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Comment: I agree, plus proposal: (Score 1) 73

by arisvega (#46493031) Attached to: Why Are There More Old Songs On iTunes Than Old eBooks?

The music industry has a long and sordid history of ripping off the artists...


The music industry got cold sweat from the diversity of available media (vinyl, magnetic tapes, optical disks, whatever) and the easyness of internet sharing and binded the artists with all-encompassing contracts, taking the music out of their hands: you are not allowed to perform your own songs in public without your label sanctioning it (and making millions from your fans by selling them beer) first because, technically, they are not your songs any more.

In return, the label sends its armies of lawyers (along with corrupt government elements) to Hell and beyond to track, terrorize and imprison teenagers who had the audacity to publicly share even a small exrept of the (formerly yours) work, and grand you your 0.00000000001% cut from the process.

I only know the book publishing "established" rules a little bit, and -unexpectedly- they are not too much in favor for the writer either.

A good initiative, especially in the music industry, is to have different classifications: streaming is not vinyl is not concert, and those things need to be handled seperately. Artists need to stop signing those all-encompassing deals and a very good start would be e.g. to use a label to produce an LP, then go to a different label and let them handle your content via streaming on the internet: do NOT give up all rights for your art, because that is what you live from. The labels will resist of course but if enough artists do it, then it is done.

Comment: Re:Vive le Galt! (Score 1) 695

by arisvega (#46361663) Attached to: Mt. Gox Gone? Apparent Theft Shakes Bitcoin World

[..] an outlandish system of universal volunteering which barely even works in theory let alone practice?

I understand how you may be convinced that money is the only viable option, and other systems that you are conditioned to believe that 'barely even work in theory' seem to you like naive romantic notions. A world without money? How is that even possible, right? THAT is how bad the situation is.

The request was that you be less ridiculous, not as utterly absurdly ridiculous as possible.

Instead of acting like an opinionated smartass, may I suggest that you direct your vigor towards actually investigating a few of those 'outlandish' systems and their underlying principles: ubuntu may be a very good place to start.

Comment: Re:Vive le Galt! (Score 1) 695

by arisvega (#46335481) Attached to: Mt. Gox Gone? Apparent Theft Shakes Bitcoin World

Volunteering isn't bartering. Assuming you meant bartering...

It is not bartering in the strict meaning I guess, no. Still I did not mean bartering, I meant exactly what I said.

in exchange for what?

In exchange for nothing! That is what volunteering means!

Picture everybody doing this --or for starters, picture a small town doing this, so you can also get an idea of how it can spread to neighboring towns.

Consider this scenario: a bridge breaks, and needs to be fixed: it needs engineers, masons perhaps, other experts, workers, all that. Those are the the ones that are going to physically fix it. It may also need replacement material, which has a 'cost' (a monetary cost). Last, there is a bunch of politicians and burreaucrats that have to rule on the economics and whatnot and the rest of the 'administrative stuff' regarding the rebuilding of the bridge, which is a crowd that somehow has hypnotized everyone over the years into believing that their work is essential.

In this scenario, the town's experts volunteer time to do their best to fix the bridge. The town's best minds, via an emergent selection from the town itself, are on to it. People who have nothing direct to volunteer, volunteer snacks and entertainment for the people who do the work. Snacks get too many too soon, and the town has an excess that it can perhaps DONATE to a neighboring town (that is going through a similar 'bartering', if you want to call it as such, process) and that neighboring town may have an excess of bridge material (the material that has a 'cost') to DONATE to the town with the faulty bridge.

Where does money fit here? Nowhere. Where do burreaucrats fit here? Nowhere. Bridge gets fixed? Hell yes.

As long as people keep greed in check, this can work surprisingly well.

Comment: Re:Exactly what I was thinking (Score 1) 365

by arisvega (#46188923) Attached to: Do Hypersonic Missiles Make Defense Systems Obsolete?

Also how much of a payload can one missile really carry? Not much, good only for targeted strikes.

For your edification: a hypersonic missile DOES NOT NEED to carry ANY payload. The missile itself IS the payload, which is part of the whole 'hypersonic' point (the other part being to be able to hit globally in under 60 minutes).
