0.025. The math would work the same for Albums.
The percentages and download levels would have to be worked out, but the important thing is the artist is always paid, so Snapster could not be accused of destroying the music community (notice I did not say Industry).
Very, very good point, and something that Cringely misses in his article. On possible solution :
Cringely states : "Each share also carries the right to download backup or media-shifting copies for $0.05 per song or $0.50 per CD, that download coming from a separate company we'll call Snapster Download that is 100 percent owned by Snapster."
Why not double this to $0.10 per song, $1.00 per CD and split half with Snapster and half with the artist. Snapster would still have the revenue needed to run, and the artists would make more than they do now. Databases could be built to also make sure that song and lyric writers get a cut. Since each successful download would be logged, each artist would get what they actually earned instead of going by popularity ala ASCAP. Britney would only get what she earned while the independent band who cut a CD and got it on Snapster would actually get a check! This would keep the production of new music viable, and perhaps even more profitable for Musicians, while reducing the end price of music -- a win/win situation.
You are mostly right, except for Nr. 3. Skylarov came to the U.S. to give a talk on his program at Defcon, and was detained (captured) by the FBI in Las Vegas as he was getting ready to leave his Hotel and go to the airport. He ended up in San Francisco after being flown/driven several different locations. He was stuck in San Fran for several months before he was finally allowed to go home to Russia until the trial.
Not all ads are bad. Back about a month ago I had a wheel break on the lawn mower. Lowes and Home Depot did not have the wheel I needed, so I ended up using Google to find it. I ended using one of the sponsored links and ordered 2 wheels for what one would have cost me at a lawn mower repair shop. That IMHO is "good" advertising.
Telemarketers are a pain in the ass. Nothing like getting a call in the middle of dinner just to find out someone wants to sell you windows (the glass kind). Since KY started their no-call list, I no longer get those calls, but it was fun to tell 'em that I didn't need windows since I have Linux:) That usally throws them off their script...
Thing is, I don't think she saw the RIAA as an Evil Company when she became CEO. Back then, the fight she was involved in was preventing the censoring of music due to Language or Content -- she (and the RIAA) was on the no censorship side.
Then came Napster, and file sharing. Hilary was/is pro copyright and anti-Napster, and (in her mind) could sleep well at night with her convictions.
From what I read (and reading between the lines), the real reason Hilary Rosen left was she could not get the head of the record companies to understand that like it or not, technology is changing and the industry has to keep up. The final straw (for her) was the RIAA going after College Students (what they are doing now).
I wish Hilary Rosen well in her new persuit -- hats off to her for leaving the RIAA when she did. I don't agree with her stance against Napster, P2P, and file sharing in general, but I do respect that she knew when to leave.
DMCA type laws will just create another black market for DRM free equipment and create new revenue sources for organized crime. Draconian drug laws have not stopped or drasticly reduced the availability of drugs on the street for those who wish to use them. I'm not saying all drug laws are bad, but the War on (some) Drugs is not working as is.
The same thing will happen with "illegal" electronics, media, and programs. Those who want them will know (or know how to find out) where to find them. Current equipment will become more valuable and either DRM free equipment or "illegal" mods will be available in the black market. The MPAA taking 2600 to court did not remove DeCSS from the internet -- it just cost people money and hurt American Freedoms.
The average Joe may not yet care about what is going on, but take away his entertainment and he will learn, and act, real quick. Why do you think that the Roman leaders loved Gladiators and Circuses? An entertained Populus is a happy Populus.
This article is definitely worth the read, even if you have to get a day pass to Salon. The most interesting thing to me was that the one retailer that they talked to was selling "legitimate" CDs for $9.00 (I assume they converted Pesos to USD since they didn't give any Peso figures). Buying a "real" CD for $9.00 doesn't sound bad until one considers the average income in Mexico (according to Wikipedia, average purchasing power is $9000/yr).
Compared to an average in the U.S. of $28K to $30K/year, that means an official CD would be the equivilent of $27 - $30 in the U.S. No wonder "piracy" is so rampant! $0.80 to $1.00 for a "black market" CD is much more affordable for the average Mexican family. The recording industry (in Mexico) has dropped prices by 50%, but at this point it is too little, too late.
The moral of the story is that not only is the Mexican music industry in deep trouble, but the U.S. may be next. The RIAA better take heed - being hard asses will not save their industry.
