I know people sometimes get annoyed to see redundant posts like this, but it would be wise to list the alternatives every time articles like this are posted (mail clients, ogg vorbis players, alternative browsers). At least mention the alternatives and some pros and cons.
Even here on slashdot, there are people who are still using "the wrong products", and a friendly pointer to the alternatives may be just the thing to convert some non-believers. I myself am still using Outlook because I've never been satisfied with any alternatives, and I don't have the time to go testing all the options. But I would definitely benefit from the wisdom of the slashdot community (did i really say that?)
Seems to me that an "Age of Piracy" is the next step in the evolution of society. Right now, ideas (Intellectual Property) only have value for a very short time. After a certain point their monetary value drops extremely rapidly. Think about the ideas that have value right now - current headlines, new video games, new ideas. (Video games can go from $50 to $20 in less than a year, music can go from $17 to bargain bins in about the same time. Newspapers and magazines are completely worthless after a few weeks) I think we're approaching a point where the only way you can make money from Intellectual Property is if you're doing something that's never been done before.
Piracy cannot be stopped, I truly believe that it can't be stopped, and I truly believe that free distribution of intellectual property will be hugely beneficial to mankind. I also believe that the "creators" can still have careers creating Intellectual Property, but again, only if they are pushing the limits, changing things, and re-inventing. There is no future for Britney Spears and her breed of watered-down, lowest common denominator media.
I've recently started an archive of most of the newspaper and magazine articles that I enjoy, and I've also started to hunt for my favorite books. I am confident that having instantly searchable (.txt or OCR'd pdf files) access to my favortie writings will drastically affect the way I think, the way I reason, and the way I formulate arguments in the very near future. Imagine 5 years from now, having a discussion about politics at a party. A simple statistic is a sticking point - say, the death toll in the Gulf War. Both arguers have PDAs with wireless internet, and both connect to their home networks to download articles or books that can resolve the dispute. While this is a poor example, it is obvious that such access will have an enormous effect on our lives.
an easy way to transition to such a model might be to have some sort of prizes in a standard MMORPG, foir instance: every six months, the 3 most powerful characters receieve $1000 (or whatever the prize might be). It would be trivial to add such a "feature" into any current MMORPG.
This whole "intellectual property" thing seems to be going a bit too far. The Linux community has got to be one of the largest bodies of collective intellect anywhere, and should be capable of finding a solution to the problem that modern IP law presents, especially now that it is threatening something that is not only an enjoyable hobby but also an exciting and promising social movement. Who else is thinking about this? Where is it being discussed? Where can we donate our time and energy (and maybe money) to such a cause? Where can we protest, and what can we do?
I mean this in all seriousness. I think there are hundreds of thousands of people, if not billions, who will benefit from the Linux movement and the ideas that are associated with it. It is unacceptable that a corporation should be allowed to stop it, and something needs to be done. If it is already being worked on, please point the rest of us there so that we can help. If not, let's start working on it right now.
This brings up kind of an interesting point:
I know quite a few Microsoft users who have windows-admin jobs (they still refer to Linux as "Lie-nix"). Almost all of them are anti-Linux, even though none of them have ever used Linux enough to understand it. They always have excuses why they don't like linux ("I don't like to type", "I want to use a GUI"), and I can't even get any of them to try it out.
On the other hand, anyone who has used Linux for anything significant eventually becomes a fanatic. Why do they resist so much without real reasons? I mean that rhetorically, of course...
there's a difference between "criticizing the system" and advocating the violent overthrow of the government
reminds me of the mid 1700s, when a group of young determined men were so pissed at the government that they started shooting at people! eventually i think they started their own country or something, and it was based on "freedom". apparently none of that is relevant here though...
