Wow, you really seem to take this personally, I certainly was not condescending in my post at all. I put forth a possible solution to the music side of the piracy issue. In short, make it a non-issue.
I'm glad you have friends and know a little about the music industry. That's great. I can only go by what I've seen being a musician for these past 25 years and how I make a living. I don't have a record contract, yet I do just fine as do the people I play with. But there are stories from both sides both good and bad, I'll give you that. You mentioned a band you know that has a "good" story. Should I start listing bands and musicians that have the "bad" stories. I'm sure you and I could throw these things left and right...but that wasn't my point.
But talk about jumping to conclusions...how in the world did you extract that I said "Hey, the music industry is backasswards. I'm going to just copy this music" in any shape or form? I simply said the record labels should look at this from another perspective. No where did I condone or suggest that everyone just download music without paying for it. No where. I don't condone it. The IP laws are what they are, hence my suggestion to possibly change them to a better model. A model that could possibly work to everyone's advantage. Will it be easy? Of course not.
Music is the easiest to change of course. The only "victims" here are the RIAA. The suits looking to save their million dollar a year jobs when they actually produce nothing. They're afraid of facing the future with no real skills. Yeah, that's a cheap shot, but I honestly believe it.
The music artists will get along just fine. GIVE away their music on their websites, come see the show when we're in your town. Instead of touring to promote an album that they will see very little cash from (this is a proven fact), the album instead will be to support the touring of the band!
There are 1000's of bands out there that do this. Actually, more band make their living off of live shows and NO record label then the ones that do. Wrap your head around that. Don't believe me, look it up...just about anywhere on the web will show that the RIAA signed bands make little off of album sales...at least the beginning ones.
But this won't happen overnight. The RIAA has congress in their wallet. They have millions of dollars to lobby and sue and keep their desk jobs. But as I said, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no chance that it's going back in. So instead of FIGHTING and JAILING and throwing a temper tantrum, the RIAA should look at it from another side. A new perspective.
Also, I'm not blaming the goverment nor the police or FBI that are kicking in the doors and charging these guys...I blame the RIAA for telling the government and police and FBI what to do. The RIAA says jump and the government jumps.
John Lennon said: "Music belongs to everyone. It's only publishers who think they own it."
Yeah! And why do people think that jailing crimminals (murderers, rapist, oklahoma city bombers, etc) is going to stop people from being crimminals? What's up with that?
Ah, thanks...was waiting for the person that throws this totally ridiculous statement out there.
So a kid that smokes a joint or downloads an MP3 and is caught is the same as a murderer? A rapist? LOCK HIM UP!
Also, you forgot to throw in the idiotic "I don't feel like walking today so I'm just going to steal this car" non-sense.
But they're so easy to get. They're still easy to get. Yes, the war on drugs is a different thing, but I'm saying the "war" itself is futile on both fronts.
Again, the genie is out of the bottle. They're scrambling to put it back...hence this "war" they've started. But I don't see them winning this unless they change their way of thinking.
My analogy of using the war on drugs is in the "war" part. They more they fight it, the easier it is to get. The price of heroin has fallen in a huge way from where it was in the 70's...AND it's a much purer form.
So yeah, this is a lot like the war on drugs...sorry, but it is.
well, spyware, viruses and malware can all be detected before installing the software...plus if they're distributing it via a torrent, then there are other people down the line that would alert everyone that it's bad. Is this foolproof? No. But it works most of the time. But it's also a risk many are willing to take.
Also, people do have unprotected sex...why? Because what is the cut-off? What if you're dating someone for a few months...do you still wear a condom? Get married and still wear one? HIV can lay dormant for quite some time...get a test? What if it comes back a false negative? Which happens you know. Hmmm...better not get rid of that condom then. Can you REALLY trust your wife? What if she has a quick affair and get's HIV? You have no way of knowing! Never ever ever take that condom off!
While we're at it, I think everyone should wear a helmet 24/7! Look how many lives can be saved by just wearing a helmet in everything you do. How many people die each year from slipping the the bath-tub? Dr. Atkins would still be alive today if he had been wearing his helmet! Auto fatalities could be cut down if everyone wore a helmet...along with a seat-belt and airbags.
I see this going the way of the "war on drugs" in the way they jail people...but is this really going to stop the flow of mp3's or software or movies? I mean, do they REALLY think they're going to stop this now that the genie is out of the bottle?
Perhaps, they should re-think their distribution methods on how they receive payment for their work/art.
