Letters: Myth Of DIY

Some interesting responses to today's article.

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“Hey! I just read your article, "The Myth of DIY" and it kind of blew my mind. I, a 17-yr.-old kid in the suburbs of Texas surviving on a small allowance and the occasional babysitting check, have always pirated music in the spirit of "hey, there's no way I could afford all the music I love, so I'm sure the bands would want me to listen somehow." I also justify this by buying the occasional record and pirating the rest, but with over 8000 songs on my ipod and a vinyl collection that won't even fill up a bookshelf, I have to realize that I could have bought more and supported more of my favorite artists, but due to the convenience and free-ness of the internet, simply didn't.

“As someone who tries to support independent businesses over the Wal-Marts and Starbucks that cost less and are easier to find, this hipster "share-the-music" ideology really just comes down to being load of hypocritical bullshit. SO, thanks for the article, it was a big wake-up call, and I'll definitely show it to a few friends.”

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“Yea, everything you said especially: ‘If you find meaning and beauty from a musician’s work and you want them to continue creating it — then you are obliged to support them. If you like the idea of record stores, the people they employ, the values and spirit they promote — then you also are obliged to support them. If you’re consistently doing one without the other, then on some level you, not Metallica, are the asshole. Out of basic politeness, I (probably) won’t say any of this to your face and neither will your friends, your record store clerk, or your favorite band.’ Is bullshit. Bands get shit for money from record sales. The best way to support a band is by seeing them live. Good day sir.”

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“Thank you for writing this. I started downloading music this year and quickly realized that it was irresponsible. My policy now is to only pirate music that is out of print or music by dead people. I'm not sure whether the latter is sensible or not.”