wow, what a nonstory. more cutting-edge journalism from the register.
posted by kjh at 10:26 AM on December 15, 2002

The second link is the kicker. It seems that the music industry has produced 10,000 less pieces of merchandise this year and therefore suffered a slump in sales.
posted by eyeballkid at 10:42 AM on December 15, 2002

I remember when CD-ROM drives first came out. When the 2x ones came out, there weren't called 2x, they were called "DoubleSpin" (I think it was even trademarked). And then triple-spin, and then shortly it became easier to just say 4x and 6x and so on. So I guess this is DoubleSpin™ journalism.
posted by RylandDotNet at 10:50 AM on December 15, 2002

March 2002 Alain Levy, Chief Executive of EMI Records, which then shedded 1,800 jobs, made a joke in a press conference about having too many artist in their catalogs (they have 49 artists in Finland):

"I think that's a bit too many. I don't think there are 49 Finns that can sing."

A number of Finns found that a bit insulting...

The RIAA and record companies are also complaining about the increase of empty CD-R sales, but I haven't seen any statistics on empty cassette sales. After all it's legal to make copies for your own use (at least here in Finland it is).
posted by hoskala at 11:05 AM on December 15, 2002

Since I access the internet using a cable modem, whose average download speed is about 250kbps. The average internet surfer uses dialup whose average download speed is about 10kbps (I am guessing, I don't know for sure). This implies that I am 25 internet surfers. Woohoo!
posted by riffola at 11:05 AM on December 15, 2002

Robustly Incontinent Anal Aspirators
posted by quonsar at 11:12 AM on December 15, 2002

wait, so is it illegal to own cd burners now? or merely hundreds of cd burners?
posted by mcsweetie at 11:12 AM on December 15, 2002

or merely the equivalent of hundreds of cd burners?
posted by quonsar at 11:17 AM on December 15, 2002

" 'I don't think there are 49 Finns that can sing.'

A number of Finns found that a bit insulting..."

sadly though, it's true...
posted by popkick at 11:22 AM on December 15, 2002

They should call themselves the 49 deadly fins

Get it???????????????????//

o< Quack props to Brian Eno!
posted by KettleBlack at 11:25 AM on December 15, 2002

bootnote?
posted by ph00dz at 11:27 AM on December 15, 2002

Bootnote appears to be a slang for footnote.
posted by riffola at 11:54 AM on December 15, 2002

popkick: wrong! I got hoskala's mefiswap mix
posted by gravelshoes at 12:41 PM on December 15, 2002

so then, if i have a corvette, is that the equivalent of 2 volkswagen golfs?
posted by schlaager at 2:42 PM on December 15, 2002

I wish I was getting 10kbps. If I were the type who would download, say, songs I would never buy the whole album for, I would, just saying theoretically, get closer to 5 maximum kbps. I'm not that type of person though.
posted by robotrock at 3:21 PM on December 15, 2002

schlaager, yes and no, depending on whether you're comparing fuel consumption or carrying capacity.
posted by George_Spiggott at 4:14 PM on December 15, 2002

I second gravelshoes' defense of Finnish singers/musicians

my exposure to Finnish music through the Mefi swap showed me a lot of amazing stuff- more innovative and talented than many RIAA "singers" I've heard lately.
posted by jeremias at 4:27 PM on December 15, 2002

average download speed is about 10kbps

I can only dream about download speeds like that. 250 kbps is simply beyond my comprehension. Maybe that is why I find it hard to understand the fuss about downloading music etc, because I have no conception of how easy it is for some?

Why would anyone use large numbers of CD burners anyway? Aren't there mass copying machines available?
posted by dg at 5:56 PM on December 15, 2002

Finland has H.I.M. Goddamnit! Ville Vallo can sure as Hell sing.
posted by Dark Messiah at 5:57 PM on December 15, 2002

Okay, I have a 40x CD Writer - that is the equivilent of how many CD burners? Like 4 maybe? Or maybe they consider an 8x to be 'normal' that's like owning 5 CD Burners! Choice.

And what the hell, a bust that unearths CD Burners? Isn't the news normally carrying info about a bust that nets an advanced meth lab, or something?
posted by sycophant at 6:11 PM on December 15, 2002

How in the world did they get a warrant to bust someone with CD burners?
posted by eustacescrubb at 7:03 AM on December 16, 2002

I am 25 internet surfers. Woohoo!

And I am two riffolas. Check it ...
posted by walrus at 8:58 AM on December 16, 2002