vortigern's Profile

  • Apr 26, 2005
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Latest comments made by: vortigern

  • "What was/is the most significant Apple operating system..." Always the next one. ".....and why?" 'Cos Steve says so. :-)
    vortigern had this to say on Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 25
    The Great Tiger Giveaway
  • "Our band is independent - always has been. The magnatune idea is a great one. For bands like our - it's great." Great, I might actually buy some of your tracks/albums then. I m ake a point of supporting Magnatune and have spent quite a bit of funds there recently. I also am aware of CDbaby but I live in the UK, I notice that they have downloads available via that ex MP3.com guys (am I correct in recalling its the guy behind Lindows, Michael Robertson? or am i getting confused) website. I have looked at that, it looks pretty good but it only allows 30 sec listens whereas I spend hours listening to albums prior to buying on magnatune and the only option is 192kb/s MP3 IIRC. I want Flac or wav (or apple lossless, or anybody lossless, but preferably flac, I also use OGG for portability and 128KB/s MP3s for my gym player, all available at Magnatune, which saves me a lot of hassel) and I want to be able to listen to the whole track before buying, like the radio. Which you can do at CDbaby (sometimes look at this [url=http://cdbaby.com/cd/joshritter]http://cdbaby.com/cd/joshritter[/url] Wierd?) but I don't think you can then download the tracks from there? Anyway at least we are not coming from completely opposite ends of the spectrum but I think its important to remember that people like me will buy music that fits in with their philosophy as well as their musical tastes but won't buy music that is to their taste but does not fit their principles. Good luck with the band, post the name and I will look you up at cdbaby.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • "I'm not saying that people are buying tracks because of the DRM" ... "The sad fact of the matter is that without DRM in place, people will steal music rather than pay for it" That sounds awfully like you just said "people are buying music because they can't steal it due to the DRM" but "i'm not saying people are buying tracks due to the DRM" It has been repeatedly pointed out that people who want to "steal" music will do so regardless of DRM and those that want to purchase music will do so because they don't want to "steal". However the DRM only inconvinences those who purchased the tracks. I note you have made no comments re magnatune, as an artist I would have though the distribution model and % revenue might interest you? You seem to be defending the labels/distributers at the expense of both the artist and the consumer here.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • "So why does it matter? DRM prevents these things - if you are not doing them, then what's the big deal?" How can I use a ITMS track on my in car MP3 player at the quality and size I paid for? It runs Linux BTW. If Apple used an open standard then I could play it back on any device I wished at the size and quality I paid for. Thats one example but the more worring fact is that once DRM is accepted then the terms will get more restrictive, Apple has already changed the terms a few times on ITMS purchased music and it seems to apply retroactivly.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • Your software argument does not hold up at all. Software is not the data, infomation or whatever you want to call it, It is the means of working with that data. ITMS and DRM put limits on how data. infomation is used. I might not be explaining it very well but software is irrelevent to the argument here, the file formats used by software to exchange data are more relevent though. do you see. It is the infomation that is important this should be in an open format, what the person chooses to access it with should not matter as long as it conforms to those open standards. ITMS ties the infomation you are paying for (you are not paying for the format but the music) into a specific app/device. Your shareware argument would need to be altered to something like "once you had paid for the shareware it still was not fully functional" just to be even in the same ball park as DRM, if this was the case you might see the odd blog entry. The ITMS is still restriced EVEN AFTER you have paid for it. The fact that most music is available on P2P is taken as fact, however as I said DRM or no DRM it will still be there for those that choose to infinge to do so, DRM only affects people who actually paid for the music. Your actual statement was: "The sad fact of the matter is that without DRM in place, people will steal music rather than pay for it." It makes no sense as it stands as EVEN with DRM in place those people that are currently "stealing" music will do continue to do so. Your statement implies that due to the DRM people are now paying for music who at one time "stole" it, the fact that limewire is full of tracks does not in the slightest back this statement up, as these were likely the same people who were sharing tracks prior to DRM. If the number of tracks were to go down on limewire this would be some small evidence that DRM is stopping the infringers, at the moment though you seem to think that is not the case: "I'm sure I could log in today and download any or all of the music I've purchased on the iTMS - and none of it would have DRM attached. It's all out there - and people are gobbling it up." As I said DRM harms no one but the ligit purchasers
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • "But people steal. A DRM free world of downloadable music is utopian and far to idealistic. We must let music evolve. The power is slowly shifting back to the artists who aren't lazy and are willing to work at marketing themselves." You need to see Magnatune, all the music is DRM free and the artists have far more power than with your DRMed stores. The music industry is evolving and DRM is a method of trying to keep those currently controlling it in power, not the artists or customers. ------------------------------------------------ Dave As for the argument that if it is a"fact" (???) that with no DRM people will steal, I again point to magnatune. You can pay as little as $5 for an album or as much as $18 IIRC, its up to you, The average selling price is, again IIRC, about $9. If your assertion that people will steal rather than pay for something, how come many (most?) people pay more than neccessary at Magnatune? It is silly, people will pay for music just as they always have done before DRM, the people who used to copy music for free will continue to do so even with DRM. All DRM achives is to impose limits on ligitimate customers. FWIW I buy music without DRM and I have yet to find myself making it available for people to "steal" (although I have reccomended it to many freinds), yet you state it is a fact that I will do so, I think you are wrong and I hope I know myself better than you do. I also assert that most people are just like me and are not criminals.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • Well said. The only area we differ is that I will NOT buy any DRM music. Doing so encourages its use. I would not use this program either nor any of the DRM stripping programs, on the principle that I would still appear to be supporting DRM (as far as the labels can see).