I've bought about 15 CDs over the past 3 or 4 months - here in San Diego there are "going out of business sales" going on at Music Shops all over the place. And they are mostly big chain stores, not mom & pop shops (the mom & pop shops still sell vinyl, which will _always_ be profitable). Anyway the reason I've been buying all these CDs is that they're only $3-$5 each. Only an idiot would pay $15 for a CD nowadays.
no amount of rationalizing will change the fact that downloading music you haven't paid for is wrong.
I would like to personally invite you to come into the 21st century. Things have changed a little since the 20th century - mostly for the better! Come on over, it's pretty nice over here!
Not true. If there is no way to seek compensation for producing digital recordings, there will simply be less digital recordings.
I regularly make original digital recordings for which I receive no compensation. With almost no effort I can name about 20 people who do the same. I also have friends who paint and sculpt, and very few receive any compensation. Your argument is both outdated and incorrect.
Sorry, it is wrong, depending on how you look at it. It is wrong, because the infringers are free riders, and the free riders are hypocrites, because their use of the copyrighted works in question is only possible because someone else is paying up. Read up on Kant's categorical imperative.
No one has to "pay up" for intellectual property. There are plenty of intellectuals who will continue to generate ideas with or without compensation. There are hundreds of thousands, probably millions, of musicians who create and record music because they love to do it. They consider it a great compliment that anyone would want to listen to their music. In the world of Intellectual Property, there are no "free riders" because once the idea has been created, there is no "payment" and there is no "cost". Kant's ideas are irrelevant, as are the ideas of Marx, Plato, and Jesus Christ. All had some good ideas, but to try to apply their ideas to filesharing is a bit of a stretch.
Britney Spears doesn't fit into that equation because if she weren't getting paid, she probably wouldn't be making music. My friends and I will continue to write and record music without compensation, and I encourage to download some for yourself. In fact I would consider it a great compliment.
The conclusion that any intelligent person should make from reading this article is that No one believes that sharing intellectual property is morally wrong. Because it's not wrong, no matter how you look at it. There are no victims, and there is no loser from file sharing. Everyone wins.
That's why filesharing is so popular. The average person knows, deep down inside, that even with all the lawsuits and threats that: 1. They aren't doing anything wrong, and 2. They aren't hurting anyone.
i forget how the quote goes, but there's a saying that if everyone is breaking a law, there is probably something wrong with the law (or, more likely, with the people making the laws)
I'm trying to start using Ogg files, but have had a hard time finding a player that is satisfactory. I just installed Winamp 3.0 because it supports Ogg files and I've been sorely disappointed. Can someone recommend a better Ogg player?
The problem with freenet is that it has a *very* steep learning curve. Filesharers want something quick and easy (myself included). I downloaded it, fired it up, and couldn't even tell how to search the network. I couldn't tell where the network was or what I was sharing. I maybe spent 10 minutes with it, and got bored. I just don't care enough to do the research, I'll risk it with "dangerous" apps for now.
Dear Sirs:
I received the letter you sent regarding alleged copyright violations on my computer. I have taken my computer in to a technician to be checked, as I believe that my computer may have been "hacked", as I was unaware of any such files residing on my computer. I will be glad to forward contact information for the technician that I sent my computer to so that you can verify that no such activity has taken place. Feel free to contact me by phone at (XXX) XXX-XXXX if you have further questions.
Actually it would be quite elementary to take the individual parts of either a car or a piece of music, or a painting or photograph for that matter, and "shuffle" them. A large number of people would probably take their copied cars and modify them, and then those modifications could be copied as well! This means that we have the potential to create an infinite number of variations on the original! The benefits to humanity would be amazing. So that means that trading music (or any information for that matter!) is an enormous benefit to mankind!
Hmmm... obey the RIAA's interpretation of the law, or contribute to mankind... tough decision huh?
There's a difference between fact and flamebait. Just because you disagree with my argument doesn't mean you can call it flamebait. Apparently Slashdot doesn't like people who think outside the slashdot box - maybe I should have mentioned Linux or ripped on Microsoft... -dbc
Only a sucker would pay for any of these services - whether it's Microsoft's, Apple's, or Pressplay or Napster. The music industry is already as dead as the painting or sculpture industries.
