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> > At a time where distributing media is as simple as one click, trying to make money off of distribution is just wrong. > It may be practically difficult to

> > At a time where distributing media is as simple as one click, trying to make money off of distribution is just wrong. > It may be practically difficult to enforce, but asking people to pay for the effort involved in creating content is not wrong. Parent not argue that paying people for the effort involved in creating content is wrong. Parent argued that demanding money for the negligible effort involved in distributing content is wrong. Parent went on to suggest ways to make money from creating content. In another comment, parent also pointed out that she or he, personally, makes plenty of money from creating software, without anyone attempting to make money off of its distribution. I personally am hopeful a similar sustainable business model may be found for music, some day.

grey-area 14y ago
Now don't get me wrong, I think that selling music in the internet age is a fundamentally broken model, so much more than the donate one. The comment was quite explicitly arguing that selling content (music) is fundamentally broken and can never work. I disagree. Additionally, distribution is not always easy or straightforward, and charging money to host content and process payments (i.e. handling distribution) is not wrong either (morally or functionally). If someone wants to sell their own music that is fine (and quite possible nowadays), but arguing that selling music via a store is fundamentally broken is proved wrong by the popularity of stores like Amazon and iTunes, and I see nothing wrong with those intermediaries who take a cut for providing a service (storefront). You can argue with the cut, or particular terms, but distributors will always exist because not everyone wants to deal with the hassles of distribution/sales. Some people just want to create and make some money from that. That either of the above two things can be done badly, does not make them wrong or impossible.

grey-area 14y ago

Now don't get me wrong, I think that selling music in the internet age is a fundamentally broken model, so much more than the donate one. The comment was quite explicitly arguing that selling content (music) is fundamentally broken and can never work. I disagree. Additionally, distribution is not always easy or straightforward, and charging money to host content and process payments (i.e. handling distribution) is not wrong either (morally or functionally). If someone wants to sell their own music that is fine (and quite possible nowadays), but arguing that selling music via a store is fundamentally broken is proved wrong by the popularity of stores like Amazon and iTunes, and I see nothing wrong with those intermediaries who take a cut for providing a service (storefront). You can argue with the cut, or particular terms, but distributors will always exist because not everyone wants to deal with the hassles of distribution/sales. Some people just want to create and make some money from that. That either of the above two things can be done badly, does not make them wrong or impossible.