Commercially published books still have a copy sent to the Library of Congress (for example, the C reference book that I have has a Library of Congress reference number). However, I cannot find any such number on a CD or DVD. Do these form of media have to be registered at the LOC, or are movies and music exempt? I imagine that this is the case since so many early movies are in danger of being lost due to the film crumbling away in vaults and Hollywood Studios. Copy protection and the DMCA just add another barrier to the preservation of movies in the future, unless the LOC has copies that are are not copy protected.
I think that this is a first step in reclaiming Public Domain. This is an attempt to put forward something that (hopefully) the Disneys of the world can accept. One Dollar after 50 years shouldn't be too hard on the Mouse, while otherwise forgotten material would pass into Public Domain.
Modern copyright is a mess. Between the Disneys of the world at the one end of the spectrum, and the Kazaas at the other end, Copyright is broken. I'd love to see copyright rolled back to the original 14 years plus one 14 year renewal, but that will never happen. Something must be done, and this is a good first step IMHO.
The kind of hemp that would be grown for industrial use has very little THC in it. It would be of no use for recreational use. One of the many reasons (excuses) that the Gov't uses to ban hemp growing is that the DEA would have a hard time telling the difference between hemp and pot plants. This is a big deal in Kentucky right now because of the decline in profits from growing tobacco. The farmers want to be able to grow industrial hemp to replace tobacco income, but cannot under current law. Of course we all know what the number one cash crop in Kentucky is...(hint: not tobacco)!
Google around and take a look at Copyright in the 19th and early 20th centuries, you'll find it interesting. First there was sheet music. When Player Pianos were created, there was an uproar about Piano Rolls (the punched paper that "plays" the keys). When the gramophone was created, a whole new can of worms was opened since music could be recorded and replayed for the first time, and lets not forget radio.
Sampling is just another issue that has come up over the years. I think at some point that we really need to overhaul all the copyright laws. There is a problem when there are many opinions about what is "legal" and what isn't. Between this, all of the file sharing arguements, and the repeated extentions of length of copyright, the system is no longer working as is -- but we aren't the first to face these issues.
I have never had a problem using a cell phone while next to my computer -- laptop or desktop. When I am "on call" and fixing work problems from home, I regualrly use the cell phone to talk to Operations while I am logged on by modem through the landline, and have never had a problem with interference.
Also, not to be morbid, but if I recall correctly, the famous "Let's Roll" from the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on 9-11 came from a cell phone. The plane crashed because of the terrorists, not the cell phone interfering with the avionics.
Isn't that one Earth Hour?
Seriously, if people end up living on the Moon, or Mars, there will be a need for a time standard that is independent of the Earth. The day on Mars is slightly longer than the day on Earth (only by a few minutes, but it adds up over time). If we do send people to Mars, their local "day" will eventually fall behind the Earth day. The locals will develop their own Calendar, but a universal standard will be needed. Kind of like the "stardate" in Star Trek.
An interesting theory that would answer your question is that time travel is possible, but when one goes back, a new branch of reality is created. So if I go back and kill my Grandfather, I do not cease to exist because on the "home" timeline, my Grandpa lived on and everything proceded as "normal." Meanwhile, I am stuck on a new branch of time where my Grandpa is dead and things happen differently. It's kind of like H.G. Wells meets H. Beam Piper.
Perhaps there is a "Paratime Police" out there attempting to keep order...with a few screw ups here and there. Perhaps Andrew Carlssin is one such screw up ;)
Too bad I have no Mod Points right now or I'd mod you up. Wikipedia is a great open source encyclopedia for reports and school projects. My 12 year old daughter (6th grade) has used it for several projects. It had all of the information she needed. It is a work in progress, so it will keep improving/growing as time goes on, and is free (in all senses of the word).
Furthermore, let's assume the copyright holders' worst case scenario. Copyright dies and is buried beneath easy intercontinental copying. Nobody has monetary incentive to invent and anything they do is spread without the author's permission.
Right now the RIAA is so much trying to hold on to the old (control) model that they are totally blind to new forms of revenue. It used to be that the job of the Record Labels was to find new and interesting talent, and the radio's job was to expose that new music to the talent. There was a new sound every decade or so. Big Band, Sinatra/Como, Elvis, Motown, the Beatles, Stones, Disco, Punk Rock, Hair Bands, Alternative Rock, Rap, etc. were all promoted by the system. Some music was great, and much sucked, but at least the system worked in some fashion.
Now we no longer even have that innovation. Manufactured boy bands, Britney et. al. from the music industry, radio stations that sound/are the same whether you are in San Francisco or Philadelphia has destroyed the relevence of the industry. It is so bad that I have found more new music through Slashdot than through the radio!
