Isn't Filesharing A Socialist Activity?

[mijj]

... ooerrrr ....

James Madison was worried about the excessive power of corporations, too!

“There is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by … corporations. The power of all corporations ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses.”
... James Madison

[mijj]

! Gosh !

Thomas Jefferson didn't like the idea of government dedictated to bolstering the power of corporations, either!!

"I hope we shall... crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."
... Thomas Jefferson


Where on earth did anyone get the idea that opposing and eroding the power of corporations was un-american?

[squirleboy]

I love file sharing ( USA born and raised) im anti consumerism and anti big government so go figure

[RealitY]

Phew, 3 pages of descriptions of politics and whatever...
I don't think we should be comparing file sharing to politics, nor do I care to.
I am also deffinetly not taking part in the battle of wit here as I would probably lose and don't have much to contribute to this run on.

Maybe a better question would be "do you do it for political reasons"?
Though I thought, the better point of this thread was "WHY DO YOU DO IT"?

I don't do it for political reason nor do I believe many do.
I think some feel it is their right somehow or someway and should explain, why?

In my opinion we are all THEIVES and thinking any less is denial, now if are a theif with a purpose, then explain it. I myself do it simply because I can.

Why lie, I need a beer.

[Tyke]

Why do I share files?

Because I enjoy music/movies and cannot afford to buy/rent all that I want to watch/listen to.

I share because quite simply, everyone who shares is helping the network which gives me all this entertainment on-tap. Therefore I consider it to be helping the network to help me.

A wholly selfish reason, but I don't hear anyone complaining....well OK I do but stuff the fat cats!

[Switeck]

Originally posted by Allende1973@19 May 2003 - 17:54
Sure, but by opting to share we are dropping out of the capitalistic economy. We are not trading, or seeking any kind of recompense. We are enlarging the supply of music/movies/whatever, but the amount of media that is actually purchased will drop and drop.
it's not a black economy because no one is making any money.

In the Microsoft vs DoJ cases, it was argued that by 'bundling' IE with Windows (and offering as a 'free download IE separately) that Microsoft was indeed selling it for a price of $0 PLUS limitations and liscencing agreements.

We are definitely dropping out of the NORMAL capitalistic economy, but that doesn't mean this isn't a gray or black market/swap meet. Although many DON'T share, this *IS* a file sharing network with indirect compensation. I get my fastest downloads for instance by searching the people who are downloading off me. So there's my 'compensation' right there... I EXPECT some kind of 'return' because I'm not 100% altruistic -- I'd switch to a 'better' p2p network in a second... if there was one. B) For some people, the 'return' of getting email and web surfing is enough to pay a monthly bill for internet service. It's not a quantitative amount and may not be a defineable amount, but it is definitely a perceived benefit -- unless you want to assume it's a mindless addiction.

The long-term economic effects of file sharing depends ENTIRELY on whether media companies can still make a profit -- NOT on our numbers OR on how many files we copy/download/burn. It is true that their most recent years SHOW a decrease in sales, but that does not mean a lack of profits for them. And they figure 'profits' differently than most companies due to how royalties and kickbacks work. If music stores find they are accumulating inventory, they will sharply curtail future stocks and possibly even sell their excess back to RIAA companies at a big loss. But since RIAA still made the first BIG sale, the buy-back doesn't hurt as much. Then stores will/may go to back-orders for out-of-stock items, so they can keep their inventories low -- and the real production of CDs will slowly come closer and closer to actual sales. They can still count on huge amounts of 'guilt' sales to people who buy rather than download so long as costs don't go up any/much more, and that alone will probably sustain them once they start streamlining their businesses.

The long-term POLITICAL effects of file sharing? Nobody knows...

[LincolnFrog]

All i can really say about file shareing is, it's my only way to fight back against corprate control. Why should i pay 20 bucks for the shitty pop album Mtv shoved down my thoat enough that i actully belived for a breif moment,that i might enjoy it.when in actullality it's has disposeable as a used diaper.... Why should I? .....
13 years ago i didn't have a choice really, and The record companys got a lot of my money for a less that par product. i.e. That ace of base album i use as a drink coster. a 20 dollar drink coaster. well ive got a choice now damn it. Music has been put back in my hands, i now get to decide what i like and dont like, and dont have to blow the milk money doing it. But i would gladly spend my money for quailty product. and thats what demand! and when the consumer demands he recives. thats capatolisim right?
What ever the out come of this p2p thing is it will defintly improve my quailty of life. Thats what really matters. isn't it.?

[RealitY]

Aha, an IDEALIST.

Though do you consider youself a THIEF?


Hmmmmmmmm...

[mijj]

C'mon, REALITY - it's your duty as a responsible citizen to fileshare.

Corporations have become far too powerful. We need to take a stand. We need to take every opportunity to erode that power. We've begun to accept the dictatorship by Corporations as natural - we need to shake off that feeling.

The principle of Corporate Personhood (where Corporations were granted human rights) was where it all went wrong. Corporations need to be put back in their place. They should be there to serve us. We shouldn't be in their service.

Corporate Personhood versus Democracy
" ... That this idea has the force of law both resulted from the power and wealth of the class of people who owned corporations, and resulted in their even greater power and wealth. Corporate constitutional rights effectively invert the relationship between the government and the corporations. Recognized as persons, corporations lose much of their status as subjects of the government. Although artificial creations of their owners and the governments, as legal persons they have a degree of immunity to government supervision. Endowed with the court-recognized right to influence both elections and the law-making process, corporations now dominate not just the U. S. economy, but the government itself."

[RealitY]

Originally posted by mijj@22 May 2003 - 03:21
C'mon, REALITY - it's your duty as a responsible citizen to fileshare.

Ok, I'm convinced, IT'S MY DUTY...

and I get free shit too, right?

Aha...