Wednesday, November 18, 2009

P2P

Casual sex with multiple partners - often.

I often wonder what makes people (aside from cheapness) stick with a PC system that's so prone to invasive viruses, malware, spyware and costs extra money to keep healthy?

I love ZDNet's blog about Windows vs. Linux vulnerability in accessing the Web, which I found through visualcomplexity.com.


Linux system calls to a Web server


Windows accessing the same URL

Talk about spaghetti programming.

So then you take your PC and download limewire - or whatever.  So you don't have to pay for new music ... because you're a cheap bastard who doesn't want to pay artists their due?

Actually I just read a study (somebody recognize, supply a link?) showing that the biggest downloaders also spend the most money on music, compared to those who don't use file-sharing.

Okay, so my moralistic rant falls apart there, but not on the sex angle.  Talk about good ways to propagate viruses.  I'd like to know what role P2P plays in the rapid transmission of the last/next big worm/trojan/etc.

If you're gonna play on a PC, kinda like refusing to pay more money for condoms, multiple sex partners, sorry, file sharing is a dumb idea.  Especially if you're a low-level congressional staffer who downloads confidential documents to your Limewire compromised home PC hard drive.

I like to download free music.

I generally limit myself to iTunes' free downloads, and I've found some gold there - especially Ojos de Brujo, Sultanas de Mercaillo, Sophie Millman's Home to me and Chrisette Michelle's Your Joy.  (If my daughter ever even thinks of playing that one for me I'll melt in tears.)

And if you aren't comfortable with the iTunes 10,000 pound gorilla, my favorite is Amiestreet.com, which combines free music, social networking, investment and all kinds of other lovely benefits to help you find music you'll really really like that isn't on everybody else's iPod.

The best thing is, just about everything's free when it first hits "the street." It only gets up to 99 cents if it's really really popular.  (except, I think the big ones come out expensive, Johnny Cash, Dylan, Thelonius Monk - their copyright holders probably negotiate their own deals)

But the most fun part is finding people with exquisite tastes and following their recommendations to some really awesome music!

Screw P2P and find a better way, I say.

The Tick

"Gravity is a harsh mistress!"