3 posts tagged “rants”

Firstly, my account in Youtube have been permanently disabled. *shrugs* Not that I have many vids on it but it's kinda sad to see Arashi files being deleted. So all the free advertising for the guys are slowly but surely being eroded away. Most fans these days I know have come to know of Arashi due to the influence of Youtube and the sharing of these files which showcase their many talents. It is a sad fact that copyright infringement is illegal. Although it is so, there is no way else that we can get to know of these wonderful guys other than these "underground" methods.

Without the sharing of files on the Internet, I doubt that they would be that hugely popular outside of Japan. I am not being biased here but the marketing of Japanese artistes is very limited overseas. It is not enough for them to cater just to the Japanese population residing in other countries. If they are to curb these free advertising and marketing from fans then it would be difficult to gain more fanbase. Looks like there will be a need for another source of sharing soon other than YOUTUBE. *let's see what we can find a bit later*

On to MediaMax. For those of you who have a free account in Mediamax, I hope you are aware that they are going to delete all your files when they migrate over to another platform and service called THELINKUP. If you don't, please read it here http://mediamaxblog.blogspot.com/ They have stated their intentions on this blog.

I have a paid account with them and they will migrate my files over as well. I'm offering to save the files of those of you who are in my flist. All you need to do is to send me the files and I will save the attachments into the different folders. You can have them back after you have signed up onto the new service. I will then re-transfer the files to you under your new id. I think that it is very silly and stupid of MediaMax to allow for such restrictions. They seriously have to re-think their business model.

For those of you who have my access list to the files, please be aware that there will be some changes once the migration is complete. In the meantime, if you can't download any file, please be patient. 

At one point or another we have all been newbies in something. Be it as a new born babe or at school or at work or at something that interests us. From our first breath we learn about the environment that surrrounds us and adapt for our survival and then to flourish. If not, we perish.

The same goes for a fandom. As a newbie in a fandom, one is interested in finding out as much as possible to sustain the interest. In particular this pertains to the Arashi fandom which I am part of.

I've been in this fandom for more than 2 years now and it's been a rather interesting fandom. From the first flush of love to a gradual plateau. I've seen or in this case read a few blogs, a few forums, a few communities. Fans come and go. Some are stayers and some are just interested in getting some things out of it and then they leave.

What irks me the most is the way some fans join the fandom makes demands for files or tactlessly requests for files and then disappear. I have no problems with the sharing of files. In fact, if not for other fans sharing their files, I wouldnt have any collection at all. What I do detest is newbies not doing any research on their own before requesting for the files.

These days there are so many more resources than when I first started on my fandom. There are clubbox, pdbox, gogobox, communities and forums where fans are openly sharing their files. There is even a chatroom in IRC where we share files, links and thoughts. On top of which there are the individual blogs where fans do share their thoughts, their experiences, translations, files, etc.

I don't see how a new fan with a bit of ingenuiity and research cannot find files for downloading without resorting to making demands for them.

The next thing I want to say is this no matter what your excuse is for downloading a file, I do hope that you would still try to get originals of their works at one time or another. Freeloading off the Internet do not contribute to their success financially nor will it make a mark in their chart standings.

File sampling is free marketing. I share my files no matter from where I get them. My reasons for sharing is so that more people will get to know Arashi, their brand of music while not truly mainstream is very inspiring, their brand of variety shows is educational, humourous and full of love, their dramas are entertaining and basically they are idols with a human touch.

This is a rant! Beware!

I absolutely abhor it when so-called fans get on their high horse and say that if you love Arashi or if you're a true Arashi fan you should not listen to fan recordings of their concerts or watch the fancams of the concert. You should not download anything from the Internet as it is against Johnny's policies.

Let me ask you then - if not because of these zealous fans who take the trouble to record these so called illegal recordings, Arashi won't have as many foreign based fans today as they had before. How in the world would people like me who is half a world away from Japan get to know and love these 5 wonderful boys if not for these so called illegal works?

I LOVE my boys! I spend time and money to support their works. I support them by buying their CDs, DVDs, concert goods and whatever photobooks they produce. It does not mean that I can't attend their concerts physically that I don't want to attend their concerts. Neither does it mean that I am not physically in Japan that I can't appreciate their TV shows or radio programmes.

The more that there are these so called illegal tracks, it means that the love for the boys are being spread. True not everyone that downloads have the means to buy their official products but at one point or another a true fan WILL want to get the official products. If Johnny's want to restrict their access then they should reconsider. These underground illegal tracks are considered 'free marketing' as it whets the appetite of a fan to want to have the original products.

So to all of you who think that a TRUE fan should not download these so called illegal tracks, please think of the hardship a foreign based fan have to go through just to get a bloody article! Not only do the love for our boys are nurtured by these files, I for one was inspired to rekindle my Japanese lessons so I could appreciate their crack conversations more instead of relying on translations from others.

I will continue to download these files and continue to share them anyway I can either here in vox, clubbox, pdbox or mediamax. Johnny's should be THANKFUL that we are spreading more love for ARASHI. A TRUE fan wants more recognition for them and not to SELFISHLY keep them to a so called elite group of small-minded fiends.

If not for the wonders of the Internet, everyone would be like a frog under it's shell, only concerned with ones own comfort zone and surroundings not reaching out to others and crossing the language and cultural barriers to appreciate each others uniqueness.