Writeable CDs are like really big diskettes. They can be used for backing up software or your hard drive, but their current popularity has more to do with music files than any other kind. With a CD burner, you can copy individual songs onto a CD, the same way you can copy songs from a radio or LP (remember those?) to an audio tape. Most CD-quality music on the internet is in a condensed form (MP3) which can be played only on your computer, or by specialized portable players. Paul & Steve also explained how to convert MP3 files to "plain" music tracks, so your newly-cut (pardon, "burned" ) CD can then be played on a regular CD player.
Inevitably, the discussion wandered to the fate of Napster. For readers not familiar with Napster, a little background: Napster is a huge music-swapping web site which can be accessed freely from any computer in the world. The legal catch is that there are no actual music files on the web site, just a cross-reference of song titles and the computer addresses of people willing to share them. Their position is that they are not "pirating" the music, just facilitating trading of files by music fans. While the legality of Napster is being decided in the US courts, the morality of using it is a decision for individual internet users.
For recording artists, the internet has been a mixed blessing: easy world-wide distribution, easy world-wide piracy. A professional artist at the meeting pointed out that musicians are not the only profession affected; pictures can also be scanned into a computer and distributed. And, of course, computer programmers have been dealing with this since they first "adored their Commodore 64". The result in the software industry has actually been positive: innovative programmes, an opportunity for any talented programmer to market his product, and, of course, creative solutions to piracy, such as time-limited shareware. In other words, the internet can be seen as either a problem or an opportunity for the music industry.
The internet is a great way to "try before you buy" music. Perhaps if purchasing music was less expensive, and as easy as downloading it from Napster, people would be more inclined to do so. Consumers might prefer to download purchased music, saving expensive packaging, and "postage and handling". And why must we buy an entire album if we only want one track?
Meanwhile, Napster is urging it's users to stage a "Buy-cott". If you enjoy the music you have downloaded through their site, support the artist, and Napster, by buying the product.
To learn more about the internet, or if you are interested in helping others to do so, join us at the next Kawartha Internet Users' Group meeting, Thursday Sept. 14, 7:00 pm, at the Lions' Hall, Main St., Bobcaygeon.