My son Scott handed me a new book he just finished reading and suggested I read it. I am reading it and enjoying it. Others send me music to listen to.
Sharing books and music has been a part of our culture for many, many years. I suspect it will continue to be so.
The music industry and the publishing industry wants to make the sharing of media both immoral and illegal. They would like to shame me and you by suggesting that every time you share music or books - you're stealing - the author or musician isn't getting paid for his/her work each time it's accessed (don't tell librarians that they may soon be under attack for their years of sharing).
I would suggest this notion of theirs is patently absurd and wrongheaded. They, on the other hand, will point out that both the publishing industry and the music industry are in shambles and we, the people sharing books and music are to blame.
You buying that? I am not. In fact, let me go so far as to say that their attempts to change a culture of sharing that has existed for as long as books and music have been around is, in itself, the shameful act.
The demise of these two industries has nothing to do with sharing and everything to do with a shift in technology.
When technology changes an industry, the first reaction by the industry is to protect itself by whatever means possible. That's what's happening right now.
The better choice is to figure out where you fit into the new culture and make the best of it.
Read any good books lately?
