With all this stuff going on with Napster, I felt the need to comment. First on the issue of Napster and then on the issues of MP3s in general.

Napster
I do not, nor have I ever used Napster. It does not appeal to me. I can get mp3s elsewhere if I choose and I do not particularly like the idea of my files being available to others, no matter what safeguards are in place. More than that, if I join another Internet �community� I think I�ll go crazy. All that being said, do I think Napster should be shut down? No. Do I care if it gets shut down? Not all that much. At least, not directly. I see this as at least in part an issue over censorship. Firstly I fail to see what good a US court could hope to accomplish when Napster could simply pick up and move to a country where it would not be so persecuted. (Thanks to Dark Enigma for pointing this out to me). Secondly, I am concerned that a court in any land, although naturally it would be the US, would seek to impose its law on the Internet, the domain of the world. The world with computers, Internet access, literacy, and enough free time to use it, that is. I understand the issues of intellectual property rights and all that, but I feel that nothing can be done about it in this case. Indeed, I think as far as mp3s go, nothing should be done, but I shall address this issue later. Napster is only the most recognizable face of mp3s. They are traded, given, and burned to CDs every day through websites, IRC, ICQ and even (gasp!) in person. What�s all that different about it from audio tapes? Well, there�s no loss in quality when it�s duplicated. Okay, so it�s gotten a bit better for those that use it, but everyone has copied music onto a tape for one reason or another at least once in their lives. It will not, and can not be stopped. The flood gates of digital music piracy opened with Windows 3.1�s Sound Recorder and will never be shut again. Mp3s are just the most popular recorded music format right now. Will any binding legislation be void if mp4s come out? (No, I am not being silly, I have several mp2s) Or will all digitally recorded sound get banned? Of course not, I�m sure The Powers That Be will say only copied musical works under copyright protection would be subject to banning. Well, as long as the ability to record sound digitally on a home PC is available (and it always will be, for it you dig deep enough you can find any old software title that will do the job) there will be pirated music. It�s time to stop fighting a losing battle and realize where this is all headed�and embrace it.

Mp3s
The major problem being bandied about in these discussions is the loss of revenue to artists, record companies, and retail distributors. (As far as Napster goes I personally feel the bigger threat is a rapid spreading virus, but I digress) No one seems to be asking what would be wrong with this. If the artist loses money, they say they lose the economic incentive to produce their music. Well to that I say if they are only making music for the money, it can�t be very good. Indeed many formulaic groups today prove my point. (duh, let�s see�5 teenagers who sing about nothing�that should make a few million) So what would happen if mp3s destroy the record business, as blowhards seem to think they will? Well, on the artist end I believe the only artists that will continue to make music will be doing so because they want to, and the music will be better for it. Sure, there will be a few craving fame, if not fortune, but I think we can handle them. All those groups only out to make a buck, and as a result bad music as well, shall disappear. Now, on to the next two levels: Record companies and retail distributors. Let those record company guys become webmasters, I say. That�s where the new money will be. Or better yet, go do something productive with your lives such as feed the homeless. And retailers? Well, I figure my local Future Shop Sales Associate can go spend his time learning the difference between a hard disk and a CD-ROM instead of learning the words to Brittany�s latest hit.

Socialism?
Yes, socialism. Socialism is about each giving according to their gifts or abilities to each according to their needs. The simplest way to explain it is this: A musician has talent and wishes to share it and their message or whatever with the world. I need music. See how this works? Not only that, all those guys in suits, from the record company giant to that guy in HMV who won�t answer your question, will have to find something else to do with their time. Hopefully it will be something productive to help the world such as plant a tree or fight world hunger. We no longer need a record company OR a record store (if we ever did) because the Internet can replace them. What�s so great about all this money musicians make anyway? How many times have we heard how the money destroyed a band and the lives of it�s members? I don�t know about you, but I�d prefer if the music I listened to came from something other than trying to pay for a house, car, or back taxes (sorry Willie). So go ahead you surfers and download your mp3s, chip away at the foundation of the system and maybe one day if you�re lucky you�ll wake up to find yourself free of those who seek to repress you.