More stuff you should be reading instead of this lousy blog…

• Via Boing Boing, there’s an article in the Guardian which looks at the Oberholzer-Gee/Strumpf study on file-sharing’s effect on CD sales. The study concludes that file sharing has virtually no effect on music sales, and may have some positive benefit in some instances. What I don’t get is why the recording industry continues to pig-headedly pooh-pooh this report. In god’s name, why don’t they start using file sharing to transform their business?
• We may find part of the answer to that question at Ars Technica, which reports today that spyware-laden P2P distributor iMesh has settled with the RIAA for $4.1 million. In this article, RIAA Chief Executive Mitch Bainwol is quoted as saying, “Peer-to-peer technologies hold real promise.” Looks to me like the RIAA’s game has been all about control. With their hands on the iMesh name and technology, the recording industry can start to insinuate itself into the file-sharing industry. This won’t be good.
• Speaking of piracy, is there a little black pot throwing stones in black houses thing going on in the gaming industry? (Boing Boing)
• Meanwhile, the open-source philosophy continues to gain ground. Wired News reports that a Bakersfield, CA, newspaper has launched an online, participatory news site. An editor reviews news submissions from community members and posts them on the site as long as they meet minimum journalistic requirements. “Then, a small editorial team decides what content the 22,000 households in the area will receive in the newspaper version each week.” Very exciting. Very cool.
• Have I been cutting the gummint too much slack? I expected that the Valerie Plame outing would result in a thorough, methodical investigation. Kevin Drum points out where their priorities really lie. Josh Marshall has his say, too.
• As noted at Slashdot, NASA has released new photos from the Apollo 11 mission, and they are absolutely stunning.
• Boing Boing quotes a bit of an interview with British comic book writer Alan Moore. I didn’t read the whole thing because Salon requires you to read ads to access its site, but the bit on Boing Boing looks interesting, so I found the Alan Moore fan site which is chock-a-block with info and interviews.
• In an attempt to balance the budget, the Scottish military is undergoing a big shakeup. Military units such as the Black Watch, with hundreds of years of tradition behind them, will be merged into a single unit. Scottish officers are understandably angry with the move. Lest anyone out there start snickering about soldiers in dresses, think back to the movie Braveheart for a second. Scottish military units have distinguished themselves throughout history with their fearless and ferocious abilities in battle. Hopefully, the current shakeup will only hurt for a little while. Heck, maybe it’ll even give them more incentive to nasty-it-up on the battlefield.

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Thursday, July 22nd, 2004 @ 11:43 am Nothings
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