I've never heard of the equivalent of "record labels" for painting or sculpture. That's because nobody cares! In those industries we have galleries, which are basically the same as concerts. But for the most part, painting and sculpture are things that people do for fun. That's what music will be - something you do for fun. Those of you who are actually supporting services like the ones mentioned above are:
Supporting DRM and other oppressive DMCA-like technologies
Supporting the oppressive and ruthless music industry which is already doomed
Wasting your money when it could be used to really support artists by going to live shows
Demonstrating to both Politicians and corporations that data can be "rented" instead of sold
Think again before you support these services. As far as I'm concerned, even talking about them without mentioning the above points only serves to add to the hype, and will only make the transition to a new paradigm even more painful than it will already be.
You people are chumps. The segway may have some interesting technology, but it's more of a marketing experiment than a technological breakthrough. They've pulled out every trick in the book, from lobbying local governments to planting media articles like this one (remember those astroturfed fan sites they made?), to the exaggerated sales on Amazon.com.
If you ever thought about buying a segway, or fantasized about how cool it might be to have one - you're just a sucker! That's right, you've been had.
The saddest people are the ones who think they're cool because they call it an "ht". Those are the real victims of marketing. Do you think Pepsi is cool? Does the Coca-Cola logo make you think of "good times"? Have you been asking your friends if they're "gellin" like they do in the commercial?
This isn't a flame or a troll. This is the sad truth. There are people out there that are so stupid that they actually believe a $5000 tricycle is "cool".
While we're on the subject, can someone suggest a good ripper for encoder CDs to Ogg Vorbis? I'm currently using Exact Audio Copy and LAME on Win2000.
Ideally I'd like to find a ripper that has good cd database support, and can do both mp3 and ogg... Any suggestions?
I'm only familiar with 2 cities - St. Louis, MO and San Diego, CA. Both of these cities have neighborhoods that could be converted to "car-free" with a minimum of hassle. In San Diego, Ocean Beach could easily keep cars out of the main strip (which i believe is Voltaire), and then slowly expand the car-free area. I would think that the residents would even be somewhat supportive of such an idea! The problem would then be getting merchandise to the local stores. This could also be done in St. Louis in The Loop (Delmar). There is really no reason why small neighborhoods couldn't do something like this.
Oh, and for all you people that are still talking about Segways - make sure to watch the next episode of American Idol, and also check out the new Britney Spears album. Those are some other products that are worthless but shiny and well-marketed.
Slashdot Mirror
I know people sometimes get annoyed to see redundant posts like this, but it would be wise to list the alternatives every time articles like this are posted (mail clients, ogg vorbis players, alternative browsers). At least mention the alternatives and some pros and cons.
Even here on slashdot, there are people who are still using "the wrong products", and a friendly pointer to the alternatives may be just the thing to convert some non-believers. I myself am still using Outlook because I've never been satisfied with any alternatives, and I don't have the time to go testing all the options. But I would definitely benefit from the wisdom of the slashdot community (did i really say that?)
Seems to me that an "Age of Piracy" is the next step in the evolution of society. Right now, ideas (Intellectual Property) only have value for a very short time. After a certain point their monetary value drops extremely rapidly. Think about the ideas that have value right now - current headlines, new video games, new ideas. (Video games can go from $50 to $20 in less than a year, music can go from $17 to bargain bins in about the same time. Newspapers and magazines are completely worthless after a few weeks) I think we're approaching a point where the only way you can make money from Intellectual Property is if you're doing something that's never been done before.
Piracy cannot be stopped, I truly believe that it can't be stopped, and I truly believe that free distribution of intellectual property will be hugely beneficial to mankind. I also believe that the "creators" can still have careers creating Intellectual Property, but again, only if they are pushing the limits, changing things, and re-inventing. There is no future for Britney Spears and her breed of watered-down, lowest common denominator media.