I don't have the answers or even a suggestion...but jailing people left and right certainly isn't working on drug use...why do they think it will work here?
I refer you to this article over at Guitar noise about if you need a teacher or not.
Also, I wonder how fast you would have picked up the guitar without your clarinet training (with the theory etc) behind you instead of just picking up the instrument cold.
Exactly, don't use "one place" to try to learn this unless you're just trying to learn a few songs to impress. If you're really serious about learning the instrument, get your hands on anything and everything.
I've no experience with the computer programs per-se, but there are a ton of links to web sites that can help you along.
Guitar Noise is a great site that teaches you certain songs and why your doing what your doing within each song as you go. Check it out.
OK, before everyone starts going into LA LA land with the "it's not convenient for me to pay my electric bill so I'll just kill everyone at the electric company" non-sense I need to remind you all these are TV shows that the networks give away, for free, over the airwaves. They don't even know who you are anyway...you're not signed up for a service to receive these broadcasts...you don't have to sign a contract nor contact the FCC that you're going to receive these shows. Turn on a TV and they're there.
Sheesh, I can't stand when people start throwing out wild statements like this guy. You KNOW this is not the same thing as car theft. Nor is it murder, nor is it anything. This isn't an MP3 download, this isn't a movie download where real money is being lost...it's the download of something that's given away. You pay for it by watching the commercials...which I gladly do. So, who's being hurt here? Who's out of a job or not making a buck because of this?
but again, this is different. These are broadcast TV shows that are going out over the airwaves anyway. Notice that I didn't say I was downloading music or movies or even cable TV shows. These are just shows over the ABC/FOX/NBC/CBS channels.
Again, if they were just to provide them on their websites, more people could view them...AND they could even get an accurate figure of how many people are watching these shows then a "Nielsen Family".
I do it every week. Yes, I know it's illegal. Yes I know I probably won't be able to in the future with the draconian laws coming down.
I have a special circumstance though. I live out in the middle of no where. I don't get broadcast TV except on one station...I do on the other hand get high-speed DSL.
Now I COULD get Comcast cable, but since I only watch 4 tv shows a week, I'm not going to be paying 50 bucks a month (yes, 50 bucks here even for just plain basic). Not to mention Comcast likes to raise their rates at the drop of a hat.
Dish services are also out because the number of trees they can't get a good signal, I've tried. SO that leaves me with downloading these TV shows.
But what the TV networks are missing out on is that THEY should offer torrents of their shows right from their web pages. If they throw in the regular commercials how is this different than just watching it over the airwaves? I would download them in a heartbeat and gladly watch their commercials if they did this. Why are so uptight about this? They should be like "hell, download all you wish and trade them with your friends...as long as the commercials are still there we're still making our money...and we could also target advertising better for people that download and that could generate even more money blah blah blah..."
Movies though, I don't download at all. Never have, never will.
Well, this isn't true is it. I download songs all the time from bands who have no contracts.
Plus, more and more I see bands at live gigs selling CDs of the gig that was just played for 5 bucks a pop...and people can give them to other friends and so on and so on.
Having a contract today with a record label isn't totally needed if you're a working band. Now, if you're just someone that wants to try and strike it rich, become a "star", then obviously this isn't for you. The way of the working musician is just that, work. I've seen so many people growing up into the music business who want to bypass the work and paying your dues and learning the ins-and-outs and go right into stardome fall fast. They don't make the stardome then get let-down.
I'll give you an example. Green Day. They were a big band in their area...people knew them and went to their shows and they were making a living (not rich and famous, but a living) from their gigs WAY before they ever had a contract.
So even with a label, how is anyone going to know who you are? Labels aren't magic.
Well, you have to look at it in a different perspective.
- Do you really want radio airplay? Radio has gone really down the toilet with it's play-lists and of pushing the artists the RIAA want pushed. It's just marketing now. As Lester Bangs said it would, it's become an "industry of cool".
- Distribution is the Internet. It's everywhere. If you give away your recordings for free or a small fee, you have the potential to reach many many many more people than a CD would. Granted, you also have to potential to never be heard from again. If you're a performer/musician that wishes to make most of their money from live shows, giving away your music on the net is a way to generate interest and word-of-mouth. The potential is there, it just depends on how bad you want it.
- This is 2004, the need for a big expensive recording studio is no longer needed. Very professional recording/producing can be done now for almost nothing. If you have a decent computer you can do this.
