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Napster user respsonenedd fix this

senior Kevin Thiesen

   I begin by stating that I resent the implication that I am "known to break open candy machines" and "prone to shoplifting … to avoid being ripped off by corporate giants." To stereotype an enormous group such as the Napster-using community is unfounded and blatantly inflammatory.

   That having been said, let me stress the real reason why the Recording Industry Association of America is so vehement about the destruction of Napster: money. They view Napster as an affront to the prosperous near-monopoly they have over American music media.

   There have been peer-to-peer file sharing programs on the Internet for many years, but this program is more user-friendly, allotting for even rudimentary computer skills. This is potentially a large loss of income for the RIAA. Not that one has actually resulted. Income for the RIAA is always on the rise, and that even Napster cannot stop.

   Napster has also presented viable alternatives to the loss of money taken in by the RIAA. Napster has offered to pay the RIAA one billion dollars to help redeem lost revenue. Napster has also stated that the use of "symbiote" programs may redeem earnings through advertising. "Symbiote" programs search a user's computer for certain phrases, such as artist names. Using these results, it emails a list of artists in which the user may be interested.

   And yes, many artists such as Metallica, Creed, and Dr. Dre are angry about their losses in revenues, though any have yet to file for bankruptcy. But for some artists, especially the obscure, Napster is a way to reach more listeners with their music.

   Even some popular bands such as Limp Bizkit and Rage Against the Machine are all for Napster, along with others. Rage Against the Machine, a band known for its anti-censorship views, was furious when they found they had been added to the list used to ban users from Napster. They view Napster as a tool in spreading their ideas.
senior Kevin Thiesen