I've recently started an archive of most of the newspaper and magazine articles that I enjoy, and I've also started to hunt for my favorite books. I am confident that having instantly searchable (.txt or OCR'd pdf files) access to my favortie writings will drastically affect the way I think, the way I reason, and the way I formulate arguments in the very near future. Imagine 5 years from now, having a discussion about politics at a party. A simple statistic is a sticking point - say, the death toll in the Gulf War. Both arguers have PDAs with wireless internet, and both connect to their home networks to download articles or books that can resolve the dispute. While this is a poor example, it is obvious that such access will have an enormous effect on our lives.
an easy way to transition to such a model might be to have some sort of prizes in a standard MMORPG, foir instance: every six months, the 3 most powerful characters receieve $1000 (or whatever the prize might be). It would be trivial to add such a "feature" into any current MMORPG.
-dbc
people will never pay for internet content. come to think of it, they will never pay for tv or radio either.
This whole "intellectual property" thing seems to be going a bit too far. The Linux community has got to be one of the largest bodies of collective intellect anywhere, and should be capable of finding a solution to the problem that modern IP law presents, especially now that it is threatening something that is not only an enjoyable hobby but also an exciting and promising social movement. Who else is thinking about this? Where is it being discussed? Where can we donate our time and energy (and maybe money) to such a cause? Where can we protest, and what can we do?
I mean this in all seriousness. I think there are hundreds of thousands of people, if not billions, who will benefit from the Linux movement and the ideas that are associated with it. It is unacceptable that a corporation should be allowed to stop it, and something needs to be done. If it is already being worked on, please point the rest of us there so that we can help. If not, let's start working on it right now.
-dbc
what does "annouced and end..." mean?
-dbc
This brings up kind of an interesting point: I know quite a few Microsoft users who have windows-admin jobs (they still refer to Linux as "Lie-nix"). Almost all of them are anti-Linux, even though none of them have ever used Linux enough to understand it. They always have excuses why they don't like linux ("I don't like to type", "I want to use a GUI"), and I can't even get any of them to try it out.
On the other hand, anyone who has used Linux for anything significant eventually becomes a fanatic. Why do they resist so much without real reasons? I mean that rhetorically, of course...
I've bought about 15 CDs over the past 3 or 4 months - here in San Diego there are "going out of business sales" going on at Music Shops all over the place. And they are mostly big chain stores, not mom & pop shops (the mom & pop shops still sell vinyl, which will _always_ be profitable). Anyway the reason I've been buying all these CDs is that they're only $3-$5 each. Only an idiot would pay $15 for a CD nowadays.
-dbc
Britney Spears doesn't fit into that equation because if she weren't getting paid, she probably wouldn't be making music. My friends and I will continue to write and record music without compensation, and I encourage to download some for yourself. In fact I would consider it a great compliment.
The conclusion that any intelligent person should make from reading this article is that No one believes that sharing intellectual property is morally wrong. Because it's not wrong, no matter how you look at it. There are no victims, and there is no loser from file sharing. Everyone wins.
That's why filesharing is so popular. The average person knows, deep down inside, that even with all the lawsuits and threats that: 1. They aren't doing anything wrong, and 2. They aren't hurting anyone.
-dbc
Executives & Lobbyists don't benefit from tipjar-advocacy. Don't tell me you really thought the RIAA was fighting for artists' rights!
Parent is flamebait, moderators please act accordingly.
i think i might call this number to report some piracy - EVERY TIME I'M IN THE BATHROOM FOR THE NEXT WEEK! that one's going on speed dial baby!
i forget how the quote goes, but there's a saying that if everyone is breaking a law, there is probably something wrong with the law (or, more likely, with the people making the laws)
-dbc
I'm trying to start using Ogg files, but have had a hard time finding a player that is satisfactory. I just installed Winamp 3.0 because it supports Ogg files and I've been sorely disappointed. Can someone recommend a better Ogg player?
