sumtymes said:

ok , thanks

wonder505 said:

The fact that I don't agree with Prince does not mean that I don't care about Prince. That's like Bush saying that because we don't agree with the war in Iraq, we don't support our troops! That's madness for you, right there!

Sites like this one and the others are places of commonality. What we all have in common on some level or another is Prince. He may not be the only reason we come back but he is what drew us here to begin with.

For me personally, I was searching for a place where I'd find people like me, that like Prince and understand why I like him and his music too. I'd had enough of trying to explain myself to people that just don't and probably won't ever get it.

Without places like this, my choices of places to go to enjoy Prince and his music with like minded people become extremely limited because contrary to what Prince and the rest of you seem to think, the world is not just chock full of his fans!

I can't go to my neighborhood tavern, drop a quarter in the jukebox, play "Head" and have a discussion on the merits of the song as it was performed at his Detroit Birthday gig in '86! Not without pulling out my 9mm and putting it on top of the bar first!

No, I haven't heard that he was shutting these places down, but I'm sure he knows that if they can't function like fan sites ought to be able to, he wouldn't have to.

I'm almost certain that the Org could survive with a name change and an elimination of Prince altogether because this site isn't totally about him in the first place but what about the others, where the focus is predominately centered around him?
[Edited 11/13/07 8:34am]

wonder505 said:

Because I've been coming here for over 6 years. I've made FANTASTIC friends here who at one time, shared a love for Prince and his music, however if I had only been discussing Prince in all the time that I've spent here in those over 6 years I'd be an emotionally stunted, mentally crazy drooling prat.

This site is more than Prince. As I said before read above, INDEPENDENT and UNOFFICIAL Prince fan COMMUNITY site. As much as Prince, you and others like you want to believe this site is not just about Prince. Prince is the party hall to this big house....there are many other rooms.

Nothinbutjoy said:

this site is more than Prince but if you spend almost all your time talking about Prince especially negatively i don't see the point. that will never make any sense to me. if i was disgusted with an artist as I perceive others to be i will not be here. If your posting history shows that you spend other times in non-Prince forums then perhaps i will buy that. In addition lot's of folks have made friends here and they have left, but i'm sure they still keep in contact. i guess i can't understand because i've walked away before because i did not see the point in spending my precious time talking about an artist that I no longer supported. had better things to do in my life.
[Edited 11/13/07 9:07am]

But Sexybeautifulone.. Honestly, absolutely no disrespect to you at all but and this will be a long post, but my question is: What do you think people were doing before the internet when they went to concerts? They spoke about how the concert was with their friends in person or on the telephone or at social gatherings. No one had time to post a letter in the mail to their friends, trying to find out who their favorite artist was sleeping with or divorced, or scrawling silly and childish insults on the streets and walls about them. They did however leave the gossip up to to the "gossip" mags. I like conversing about concert experiences as well with other fans on a forum dedicated to an artist, but I'm not going to trip or feel bad if this site or the other two shut down, life will go on for everybody,

I really think we in society are so spoiled and have become so dependent on the internet/cell phones,that things are really becoming rampant on both, and people are using both to trash, text and take pics of people and post it all over the net. Most of the people on here are over 30 plus with kids, and the amount of time they spend trash talking about an artist, could be time spent helping their kids with their homework, reading a book or spending quality time doing something crafty or educational with them.

It's one thing for freedom of speech but there has to be a line drawn somewhere in society, because if the 30 plus with kids are saying "Hey, it's my freedom of speech and I can say whatever I want, about whomever I want and trash talk/disrespect/insult, anyone I want because I have the backing of the first amendment," then what that is saying to me and everyone else is, that your kids can go to school and call their teachers every name in the book,trash talk other kids, call them racist/derogatory names, disrespect adults everywhere, because adults are saying "I'm protected by the First Amendment -- freedom of speech" so I'm free to say whatever I want and so are my kids, doesn't matter where they say it."

