a2f2a

a2f2a.com went online with a single, underlying principle: Artists need to be paid, and fans want to pay them.

It also has three main aims –

1. Help each community better understand the other;
2. Help find a practical and workable system which offers artists fair remuneration in exchange for access to material by fans; and
3. Help set the agenda for discussions about the role P2P can play within the online digital record industry.

Number 4 isn’t, ‘Immediately solve the copyright problem’.

Now, “We need a break, a calm down period, otherwise we’ll lose the chance at achieving the goal of a2f2a,” says a2f2a member Robert.

“Pretty much only Billy Bragg is responding to Crosbie/Dredd/Bill/Bjoern/Jon Barron/etc,” he says.

He’s correct.

Today, at 10:38 Pacific, for example, Why artists get paid for radio plays had 128, and counting, posts.

How many people have read, or will read, all these the exchanges, other than the participants?

“I try to read all comments and keep up with a2f2a but I must admit, it’s a daunting task,” Robert says.

He also points out, “I’ve notices a few things seem to be happening and are potential warning signs,” going on, “To keep this short and easy to follow, I’ll use point form >>>

* we need a break, a calm down period, otherwise we’ll lose the chance at achieving the goal of a2f2a

* pretty much only Billy Bragg is responding to Crosbie/Dredd/Bill/Bjoern/Jon Barron/etc…

* BB is also a moderator and a performer, so he has extra stress on top of battling the tag-team action

* we have more than one paradigm here, one is BB’s where he’s been in the signed-artist industry view for a long time, another is the software developer, another is the indie artist (with/without supporting job), another… so we have to realize people’s thought process comes from their experiences

* the key to progressing isn’t trying to win an argument but to actually understand the other person’s view -* this is severely lacking from both sides!

* there’s a strong sense of entitlement exists in the world today, and it’sn’t limited to just artists wanting to be “paid where money is made” or fans who “want it all for free” as neither is technically correct or possible in order to benefit everyone involved

* emotions are invoked when you are bombarded, so in BB’s case he has to moderate and handle a massive tag-team but still keep a level head and not react with emotion? isn’t possible. He’s not super-human.

* others are watching, looking at BB’s stress and thinking “do I really want to get into the ring?”

* arguments are not about arguments here, they quickly switch to credibility attacks “you’re not a musician so how could you possibly understand” or “you’re signed to a label so all you know is ‘gimme gimme gimme’ ” * neither addresses the actual information presented * though most of this comes from the emotional provocation of being cornered so if you feel “I don’t do that” then you’re a cornerer and you have to take a step back

So what do we do?,”  Robert asks, continuing >>>

Again, take a break. Slow it down! Everyone here wants to be heard and have answers, but the sides aren’t even. There’s no balance.

Artists, you need to think outside the box, outside your paradigm. New artists already are, they’re not following the older ways and so they’re not thinking “how do we improve this [copyright]” because it’s not an issue to them. “What artists? I’ve never heard of them.” Well of course not.

Ever see anyone at your festival who isn’t a label signed artist? Exactly! Does mean they have no credibility? Hell no! You know that! And when a p2p-er says Trent Reznor, don’t cop-out with “he’s massively popular, he can do what he wants” because that’s not totally true! Some of these unknown artists have actually spent their lives in this industry, but you would not know it because they’re not signed.

Artists, also remember not everyone who’s not a fan will buy [duh], but many will! So you have a purchasing non-fan. That’s good! Don’t blow it with “don’t do this or that” demands. And also realize you won’t get pity from the non-fans who buy if you make more than them. Think about this, say you do earn 75k/yr while writing/performing/selling copies/making dinners/etc.. (giving a reason to buy) what will happen is some will say “oh, they make 75k, that’s double what I make, it won’t hurt them” and they will download for free. What do you do? Alienate further with legislation? No, you must give a reason to buy, make them a fan!!!! Yes, make them a fan! 75k is a much more reasonable example than 1 million like Nickelback, or worse, U2. Imagine how it feels when U2 complains about people ‘taking their music for free’. they’re loaded beyond belief, so don’t EVER go route! Always give a reason to buy and make the non-fan a fan! Seduce them into your world by connecting with them! Then they will not care you make 75k and they work at Wal-Mart for a lot less, every day.

P2Per’s, guys and gals, you must understand where the artist is coming from. They don’t have jobs where copyright isn’t of concern. Their jobs have been for the longest time funded by controls of copies, so what do you think those who’ve been in the industry are going to have as a solid foundation in their minds?

Yes, where money is made artists must be paid, and we must control/legislate that.

They don’t trust the public at large, they figure “if one can get it for free, all will. It’ll take your patience to change the “what if they don’t pay me” worries into your “fans will pay” mentality.

P2Per’s — relax on the copyright issue.

The artists have a point. Right now you can’t radically change from copyright to no-copyright, because it reaches beyond music and into the general IP world. Correction, you cannot change without some sort of backup or reasonable replacement. And that won’t happen without working with the artists!

What really matters here is people LISTEN!!!!

You need to understand one another, get inside one another’s head, really understand and hear what is said.

Remember, the world isn’t black and white, it’s fuzzy logic.

You can’t say “either they pay me if they make any money or nothing” because there’s a grey area.

And you can’t legislate fuzzy logic either!

You know what will happen with the FAC “where money is made, artists are paid” mantra? ClearChannel will declare operations are a loss or non-profit, so no money is made and they don’t have to pay you.

When debating, walk away, don’t rush to reply, take your time, really try to see things in the view of the other person. Keep it short, sorry Crosbie but you tend to go on and on, though beautifully, and you stress out with excessive wording.

Keep control everyone, or we will fail!

If you want more people from Billy’s camp, the artists, to join and comment, then we have to have a non-tag-team setup. We have to have peaceful waters for fish to swim, otherwise we risk the labels saying “ha ha, you were eaten by a shark”

Here are 10 points to think about:

If we are to really establish an artist-to-fan-to-artist then >>>

i) leave your bloody emotion at the door! (both camps apply)

ii) realize you have to think outside the box (both camps apply)

iii) realize you’re dealing with people who have lived in a different paradigm than you (both camps apply)

iv) listen to people and try to understand what they’re thinking and where they’re coming from

v) realize there are more people in one camp here than the other, so go easy on them

vi) history was meant to be a source of learning but also a chance for radical changes

vii) just because it seems impossible doesn’t mean it’sn’t, listen to the ideas presented!

viii) realize other people will have different views, understand them, don’t try to change them

ix) don’t attack credibility (oh you write software, oh you’re already famous, oh I’ve never heard of them) UNDERSTAND the argument and only the argument

x) BE NICE and GO EASY ON ONE ANOTHER!

Cheers,

Robert