Monday, August 5, 2002

Janis' Ian's Modest Proposal    Janis Ian is our hero.   First she writes The Internet Debacle ÷ an Alternative View, for the May issue of Performing Songwriter Magazine (credits where due). Then she writes Fallout ÷ a follow up to The Internet Debacle.   They are required reading. If you haven't read them yet, go read them now. Each is a 100-car freight train packed with Grade A clues.   The second piece makes a modest and brilliant challenge to the record companies: Create a giant download site filled with everything out of print, charge a quarter per download, share the proceeds with the artists, composers and heirs, and see what happens.   She's betting that all kinds of good discoveries ÷ even whole new sub-industries ÷ will come out of it.   I'm sure she's right.   This is where I'd normally add some snarky remark about the record companies. But I won't this time. I'm curious to see what their response will be. [Doc Searls Weblog] 1:24:28 PM     How to Fight the Corporate Hacking Bill The only way to counter the "outsider" image that we will garner by trying to sway voters to oust Hollings in his owne state is to create broad grassroots organizations that appeal to the insider in all states. Dave Winer in Scripting News provides a link to an aritcle by Ed Cone How to fight the Corporate Hacking Bill. It suggests using weblogs with a coordinating website to target discussion. [Scripting News] 8:59:13 AM     Janis Ian made a point that the politicians who foist the bills for Jack Valenti and the Mouse will change their tunes if the feel they will be voted out. The problem in voting them out is that we may not have that vote. The only time we can vote a national figure out is when they are running for a national office - Senator, or Congressman is essentially a local office. When people band together to provide support for efforts to oust other people's congress-folk they look like meddling outsiders. 8:54:27 AM     Janis Ian's Internet Debacle Fallout Follow-up to Janis Ian's original article. She details the additional research and conversations she had as a result of posting her first discussion. What she does NOT do is change her view because of these discussions. [Janis Ian] 8:51:11 AM     Janis Ian's Internet Debacle A very thoughtful article describing the music downloading phenomena from the viewpoint of the recording artist. Scripting News had the pointer to the article. ...from personal experience: in 37 years as a recording artist, I've created 25+ albums for major labels, and I've never once received a royalty check that didn't show I owed them money. So I make the bulk of my living from live touring, playing for 80-1500 people a night, doing my own show. I spend hours each week doing press, writing articles, making sure my website tour information is up to date. Why? Because all of that gives me exposure to an audience that might not come otherwise. So when someone writes and tells me they came to my show because they'd downloaded a song and gotten curious, I am thrilled! [Janis Ian] 8:42:08 AM

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