I also saw that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, good for him. That is all.
Today, I read a British blog about illegal downloading. It made me ponder. Years ago I wrote a response for CMJ magazine about RIAA's suing of college students. Basically, I said that the RIAA should further explore the reasons and the people who are downloading before slapping huge lawsuits on poor college students. I still think that there are ways to harness downloading and figure out ways to make CDs more affordable. You'd think that for as long as CDs have been the main medium for music that they would reduce in price. In fact I think that CDs used to be less expensive. What's the deal? But anyways, the saucy Brit decided that if people love music so much, they should be able to buy it. I think the movie "The Soloist" proves that point wrong. Poor people can love music too damnit. Worst point ever. That debate will never end. Rich musicians will always fight against "piracy," and EVERYONE else will be against them. It is an ambiguous subject and there is no good answer. People need to get over it and people shouldn't be sued OR, as I recently heard, get permanently kicked off the internet?!?! Outrageous. Nowadays, that is to equivalent of being Judge Dredd being thrown into the Cursed Earth. In modern day Earth, the concept of excommunication from the internet is impossible. But if there is a way to do that, maybe that should be a sentence for court rulings instead of community service or, I don't know, DEATH. Or, you could get to choose! That'd be something.
Tell you what - way back in my day they gave the music away for free FIRST and THEN if folks liked it they could go out and purchase it. Take the radio for instance. You don't pay to listen to it (unless SIRIUS-XM is ripping you off). Or Music Choice. Or any number of other "free" outlets.
ReplyDeleteSo, in my humble opinion, it follows that the same logic can be applied to the illegal downloading. If you listen and love it, you might be motivated to go out and purchase the (typically) better-sounding non-pirated song(s). And yes, I'm making a few assumptions there, but there is no way to put the INTERWEBS genie back in the bottle. Evolve or roll over and die.
Godspeed, Young Man
Also - teachers don't typically go to work in the summertime. There's something to think about.