If you download music/movies, do you ... *new: post 300 rant*

You watch too much industry sponsored TV news, because as an American, I don't
care if you d/l music or not.

Just because you and many of your buddies smoked dope doesn't mean that all of America is cool with that. Gotta look at the bigger picture.

Duncan,

Good post, thanks.

You are quite right that we often describe morality as simply a set of socially acceptable rules of behavior. Unfortunately taking such view limits us in terms of understanding universal morality. Religious groups tend to condemn homosexuality as immoral, and while there may be millions of religious followers who adopt that view, millions of rational thinkers will deem such view as immoral. So, how do we know which morals one should adopt? I try to adopt the normative account of morality, where morality is primarily concerned with avoiding and preventing harm.
By that logic, I think it is immoral to condemn homosexuality as immoral (avoiding harm) and feel the obligation to discuss this issue (preventing harm) should it come up in a conversation with a person of such strong religious beliefs. Because the view that homosexuality is immoral harms homosexuals in limiting their freedom. Do you agree with me?

File sharing is not the same as homophobia or slavery.

Saying I cause a musician "harm" by file sharing is crap. It's more like if I drive
slow to save myself money and by doing that causes you to be late for work or
not be able to do as many runs as you could if you're a delivery driver.

I should be able to play an album at a high school dance or share my music with
my friends. It wasn't until the record industry got pissy and got a lot of money
in advertising and lawyers to force the US government to say it was wrong.

The bands that are doing good are the ones that tour and use their recorded
music as a way to get people to their concerts. It used to be that a band would
make most their money from record sales, and they frequently lost in concerts.
Then they started to sell their own t-shirts at astronomical prices. They used
to charge $15 for a ticket, now it's over $100 for a decent seat.

Like rewoga said, sharing music will in the long run benefit bands and musicians.
They may not benefit the record execs, but at the commissions they've been
charging artists, it brings them to a more "moral" level.

Using the argument that "many artists have gone with the flow" is not a proof, and I think that this issue is indeed an issue of morality (universal). Imagine that the slaves tried to rebel but failed, had no support from the owners and then many of them "have gone with the flow" and tried to make the best of it, would it make it morally right to have slaves?

Your logic is flawed as you keep taking it back to the artist being the ones that are suffering.

The artists that are more independent and "going with the flow" can be more easily compared to emancipated slaves while vocal artists like say Metallica are the ones that are so deeply bound to the record company's plantation that they will never be able to take advantage of the current model.

Take a genre like indie rock for example. Without free downloading a lot of these bands wouldn't get the exposure they need to be successful. Their music doesn't get radio play so it's the only way to make themselves known. Said band puts their music on the internet for free and then lo and behold lots of people buy tickets to their shows and the band makes enough $$$ to continue doing what they love with the added bonus of being independent from a major record company.

There's nothing really wrong with your argument but you should replace the word "artist" with "record company"

Just because you and many of your buddies smoked dope doesn't mean that all of America is cool with that. Gotta look at the bigger picture.

Thing is, that like Canada (and most geographically large countries) there are
huge regional differences in attitude. I don't think I'd be going out on a limb by
saying MOST Americans are cool with pot, and gay rights. It's just the ones that
are in power either don't or they are afraid that they won't get the money to run
for office if they are in favor of it.

There's a huge difference between political attitudes and the "average" Americans
viewpoint.

Thing is, that like Canada (and most geographically large countries) there are
huge regional differences in attitude. I don't think I'd be going out on a limb by
saying MOST Americans are cool with pot, and gay rights. It's just the ones that
are in power either don't or they are afraid that they won't get the money to run
for office if they are in favor of it.

There's a huge difference between political attitudes and the "average" Americans
viewpoint.

not on any of the american boards ive been too..

not on any of the american boards ive been too..

redneck 4X4, quad, hunting and mx sites are not indicative of most Americans.

Edit and fishing sites

not on any of the american boards ive been too..

Yup.

Andrew, you can listen to a song, remember it and then record it from scratch, I see no moral issue with that.

That said, stealing the drawings from a creator of a unique chair just to replicate it (and perhaps even slap on his logo on it) is not moral.

Here's the thing - if I buy a CD I can now use its contents however I like within the confines of my own home. The "artist" has no say over what I do with their recorded music.

and I'm going to steal all of your chairs - good luck sitting down for dinner next week!!!

redneck 4X4, quad, hunting and mx sites are not indicative of most Americans.

Edit and fishing sites

Read the comments on CNN or the Americans who comment on CBC. Or Topix. or any non-redneck site. It's all the same.

redneck 4X4, quad, hunting and mx sites are not indicative of most Americans.

Edit and fishing sites

I seriously fucking hope so.

redneck 4X4, quad, hunting and mx sites are not indicative of most Americans.

Edit and fishing sites

im actually pretty sure they are

im actually pretty sure they are

I reported you to Bono too just because you post entirely too much shit about cats.

not on any of the american boards ive been too..

if you spent a fraction of the time you spend on american boards actually IN america and talking to american people you would agree with Hibullit. I have a half brother in Oregon and used to go to america frequently.

I also think you search for a specific type of american forum to troll so you can feel like a smugly superior canadian.

on a side note…
shaw gave me a free month trial for high speed d/l's, and ended it yesterday :( BOO