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 25
    DVD Jon Versus The Tyranny of the iTunes Music Store
  • "The BG Foundation is currently worth $27 billion, of which BG personally donated $8 billion. That's no small portion of his wealth. In fact, it's approx 28% of his total net worth." Wow, thanks for the info, I did not realise it was as much as that.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 17, 2005 Posts: 25
    One Dollar Is Why We Love Apple
  • Richard, I did not think you were unaware of the "perks" as much as I was making a point about you completely misreading my comments :-). I meant no offence. Anyway if you are interested this is the article I found quite interesting [url=http://news.com.com/Apple+execs+underpaid,+board+says/2100-1047_3-5618069.html]http://news.com.com/Apple+execs+underpaid,+board+says/2100-1047_3-5618069.html[/url] My point was that this article to which I am responding makes the link between SJ alturistic nature and Apple, some wonderful thing. But nobody ever makes the same link between BGs alturistic nature (I realise SB is currently CEO but that hardly counts in the context of the article) and MS. Bill Gates is often associated with the nasty, monopolistic practices of MS. When he personally may be nothing like that. Apple is associated with the pure, fluffy-white personality of SJ when, in fact, Apple (perhaps even SJ) is nothing like that. In short SJ is probably more like BG than most would like to admit, ie both are "good guys" that just happen to be far more wealthy than most of us, and whilst BG charity donations are a small % of his income (and I'm sure SJs also) they are far and away more than they have to give (ie nothing) And, by the same token Apple is more like MS than we would care to like or think, if it has an oppertunity of a Monopoly it will take advantage of it, its main concern is to make money, not to improve peoples lives. Just look at ITMS and Ipod... Just one more link: [url=http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/]http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/[/url] read the comments to see how many people are unhappy with the current Apple status, even on a Mac fansite. Of course the "excuses" for Apple not being able to sell ITMS for anything other than Apple products hold no water when everyone knows that there is a Moto phone about to be released.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 25
    One Dollar Is Why We Love Apple
  • I don't know about not getting it, and I know little of SJs perks, but perhaps more than you :-). For instance, I knew I asked a question, where as you took it as something entirely different (I'm not sure quite what, sarcastic perhaps). Anyway that is besides the point, post posting my question I actually "googled" for the answer (you see I did not know, thats why I asked!). It would *appear*, again based on my (newfounded) knowledge, that this year SJ did only get his $1 from Apple! Of course last year he did get $75 million!!! in some sort of shares (same $1 salary), now they were classed as a particular type of share (exclusive, executive, exceeding, extortionate or some such thing, I can't recall) that would appear to give income over 4 years. I don't claim to know the technicalities of the whole deal but I did discuss it with my wife. In short, we decided that if her employer offered her $75 million, no thats not even true. If her employer offered her a mere third of that over the next 4 years. Yep, just 25 million she would work for free for the next 2-3 years with a smile on her face! Note she would not even charge SJs $1, I hope you are listening Apple! SJ is a right greedy bast....! (Steve if you are reading that greedy thing was just a joke, if you feel like sending, say, just 1% of those pesky apple shares my way, I'll take 'em of your hands.) In all seriousness just look at the work of the Billy and Mel foundation, it could easily be pointed out as a more alturistic offering than working for *free*. In fact as much as I dislike MS I have no real objections to BG. (BTW Bill (or Mel) if you are reading I must say, I was joking about wanting those Apple shares, but if you feel like sending me about 1 % of your MS shares I would be really grateful. Honest!)
