Note: This was one of the first things I seriously wrote when I moved to MTSU. As you can see, it's about Napster, so you know it's pretty old. I don't remember exactly what this said, but I'm sure I have some different feelings about the issue now, though maybe not much.
Note: The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the author or of any staff member of Rock Stars Anonymous. However the fact that Metallica sucks is a view held by any sane person.
With the coming of the new millenium came the state of the art programming that would lead many to defile the unset laws of America, challenge an Industry, and turn the music world upside down. This would be known as peer-to-peer file sharing, and the program would be Napster.
You know Napster—the little devil looking face that spurred a debate over musician copyrights. How great was Napster? Well actually it sucked. Sure, you could download files from other people (files at this point being only music), but if you got disconnected—you were screwed. There were no back ups or starting from where you left off, if you got disconnected, you lost the song.
But with Napster came inspiration for bigger and better file sharing. These would include things like Morpheus, Limewire (the Gnuella network in general), Audio Galaxy, and today’s leader—Kazaa. Though all were far better, some sharing even more media besides songs and the continuous download, they all their success and beginnings to Napster. But what went wrong with Napster? Why is it not today’s leader in p2p file sharing? Is it because it didn’t keep up with the trend and advance, as all technology must? No. Is it because the creators just didn’t care to carry it any farther? No. The reason Napster is not today’s leader in p2p file sharing boils down to own word—METALLICA!
What spawned the debate over the legal issues of file sharing was the greediness of the ‘Unforgiven’ band that ruled the 80’s and early nineties with chart topping singles and multiple platinum records. Though all members of Metallica are set for life, they devised that anyone ‘stealing’ their music were…well, a couple thousand names in a couple hundred languages that would upset most old ladies residing in a retirement home and many more mothers with small “virgin ear” bearing children. Many people were in agreement with Metallica’s views, but even more weren’t. Yet instead of taking their views to the public and telling the world of their anger towards all who would ‘steal’ their precious music, they decided to single out one certain target—Napster. Why is that? Simple, they were, at the time, the top dog, even more popular than Metallica. They were also an easy target. How were they going to go after thousands of people? They just decided to cut off the problem at the root. So the band decided to sue Napster and shut in down. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know, Metallica won and Napster was temporarily shut down, today they are somewhere in limbo always being a source of lawsuits and judicial proceedings.
Though Napster was taken away from the p2p community, others popped up and too it’s place. Like the old saying goes, ‘kill one and two will pop up in its place.’ This did indeed happen. The best and most frequently thought of is Audio Galaxy, in my opinion at least. Audio Galaxy was ‘the bomb.’ There has never been another like it and God willing there’ll be two in the next year. Though with legal proceedings always buzzing about the legality of file sharing, one can never tell what will happen next. Will the government be tapping your computers to see if you are downloading music from someone else? There’s already been made a ‘silent law’ against it by one of the crappiest Presidents in recent years (These views are based on morality vs. the legal dealings and character vs. representation of a Union, no political views were used in this basis). So this brings us to the big question—HOW MUCH DOES METALLICA SUCK?
Okay, their music was quite decent, if you prefer that type. But they were no Beatles, no Elvis, no Nirvana, no Guns n’ Roses (sorry Captain), no Third Day, no Alan Jackson, and no Springstein. These guys were the same as every other band from the eighties, except they got lucky and lasted longer. The drank between shoes, got high I’m sure, and had no cares until they found out they weren’t getting some money that they thought they should. This also goes back to views of record sales. Record sales are what drive bands, besides tours of course. That is why bootlegging was such a problem in the past with bands and concerts. Why buy the album when you can get it free? Bands see it this way. They look at file sharing and say, “They’ll get it here free and won’t buy it in the stores.” But what they don’t consider is true fans—those people who buy the album just for the cover, just for that nice shiny CD art. They leave out the people that go and sample the stuff on the net and then buy the CD. True there are people who record the entire CD and don’t think twice about buying them, but a large greater percent buy the album or just don’t care. Me for one, I download songs that I have no possible intention in the world or buying. I wouldn’t care if it was clearance, I still wouldn’t buy it—I just want that one song.
The questions remains, when you buy the CD, do you not have the right to do whatever you want to with it? The government says no. But isn’t this something that follows under the First Amendment and Freedom of speech? Some would argue no, it’s ‘stealing.’ Other would argue it is their right to do whatever they want with it. The problem isn’t file sharing. It’s that file sharing was taken to the masses. If a few people do it—no problem, but when everyone does, then there’s a problem.
Billy Corgan of the now disbanded Smashing Pumpkins once said he believed the future of music lay in technology and the Internet. He believed this so much that the follow-up to their February 2000 release Machina: The machines of God, Machina II: The friends and enemies of modern music (September 2000), was given a wide release to fan websites for free download.
Does file sharing hurt musicians? Perhaps, but to greedy people like Metallica—no. They have already staked their claim in history and made their fortune twice over. For people like Metallica, musicians who have made it and are rich forever, unless their drug habit increases a little more, file sharing is just annoying. For the up and coming bands, the new generation, file sharing has been embraced as a way to get their music out to the masses.
Record sales aren’t slumping, bands are still making money, and Metallica still sucks. So what does this all mean? P2P file sharing will continue until the government decides it is a cause worthy of their time. With war, the economy, and every other needful thing popping up, that day looks far away. File sharing will continue, will grow, will get better, and Metallica will still suck. They tried to destroy a dream, kill a hope, and rot away entertainment. I’m sorry but I don’t have sixteen bucks to spend on their lousy record, and now I “don’t” have the time to download it either.
