I just finished reading this article by Loreena McKennitt

Pirates are killing musicians, composers, lyricists, even popcorn vendors - Winnipeg Free Press

I was compelled to comment, but expecting that it will be too long to actually publish I'm translanting it here.
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I find the prefixing of "user rights" with "so-called" to be quite offensive. For you to achieve your wish of things being fair, there needs to be a balance.

Yes, artists need to be able to sustain themselves so that they can be free to continue to be artists. That means the artists need an audience, the consumer. Anytime money exchanges hands you have to think of it like a contract. I give you my money to get something in return. If I feel like I'm not getting my moneys worth, or I don't like the terms of the contract I'm not going to sign. Thats the free market at work.

Historically, purchasing music from the artists meant you only had the choice of popular physical media and the perception of the consumer was that good portion of the cost was in physical production process. As technology came along that cut out so many middle men (physical mastering, shipping, storefronts and even traditional distributors) the perception in the consumers mind is that the costs have gone down and then so should the price. But it hasn't. The only thing they have achieved with digital downloads is the option not to purchase components they don't want.

Now the message is that we the consumer are "buying a licence to listen". To me that means I'm renting. If I rent something, I pay less for it then if I were to own it. If the price if right, I'll accept that contract.

In fact I actually prefer the renting concept. As a technological slanted individual, I realize that quality and access will improve over time. I'd hate to have to "buy" something over and over again.

Now what I've not commented on is pirating. That is a problem with society. There will always be a contingent of freeloaders, regardless of the laws that are in place but I tend to think that most people who download music are doing it because the terms of the 'contract' don't work for them. The others, well, laws can't fix a flawed conscience.

There is also a problem with the "economy of abundance". With so many artists and their creations to choose from, the collection of all works as a whole diminishes their perceived individual value. This problem only increases as the ratio of creators to consumers constricts, and by creators I mean outside of one particular category. There is a limited attention span and disposable free time and money. Someone who creates a killer iced cappuccino might just be capturing my attention that could have been available to the music industry just a day before.

So before we start implementing laws to make things "fair", I think we should first take a look at trying to find balance in an radically changing economy of time and money.

The Power of Song

I just finished a nice little round of YouTubeaholism. Here's a trick to try by the way, before I delve into the point of this post. At the end of your viewing session, try to track back the route that took you to the last video you watched. Mentally of course. Our brains don't have a back button, or at least not a very good one, so don't use your browser to cheat. Its not easy, is it.

Todays path for me, as best I can recall, from beginning to end
A Lego stop motion animation of Circle Circle Dot Dot - Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone
A side bar link to some little girl calling me a Noob
Some sad little boy's response to this insinuation
a high school teacher getting pie'd by his students
a not too bad, Transformer type piece of student computer animation
HappySlip's Mixed Nuts
Now I'm stuck on Christine, so I check her Mac Beautiful video
this inspired someone to respond with a shunning of his Dell laptop
Well, I didn't know that Al had actually released the song You're Pitiful after getting flack from Atlantis Records (James Blunt's recording label)
Ultimately that led me to the actual You're Beautiful video (no link, we've all heard it enough)

Still here? Oh so the point of this posting.

Once I got to You're Beautiful, I was transported. I was flashed back to a year ago. My world was in the process of unravelling. My emotions were in turmoil. I'm torn between some pleasure derived from understanding and the fear of the unknown. This song was there, persistently throughout that time. I can't say that I dislike the song, something about it is haunting to me, and thats attractive in a cold, comforting way. Something akin to my love of fog. It takes me inside myself. Much like a familiar scent or image can do. Even tonight its like my year and all the fear and pain and growth and reflection and strength and happiness I've gone through have just evaporated. With just a few notes its all gone. I know its not permanent, but its there. And it feels real. Am I repeating myself, saying the same thing in different words? I think so. Maybe because thats the sort of place I was in at the time. I don't do that now, its like a post-hypnotic suggestion.

The unfortunate thing I've realized is that I'm not sure I've got its antidote. A melodic trigger that will take me out of that place. Sure it will pass with time, but only after I've dragged myself through a series of unhappy memories that surround my heart with a little vacuum of space and slightly higher gravitational pull. My eyebrows, involuntarily, sag a little at the sides, pinching just a little between the eyes.

The artist in me knows the power of your work to instill emotion, but I can't help but wonder what it would be like to know something you've created has had such a indelible effect on someone else.

To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the question.

Not too long ago I went to a conference for work. My first ever. You'll always remember your first. It will open your eyes, fill your mind with ideas and your heart with passion.

Near the end of the week, during a lunch break, I sat with a couple of close friends and reflected on the subject matter we had subjected ourselves too. The topic of blogging came up, everyone was talking Blog this and Blog that, and I had to admit I still didn't see the appeal. Something just doesn't connect with me. Anyone who knows me would know its not a problem with the technical aspect. I am the Original ChatWhore after all. I'm not sure I know anyone that instant messages as much, for as long, as I have. It works for me, going on 11 years now. I hate to be unplugged. If someone is capable of intelligent conversation, I'll talk to them.

So why the hesitation with blogging? Is it the process? Instead of a conversation forming between two or more people, its instigated by myself. Could it be the shotgun approach? Blast your thoughts out there for the masses and their entertainment/consumption. I've never been one to grab a soap box and start spouting my mental soup to strangers with only the possibility of a response. My beliefs just aren't strong enough for that, I don't think I'm that 'right'.

I recently had a random encounter with a stranger on a beach in a far away land. We talked for many an hour about all things under the sun (literally, I have the burn to prove it) and one of the questions she asked me was if I had ever considered writing. Of course the thought crosses at lot of peoples minds from time to time, but never seriously. At least not for me. I think it might be for the same reasons as I've questioned above. When I open my mouth and share my mind, I want a response. Otherwise, why wouldn't I just keep it in my head? What I question is the reason for that. Is it validation of my thoughts or the idea that someone else could give me a perspective that would further hone my own? I like to think its the latter and not the former.

Another thought came in to my head. Is it about disclosure? As I said above, I'll talk to anyone about almost anything. I personally have little issue with putting the raw, uncooked version of myself up for public consumption, a living cadaver for the world to better understand the inner workings of another. But obviously there are topics that one would question the necessity to publicly share with strangers and at times, even close friends. There are times when one must be sensitive to the feelings of others, but quite often those are also the times when talking with someone is most important. Sure I'd like to share my feelings on various personal subjects with others, but not at someone else's expense.

S0 what am I doing here? What is my purpose. Yes, at the above mentioned conference I did the unthinkable and committed myself to blogging for the technical arm of the Ontario Library Association. At the time it certainly made sense to me. I will propose ideas from my professional experiences that may in turn inspire ideas in my peers. So maybe thats my answer, maybe I need to take the same approach and use it on an personal, emotional level. Maybe it will have purpose and meaning to someone who needs it while at the same time serve a cathartic need in me.

We'll see what happens.