Anyone ever quit "file sharing" ?

Every so often I've thought about going through the legal methods and quitting usenet. I've been on since I've had broadband. Sure the mpaa and riaa are corrupt but so are most of our governments and everything else in the world.

At times grabbing whatever I want for free does feel like cheating. People on both sides spew a lot of bs. Not every download equals a lost sale but more things would be purchased if there was no other way to obtain it as well. Netflix is doing well to legally bring movies to consumers for a fair price. We also have other places like emusic where you can get a lot of stuff for under 25 cents a song or even something like napster where you can go on for 50 bucks a year and listen to whatever you want.

If everyone was to stop downloading stuff (yea right like thats going to happen) and not buy either (boycott?) then we could shove their own crap back in their faces. We need some kind of strategy. Now the only safe method of getting stuff is usenet anyway and the cats out of the bag. Eventually there will be new rules and more take down notices making it a very less attractive option as well.

I always buy games. Since sales are the main source of revenue. However with movies they are paid for at the theater, music by touring..etc.

Do you think the scene people are in it to make everyone happy? I wouldn't doubt they make money off the stuff somehow which I know for sure is wrong. For instance why else would they risk going into a theater to get some crappy cam of a movie?

I strongly believe in not being a free loader so this is a tough choice for me.
Do you think downloading for free is justified?

ask Alan Ellis about how to completely stop file sharing from one's life!! :P
he can answer.

If anyone does they wouldnt be coming here to reply though

Thing is downloading gives people more options they would not have had otherwise. We're living in the world Steve Jobs envisioned seven years ago, starting with the advent of CD/mp3 players and eventually with apple releasing the ipod 2 years later.

As to whether or not downloading is justified or not depends entirely on the individual. Those that cannot handle downloading have their priorities out of whack. I download because I can. I just want to see what's out there.

You have to agree that the "freeloader" term is ironic, as an increasing number of p2p sites require their members to maintain a minimum ratio or make a contribution in $$$ to increase their ratio.

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Originally Posted by aerospace

You have to agree that the "freeloader" term is ironic, as an increasing number of p2p sites require their members to maintain a minimum ratio or make a contribution in $$$ to increase their ratio.

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To the creators of the content? I see what you mean but the money is not going to support the artists. As I said newsgroup providers, p2p sites all make a profit from the works of others. However paying for the stuff also feels wrong since so much of the money goes to a unnecessary middle man and as I mentioned earlier movies are more than paid for at the theater. As for the outdated business model? Maybe... we can now buy individual tracks or rent movies and stream them online. Prices are still insane in some areas. $ 3.99 for a amazon rental in the US. Same as a movie store and with no upkeep! However the legal music sites with unlimited streaming and netflix are vastly better than torrents when you factor in the risk of getting in trouble imo. I do agree about the extra options. I discover so many more movies and music from around the world and its also nice to get a clean file with no drm. I am a usenet addict.

Realistically I only grab 1-2 movies a week along with some network tv shows. I usually grab anything over a 7 on imdb which is rare so if I'm bored I may go down to a 6. I hear a lot of file shares complain that the stuff isn't good enough to pay for. I agree and most isn't even worth a download for free. I'm not a pro but I've been downloading stuff since win95. As for why this just started bothering me? Not really sure...

I took my 2 kids to the cinema last weekend... paid for myself and 2 child tickets = £16.80... then as it was my son's birthday I took them over to get some treats and something to drink etc, they only got one thing to snack on and a drink each, along with myself, another £14.70, so in total to take my kids to see a film and have a snack as a treat it cost me £31.50, or approx CA/AUS/US$50

File sharing and a quick trip to the local supermarket would have allowed me to do all that for less than £10 and I wouldn't have had to listen to other snotty kids pissing around while I was trying to watch the film... so in a short answer, no way would I quit file sharing while everything else is such a blatant rip off :lol:

I think that file sharing has done more good than harm to the copyright industries.

It was the never-ending popularity of "illegal" file sharing that eventually forced the record companies to offer music downloads - instead of continuing their practice of forcing people who just wanted to get one or two songs to buy the whole album. Now digital downloads are overtaking CDs as the top money-earner. Then there's also the subject of the immense growth of the concert business due to P2P downloading.

Also TV shows. Before P2P, people throughout the world had to wait years (if they were lucky) before a popular TV show came to their country. Now there are sanctioned online streaming services. And most TV series (even very old ones) are also available to rent or buy on video, and that likely would never have happened unless P2P downloading had proved to their marketing department that there was a huge demand for these shows outside of Hollywood's established business model.

Just like the videotape machine, which Hollywood fought hard to try to kill off decades earlier, P2P has forced open the door leading to new business models --and the profits that go with them.

Its crossed my mind once or twice lately to fade into the background and stop taking an active role, just grab what I fancy here and there and not worry about the general state of BT, but as for quit sharing? Nah never done that and cant see me EVER doing it without being forced to ;)

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Originally Posted by Invisiblee

Do you think the scene people are in it to make everyone happy?

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No, definately not. They so often claim to be angry about their stuff being on ThePirateBay, and similar.

It's more to get a profile from others, because you got that big blockbuster that masses want, occasionally even before them.

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I wouldn't doubt they make money off the stuff somehow which I know for sure is wrong. For instance why else would they risk going into a theater to get some crappy cam of a movie?

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Yeah I know in Russia or so, illegal plants have cammers to get a source; also scene people might sell a release to a plant, how would we know right.

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Originally Posted by Invisiblee

To the creators of the content? I see what you mean but the money is not going to support the artists.

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I feel your concern, but for me doesn't feel worse than getting cheap products like milk with the accusement of exploiting the nature, workers or else. You get products for an unbeatable price and that's great.

I am a huge music fan and I do download a lot of music. I support bands by going to concerts and buying vinyl if it's an album I really love. I will buy a CD if it's an up and coming band though. That's how I justify it all to myself anway... haha.

The only time I considered this was when I was living in the dorms at college and they had blocked most ports used for filesharing programs. This lasted for about 2 weeks of my freshman year until I figured out how to get around that.

I see myself shifting between various methods of getting my files, but quitting filesharing is not an option :)