People will band together against an artist for the freedom of speech to trash and insult the artist on a site supposedly dedicated to him, for discussion among fans, but can't band together to fight the media moguls against trash programming by adults that allow it, where young females are spreading their ass cheeks and jewels on your tv just for that "15 seconds" of fame, and being called "b*****s and H*s, for your kids to see and hear, when they get up to turn the channel. Then the same kids go to school and call their teacher a b***** and H*, and the young boys say it on the bus ride home from school to society's daughters, mothers and grandmothers, possibly peeps in your own family, etc.,

So Mods prepare for your job to be harder when you decide to "clip & snip" because , the wolves are about to come out around here, because you will be dealing with everybody saying "I believe in the freedom of speech" when the . racial/derogatory insults start flying around on these forums,...since everyone is now expressing their "freedom of speech."...just my 2 cents..and oh my "freedom of speech" as well..
[Edited 11/14/07 13:40pm]

No disrespect taken. Before the internet, if I was fortunate enough to hear about a Prince concert before the tickets went on sale. I'd go by myself(because no one else I knew personally would be caught dead at a Prince concert) to the nearest ticket outlet, the night before, stand outside in the cold with a bunch of strangers who happened to be just as crazy as me for doing the same. Perhaps strike up a conversation or two. Then hope that I'd get a good seat when my turn in line finally came up...more times than not my seats sucked.

After the show, I'd be all full of joy and excitement about the experience with no one to share it with because again no one that I know personally cares about Prince enough to listen to me go on and on about all the fun I had. Because they cared about me they'd try to listen but the looks of confusion on their faces as I described how Prince was humping a mattress or how Wendy was on her knees as his played his guitar just inches from her face, were usually enough to make me say, "Awww, forget it!"

Sure if this site goes down, life will go on but for me at least, it'll be a little less fun because not only will I be saying goodbye to the friends I've made here, I'll be saying goodbye to Prince and his music, as well. There'll be no point in continuing because I'll have no one to share the fun with, again and I'll find something else to do.

Yes, I'm very dependent on the internet! I'm a Multimedia Producer. My life has been the internet for last 10 years, learning the ins, outs and every aspect of it I possibly can, communicating with, learning from and hopefully teaching something to people from all walks of life that I'd have had a snow balls chance in hell of getting to know had it not been for the internet.

Both of my kids are grown and gone off to college, so I did a pretty good job at balancing my home life and my internet life. Now I have this really awesome laptop with wireless internet and a Sprint AirCard. No matter where I am or what I'm doing the internet is just a click of my laptop away. While I'm chatting it up online, I may be waiting at my doctors office, or in the salon to get my hair done, or in the car while my husband's putting gas in the tank for a road trip to Chicago. Just because I'm online and on this site doesn't mean I'm not being productive and I'm sure that goes for a whole lot of other folks that don't resent change.

As for fighting against media moguls against trash programming...I quit watching television with the exception of 3 or 4 of my favorite programs, 4 years ago, to show my displeasure in the low quality of programming. Since then many, many, many others have done the same, choosing the internet and what they WANT to see over what's mandated by craptacular tv.

Ask yourself these questions...who is really funding Web Sheriff's internet crusade and why? Who has the most to gain from all this copyright foolishness? Is it the artists?
[Edited 11/13/07 11:19am]

SexyBeautifulOne said:


Thanks for responding Sexybeautifulone:

I appreciate your answer, but even if the sites should close, I'm sure by now you've taken phone numbers from those you want to communicate with to share your favorite stories, concert experiences. I know I've done it.. As far as TV, I agree with you, I rarely watch it at all anymore. I do, however understand that your job basically depends on using the internet, as many people run their businesses from it, such as my own son, and it's a quick way to network, get consumers. Those are great and positive benefits you get from the internet.

I'm at fault at times myself for spending some days on the internet too long if it's not doing something productive on it. I'm not much of a "chat" forum person or "IM" (instant messaging). I'd rather speak to the person on the phone or in person or send an email/txt msg, if I'm trying to get a msg out to a friend/family member.


