Brought to you by: MOST RECOMMENDED PC: User Groups PC: Newsletters MOST RECOMMENDED MAC: User Groups MAC: Newsletters MOST RECOMMENDED Multi-Platform: Groups Multi-Platform: Newsletters Brought to you by: FIND: a User Group REGISTER: a User Group DISCUSS: UG Issues VOTE: on computer Issues Results: Napster Results: Browser Wars Subscribe: UG Talk MOST RECOMMENDED MAC: Shareware MAC: Resources	___	POLLSTER RESULTS: NAPSTER MP3 Site UG Members were asked: * Which side of the Napster battle willyou vote? * Have you used Napster? (or Macster) ... * Is there anything you'd like to add... Part 1: Which side of the Napster battle will you vote? 57.6% said: Napster! Has not broken any laws 21.2% said: On the fence... arguments both ways 12.1% said: Napster! Should license the music6.1% said: NO! Jail the bums for stealing 3% said: NO! Should not allow sharing Part 2: Have you used Napster? (or Macster) ... 27.3% said: all the time... continually 27.3% said: a few times a week 24.2% said: only once or twice 9.1% said: only a few times a month 6.1% said: never used it 4% Didn't complete this part of the form Evidently, user group members want to continue getting their music from the Napster site. More than half the members polled agreed that Napster hasn't broken any laws while less than 25% said No to free MP3 downloads! At least half use Napster, and nearly a quarter of those polled admitted to using it at all.
Sampling of comments left by voters... Napster has not broken any laws in the same way that my ISP has not broken laws. I submit that the time is coming when music content monopoly will need to change greatly or go away. I am all for paying artists for their hard work. I am _NOT_ for being forced to swallow a $20 CD for 2 or 3 songs I want. If CDs cost only $5, then I'd have no problem purchasing. I know they don't even cost that much to make. On the other hand if I could pay for only the songs I want, then I'd be willing to buy them (for about a buck a song) directly over the I-way. I think it is about time that the artists start producing their stuff directly, anyway. Yes, that will mean changes. No more billion-dollar promotions. Probably no more (or fewer) concerts (Thomas Dolby doesn't do them anymore because they cost him too much to produce) and no more blah bands choking the airwaves. Ok, so the last one was a wish. We're likely to see Napster start a trend toward shunting more of the money to the performers, artists and technicians, and less to the already unrightfully right promoters and bureaucrats. I think Napster's a wonderful way to sample music before buying. I find the short clips accessible from Amazon et al too short to be much good. My personal ethics urge me to buy it if I really like it, just as I pay for shareware I really keep and use. The author/artist thereby benefits and continues to produce. Unfortunately, I also recognize the presence of freeloaders who would just as soon not pay and keep the stuff anyway. Hence you have situations like Stephen King deciding to back out of e-book publishing. It's a shame. Though I think it is illegal to copy intellectual property, I do not think Napster-likes had affected the music industry. If they do not advance the sound quality from CD quality, it might happen as well. But imagine they give your some high density CD's with 3D sound and will differ substantially from a reasonable-space-consuming copy, I do not see why I should stop buying the music. And if it happens Napsters will help them to sell more. It's about time he BIG record companies realized where their money is coming from. If they were smart, they'd form partnerships with these new websites. And... on the other side of the fence... It's ok for some music -- but when the performer has the copyright on the music they are loosing when Napster gives the music away free. Copyright laws are the only way artists can make money for their art. If the precident of legetimate theft is set for the music industry the rest of us will suffer. The clear intent is to foster piracy/copyright violations and they are only using legal mumbo jumbo to try to avoid the results of their actions. Just because you hear it on the radio doesn't mean it belongs to you! And then there were these three which sort of sum the whole issue into perspective: I think Napster is great, and it would be a shame to see it go. Stop Wasting the bandwidth with all this hype and conjecture about this.. Stop making lawyers rich! HOW CAN I GET NAPSTER interesting! Go Vote on this month's issue... User Group Network ./. Resource Manager ./. Shareware Manager ./. News Thank you for visiting the User Group Network at http://www.user-groups.net. Copyright 1994 - 2001 User Group Network. * For information about the UGNetwork, UGNN, The User Group Academy, or to get involved, please contact us.The User Group Network is rated as a 98-to-1, or 98% content website -- high content, low noise -- 100% Smoke-free, fat-free. no spam, no cookies, no ads, no javascript, no blinks, no scrolling banners. No animals were harmed in its creation. Only recycled materials were used for this web site. Get involved in the User Group Network, and participate in the user group community. The User Group Network is a completely independant Spam-Free community supporting Apple Macintosh, Apple II, Apple Lisa, IBM, Compaq, Microsoft Windows, Amiga, Dell, Gateway, UNIX, and other computer platformstoo numerous to mention, however we are NOT a part of those commercial corporations, and the info and content provided herein does not necessarily reflect the opinions of any commercial organization, unless otherwise noted. We do not discriminate race, creed, sexual preference, or computer platform. The User Group Network does not share, sell, rent or otherwise purvey the User Group Database List. So don't ask. Affiliate entry portalsinclude: Usergroup.Org copyright 1994 - 2001 User Group Network. 9909.08.30741-99.32 V: 38,643