Anyway, here goes…
Napster: The Computing Equivalent Of Unsafe Sex – and so the backlash continues. A band named the Tabloids (nope, me neither) have launched a site named StopNapster.com with the intention of spearheading guerilla tactics against your favourite music download tool.
While I’m not wholeheartedly supporting Napster – I do think it has lead to some nasty traits in music listening, but more of that later – I feel it’s unwise to attempt to ban or restrict it at this point in its life. The Tabloids suggest “Napster bombs” and “Trojan horses” as methods by which bands may deter fans from downloading music. Having the ideas is one thing, getting the rock stars out of their jacuzzis and onto their laptops might take a bit more doing. Will an army of Thom Yorke, Dave Rowntree and Matthew Bellamy be enough to fight for the artists’ rights? It’s unlikely.
The group describe their ideas as “diabolically clever” while missing some pretty obvious flaws. For a start, who in their right mind is going to keep in their shared folder a file containing Charleton [sic] Heston reading a public interest message? Secondly, Napster makes it easy enough to determine who you’re downloading from and not download files from certain users. I’m sure the Tabloids investigated the program but it appears that trying it out didn’t enter their minds; they state that Napster is not yet available for Macs. Well kids, try Macster or Rapster – once you’ve actually had a go at using the thing maybe you might change your mind.
Unsurprisingly, a quick search of Napster reveals absolutely no tracks by the Tabloids. Perhaps the band’s tactics have worked and people are too scared to share their songs? However, judging on the lyrics…
faith told her mom
she was going to the
prom then she
stayed out all night
doing little white
lines with a rich fat
banker and his next
door neighbor
the banker bought
her implants and
paid for her tattoos
she said get out your
gold card there’s
nothing I won’t do
…maybe they just don’t want to?