I guess my point is, if one is unhappy about how an artist is, why spend so much of their time bashing that artist, when you could be spending that time doing something better. Especially if you are running an online business, you could spend that time gaining new customers, or doing something more productive instead of using your energy to attract negative energy. They say what you put out you get back, and that certainly is true around here.

As for your question about Websheriff...well my concern is more about the future musicians and artists, that make a living off of their gift of providing music to the masses. What is the future going to be like for them if they depend on making a living sellling their music, only to have people steal it and download it for free. I certainly don't expect to wake up every morning and go to my job to work for free. There are musicians/artists' who use their blood, sweat, tears and years of working hard to achieve their goals. Of course they should appreciate their fans, but it's just like when workers come out and strike against their company when they feel their are unfair practices going on that affect their paychecks and families they have to feed, doesn't mean they hate their jobs just because they protest.

So it's basically a two-way street going on here, the artist has to protect his music/art and the fans want to be appreciated, but just make sure that you actually heard the artist say that he/she doesn't appreciate their fans, before fans assume the artist actually said it, when there is no actual proof. What's the sense of an artist putting out music before it's scheduled to be released and sold, when so many consumers are always trying to find a way now to download copyrighted material for free? That's no different than stealing. See fans can always stop buying an artist's material and move on, but the musicians/artists will always have to worry and fight about consumers stealing their copyrighted music. If musicians/artists continue to keep quiet about it and not take a stand, then there will no money to be made, and you'll see musicians/artists dwindling in the field. Even if they just love creating the music, they still have to eat and obtain shelter, So even if they have to step on a few toes of the ones who claim they are their fans, but at the same time, many of them are stealing the artist's music, then how can you blame artists for fighting against the thieves that steal their music?
[Edited 11/13/07 16:47pm]

2elijah. I'm sorry but your argument is very flawed. No one is talking about whether or not kids should or should not go around talking bad about teachers and what not. However they should have the right to! Do you want to live in a society where a child could be criminally prosecuted for saying something bad about an authority figure, if so there are countries like that out there, mostly military dictatorships, but who's counting. Now, as teacher I can tell you that in school a child's first amendment rights don't exist. School rules superceed that stuff. Otherwise they'd have the right bear arms, wouldn't they? and the right to wear gang clothing etc. So the school example doesn't hold water either.
The bottom line is that whether you like the site or not, it's operating within it's legal rights. Just because Prince doesn't like it, doesn't mean it should be shut down. I think all our rights are important and we should stand up for them when someone tries to take them away, no matter how trivial they may seem.

2elijah said:[quote]

SexyBeautifulOne said:

To a certain point I agree. However, a friend of my son's, over the summer uploaded his demo to a notorious torrent site that allowed the users to leave comments. The people that stole his music loved it and came back and said so also asking where they could get more to purchase. This young man replied that he wasn't signed and one of the thieves was the relative of someone close to Ludacris the hip hop star's camp. From what I understand this young man is now in signed to some label in Atlanta and is working on his debut.

The movie American Gangster has been dubbed the most bootlegged movie of all time and on it's debut weekend it still came in #1, grossing over 46 million and will continue making money because it's a movie worth seeing on the big screen.

My point is, when something is worth it to people, most have no problems paying for it. The fact that the record industry and the movie industry is in free fall decline is not JUST because of file sharing. It's primarily because of the quality or lack there of, of the products.

I've gone to the movies to see some of these super hyped movies only to be so mad after seeing them that I've seriously wanted my money back.

As for this Prince/fans situation, I don't come here to bash Prince. I adamantly say what's on my mind and to express my displeasure in the treatment of the people who've supported him the most. When and if this ends amicably for all those concerned, I'll go back to popping in once, maybe twice a day to check out what's going on, then I'll go back about my business of trying to survive in this crazy topsy turvy little world of ours.

wonder505 said:

That's the beauty of this...you don't have to see the point.

You want to take time away...do so...we ALL have the option.

Someone wants to come here and talk negatively about Prince all the damn time...that's their choice.

I'd rather have a place where I can post WHATEVER it is that I'm feeling, ESPECIALLY about Prince, than go to a sight that will only allow its members to post what THEY DEEM to be positive.