But your last statement makes the most sense, there are not guarantees with this. But in my opinion you're better off by yourself then getting tied to a contract with a blood-sucking record company. There are way way way too many stories of broke musicians making nothing while the companies take in everything. It's almost to the point of the old "company store" and the coal miner that were basically slaves to the company.
I suppose in a very very broad sense he is. But if some guy that get's a hot tip in the email from dEEptHroTz@hotmail.com and just throws it up as "news" is what makes a journalist, then I stand corrected.
You hit the nail on the head with Drudge. Here is a blog that got it's owner sorta-kinda famous, but it's still just a blog. No matter how many fedora's with a scrap of paper saying "Press" Drudge wears, he's still just a blogger.
But I look at blogs as editorials, like the kind you find in newspapers (remember them?). Not "news" or "reporting" per-se, but opinion. Sometimes learned opinion to be sure, but just opinion.
Lighten up. A movie is suppose to be entertainment. Something that seems lost on you. This isn't an "historical adaptation" either, no matter what your poly-sci prof is spouting. Read up on Tolkien a little also and you'll know that everything you just rattled off was DENIED by Tolkien. He wasn't writing anything about that. But if you see these things in his writings, then so be it. Some people saw the Vietnam War or WW1 or WW2 or ______(insert favorite war here) in LotR. He denied all of them.
But you sound like the time of chap that knows everything, so what could I possibly tell you that you would belive?
Hey, I blame Tolkien. Would it have killed him to think up better names for the two main bad guys in the books? I mean, really...
Sauronuman or Sarum....I can picture the Tolkien's book editor now saying "hey Tolk...you're killing us with the names here babe...change the Wizard guy in the tower's name to Zenon or something, ok my man?"
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I could go on, but I won't....
Wow, you really seem to take this personally, I certainly was not condescending in my post at all. I put forth a possible solution to the music side of the piracy issue. In short, make it a non-issue.
I'm glad you have friends and know a little about the music industry. That's great. I can only go by what I've seen being a musician for these past 25 years and how I make a living. I don't have a record contract, yet I do just fine as do the people I play with. But there are stories from both sides both good and bad, I'll give you that. You mentioned a band you know that has a "good" story. Should I start listing bands and musicians that have the "bad" stories. I'm sure you and I could throw these things left and right...but that wasn't my point.
But talk about jumping to conclusions...how in the world did you extract that I said "Hey, the music industry is backasswards. I'm going to just copy this music" in any shape or form? I simply said the record labels should look at this from another perspective. No where did I condone or suggest that everyone just download music without paying for it. No where. I don't condone it. The IP laws are what they are, hence my suggestion to possibly change them to a better model. A model that could possibly work to everyone's advantage. Will it be easy? Of course not.
Um..no. I purpose to change the IP laws.
Music is the easiest to change of course. The only "victims" here are the RIAA. The suits looking to save their million dollar a year jobs when they actually produce nothing. They're afraid of facing the future with no real skills. Yeah, that's a cheap shot, but I honestly believe it.
The music artists will get along just fine. GIVE away their music on their websites, come see the show when we're in your town. Instead of touring to promote an album that they will see very little cash from (this is a proven fact), the album instead will be to support the touring of the band!
There are 1000's of bands out there that do this. Actually, more band make their living off of live shows and NO record label then the ones that do. Wrap your head around that. Don't believe me, look it up...just about anywhere on the web will show that the RIAA signed bands make little off of album sales...at least the beginning ones.
But this won't happen overnight. The RIAA has congress in their wallet. They have millions of dollars to lobby and sue and keep their desk jobs. But as I said, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no chance that it's going back in. So instead of FIGHTING and JAILING and throwing a temper tantrum, the RIAA should look at it from another side. A new perspective.
Also, I'm not blaming the goverment nor the police or FBI that are kicking in the doors and charging these guys...I blame the RIAA for telling the government and police and FBI what to do. The RIAA says jump and the government jumps.
John Lennon said: "Music belongs to everyone. It's only publishers who think they own it."
Or the "this is your brain...this is your brain listening to an illegal download of Britney Spears...any questions?"
Yeah! And why do people think that jailing crimminals (murderers, rapist, oklahoma city bombers, etc) is going to stop people from being crimminals? What's up with that?
Ah, thanks...was waiting for the person that throws this totally ridiculous statement out there.
So a kid that smokes a joint or downloads an MP3 and is caught is the same as a murderer? A rapist? LOCK HIM UP!
