Comments on: Why You Should Think Twice Before Downloading

By: James

James — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:56:47 +0000

If I lived next to a record store and had hundreds of pounds to spend on music CDs (or could even pick and choose for free), I would get the same feelings of apathy. It isn’t just limited to the internet, as my article perhaps implied. When people were downloading on Napster on a slow 28kb dial-up it wasn’t a problem. With fast ASDSL everything really is right at your fingertips.

If you want to download your music (or film) collection instead of using a 90s technology like CDs (fair point) there is nothing wrong with that as long as you monitor your intake. I know with a CD that I can’t get it there and then. I listen to a CD for days to absorb it. With downloads it just gets jumbled in with other songs and forgotten about.

By: Tage

Tage — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:43:08 +0000

I know what you mean. There was someone I knew that had what seemed like endless music! He would barely spend anytime truly listening to any of it. He would start listening to one CD and then just skip to the next CD after a couple songs. I can easily see how people could take artists hard work for granted.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:28:36 +0000

Mike I have to say that if your MP3s are not good quality, you’re not buying them from the right sources. Amazon deals in 256kbps.

As for the topic covered in this post, I agree with the above comments. It’s not the delivery, it’s the attitude. Would you make the same claim about ebooks because you can download them instantly instead of hunting through a couple of bookstores? What about getting an analog book or CD mailed directly to you? Does that count because I’m not downloading, or is it too easy?

By: Mike King

Mike King — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:49:03 +0000

While I agree with the idea that this sort of things can cause apathy, I don’t agree with the reasons why. The internet and easy access to stuff isn’t what causes apathy, it’s that people can easily get into hundreds of different things, topics and hobbies all right at their fingertips. You used to have to spend a lot of time to get into something so that required more effort and time, so you simply didn’t have time for more. Now you do.

If people choose to spend as much time on just a few hobbies or interests they would appreciate it much more instead of simply dabbling in so many areas.

Simplify your life, take advantage of the easy access we all have to new things and hobbies and spend more time in a few of those and you will definitely appreciate it more.

Now for this topic, I only have to think once about music downloads. It’s a NO! MP3s are not quality music so I can’t enjoy them. Quality over quantity please! Apply that to your hobbies if you want to avoid apathy.

Great thoughtful topic by the way, I love it!

By: Hesk

Hesk — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:00:21 +0000

Um, no.

CDs are so 90s and a waste of resources. Think of the plastic and other stuff that goes into its production and all the cost associated with distribution. When I like a song on a radio or a new album of my favorite band comes out, I download it via filesharing and listen to it. If I don’t like it anymore, I delete.

And because I’m connected to Last.fm, next time the band comes to town it pops up in iCal and I can go to a concert and support the band there by maybe buying merchandise. Living in Berlin helps with that.

You’re right though, that just because it’s easy to download everything that’s out there, it’s not a good idea. There is a cost associated with too much data on your hard disk, like sorting through it, backup time or hauling the 10+ hard drives around when you move.

By: Luke

Luke — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:31:00 +0000

So true. I have loads of unfinished things like movies to watch put on the shelf waiting for me to have time to view them. After two months I usually file them somewhere deep in the basement, which doesn’t stop me from buying new ones. What a waste of resources.

By: James

James — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:40:37 +0000

Thanks for your kind comments Shanel. You make a good point about instant gratification. I am very proud of my music collection hence my enthusiasm for keeping interested in it and not getting jaded by downloading all the music I come across. On the opposite side, something like YouTube videos I can take or leave. In fact a lot of those videos are designed for immediate gratification (hence their length) so I guess it has a lot to do with how much value something offers.

By: Shanel Yang

Shanel Yang — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:20:45 +0000

I agree it’s for our own good not to instantly download all free material, if for no other reason than it just adds to our overall clutter. But, my days are too full to intentionally make myself wait or work harder to get something that is literally at my fingertips and for free!

I enjoy YouTube videos none the less for their immediate accessibility whenever I feel like a quick video entertainment break. Those few minutes throughout the day can be so sweet!

So, I think immediate gratification can be just as sweet as delayed, as long as its done in moderation. Sort of like having a box of little chocolate mints at your desk and rewarding yourself with only one after every hour of hard, productive work. I sincerely doubt I would enjoy the candy more if I had to walk a mile for it and pay $100 for it instead of getting it for free.

I love your thought-provoking posts! You’re always coming up with such interesting topics and ways of looking at things. Thanks!