We don't all have to like the negative posts. We don't all have to appreciate it. Finally, we don't have to read it.

Wonderful for you, you have better things to do. People who come here alot and have good things or even really crappy things to say (about Prince or anyone/anything else) choose to spend their time here.

Nothinbutjoy said:

you're right, people can do whatever they want for whatever reason or no reason at all. i just believe that for a fansite, it's very strange and bizarre behavior, to logon to a Prince fansite when you don't care for the man or his music. but i guess people choose to spend their time constantly daily talking about someone they are not interested in....i guess.
[Edited 11/13/07 12:57pm]

drclay said:

I'm aware that guns are not allowed in schools, but students have brought guns to school..haven't they? Even if the school policy states they can't, Remember, Columbine, and not to mention many schools have been forced to put up metal detectors, as well, because of students bringing guns to school, .school policy or not.



Are you kidding me? Come to NY and if you're not already teaching here, you will learn a quick lesson about the gang clothes some of the kids wear that go unnoticed by teachers and school officials..

I am aware, it's not a perfect world, and I was giving my opinion on the basis that I am operating on my legal rights to express that. You don't have to agree with what I've said, that's what apparently the "freedom of speech" is for, but even if you don't agree with what I have to say, I do have a right to express it, just like everyone else, when they bash and trash..I'm just giving my opinion on it or am I not allowed to?

Now on the issue of the site operating within its legal rights, I never said the site was operating illegally. I have not seen any paperwork that state the site was going to be shut down on the basis that the artist does not want anyone to discuss him.Especially from an artist who has endured years of criticism before he became a JW and is probably used to it by now. From what I understand it has to do with copyright issues and illegal posting of copyrighted photos,
[Edited 11/13/07 13:02pm]

Your post is interesting but i want to make sure i understand you. Are you saying that artist should not care about bootlegging because those who are really interested in the work is going to buy it anyway?

And as for your son's friend, i'm happy things worked out, but I would never submit a demo like that. most people would have had their music stolen.

if i'm misunderstanding you please let me know.
[Edited 11/13/07 13:01pm]

SexyBeautifulOne said:

That's nice that things worked out for your son's friend, that's a one in a million story, but people downloading movies and music for free still takes money out of an artist/actors mouth..and doing it because they feel the original may be of poor quality is still not a valid reason for stealing it or buying it from the dude on the corner, for $5.00, who didn't pay for years of training in music and acting, and hoping to make a career of it. But it is your constitutional right to do whatever you choose to do.

Thanks for your response, it is well respected, and I do appreciate the fact that we are able to have a conversation, where we "can agree to disagree" without childish and silly name-calling or insults towards each other, because lawd knows I've been called everything from koolaid drinker, fam, etc., ..and by adults no less, but it's all good....anyway, thanks again.
[Edited 11/13/07 17:06pm]

RaiseFour said:

wow, there are sane people on here!, wheew. thank god

RaiseFour said:

wow, there are sane people on here!, wheew. thank god

wonder505 said:

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but in the end it's nothing more or less than your opinion.

Nothinbutjoy said:

if that's what makes you feel better, okay....

i'm teasing.
[Edited 11/13/07 13:26pm]

wonder505 said:

I guess you can interpret it that way but I was also trying to illustrate the point that acknowledging the negative and thinking out side the box can lead to the positive and not the poor house.

There's no way that superior quality bootleg of American Gangster just "leaked" a week before the release by accident. I think it was an inside job done to generate a nationwide buzz and it worked. Or it was "leaked" to make file sharing/bootlegging the ultimate excuse for it's failure and it backfired.

Prince has been fighting bootleggers for nearly two decades or more and he's still a very rich man because when he isn't busy pushing away the very people who are really interested in his work, they happily pay him for it, in spite of rampant bootlegging! I'm pretty certain that they'd also very happily pay him for what the bootleggers have, but he doesn't want to sell it to them.

drclay said:

Thanks for saying what I was going to. My daughter KNNNNOOOOOWWWWSS that she cant say certain things, but after she's 18, she can do or say whatever she wants to.