Also, you forgot to throw in the idiotic "I don't feel like walking today so I'm just going to steal this car" non-sense.
But they're so easy to get. They're still easy to get. Yes, the war on drugs is a different thing, but I'm saying the "war" itself is futile on both fronts.
Again, the genie is out of the bottle. They're scrambling to put it back...hence this "war" they've started. But I don't see them winning this unless they change their way of thinking.
My analogy of using the war on drugs is in the "war" part. They more they fight it, the easier it is to get. The price of heroin has fallen in a huge way from where it was in the 70's...AND it's a much purer form.
So yeah, this is a lot like the war on drugs...sorry, but it is.
well, spyware, viruses and malware can all be detected before installing the software...plus if they're distributing it via a torrent, then there are other people down the line that would alert everyone that it's bad. Is this foolproof? No. But it works most of the time. But it's also a risk many are willing to take.
Also, people do have unprotected sex...why? Because what is the cut-off? What if you're dating someone for a few months...do you still wear a condom? Get married and still wear one? HIV can lay dormant for quite some time...get a test? What if it comes back a false negative? Which happens you know. Hmmm...better not get rid of that condom then. Can you REALLY trust your wife? What if she has a quick affair and get's HIV? You have no way of knowing! Never ever ever take that condom off!
While we're at it, I think everyone should wear a helmet 24/7! Look how many lives can be saved by just wearing a helmet in everything you do. How many people die each year from slipping the the bath-tub? Dr. Atkins would still be alive today if he had been wearing his helmet! Auto fatalities could be cut down if everyone wore a helmet...along with a seat-belt and airbags.
Or else we could just lighten up a tad.
I see this going the way of the "war on drugs" in the way they jail people...but is this really going to stop the flow of mp3's or software or movies? I mean, do they REALLY think they're going to stop this now that the genie is out of the bottle?
Perhaps, they should re-think their distribution methods on how they receive payment for their work/art.
I don't have the answers or even a suggestion...but jailing people left and right certainly isn't working on drug use...why do they think it will work here?
I refer you to this article over at Guitar noise about if you need a teacher or not.
Also, I wonder how fast you would have picked up the guitar without your clarinet training (with the theory etc) behind you instead of just picking up the instrument cold.
Exactly, don't use "one place" to try to learn this unless you're just trying to learn a few songs to impress. If you're really serious about learning the instrument, get your hands on anything and everything.
I've no experience with the computer programs per-se, but there are a ton of links to web sites that can help you along.
Guitar Noise is a great site that teaches you certain songs and why your doing what your doing within each song as you go. Check it out.
Slowhand Blues Guitar for a good intro into Blues playing.
Chordbook.com for an interactive chord generator. Very helpful.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Looks like it's gone for good
What balls!
What a huge, big, heavy set of balls this company has.
Hey, let's kick them!
OK, before everyone starts going into LA LA land with the "it's not convenient for me to pay my electric bill so I'll just kill everyone at the electric company" non-sense I need to remind you all these are TV shows that the networks give away, for free, over the airwaves. They don't even know who you are anyway...you're not signed up for a service to receive these broadcasts...you don't have to sign a contract nor contact the FCC that you're going to receive these shows. Turn on a TV and they're there.
Sheesh, I can't stand when people start throwing out wild statements like this guy. You KNOW this is not the same thing as car theft. Nor is it murder, nor is it anything. This isn't an MP3 download, this isn't a movie download where real money is being lost...it's the download of something that's given away. You pay for it by watching the commercials...which I gladly do. So, who's being hurt here? Who's out of a job or not making a buck because of this?
but again, this is different. These are broadcast TV shows that are going out over the airwaves anyway. Notice that I didn't say I was downloading music or movies or even cable TV shows. These are just shows over the ABC/FOX/NBC/CBS channels.
Again, if they were just to provide them on their websites, more people could view them...AND they could even get an accurate figure of how many people are watching these shows then a "Nielsen Family".
But hey, guess I'm a criminal...lock me up.
Because its not convienent for you to get TV legally, that makes it alright to break the law right?
Right.
I do it every week. Yes, I know it's illegal. Yes I know I probably won't be able to in the future with the draconian laws coming down.
I have a special circumstance though. I live out in the middle of no where. I don't get broadcast TV except on one station...I do on the other hand get high-speed DSL.
