Ira Glass? Are You kidding Me?

A recent "GET BENT" note from This American life.

A note to our streaming MP3 listeners:

You've probably noticed that you can no longer fast-forward or rewind our files. If you're using Windows Media Player or Real-Player, you can still pause as you listen; sadly, if you're using ITunes, you can't. We know that this loss of functionality isn't great – in fact, it stinks. Unfortunately, we we've been forced make some changes that protect our files from unauthorized downloads, and these changes will, at least temporarily, cause you to lose some of the features you've probably grown accustomed to. While we aren't happy with this development, contractual obligations left us no choice; unauthorized downloads were beginning to get out of hand.

Regardless, we are still absolutely committed to offer free streaming audio, and we're actively researching ways that we can again make it possible for you to grab your coffee and rewind to catch what you missed. We've also been thinking more broadly about our online audio future, and will keep you posted on new developments on our website and via our weekly email list.

Right... Liar!!!!!!!

Wake up people you've already paid for this content several times!!!!! WBEZ is a Public radio station (taxpayers paid for every brick in the joint). Ira Glass owns the copyright to T.A.L. ? my ass!!! He gets his salary, the equipment he made it on and the website he sells it on out of our pockets. (Taxes Again). As-a-matter of fact this whole Idea of privately copyrighting media made at the public trough is obscene. I wish I had the money to sue these ungrateful bastards, and force all NPR stations to opensource the content paid for by U.S. taxpayers or give our money back! Or if they think they're is there such a rabid demand for their product than compete in the open market with the rest of us (come on Ira I dare ya!). Rocketboom does it everyday, selling the same World-view.

"this whole Idea of privately copyrighting media made at the public trough is obscene."

Where does any "Public Broadcast Station" get off not giving us OUR content for free. Isn't the private monetization of public assets the very definition of corruption? If his copyright isn't illegal, (is anybody a lawyer out there?) it should be. Didn't we go through this whole looking glass situation with "Barney" and " Jim Henson's Sesame Street" using us, the public, as seed money to start their Multi-Hundreds of million (maybe billion) dollar corporations, (thanks PBS for free airtime, our copyright, our cash, so sorry) then afterwards, have the balls to pop up every three months, with their shiny teeth, crying poor, hands out demanding, "WE" dig a little deeper to pay for their broadcast, and maintenance cost to promote their private playgrounds! Good grief people one last time, "they are selling you something you've already paid for people, several times! Wake Up! 

This rant was inspired by this "boingboing" post 

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Ted Stevko (sucker) says,

TAL is bending over backwards to be nice about this, and is going MUCH farther than most NPR/PRI programs. TAL didn't send C&D letters, they asked that people not take it down, personally. How cool is that? TAL provides MP3 formats, where almost every other NPR program is in Real-Player formats. TAL has asked that you don't provide an easy way for people to grab all they can -- that's fine. Bandwidth still costs a lot, and forcing people to stream is a way of spreading out that bandwidth usage over time. If anything, we should support this move -- TAL is doing what they can, and providing amazing work for free. Be supportive of TAL, and more people will move that way.

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This is sooooo, the wrong point-of view, we all pay little bit every paycheck. It is those at "This American Life," and others like them, whom should be on there knees, thankful, they can make a living off our largesse.   

C.C.