Mick -

Do you know of a resource where you can listen to the variety of music that Napster carried on an average day?

If so, I'd LOVE to hear about it. I'd be on in a second.

Even with the items I downloaded, I used them in a very similar manner - I 'leeched' from Napster (i.e., downloaded the original and kept it in a private folder for personal use, not further dissemination) and listened to them while I worked. A resource such as you mention would be WONDERFUL, as it would accomplish the same thing without eating up the tremendous chunks of memory the average MP3 does.

And one of M. Ted's points is one that I've heard several 'pro-Napster' artists point out. With contracts the way they are and with the marketing machines set up the way they are, the 'average' recording artist has VERY little control over the way that their music is advertised or released. And, with the continuing joyful contractual abuses that I hear about (my ex-band just recently turned down a contract for a smaller label due to the terms basically guaranteeing a large expense for the band and a likely zero return ever), it's doubtful that this will be changed.

Of course, this really isn't germane to the Napster conversation besides to point out that beyond the VERY small labels and artists, most released musicians do NOT have any real control over their works.

Two wrongs don't make a right. But SOMETHING has got to change, because as it is you have the artists vs. the labels, and the artists vs. Napster, and everyone vs. the artists. That's just wrong.

M