-dbc
The problem with freenet is that it has a *very* steep learning curve. Filesharers want something quick and easy (myself included). I downloaded it, fired it up, and couldn't even tell how to search the network. I couldn't tell where the network was or what I was sharing. I maybe spent 10 minutes with it, and got bored. I just don't care enough to do the research, I'll risk it with "dangerous" apps for now.
-dbc
To: RIAA Legal Team
Re: The Letter you sent
Dear Sirs:
I received the letter you sent regarding alleged copyright violations on my computer. I have taken my computer in to a technician to be checked, as I believe that my computer may have been "hacked", as I was unaware of any such files residing on my computer. I will be glad to forward contact information for the technician that I sent my computer to so that you can verify that no such activity has taken place. Feel free to contact me by phone at (XXX) XXX-XXXX if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Actually it would be quite elementary to take the individual parts of either a car or a piece of music, or a painting or photograph for that matter, and "shuffle" them. A large number of people would probably take their copied cars and modify them, and then those modifications could be copied as well! This means that we have the potential to create an infinite number of variations on the original! The benefits to humanity would be amazing. So that means that trading music (or any information for that matter!) is an enormous benefit to mankind!
Hmmm... obey the RIAA's interpretation of the law, or contribute to mankind... tough decision huh?
There's a difference between fact and flamebait. Just because you disagree with my argument doesn't mean you can call it flamebait. Apparently Slashdot doesn't like people who think outside the slashdot box - maybe I should have mentioned Linux or ripped on Microsoft...
-dbc
I've never heard of the equivalent of "record labels" for painting or sculpture. That's because nobody cares! In those industries we have galleries, which are basically the same as concerts. But for the most part, painting and sculpture are things that people do for fun. That's what music will be - something you do for fun. Those of you who are actually supporting services like the ones mentioned above are:
Think again before you support these services. As far as I'm concerned, even talking about them without mentioning the above points only serves to add to the hype, and will only make the transition to a new paradigm even more painful than it will already be.
-dbc
You people are chumps. The segway may have some interesting technology, but it's more of a marketing experiment than a technological breakthrough. They've pulled out every trick in the book, from lobbying local governments to planting media articles like this one (remember those astroturfed fan sites they made?), to the exaggerated sales on Amazon.com .
If you ever thought about buying a segway, or fantasized about how cool it might be to have one - you're just a sucker! That's right, you've been had.
The saddest people are the ones who think they're cool because they call it an "ht". Those are the real victims of marketing. Do you think Pepsi is cool? Does the Coca-Cola logo make you think of "good times"? Have you been asking your friends if they're "gellin" like they do in the commercial?
This isn't a flame or a troll. This is the sad truth. There are people out there that are so stupid that they actually believe a $5000 tricycle is "cool".
-dbc
While we're on the subject, can someone suggest a good ripper for encoder CDs to Ogg Vorbis? I'm currently using Exact Audio Copy and LAME on Win2000.
Ideally I'd like to find a ripper that has good cd database support, and can do both mp3 and ogg... Any suggestions?
-dbc
I'm only familiar with 2 cities - St. Louis, MO and San Diego, CA. Both of these cities have neighborhoods that could be converted to "car-free" with a minimum of hassle. In San Diego, Ocean Beach could easily keep cars out of the main strip (which i believe is Voltaire), and then slowly expand the car-free area. I would think that the residents would even be somewhat supportive of such an idea! The problem would then be getting merchandise to the local stores. This could also be done in St. Louis in The Loop (Delmar). There is really no reason why small neighborhoods couldn't do something like this.
Oh, and for all you people that are still talking about Segways - make sure to watch the next episode of American Idol, and also check out the new Britney Spears album. Those are some other products that are worthless but shiny and well-marketed.
-dbc