If the industry wants to survive and thrive, they need to forget about "ownership" of music and concentrate on the service end of the industry. I would be more than willing to pay a monthly fee for their expertise in bringing me new and old music. Let me pay 10 to 20 dollars a month to download high quality oggs, mp3s, wavs, etc. of music. Show me the best new sounds and groups, recommend other music based on what I have downloaded in the past, help me find that song from my childhood I heard somewhere the other day. The industry (and the Artists) could both win this way. The industry has income that they can count on, records can be kept of what is downloaded and the artists payed fairly, no need for piracy (the industry can even have their own p2p application to help cut down on their bandwith costs), and no need for DRM or stupid lawsuits.
I know with the current knuckleheads running the industry that this is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but if any RIAA people are reading this, think about it. Market what you are (should) be good at. Forget I.P. and trying to "own" the music, creating boy bands, and concentrate on bringing us new music.
This is ludicrous. Where will the fascism stop?
This stupidity won't stop under they kill the Goose that lays Golden Eggs (tm). Seriously, if I can't run a VPN, do P2P, ssh-tunneling, or run a server, why then spend the money for high-speed internet? If all I can (legally) do is browse the web and get e-mail, 56K dial-up is fine.
What all the *AA's and other big companies forget is that most people only have a limited amount of income to spend for entertainment and other "extras" -- they can make all the laws they want and charge all they want, but there's only so many dollars per month in the budget. If the cost of ISDN or cable internet cannot be justified, then it will not sell. No sale, no money in the Corporate coffers, and this law will end up costing them money. Only when the bottom line suffers will the fascism stop )or at least change.)
It will never happen. Actually what I want to see is IRAQI troops say "fuck it" (or however you say it in Iraq) once they see Saddam is gone or going to be gone, and quit and/or surrender. That way our guys/gals can stop fighting, they just round 'em up and go after Saddam and sons. Once they are gone, work can begin on rebuilding Iraq and our people can begin coming home the way they went -- alive and in one piece.
It didn't solve anything because Bush SR only had our troops kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait -- once Kuwait was liberated, our job was done. Bush wanted to kick Saddam's ass, but the political situation didn't allow him to. This is different than in '91 -- I remember watching the war start live on the evening news -- they were talking to their correspondant in Bagdad and he said all was quiet. They were just about ready to break away when he started hearing explosions. They stayed on the story the rest of the night. This looks like a single bombing (so far...) as I look live I don't see any active bombing at the moment (22:35 EST)...
This time it's for keeps...
That's where fuel cells will come into play. A fuel cell will give your laptop enough power to run all of the wizbang stuff that many people want, as long as they want.
Wireless will be essential in the future for any laptop. With wireless, one will be able to go online and check e-mail, surf, etc. almost anywhere. Security will get better with new 802.11 standards -- default 802.11b is very poor, even with 128 bit WEP. There are more wireless hubs out there every month -- my Orinoco card and net stumbler keep finding new ones in my area all the time, and that is just 802.11b.
The best example I can think of showing the uses of photorealistic animation is Lord Of The Rings. In The Two Towers most of the background fighting by the armies were all CG "actors." Imagine the cost of hiring extras, training them, costuming them, then shooting the scenes. Another use is the elimination of "all Aliens have different noses, ears, and head ridges" that all of the Star Trek series seems to suffer from. Gollum from LOTL is a good example of this. A live actor provided the voice and basic movements of Gollum, but the animation is what made Gollum more "realistic" in terms of the fantasy world.
I believe that was an episode in the first season of the original (1970's) Land Of The Lost. It had several big name writers during the first season. It was well written for a Kid's show, at least until the third season. The 1990's version IMHO sucked.
Exactly. This makes 2 years in a row that an album that was not pushed by the machine made it to number one. Last year's winner was Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, which was good ol' Bluegrass, and this year it was Nora Jones. CNN has an interesting article (considering they are Time/Warner) about the fact that these 2 albums were made hits by word of mouth instead of by radio play.
The commercial music industry is broken. Music is being discovered through word-of-mouth instead of through industry channels. I know that is true for me, I have investigated more music through slashdot posts in the last year than from radio and this means more business for indy (non RIAA) labels. I fact I listen to NPR talk radio on the way to work, and to an '80s stationn if the wife is in the car (she hates talk radio). The RIAA isn't going to sell anything to me this way -- I already have most of the music that the '80s station plays.