Do you download to...?

**megabyteme** · 05-25-2010, 07:20 PM

There is a reoccurring thought that keeps going through my mind when I think of the resources and community we have here, that is..."We have access to pretty much ANY type of digital information we want. For free!"

Never before have SO MANY had access to SO MUCH- and it is available IN YOUR OWN HOME!

My question: With so much at your fingertips, do you actively seek things that interest you, or do you passively avoid boredom.

Examples:

...someone who grabs a variety of materials (movies, cds, television, etc.) of things that are of one-time, fill a short time span (afternoon, evening) without any reason, would be passive. This would be things you have seen advertised to you, or happen to appear on a site without you seeking them out.

...someone who seeks out a genre, time-period, or style of the same media with a desire to learn about that media and be able to share that knowledge with others is active.

So, what are you doing with this massive, accessible, collection we have here?

I think it might be best to keep the discussion based in BT because the information/media is grouped better than most other resources. It is also the most active section on this site.

**anon** · 05-25-2010, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by megabyteme

...someone who grabs a variety of materials (movies, cds, television, etc.) of things that are of one-time, fill a short time span (afternoon, evening) without any reason, would be passive. This would be things you have seen advertised to you, or happen to appear on a site without you seeking them out.

...someone who seeks out a genre, time-period, or style of the same media with a desire to learn about that media and be able to share that knowledge with others is active.

A bit of both, I'd say. Most of the time I only download the latest movie or TV show episode to watch and then Shift+Del it, but sometimes I look for more stuff of the same genre/similar to what I've snatched, hoping I'll like it as much as the first thing in the "chain". This happens mostly with music, and What.cd's maps of similar artists are a blessing.

And some other times I download just because, since the Internet connection costs the same regardless of how much you leech

**Cabalo** · 05-25-2010, 07:39 PM

Hmm, I'd fit mostly in the "passive" category. I usually just check what's new on dup3.me, and then download whatever I want.
Many times I do download a old movie, 300 was the latest one, usually in 1080p or BD25, watch it and then shift-del. Good old newsgroups...

**graywolf** · 05-25-2010, 08:01 PM

I'd like to agree with anon here, but I fall much into the category of the active... as I've yet to download something I haven't watched or wanted to, in the first place.

Though I do actively seek through a limited genre.. I do take time to read reviews/recommendations across the whole internet and if that things sparks my interest, I'll sooner or later get to it.

But on a whole, I'd say that I don't take much risks in this matter.. trying something new and without reason hence...

**Quarterquack** · 05-25-2010, 08:07 PM

Why does there have to be a dichotomy? I'd be very surprised if anyone is exclusively passive or active. Using the passive approach you learn about new things that might be of interest to you, but using the active approach you expand and build on prior existing knowledge for a more comprehensive experience.

I have been downloading a lot of music recently (up to 350gb in just the past two nights) and some of it are just artists that I've stumbled on for the very first time but caught my ears' sensitive side. Once I grow in affection for those "one time listens", I move on to buy their LPs and drop-in to their live performances.

Similarly I'm sure someone who is active can in turn become passive. For example, I usually love watching TV shows that have very little connectivity/relativity between episodes (no deep plot, episodes that make sense on their own where you don't need knowledge of previous episodes' happenings). Yet, once I start discussing that with other people who share the same opinion I learn about, for example, Lost, and move on to try watching that seeing as other people with same tastes seem to like it.

**megabyteme** · 05-25-2010, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by ringhunter

Why does there have to be a dichotomy?

Ofc, you and anon are both correct in your assessments. What I really want to find a way to ask if people were actually learning anything from this resource. I expected that if I asked the question without giving it some sort of frame, then I would get answers involving "I grab ebooks..."

I consider learning to be an active pursuit. This pursuit can take many forms- even listening to music, if done with a purpose of exploration can be educational. The same can be said for most anything- if the person is making a deliberate effort to gain something from that experience.

Passive time killing is not the same thing, IMO.

**Totti** · 05-25-2010, 08:52 PM

I d/l allot of movies of the net and I actually have been getting into thinking about learning film because of this I feel that if it wasnt for bt i wouldnt have seen half the movies ive d/l in the last three years or so even though they are generaly newer movies I have been trying otu older ones and d/l specific directors ( Sergio leone hichcok jj abrams and so on)

**megabyteme** · 05-25-2010, 08:58 PM

Excellent, Totti! While I don't want to sway anyone from answering honestly, this is what I had HOPED people would say.

**ca_aok** · 05-25-2010, 09:00 PM

I'd say I'm passive in regards to movies and TV in most cases (there are exceptions such as series that I actively follow), and active in the case of music.