Bit Torrent-- yes i said it...

[Mikegraham6]

so one of the members recently mentioned how he downloads all his comics and doesn't buy them and i got me thinking about the whole Bit Torrent thing. with the comics industry in poor financial shape to begin with, how much do you think the downloading of comics online hurts the industry? do you think that this is a trend that will transfer to the major publishers. i remember hearing quesada say something about a possilble online comic shop (like itunes) which i think is a great idea, as long as its cheap.

I personally buy a shitload of comics, in fact i spend entirely too much of my money on it. but i also download some hard to find back issues and things that i would never be willing to spend the money on in the first place (various small civil war tie ins,various old runs of xmen). but if i find something i like i will always spend the extra money to buy it in trade form (thats how i bought rising stars). its still bad that i download (i know im a horrible person) but i cant justify to myself to spend anymore money on comics. maybe i should just lose someinterest in the subject matter i guess??? or get a higher paying job?
anyway i was wondering what the general opinion is on comic torrents (no need to say whether you download or not though..)

[WatsonGlenn]

I do not want to get into an argument about downloading and I could understand if the hosts or other members don't want this discussed, after all some of the advertisers sell comics, but I will say this.

I have bought comics for many years, but once I saw they could be shared over the net for free that was it for me. I save $100 a month. I cannot pass that up. I share a lot of things over bit Torrent and it has made my life easier.

At $3 a pop I just cannot justify buying comics anymore, especially since many of them are so mediocre. Now if every comic was Kingdom Come or New Frontier it might be differant but I have little sympathy for a company that charges $3 for Onslaught Reborn and then crows like they just invented fire.

I think the comic industry is in trouble in the long term for three reason, cost, quality and video games. The sharing of comics over the net does hurt them I'm sure help but they can't stop it anymore than they can cut costs, increase quality or get rid of video games.

[fred]

For many reasons this is a topic that we should probably stay away from, but I can't say that I don't understand your reasons.

[Six Gun]

I'm personaly against it, but then again, a lot of music falls off of a truck and onto my iPod and I don't find a problem with that. I don't know why that is.

My youth pastor is against any type of torrent, but my mom (my main spiritual counsel) is okay with the music thing.

What a quandry!

[Jimski]

Ohhhh... honestly, I don't know. I really don't.

The idea that it's wrong to read a book without paying for it would seem a lot more valid if not for the elephant in the room, the library-shaped elephant. Because my local librarians have a penchant for Sandman and Pedro & Me, I have been lucky enough to get turned on to a number of awesome things by reading them for free. Do ethics really demand that, if my library decides that Fun Home and Blankets are porn and doesn't buy them, then that's too bad for me? Even when I have a gigantic global library at my disposal?

At the same time, I have to come to terms in yet another context with the fact that not everyone thinks like me. Sure, some folks see downloading's potential as a way to try new things and then buy them, but many others just think, "Woohoo! Comics are free now!"

I would, however, assert that people who download comics are people who like comics, and people who like comics generally, regularly spend money on comics whether or not they download a few things.

One thing, though: you can't say, "I like reading comics, but they're overpriced, so I download them." I like driving Porsches, but they're overpriced; this does not entitle me to steal one should the opportunity present itself. If you like reading comics but they cost too much, well, that's just sort of too bad for you. Comics aren't heat or electricity; you don't need them.

[DarrOn]

Originally Posted by Jimski

Comics aren't heat or electricity; you don't need them.

Funny you mention that...there have been a few times I didn't quite get the cable/internet bill, or say, the gas bill out as promptly as I should have because I thought, "Oh, Absolute New Frontier is only $45.00? Who needs warm water, anyway?"

[acomicbookgirl]

You got Absolute New Frontier for $45?! Are you kidding me?! I saw it in Borders for $75..

[jerome]

Originally Posted by DarrOn

Funny you mention that...there have been a few times I didn't quite get the cable/internet bill, or say, the gas bill out as promptly as I should have because I thought, "Oh, Absolute New Frontier is only $45.00? Who needs warm water, anyway?"

Pay my bills is about the only thing Absolute New Frontier doesn't do for me.

[jerome]

Originally Posted by acomicbookgirl

You got Absolute New Frontier for $45?! Are you kidding me?! I saw it in Borders for $75..

Amazon is your friend.

[ConorKilpatrick]

Originally Posted by jerome

Amazon is your friend.

What he said.