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 25
    One Dollar Is Why We Love Apple
  • "It was revealed yesterday that one dollar was the amount Steve Jobs was paid last year by Apple. One buck." No bonuses or share options this year?
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 25
    One Dollar Is Why We Love Apple
  • "You shall be entitled to burn and export Products solely for personal, non-commercial use."" You have spent a lot of time arguging about the "non commertial" bit when that is obvious. Your home movies are not commercial, agreed. You have completely missed the more important "personal", giving copies away is not personal, it is redistributing. The reason that Imovie ect allow you to use the tracks is for personal use, not giving them away. How is putting your movie on P2P commertial? Its not but it is certainly not personal, nor is giving ITMS tracks to people you know.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 25
    Milking iTunes for Every Penny
  • "Dude, it's context. You stated the above. The context is "encode". So, the response was about encoding your music." As I have said I found no options for encoding my music at the ITMS, it seems to offer one option only.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 25
    Milking iTunes for Every Penny
  • "at some point if you want to stay legal and keep the stuff easy you have to accept a little heavy handed stuff from the providers." I think this is where we disagree, if nobody bought the DRM tracks they would soon stop using it, I may be only one person but that is exactly what I am doing. If everybody was as principled as me (or maybe as much of an ignorant troll :-) ) it would have an impact. "And yes I know there are a bunch of Ogg Vorbis users but those guys are like mac users you mention Ogg Vorbis and someone is going to extoll the virtues." I would think most OGG users do not even know they are using it, never mind being able to extoll its virtues. For instance 1.2 million people became OGG users over *5* days in 2002, I would bet that most of them were not already using OGG at that time and that most of them did not know they were about to become an OGG user.. As I said I would be very suprised if the total number of OGG users was not higher than the total number of Mac users.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 25
    Milking iTunes for Every Penny
  • "While the RIAA may care whether or not you use a copyrighted song in your home movie" "Wow. The ignorance of some people still astounds me." Please, come on. There is no need for the personal attacks. You have no license to use ITMS tracks and redistribute them in non commercial movies or slideshows. You even state as much yourself "While the RIAA may care .." Please point out my ignorance: Here are some quotes from apple legal: "You shall be authorised to use the Product only for personal, non-commercial use, and not for redistribution, transfer, assignment or sublicence, to the extent permitted by law. For details of your rights and restrictions on your right to use the Products, see:" " You shall be authorised to use the Product on up to five Apple authorised devices. You shall be entitled to burn and export Products solely for personal, non-commercial use. Any burning or exporting capabilities are solely an accommodation to you and shall not constitute a grant or waiver (or other limitation or implication) of any rights of the copyright owners of any content, sound recording, underlying musical composition or artwork embodied in any Product. You agree that you will not attempt to, or encourage or assist any other person to, circumvent or modify any software required for use of the Service or any of these Usage Rules, or interfere with, remove or alter any rights management information on the Products. The delivery of a Product does not transfer to you any commercial or promotional use rights in the Product. " Thats is from here: [url=http://www.apple.com/uk/support/itunes/legal/policies.html]http://www.apple.com/uk/support/itunes/legal/policies.html[/url] Sure does not sound like you can give copies away to family to me (as I origionaly stated, and you called me ignorant and a troll. I am quite upset by this BTW.) If you could legally redistribute itunes tracks in this fashion, the P2P networks would be full of 1 or 2 picture slideshows with iITMS purchased tracks and the RIAA would be able to do nothing about it. I stand by my point you cannot (legally) redistribute ITMS purchased tracks in a non commertial movie (or slideshow), whereas you can from Magnatune. This is a bit of a side issue anyway, its not really a negative of ITMS as you can't do it with a CD either. I was pointing it out as an advantage of magnatunes, and I think rather than accepting the T&C of ITMS, or WMA DRM type stores or even a CD, we as consumers should be pushing for more rights, not accepting, meekly, less. I know I wsaid I was done with this topic but that personal attack needed a response.
    vortigern had this to say on Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 25
    Milking iTunes for Every Penny