Now I COULD get Comcast cable, but since I only watch 4 tv shows a week, I'm not going to be paying 50 bucks a month (yes, 50 bucks here even for just plain basic). Not to mention Comcast likes to raise their rates at the drop of a hat.
Dish services are also out because the number of trees they can't get a good signal, I've tried. SO that leaves me with downloading these TV shows.
But what the TV networks are missing out on is that THEY should offer torrents of their shows right from their web pages. If they throw in the regular commercials how is this different than just watching it over the airwaves? I would download them in a heartbeat and gladly watch their commercials if they did this. Why are so uptight about this? They should be like "hell, download all you wish and trade them with your friends...as long as the commercials are still there we're still making our money...and we could also target advertising better for people that download and that could generate even more money blah blah blah..."
Movies though, I don't download at all. Never have, never will.
Um...I think he was being sarcastic...notice the end of the sentence that said "Oh, waitaminute...."
Well, this isn't true is it. I download songs all the time from bands who have no contracts.
Plus, more and more I see bands at live gigs selling CDs of the gig that was just played for 5 bucks a pop...and people can give them to other friends and so on and so on.
Having a contract today with a record label isn't totally needed if you're a working band. Now, if you're just someone that wants to try and strike it rich, become a "star", then obviously this isn't for you. The way of the working musician is just that, work. I've seen so many people growing up into the music business who want to bypass the work and paying your dues and learning the ins-and-outs and go right into stardome fall fast. They don't make the stardome then get let-down.
I'll give you an example. Green Day. They were a big band in their area...people knew them and went to their shows and they were making a living (not rich and famous, but a living) from their gigs WAY before they ever had a contract.
So even with a label, how is anyone going to know who you are? Labels aren't magic.
Well, you have to look at it in a different perspective.
- Do you really want radio airplay? Radio has gone really down the toilet with it's play-lists and of pushing the artists the RIAA want pushed. It's just marketing now. As Lester Bangs said it would, it's become an "industry of cool".
- Distribution is the Internet. It's everywhere. If you give away your recordings for free or a small fee, you have the potential to reach many many many more people than a CD would. Granted, you also have to potential to never be heard from again. If you're a performer/musician that wishes to make most of their money from live shows, giving away your music on the net is a way to generate interest and word-of-mouth. The potential is there, it just depends on how bad you want it.
- This is 2004, the need for a big expensive recording studio is no longer needed. Very professional recording/producing can be done now for almost nothing. If you have a decent computer you can do this.
But your last statement makes the most sense, there are not guarantees with this. But in my opinion you're better off by yourself then getting tied to a contract with a blood-sucking record company. There are way way way too many stories of broke musicians making nothing while the companies take in everything. It's almost to the point of the old "company store" and the coal miner that were basically slaves to the company.
I suppose in a very very broad sense he is. But if some guy that get's a hot tip in the email from dEEptHroTz@hotmail.com and just throws it up as "news" is what makes a journalist, then I stand corrected.
You hit the nail on the head with Drudge. Here is a blog that got it's owner sorta-kinda famous, but it's still just a blog. No matter how many fedora's with a scrap of paper saying "Press" Drudge wears, he's still just a blogger.
But I look at blogs as editorials, like the kind you find in newspapers (remember them?). Not "news" or "reporting" per-se, but opinion. Sometimes learned opinion to be sure, but just opinion.
Didn't this kinda go around in a sort of weird Karma circle?
The new Netscape, based on Firefox...which itself is based on Mozilla...which is the off-shoot of Netscape.
Wow...just blew out me mind...
Um...ok.
Lighten up. A movie is suppose to be entertainment. Something that seems lost on you. This isn't an "historical adaptation" either, no matter what your poly-sci prof is spouting. Read up on Tolkien a little also and you'll know that everything you just rattled off was DENIED by Tolkien. He wasn't writing anything about that. But if you see these things in his writings, then so be it. Some people saw the Vietnam War or WW1 or WW2 or ______(insert favorite war here) in LotR. He denied all of them.
But you sound like the time of chap that knows everything, so what could I possibly tell you that you would belive?
And I still can't spell Saruman...damn "u" jumping around on me...DAMN "U"!
Hey, I blame Tolkien. Would it have killed him to think up better names for the two main bad guys in the books? I mean, really...
Sauronuman or Sarum....I can picture the Tolkien's book editor now saying "hey Tolk...you're killing us with the names here babe...change the Wizard guy in the tower's name to Zenon or something, ok my man?"