For me at least the net result of Napster has been to more than double the purchase of CDs by artists I like. People who download gigabytes of MP3s and never pay for any music are the inevitable problem. However, I don''t believe these people (primarily kids and teens who can''t afford ridiculously overpriced CDs anyway - so the RIAA isn''t losing any money) are never going to become so much of a problem that it will actually threaten the artist''s livelihood.
What would happen if Napster opened up their service to all file types - not just specific to MP3s. Could a pure file-sharing service be shut down? And if so, where do you draw the line? Making FTP and IRC illegal?

/end soapbox
sorry

-RWarden (roberte@maui.net)

try cuteMX it is a free file transfer community and Warez heaven. any file format is acceptable

a completely unorganized post:

A few of you got it right, I did mean the SERVER program (as in the post title). Thus people could make any type of client they wanted, on any platform for that matter, and as long as various programmed clients composed the packets correctly, users could get a choice as to what interface they wanted to use (and servers get any choice of os).

Since Java is already supported by all of the OS''s I know of, I was curious if anybody was developing a file transfer server, you don''t have to worry about portability source as some of the other programs have problems with.

I don''t care what you trade with it, it is just what I would program if I was into java more . Releasing source or at least the ''protocols''/packet organization (so others could make our own clients) would be more than welcome by all.

Anti-Napster folk:

While I understand that stealing copyrighted material is wrong, and in no way is it justifiable (no matter how often the big label screw you), it is far from Napster''s fault. Napster provides a service which is extremely useful, but also easy to abuse...much like the Web. I can download lots of MP3''s and pornography from the web, and you don''t see any lawsuits againt the people who made Netscape. I can email threats to the president, but Microsoft isn''t being sued (ok, they are, but for different reasons).

The same people who are against the policing of the internet seem to be against Napster, and that''s the thing that bugs me. If you prevent the right for Joe Nobody to do something legal because it might be used for illegal purposes, you''ve got a real problem with liberty. I''m all for Napster preventing copyrighted MP3s from being downloaded, but Napster didn''t create MP3s, it isn''t distributing them, and it isn''t forcing anyone into illegal behavior.

In conclusion, Napster is not bad. If we let them control Napster, that is all the foothold they need to start controlling the web.

Wantsomegetsome.net is GOING to host servlets and Java server pages but they don''t know when they are going to do so. They claim they are going to use JRun Enterprise.

Forgot to mention its only 17.95 per month but they might higher the price if you use it.

Assault weapons are heavily restricted because they exist to shoot as many rounds as possible against human targets. The lawyers for the riaa were able to prove that a majority of peo[ple using napster were downloading protected material thus the law suit. Netscape and microsoft can easily prove that you can use your browser without commiting a crime. You can''t tell me that they can''t ban the transfer of protected material. I bet if they did the number of prople using napster would drop by atleast eighty percent.

I wanrned you! Didn't I warn you?! That colored chalk was forged by Lucifer himself!

quote: Original post by iwasbiggs

a completely unorganized post:

A few of you got it right, I did mean the SERVER program (as in the post title). Thus people could make any type of client they wanted, on any platform for that matter, and as long as various programmed clients composed the packets correctly, users could get a choice as to what interface they wanted to use (and servers get any choice of os).

Since Java is already supported by all of the OS''s I know of, I was curious if anybody was developing a file transfer server, you don''t have to worry about portability source as some of the other programs have problems with.

I don''t care what you trade with it, it is just what I would program if I was into java more . Releasing source or at least the ''protocols''/packet organization (so others could make our own clients) would be more than welcome by all.

Yes, I am. It''s on the back burner but it is cool, and legal.

Btw, sometimes d/ling a song from napster is faster than finding my scratched CD, recording it and encoding it into mp3. And there is nothing illegal about that.

Anybody ever thought of using advertisement in the progs and use the money for paying the artists that spare songs?

I think that wouldn''t hurt the musicians at all but the music companies...

cya,

Phil

I think Squidii was heading in the right direction, even if going about it the wrong way. Not all of the material that gets transferred over napster is illegal. It is only illegal if That person(s) doesn''t already own the cd. Now Napster should be held liable to a certain degree for the use/abuse of their services.. They cannot be held accountable for every transactin that has occurred... I mean I don''t see dell getting sued becuase some hacker created a virus using one of thier machines... I think music community is a joke, a lot of these so called ''Artists'' are nothing more than the property of a very rich man or group.. and the ''Artists'' intellectual property that gets sold is actually written by someone else.. Whom they bought it from... Maybe it''s just me but I thought that art came from the soul, not the check book. Now I would feel bad about d/ling a whole cd from a true artist, but not some money grubbing b@st@rd... I mean what the HELL!?!? The bands that are doing the biggest bitching are the richest. And to top it off much of the songs that are ''Stolen'' over napster are the ones you can hear for free over the radio. BTW Just in case you are wondering, The radio stations get the music for FREE!! 90% of the time. Anyway my $0.02 on this stupid lawsuit, remember guns don''t kill people, I DO! ^_^

War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left.