From both sides of the fence
p2pnet view P2P:- “if anyone is interested in contributing posts, please send them to me,” I said a couple of days ago.
Now, “My name is Mark and I am a senior executive with a company with interests in both the film and music camps and I have been a reader of P2PNet from its early days,” said one of two emails I received within ten minutes of each other.
It went on >>>
I have posted comments perhaps a dozen times but until now, anonymously. However, because I am now putting this forward as something Jon may wish to publish separately, I told him who I am and who I work for, and I did so with no qualms. For professional reasons I did, however, ask him to not to reveal my identity.
Having said this, I by no means agree with all of his opinions, or with everything he says, particularly when it comes to how what he calls the ‘entertainment cartels’ operate, but I believe his site has contributed a great deal to the debate on music and film in this still new century, and even if he fails to find the means to continue, I am glad to see he will at the least be leaving the content online.
It would be wrong to say people in my line of work eagerly await the publication of every P2PNet ‘Hollywood’ or ‘Big Music’ post, but for many of us in the industry, it is occasional, and for some, regular, reading and I, for one, have taken its views and the views of people whose work has appeared here seriously, and still do.
Please feel free to read between the lines.
Were it up to me, I would have my company make an anonymous donation to make sure P2PNet keeps on keeping on, as Jon has put it, because whether or not one subscribes to its positions, unlike many similar online publications, it is very clear and very articulate in what it is for, and what it is against, which is extremely valuable from a number of different perspectives. It benefits us all.
Jon has has kept information flowing consistently and, often, amusingly and, like other people who have posted, I hope he finds a way to not only keep P2PNet online, but to contribute to it if not as extensively as in the past, at least regularly.
Mark — someone from the other side of the fence. 
Mark has his reasons for wanting to keep his name to himself, but the person who wrote the second email is fine with us knowing who he is.
It’s Bill Hudson, a New York guitar picker who’s spent a lot of time and energy — and his own money — bringing relief to people in the storm ravaged southern United States in the shape of live concerts and musical instruments for schools.
“Dear Jon”, says Bill, “I am sorry to hear of what was going on with your site.”
He goes on >>>
I know our connection was Bill Evans and that speaks volumes. I still miss Bill who was a friend of musicians. I do not know how all this is going to end with the big guys just getting bigger and the rest of us getting the scraps from the table.
But I know at times the strongest voices come not from the powerful but from folks like us.
The best music always seemed to be coming from the worst of times. And people will always need that. I will keep writing songs no matter what to keeps me and others on a sane path in this so very crazy.
Cheers, Mark and Bill, and all the best to both of you.
February, 2010
..… and identi.ca
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
February, 2010
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