Bit Torrent & YouTube: Shameful to Watch...But I Cannot Look Away

......YouTube is down right now so, as I take a little break to read the rest of this month's Vanity Fair, I came across a smoking article by Steven Daly called Pirates of the Internet ...it's a pretty sweet read as the author dives into how sites like UK Nova might've unwittingly put the film industry in a hurt locker ; why the film industry's up in arms about the whole BitTorrent craze, etc..it's a pretty sweet read (starts at page 278 if you've got a copy of the Oscar Issue) and should be checked...it made me wonder about the recent spate of SNAFU that some of the big companies have had with YouTube's content-- it makes me wonder what they're scrubbing off as I type this up ("we're busy pushing out some new concoctions and formulas" my arse)...how bad are file sharing sites for the artists...it seems that the handful of media conglomerates (you can literally count 'em on one hand) that hold most of the keys to the digital content kingdom are looked at by the public as huge-faceless entities and that's true to a certain extent because we only see the "movers and shakers" who get wheeled out when the shite hits the propellor blades but there are also the newer artists and the production people...

...I'm torn on this issue because on the one hand, the purveyors of software like Bit Torrent threaten sa grip of people's livelihoods-- and I'm not talking about the lot on with the stock options and golden parachutes, I could GAF what happens to the ultra-rich -- I'm speaking on those new artists, production people...the admin folks who count the beans on the super-unsexy 9 to 5 tip who, nonetheless keep the wheels greased in the clockwork of the media machine, so to speak...


...Everyone here is well aware that Los Angeles/ Hollywood is a company town but more than once, I've seen the results of those cutbacks mentioned in blurbs by CFOs on news shows; witnessed the ripple effects of "restructuring" as adjustments get made in the big offices upstairs...as a freelancer, who telecommutes a lot, I've visited offices and seen the aftermath of a fourth quarter adjustment in the real-- I assure you, there are few sights more chilling to those working on an open contract basis than walking into what was days ago a busy department and seeing rows of empty cubicles that were once full...it's been happening for years around here (read Michael Medavoy's You're Only As Good As Your Next One ) but I think the frequency is on the increase...

...it's hard to know how to feel because on the one hand you get to find content that you just can't get your hands on through the traditional channels but on the other licensed work is made such for the purpose of generating revenue (sad but true) and still, on the other hand, if you're not one of those golden parachute types, purchasing each and every piece of music and film that you want would clean out the piggy bank...I don't feel shame but I do feel something...I just don't know what it is yet...I wonder if YouTube's stable yet...nope...