Scoop’s Views

It’s 1:55 a.m., and I couldn’t sleep for some reason. So, instead of trying to pretend that I’m sleepy — wait, I am sleepy, I’m just not ready for sleep — I chose to get up and wait until my body is ready for sleep.

I came to the living room, fired up my old laptop, and did a Web search to find some interesting tidbits to keep me entertained since all 400 channels on the Comcrap cable network seem to be be one of three different infomercial broadcasts at this time of morning. Talk about a lousy selection, huh? Well, maybe it isn’t quite that bad, but it certainly seems like it.

Anyway, off I went, fired up the laptop, and checked out some stuff over at Lockergnome, which led me to an interesting tidbit, posted by Lumpy.

Link to March is Boycott the RIAA Month ~ webbits

According to Gizmodo, today begins boycott the RIAA month. It was even good enough to put together a manifesto against the RIAA. I think it is a great idea. I thought I might share with you why I think so and give a few thoughts on how to do so.

Personally, the last RIAA CD I bought was Thomas Dolby’s “Astronauts and Heratics” back in 1992. ( Yeah, that was a few years ago.) I am of the mindset that if you order me to do something, I am much less likely to co-operate with you. The RIAA has been on a rampage of trying to order, bully, threaten and using any means it sees fit to frighten the consumer into submission. That does not sit well with me. It seems to think that it is some type of police or Gestapo governmental agency. It sues children, housewives, and dead people and seems to think it is on a crusade for the artist who sees little if anything from this rampage. Its attorneys are descending on college campuses much like pedophiles on a playground. I must also state that I do not condone, endorse, or encourage an illegal downloading or piracy. There are many legal alternatives. Enough for the “why,” let us continue to the “how.”

You could, of course, burn every CD, cassette, and album you own, shut off the radio, and become a hermit, but how much fun would that be?

Please do not think I do not own any RIAA music. That is far from the truth. I am have about 400 cassettes and a few hundred CDs from days past. The reality is that I have little use for the obsolete media. I want MP3 format on my hard drive and, I want it to be transferable to any device I own.

I love music and am listening to a podcast or music almost every waking moment of my day. So what do you do to boycott the RIAA and continue to “jam out?” Several things …

First off, check out the RIAA Radar and see if the artist you like is still recording with an RIAA label. Many labels are now leaving the RIAA; support those who are not part of the RIAA.

Become informed on the current state of these matters. The EFF has an excellent list of feeds on your rights in the electronic age. Check out the boycott RIAA site.

Listen to podcasts, and find “podsafe music.” Podsafe music is music that is perfectly legal to download and transfer from device to device. I have just under 10 gigs of free podsafe music. Here are some of the places I like to get the music from: (If you have any you would like to add, leave a comment.)

Podsafe Audio - This is my personal favorite. I don’t think it is any better or worse than any of the others I mention below but it it usually my first stop.

Garage Band - I think most of us have heard of this site.

Podsafe Music Network - LOTS of music here. A very popular source for legal downloads.

Sound Click - Not a bad site but I would think more of it if it just ditched the pop-ups.

Most important, change the way you think about the music you do buy. Each dollar you spend is, in fact, a vote. If any portion of it is funneled to the RIAA, its fire is fueled. If we all stopped listening to and buying RIAA music, how long would it be able to continue with its madness?

In any way you can afford to, support organizations that are protecting your rights and opposing the RIAA. This could mean donations, linkage, or simply spreading the word. Make a statement on this matter.

I heard of a good way to make such a statement this month on The Daily Source Code Podcast. The idea is simple, elegant, and a great way for all of us to make a statement. It is a great way for us to say that we, the consumers, should decide what and how we listen to. It is Bum Rush the Charts.

Basically it works like this:

“…on March 22nd, the podcasting community is going to take an indie podsafe music artist to number one on the iTunes singles charts as a demonstration of our reach to Main Street and our purchasing power to Wall Street. The track we’ve chosen is “Mine Again” by the band Black Lab. A band, mind you, that was not just dropped from not just one, but two major record labels (Geffen and Sony/Epic) and in the process forced them to fight to get their own music back. We picked them because making them number one, even for just one day, will remind the RIAA record labels of what they turned their backs on - and who they ignore at their peril.”

I think it is a great idea. “I’m in. Are you?”