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annathepiperSo there's a shiny new Great Big Sea album out in Canada. Fans on the official greatbigsea.com message board, the Online Kitchen Party, are justifiably happy about this and gushing about it all over the board. Those of us in the U.S. don't get it until the 9th, though.
And there's this one fan here in the States. She posted the question of whether it's okay to download the album off the Internet if she intends to buy it later. She specifically asked "how illegal" it would be, as opposed to "how ethical" or "is this right or wrong".
And I just have to boggle. I mean, you're thinking about downloading a bootleg copy of an album that's just been released, and you're going to go and post to the message board of the BAND'S OWN OFFICIAL WEBSITE asking other fans whether they think this is okay?
She got a bunch of answers, including a quote of THE STATEMENT FROM THE BAND IN THEIR OWN NEWSLETTER, that downloading music off the Internet without paying for it is stealing. Period. Then she goes and adds, "But I'm dirt poor! Does this change anybody's opinion?"
Grf. I just don't get it. This person thinks what, exactly, when she's going to go and post on the band's OWN WEBSITE about this? Does she think other fans are going to support her in her intention to steal music from the band we all love? And why does she think that adding that she's dirt poor is somehow going to make it okay?
"Oh, yeah, Alan, you're a hot guy and I really love your unbelievably cheerful energy and your voice and your ability to play your instruments, and Séan, you're an incredible bodhran player and you're a joy to watch dance, and Bob, I admire the hell out of how you play 75 different instruments without breaking a sweat. But I don't like your music well enough to pay for it, so I'll download a pirate copy off the Internet, and it's okay because I'm poor! Too poor to afford a physical CD, but apparently not too poor to afford the online access necessary to download an album!"
I just. Don't. Get it.
And there's this one fan here in the States. She posted the question of whether it's okay to download the album off the Internet if she intends to buy it later. She specifically asked "how illegal" it would be, as opposed to "how ethical" or "is this right or wrong".
And I just have to boggle. I mean, you're thinking about downloading a bootleg copy of an album that's just been released, and you're going to go and post to the message board of the BAND'S OWN OFFICIAL WEBSITE asking other fans whether they think this is okay?
She got a bunch of answers, including a quote of THE STATEMENT FROM THE BAND IN THEIR OWN NEWSLETTER, that downloading music off the Internet without paying for it is stealing. Period. Then she goes and adds, "But I'm dirt poor! Does this change anybody's opinion?"
Grf. I just don't get it. This person thinks what, exactly, when she's going to go and post on the band's OWN WEBSITE about this? Does she think other fans are going to support her in her intention to steal music from the band we all love? And why does she think that adding that she's dirt poor is somehow going to make it okay?
"Oh, yeah, Alan, you're a hot guy and I really love your unbelievably cheerful energy and your voice and your ability to play your instruments, and Séan, you're an incredible bodhran player and you're a joy to watch dance, and Bob, I admire the hell out of how you play 75 different instruments without breaking a sweat. But I don't like your music well enough to pay for it, so I'll download a pirate copy off the Internet, and it's okay because I'm poor! Too poor to afford a physical CD, but apparently not too poor to afford the online access necessary to download an album!"
I just. Don't. Get it.