In closing, feel free, download some music, and kick a Metallica fan in the butt. Thank you and good day.
Note: The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the author or of any staff member of Rock Stars Anonymous. However the fact that Metallica sucks is a view held by any sane person.
With the coming of the new millenium came the state of the art programming that would lead many to defile the unset laws of America, challenge an Industry, and turn the music world upside down. This would be known as peer-to-peer file sharing, and the program would be Napster.
You know Napster—the little devil looking face that spurred a debate over musician copyrights. How great was Napster? Well actually it sucked. Sure, you could download files from other people (files at this point being only music), but if you got disconnected—you were screwed. There were no back ups or starting from where you left off, if you got disconnected, you lost the song.
But with Napster came inspiration for bigger and better file sharing. These would include things like Morpheus, Limewire (the Gnuella network in general), Audio Galaxy, and today’s leader—Kazaa. Though all were far better, some sharing even more media besides songs and the continuous download, they all their success and beginnings to Napster. But what went wrong with Napster? Why is it not today’s leader in p2p file sharing? Is it because it didn’t keep up with the trend and advance, as all technology must? No. Is it because the creators just didn’t care to carry it any farther? No. The reason Napster is not today’s leader in p2p file sharing boils down to own word—METALLICA!
What spawned the debate over the legal issues of file sharing was the greediness of the ‘Unforgiven’ band that ruled the 80’s and early nineties with chart topping singles and multiple platinum records. Though all members of Metallica are set for life, they devised that anyone ‘stealing’ their music were…well, a couple thousand names in a couple hundred languages that would upset most old ladies residing in a retirement home and many more mothers with small “virgin ear” bearing children. Many people were in agreement with Metallica’s views, but even more weren’t. Yet instead of taking their views to the public and telling the world of their anger towards all who would ‘steal’ their precious music, they decided to single out one certain target—Napster. Why is that? Simple, they were, at the time, the top dog, even more popular than Metallica. They were also an easy target. How were they going to go after thousands of people? They just decided to cut off the problem at the root. So the band decided to sue Napster and shut in down. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know, Metallica won and Napster was temporarily shut down, today they are somewhere in limbo always being a source of lawsuits and judicial proceedings.
Though Napster was taken away from the p2p community, others popped up and too it’s place. Like the old saying goes, ‘kill one and two will pop up in its place.’ This did indeed happen. The best and most frequently thought of is Audio Galaxy, in my opinion at least. Audio Galaxy was ‘the bomb.’ There has never been another like it and God willing there’ll be two in the next year. Though with legal proceedings always buzzing about the legality of file sharing, one can never tell what will happen next. Will the government be tapping your computers to see if you are downloading music from someone else? There’s already been made a ‘silent law’ against it by one of the crappiest Presidents in recent years (These views are based on morality vs. the legal dealings and character vs. representation of a Union, no political views were used in this basis). So this brings us to the big question—HOW MUCH DOES METALLICA SUCK?
Okay, their music was quite decent, if you prefer that type. But they were no Beatles, no Elvis, no Nirvana, no Guns n’ Roses (sorry Captain), no Third Day, no Alan Jackson, and no Springstein. These guys were the same as every other band from the eighties, except they got lucky and lasted longer. The drank between shoes, got high I’m sure, and had no cares until they found out they weren’t getting some money that they thought they should. This also goes back to views of record sales. Record sales are what drive bands, besides tours of course. That is why bootlegging was such a problem in the past with bands and concerts. Why buy the album when you can get it free? Bands see it this way. They look at file sharing and say, “They’ll get it here free and won’t buy it in the stores.” But what they don’t consider is true fans—those people who buy the album just for the cover, just for that nice shiny CD art. They leave out the people that go and sample the stuff on the net and then buy the CD. True there are people who record the entire CD and don’t think twice about buying them, but a large greater percent buy the album or just don’t care. Me for one, I download songs that I have no possible intention in the world or buying. I wouldn’t care if it was clearance, I still wouldn’t buy it—I just want that one song.
The questions remains, when you buy the CD, do you not have the right to do whatever you want to with it? The government says no. But isn’t this something that follows under the First Amendment and Freedom of speech? Some would argue no, it’s ‘stealing.’ Other would argue it is their right to do whatever they want with it. The problem isn’t file sharing. It’s that file sharing was taken to the masses. If a few people do it—no problem, but when everyone does, then there’s a problem.
Billy Corgan of the now disbanded Smashing Pumpkins once said he believed the future of music lay in technology and the Internet. He believed this so much that the follow-up to their February 2000 release Machina: The machines of God, Machina II: The friends and enemies of modern music (September 2000), was given a wide release to fan websites for free download.
Does file sharing hurt musicians? Perhaps, but to greedy people like Metallica—no. They have already staked their claim in history and made their fortune twice over. For people like Metallica, musicians who have made it and are rich forever, unless their drug habit increases a little more, file sharing is just annoying. For the up and coming bands, the new generation, file sharing has been embraced as a way to get their music out to the masses.
Record sales aren’t slumping, bands are still making money, and Metallica still sucks. So what does this all mean? P2P file sharing will continue until the government decides it is a cause worthy of their time. With war, the economy, and every other needful thing popping up, that day looks far away. File sharing will continue, will grow, will get better, and Metallica will still suck. They tried to destroy a dream, kill a hope, and rot away entertainment. I’m sorry but I don’t have sixteen bucks to spend on their lousy record, and now I “don’t” have the time to download it either.
In closing, feel free, download some music, and kick a Metallica fan in the butt. Thank you and good day.
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