OK, so I know it’s wrong. I know it’s technically stealing. I know that it’s probably not the smartest thing to be writing about in this blog, but I’m going to because it’s real. People do it. I love to download. I have been a downloader since I could run a computer. But I ALWAYS buy the software or music before I downloaded anything. Because if I didn’t, it would really be stealing.
It all started back in 1997.
I remember downloading my first mp3 ever. Given this was back when artist gave them out for free on their own websites. Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn”. Yep an instant classic. Now that song will forever be etched in my memory. Torn was the first with many to follow. After I got a taste, I was hooked. Me and my best friend Joe somehow figured this shit out. See, back in 96′ there was no Napster, no Kazaa, no Bit Torrent to make peer to peer transfers though an open source network. No, we had to do it the old fashion way. We used backend America Online chat rooms to download hundreds of files that were almost like puzzle pieces. Once we have all the pieces downloaded, we use another program to piece them all together. This became a extremely frustrating process because if you spent three days downloading a hundred files and then realized you were missing one. The game wouldn’t work. It was fun though, and I did it a lot. Most of the time the shit didn’t even work, but I loved the hunt. I used to sit and just scan though giant lists of files I knew I could have if I wanted.
But then, there was an upgrade. Napster. Oh, how we all loved Napster. The one thing about Napster was that everyone found out about it and honestly, the program sucked. I used Kazaa and that sucked too. But the thing that it did bring was attention. Now, you might think that this is a bad thing, but it was the opposite. Downloading hit mainstream running. Music artist complained, record execs tried to shut it all down. There were ads about piracy everywhere. The funny thing about the whole thing is, is all the press just made people realize that they could download stuff. It started a revolution.
So then the next phase of downloading came. The death of Napster. It got so much press it was ridiculous. Man, I guess we will all have to start buying music again. Um, no. Actually the funniest thing about the fall of Napster, is that all the Napster clones were alive and kicking and by for more superior to napster when it died. Even funnier still, was they were already obsolete, because the next phase had already begun.
Bit Torrent. I’m not going to say much about it, but it’s awesome. It’s an open source Peer to Peer network that uses separate address files to connect your computer to several others and download at your convince. It’s by far the best way to go. And the crazy thing is, is that it will one day be obsolete and there will be a “Next Phase”. It’s only a matter of time.