Internet fights and the people who start them are dumb.
Whether it’s unemployable 19 year olds arguing on entertainment messaging boards, kids calling each other slurs over a game of Halo, or unshaven men fighting over politicians that would not like them… Internet fights are just the goddamned dumbest thing ever.
The worst thing is when Internet fights make the news, as happened today. Users of Google’s “Blogger” service had their blogs deleted for posting copyrighted material on their blogs for anyone to download.
Dumb.
All of the offending bloggers’ “work” (in which they simply posted other people’s work and typed about it) has been deleted, and they’re mad (and dumb) as hell about it.
So let me take you through the hierarchy of thought going through a music bloggers head…
You enjoy music and want to talk about it for all to read?
Cool!
You found a new song and want to write about it?
Cool!
You want your readers to listen to the new song, so you send them a link to a promotional track?
Cool! The band will be very appreciative!
You want to take someone else’s song, and provide it on your own site, but just stream it so that it can’t be easily stolen?
You’re pushing it. Please tread lightly.
You want to take someone else’s work, and post it on YOUR site… to draw traffic to YOUR site, deliver no kind of reporting to the artists or companies, and simply have your way with someone else’s work… and then ignore several orders to stop doing what you’re doing… and then complain to the Internets (both of them) when Google deletes your site?
Shut your fucking mouth, you mindless shit.
The companies who host bloggers have a very specific set of rules. After all, Google in this case, is liable for the content that you post. It’s really no one’s problem but your own that you grazed past all the Terms of Service. There is a very common misconception about the American concept of “Free Speech”. The constitution protects you from the government. That’s about it. If you steal someone else’s shit, they have a right to bring the book down on your head.
In this case, the bloggers complained that the tracks they posted were free promotional tracks. Oh, I guess that means that you ALSO can distribute it in any fashion whatsoever? No, moron! The companies who are paying to produce and market music, while supporting bands have a responsibility to report accurately who is listening to these tracks and how often they’re downloaded, even if for free.
You absolutely may not co-opt the work of others and act surprised when they come after you.
We live in the age of fair use, it’s true. Everyone’s a re-mixer, everyone’s a critic, and everyone feels like they own everything, simply because it’s on THEIR computer.
Yeah, the record companies need to do a better job of appealing to these niche markets who have resorted to finding illegal avenues for their music. Music distributors really are dropping the ball by not providing options to those of us who hate pop.
The moral is this: Everyone complains about the law when they’re caught violating it. That’s dumb. If you want the rules changed, don’t act angry and surprised when they’re enforced.