Chrisedge said:
If there is that many tapers that don't want their shows hosted, they are awfully quiet.
huskies (AntiServer)
ultraviolet_j (AntiServer)
Blue Room (AntiServer)
The Scientist (AntiServer)
the white flag (AntiServer)
*Wolverine* (AntiServer)
Pooka (AntiServer)
That's quiet? Plus these guys aren't all ANTI-server, they are just pro-authorized seeding and want the pro-sharers to take some resposibility. Lots of private tapers don't frequent interference you know and a taper dosen't often follow ONE band.
Pooka said:
I recognize a few folks who have also posted on the Coldplay forum. I find it hilarious how this one guy used to be pro-server, and pro-sharing (not a taper) but is now siding with the tapers and taking an active anti-server stance, although spending quite a bit of time on hubs and such. Too bad those old posts got deleted as they were so funny I almost cried. But I digress....
I'm glad I could amuse you.
Since that was an obvious slap at me I feel the need to respond. But I'd rather direct this to everyone here than just one person.
You know when people get into trading and collecting live shows for the first time everyone starts as a "freshman". They're often clueless on the the technology and especially about the entire taper arguments. I don't blame new people to the community for being pro-server and pro-sharing, its in their self-interest.
I'll admit I've gotten into arguments with other tapers on the CP msgboard before (distance in particular) and I shudder at those old posts myself as I was pretty uninformed in the beginning to the 'big picture'. But I've always been pro-trade NOT pro-leech and I've gotten VERY few of Coldplay collection from the Coldplay hub (maybe 5-10%) and most through snail-mail trades.
Once you start listening to the arguments given by tapers they are NOT unreasonable at all. They aren't anti-server, but they want only tapes that are authorized by the taper to be there. If they don't want their tapes to be sold, mp3'd, shn'd second-hand then they won't trade with the masses and only with other tapers. And you can't trade for rare uncirculated material with common circulated stuff. Its not rocket science.
So yes the arguments did stick with me as they did start making sense. But also the fact that I EXPERIENCED some of these issues myself caused me to change my views. I frankly got tired of some of the people off the Coldplay hub trading with me for the shows I got direct for the taper and second-hand shn'ing them among all the people there. They may have been free to circulate in trade but were never shn'd BY THE TAPER. It takes lots of work to track down tapers, to meet their trading needs, and to snail mail shows. Plus I get fed up after awhile of dealing with inexperienced traders too (getting gapped TAO discs, lack of source info, the occasional mp3 sourced).
But easily the thing that changed my mind the most was having friends with a circle of local tapers. Until you see what tapers have to put up with, you will never fully realize what they are talking about. Its a thankless job already but even worse when one person can "take" control of a show away from you in a heartbeat afterwards.
I think the Coldplay community (especially the ones who run the hub) have gotten the point. I've seen the changes they've made to have certain shows not be shared on the hub, to stop 2nd-hand shn'ing, and to get source info. They were inexperienced as well and had to make mistakes early on too. But as long as the experienced people stay and guide the community we will NOT make the same mistakes last tour. Hubs and torrents are great as a tool for getting liberated bootlegs or taped shows circulated by approving tapers but they should never be a crutch for the community
So that's why I'm pro-taper and pro-mail-trading in all the arguments I've made here. Because it makes sense, because it rewards 2 people equally, and because tapers do have lots to worry about from people who could care less. I do care about what happens to this community and how traders and collectors treat tapers. They are the ones with the greatest investments into this field and the ones who sacrifice the most.
And I'm not anti-server as I've gotten great shows off of STG and some of the hubs (mostly by bands I wouldn't normally trade for but still do like). I still get majority of my trades from snail mail (I spend 10-20 hours a week tracking down shows, burning, trading, updating lists, printing covers, and updating my website) and find it much easier to get a show I really want rather than cry and pout about it like some people do. After all once you get a good collection you will always find it easier to trade for rarer stuff because you will HAVE something someone else wants. But I do also realise that until I tape myself I will always limit the upper reaches of what i can get. I never expect to have everything I ever want nor do I deserve too.