[Good Old Neon]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Please do post these reports, and I'll find a hundred more non-industry reports that show file sharing has a negligible, if not a positive effect on the income of creators. Opinion is fine, gut reaction also cannot be discounted, but the article you pointed toward has zero facts in it, just another 'the sky is falling' reaction when the sky is still there. There's no evidence, no metric to measure these 'phantom' losses, only a feeling. I have provided links to well-received articles that discount almost all of your assumptions about motivation, effect and consequences of file-sharing. I have also detailed my own experiences within the file sharing world, going so far as to explain its structure and some of the habits contained within so as to show you the greater structure at play here.

If you willingly discount what's happening without trying to understand, then that is your want, but don't expect anybody to take your opinions as anything more than reactionary and ignorant.

I understand the costs of file-sharing quite well. Aside from posting articles that can also be refuted, you’ve basically backed up your opinion based on your own personal feelings regarding the free flow of information. Feelings and opinions that, though may work quite well for you, do not work quite as well for those whose responsibilities include not only themselves, but a mortgage and family as well. The post in which you detailed your view regarding everyone just sort of sharing everything and just like, hugging each other:

It fell apart cause I didn't like what they were doing, or what they wanted me to do. Let's chalk it up to my anti-authoritarian nature and leave it at that And I don't think donations would pay the bills, I think I've already stated that. What I do think is that there will be a lot of writers in the future and musicians, and whatever who will create because that is the end product for them. The payment option won't even figure into their minds. My job is pretty flexible, and I have lots of time at home so writing to me is as much relaxation as it is anything else. It's a hobby that I love to do, that I get energy from, rather than need energy to perform. I find it troublesome that the word 'work' comes up so often in relation to writing, as though it was some terribly difficult occupation that wrenches the very last drop of energy from your soul. I think what I'm getting at is that there should be no expectation of payment when it comes to writing; that's just icing on a cake that's already quite delicious to being with.

sounds like the writing of someone who has very few real responsibilities outside of feeding him or herself.

If you truly believe a large majority of file-sharers live by some ethical code (which, in itself is a fallacy if what is being sharing is copyrighted, despite the relative size of the share circle) or download illegally because they simply cannot stomach the current industry business model, well, I have several bridges for sale that might just be of interest to you. Despite what we may wish or choose to believe, the real world does not function on hugs and kisses and goodwill, consumers of commercially available digital media should reward their favorite authors, musicians and artists by helping them sustain themselves so that they may continue to do so.

I’m not a fan of the publishing or music industry, but to try to justify illegal behavior, regardless of its economic impact, simply because one finds them distasteful strikes me as violently immature and irresponsible.