My suggestion: let people file-share as much as they want. Then do ratings measurements and compensate artists based on how much is downloaded. Fund it from a fee assessed on Internet bandwidth, blank media, etc. Then, the more the fans “pirate” you, the more you get paid.

Software developers (including open source developers) should get a cut as well when their work is downloaded.

Working out the formula will be a difficult matter (figuring out how to avoid cheating, etc), but I think it could be done. Also, it doesn’t have to be a linear scale (to answer the “how rich should Paul McCartney be”); the formula could be tweaked to help more musicians survive.

I have spent too much time in Bloomington, IN. It’s a cool town and all but to me its like Indy too much. I need to get out of this region of the country for a while. I will check out Olympia Wa and Asheville, NC, those are good suggestions. I also plan to check out Athens and Savannah GA too. I have an ex whose father lives in Savannah. Its nice there too.

While you’re at it check out the drought in Georgia and surrounding states. Drinking water is getting VERY low.

First off, don’t feel bad about knowing what EPU is. Nobody that hasn’t been here for quite awhile does.
EPU stands for Evil Paralell Universe.
That is the ‘handle’ that a long time poster here goes by, haven’t seen him for a while.
He would type out great, insightful comments, but usually way late in a thread.
His comments would show up just about the time a new thread started and everyone would leave and go to the new thread, thus his brilliant comments would largely get ignored until someone came back and saw it.
Just exactly how I saw your first post.

Being EPU’d means basically, no one sees your comment.

That’s funny!
Well, I’ll just have to post again, especially on one of TRex’s posts, since he’s a fellow Athenian…
I’m off on errands anyhow, but I’ll keep posting.
Thanks! This is a great site.

Bustednuckles @ 130

OH NO!
Your very first post has been EPU’d!
Everyone is upstairs at the new post.
You can’t go back now, keep commenting, and Welcome.

What’s EPU’d? (not to sound really dumb on my second post…)

You can check urban dictionary online, but it is short hand for commenting on a post after folks have moved to a new one upstairs. Named for a commenter here at the Lake called “Evil Parallel Universe” who wrote long comments such that by the time he finished, everyone had moved on. Hence “EPU’d”

Being EPU’d means basically, no one sees your comment.

Don’t go away, this will take a second for me to type.