Burn Baby Burn! Downloading Inferno!

[Jim LotFP]

You mean that you don't think internet digital (nonphysical) distribution isn't a potential benefit to the same types of bands LotFP has been presenting in a while?

That decision should be made by the band. If they want their music out there this way as a means of reaching as many people as possible, then have at. If they don't, that should be the end of it.

But the the discussion happening here has nothing to do with the bands. It has to do with people downloading because they can, regardless of legalities or wishes of the artist or any other consideration. What's the discussion? Short of killing broadband internet, there's no way to stop that sort of thing. It's a closed case.

As far as jerks in stronger financial positions, I've given up many of my other (former) passions because I don't have the finances to pursue them. I'll have to be in imminent danger of being out on the street before letting my interest in music get to that point.

 

[Helm]

As far as jerks in stronger financial positions, I've given up many of my other (former) passions because I don't have the finances to pursue them.

I've had to shrink my lifestyle likewise, but I don't think I can keep sane and look forward to living if I am to strictly buy the art I experience, before I experience it, taking risks in every turn. As I said, the trial-and-error purchasing is financially taxing for little result.

 

[skeptik]

[A bunch of crap based on misunderstanding what I said.]

I didn't say that YOU were sad for not buying more than 6 albums a year. Learn to read, please. I said that I find it saddening. And no, amazingly enough, I don't listen to music for the "killer riffs, dude," either. You just went off on an entirely unnecessary mile-long tangent, as my comment was not meant to be derogatory on any level. I just happen to be of the belief, based on personal experience, that there are a good deal more than half a dozen substantial releases per year. I wasn't attacking you in any way, so why you got on the defensive is beyond me.

 

[Helm]

Oh! Linguistic obfuscation and 'learn to read' back to back, an internet favourite. Whatever. I don't know if when strangers tell you at any rate, that they feel sad for you you take this non-confrontationally, but I'm fine with letting this go.

 

[skeptik]

I've never taken offense to someone feeling sad for in me in so far as they feel that I'm not experiencing enough joy through new music, no.

 

[Scourge of God]

Leaving aside the fact that a great many metal albums are out-of-print and unavailable for purchase, or that there's no fundamental difference between filesharing and the selling of used albums (except, of course, that the latter, accepted practice involves actual profit for those with no connection to the bands or the original distributors, while p2p filesharing doesn't), how, exactly, have we extrapolated a moral right to compensation for artists? In my mind, the motivation for performing and recording ought to be about passion and the desire to express something: you should play music because you love it, not because you want money for it. I love to fish, do I have a right to be paid for it?

 

[skeptik]

Do you create fishing gear?

 

[Scourge of God]

Do you create fishing gear?

I tie flies, yes. But it's a hobby, I don't expect to get royalties when I design a new pattern.

 

[skeptik]

So what you're saying is that you want to compare something that you do for a hobby (that doesn't have to be a hobby) to something that isn't necessarily a hobby, and in fact for most bands isn't exactly a hobby?

 

[Scourge of God]

So what you're saying is that you want to compare something that you do for a hobby (that doesn't have to be a hobby) to something that isn't necessarily a hobby, and in fact for most bands isn't exactly a hobby?

Look, if you've got a job to pay the bills, and you've got no prospects of ever not having a job, music is a hobby pretty much by definition at that point.

 

[skeptik]

There's no middle ground between 'job' and 'hobby?'

 

[Scourge of God]

There's no middle ground between 'job' and 'hobby?'

Not really. If it ain't a living, it's a hobby. If you're in music for the money, then you're involved for the wrong reasons, and you basically deserve to get robbed blind.

 

[skeptik]

Thank you for sharing your views.

 

[hibernal_dream]

See, this is "does not compute" territory for me.

Assuming you're not talking about having actually bought the downloads somewhere, you're talking about deeply feeling a work of art but giving the finger to the people who made the damn thing.

If this is the only reason we should pay artists for their music, we might as well be justified in stealing Bathory albums, or any other artist who is dead and therefore has no need for reward for his efforts. And neither downloading nor purchase of used cds gets any money to the artist, but nobody cares about the prevalence of the latter.

No, I really don't think this has anything to do with paying the artist - it's about disgorging money from the buyer who, god forbid, should otherwise get something for free. It's like those people who get all angry about people who cut into queues - "If I have to line up, you bloody well should too!".