Decent alternative to Demonoid?

[satchmo]

Invites?! If anyone knows how to and has a spare one I'd really appreciate it.

[Pete Wells]

Rio said When you attempt to register it comes up with the message that it unable to process the registration. Any ideas?

Yeah, it did the same for me. I'm just gonna keep trying.

[satchmo]

Registration seems to be working again!

[Pete Wells]

Woohoo! I've registered and am just waiting for my confirmation email. Thanks Skurve!

[skurvy]

you're welcome - just found some old mr x comics on there featuring milligan, ewins, mccarthy and d'israeli.

[Pete Wells]

Man, the Komics-Live is brilliant!!!

One thing, is there any way, other than the obvious, of getting a bit more out of Rapidshare? It's so frustraing getting bombed out by them all the time!

[El Spurioso]

Have you ever considered, y'know... *Paying* for stuff?

[skurvy]

Actually I pay for stuff all the time, including comics - new ones at least. I have used demonoid and komics-live to replace runs of comics that I have sold on ebay (due to space and skintness issues). For example I had full runs of Hellblazer, Shade, Starman etc that I had to sell but really didn't want to so having a digital copy eased the pain somewhat. Other stuff I have downloaded has been old comics that are difficult to find let alone afford, for example the Mister X stuff i mentioned in an earlier post.

I take it you've seen a pirate DVD or copied music from a friend then Spurioso?

[Pete Wells]

Pay for stuff!?! Good lord Spurrier, have you taken leave of your senses, man?

Seriously though Si, I do buy everything 2000ad wise but this site has lots of great little oddities - scans of free gifts and the like as well as out of print stuff that it's virtually impossible to get hold of.

I realise that this is a touchy subject and this forum in particular is probably the least appropriate place to discuss it so apologies for any offence caused to anyone.

[skurvy]

The other problem with not paying for stuff, other than the creators/manufacturers missing out on their financial rewards, is that if sales or viewing figures are down then it becomes more likely that comics/tv shows etc will get cancelled. I'm currently addicted to Dexter and watch it online as soon as I can, so I'm halfway through season two whilst season one has only just finished airing in the UK. Now I will watch season two when it airs here next year but if too many people (mainly geeks like us) are watching shows this way then the viewing figures won't be good enough for a third season. So I should stop streaming it and wait for the TV version, but it is too damn good and I can't help myself. Muppet.

[TordelBack]

I take it you've seen a pirate DVD or copied music from a friend then Spurioso

Aren't you talking about three entirely different things, skurvy?

Profits from Piirate DVD sales are an income stream for organised crime.
Copying from a friend is just that.
Being one of the 136 people who are currently downloading the full run of Fables is something different.

I'm not going to get into the ancient argument about the relative morality of all three, but suggesting they're the same thing is right up there with saying heroin and hash are the same because they're  both illegal drugs.

I've only recemtly started downloading comics (and I've never watched a pirate DVD, other than the Star Wars Holiday Special, and I've already paid for that in unspeakable suffering), and I'm finding that it's actually encouraging me to buy more and different comics (the aforementioned Fables being an example), while reassuring me that most of what I thought was unreadable crap indeed was.  I've actually indavertently ended up with digital copies of the last three Progs, but it didn't stop me buying the floppies.  

I can see how it would be very easy for me to never buy another comic.  I just refuse to go down that road - if I enjoy the read, I buy the book.  But I'm not going to pretend that I'm some sort of majority here.  Torrent downloads of 100's of issues at a time pose a serious risk to the comics industry.  I can't see how it could be otherwise.

[skurvy]

"Profits from Piirate DVD sales are an income stream for organised crime. Copying from a friend is just that. Being one of the 136 people who are currently downloading the full run of Fables is something different."

Is it three different things? Not sure really. I was just trying to make the point that most us acquire stuff illegally one way or another - home taping is killing music after all.

I much prefer to own the actual product if I can. Often if I've downloaded an album I'll either listen to it once, decide it's not for me and delete it or if I like it the chances are I'll end up buying the CD. I used to tape albums from my mates and if I liked it go out and buy the LP.

For the record I still spend quite a lot of money on comics each month.

And is Fables any good?

[TordelBack]

Yup, Fables is good.  It's a bit slow, maybe a bit sentimental in places, but it has great characters, some appropriate nastiness, solid puns and very nice plot twists, and a real sense of overarching design.  Plus the art is almost all lovely.  And despite it being recommended by all and sundry, I'd have never started reading (or buying)  it if I hadn't got the first 55 issues off the Pirate Bay.  It's a funny old world.

[Buttonman]

I miss Demonoid too, and in truth have probably bought more physical stuff that I used to having auditioned on there first.

I tried Komic Live but can't seem to get out of the forum - is it a different sign up for the content site? If so any scabby old invites would be gratefully recieved by me. If the forum site is the extent of it where is the content hiding?

Cheers SW.

[Bico]

Unless you have one of those tracking boxes in your home, it'll make no difference if you watch Dexter on your own tv or not.  The best way to support any programme is to write a letter or email stating that you're a regular viewer, then buy the dvd set of the series once it goes on sale - pre-order is handy too, as it helps retailers gauge demand, which in turn goes up the line to those who make the show.

Piracy may harm proprietary delivery or consumption methods (movie theatres, cds), but there's evidence suggested by publishers and tv producers that online file-sharing has actually increased demand for the real thing.  BSG's first season was initially shown on Sky 1 in the UK, for instance, and widely-distributed online via torrent sites prior to it's US debut.  The Sci-Fi Channel, and producer Ronald D Moore, have both stated that positive word of mouth generated by downloaded episodes was responsible for the record ratings of the US screenings (record for the Sci-Fi Channel, anyway).  Likewise, comics publishers have moved into online publishing alongside - not instead of - physical copies of comics, offering free online reading (subsidised by webpage advertising) and the option to buy a physical copy of the strip.

Wasn't there a messageboard regualar who (with the blessings of their publisher) was offering their novel free for download, too?  I forget who it was.