napster

[captain Tarpols]

i have latly been using a program called "napster" it is a system that scans peoples coputers for mp3s than other people that are online can download from you. for free! basically every song there is someone has. they are being sued right now for copyright stuff. bbut luckilly they won't sue individdual users ;) if you want napster got to napster.com . what is your opinion on the subject?

[bmilder]

Sounds cool, but I've been too lazy to download it as of yet.

[Jaro]

It's great. It was nearly banned here on campus (USC) because so many people use it that we were causing bandwidth problems..

.. it tells you what kind of connection everyone else has, too, so you know when you choose the person to download from you can choose a person with the best connection. :)

If anyone's on the west coast, check for me. I'm Jaroo on Napster.

[Loopy]

sounds awesome! I'm definitely going to check into that. How long has that been around? (I can't believe I haven't heard of it yet, given how much time I spend on the web)

[The Elanor Hobbit]

Peoples! You know that's illegal. :(

[Darth Tater]

Hmm, that doesn't sound like a very good and moral thing to do. I'll have to check it out ;)

[bmilder]

Elanor, I'm sure you can't tell me you've never downloaded an MP3, the vast majority of which are slightly illegal. Well maybe you can but it seems unlikely :p . Copyright laws are being stretched on the Internet... but so what! :D That's part of its charm :p

Why should we have to buy an expensive CD every time we want to hear just one song?

I proudly admit I've downloaded music and games "illegally," but I felt justified. The games I got are mostly between 5-10 years old, and it's absurd to pay a company that still charges $40 for a 1992 game.

It shouldn't be illegal. And since there's utterly no way the companies can track me down, I'm not worried and you shouldn't be either :)

[adidas96]

Yes, napster is a great program. In fact, i was the one who originally told jon about it. Anyway, i my sister and I have illegally downloaded several songs, but we dont care. ppl who crack down on illegal mp3 stuff usually wouldnt go to the individuals, but the ppl who own the page. Anyway, im downloading one at the moment, which I must add it is taking forever cuz the server is so slow.

[dmaul97]

I just got Napster a few day7s before this topic. How do other people get MP3's from your comp? Don't they need to be uploaded before someone else can listen to them? If they are uploading, can't you just cancel or go offline?

[adidas96]

What people do on the napster program is upload their mp3s, which are then available to all members of napster. it is called napster cuz you nap other peoples mp3s.

[Elanor]

No I haven't. It's up to the individuals to 'crack down' on themselves in this situation. If we ignore the law, it has no meaning. If law has no meaning, there is no predictability, and therefore no freedom. True freedom is not in being able to 'nap' whatever song you want, but in knowiing that your rights are protected and being able to move freely within the law. If the songwriters' rights are not protected, then no one's are.

[Fat middle]

True freedom is to do only those things that help you to be a better person and not to do the others. The law has only a relative role in freedom affairs: it´s only an approach human community does to those "good things". But sometimes that approach isn´t correct at all, and then you must attend to your conscience (i mean a conscience that have study deeply the problem) to know if you must attend that law.

By the same reason, we can say that "everybody do it" or "everybody acts against the law" are others approachs to the things that makes you a better person, but only and approach and even a rougher approach.

I don´t know napster and i haven´t a formed opinion about all the terms of the copyrights laws (i think i can understans Ben´s and Elanor´s takes) but something tells me that it´s better not to speak of having done illegal things or inviting others to do it. At least not at an bulletin board (everybody can read it and perhaps someone could misunderstand you): leave those things for ICQ.

Just my take anyway. Don´t take it too serious... :p

[John Blaze]

Laws are for suckers.

You know what I've noticed? I NEVER see people I know when I'm on napster. I guess cause there's more than one server or something. But I'm up to over 500 mp3s now baby, and still going strong.