Last week, the WPAA radio station received a notice from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to take one of its computers offline due to the fact that the computer was responsible for some illegal activities on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. The dissapointing part about this is that with a change to the Academy’s network settings, such infractions could be virtually nonexistent. For those who came to Andover after the 2004-2005 school year, it used to be possible, through iTunes to share and stream music from one computer to another. Students in the Quads, for example, could listen to music they wanted to hear but did not own with a few quick clicks and a search. Provided someone on the network was sharing music, everyone else in their general vicinity was able to listen to what they had. While students could not download the music from the network and then put it on an iPod, they could listen to it unrestricted in their rooms. With upwards of 100,000 music tracks online at almost any given time, it was possible for students to find what they wanted whenever they felt the impulse to do so. With the removal of such a system of getting music, students have been forced to turn to two main alternatives: purchasing the music of stores such as iTunes or getting the music illegally from either a web browser or peer-to-peer file sharing network. There now are potential issues with both routes. While iTunes is perfectly legal and an excellent option, students frequently simply do not have enough money to spend on buying the sheer amount of music they want to listen to. There are new albums released every day, placing students in the unfortunate position of spending more money than they want to on music. Students on the search for music will pursue their desire in other ways, almost certainly illegal. Therefore, the second option is more of an issue. When students access either malicious websites or a peer-to-peer network, they create an enormous security risk for themselves. Most illegal music websites tend to be launch pads for spyware and viruses, giving students a huge headache to deal with if they have been infected. And once computer problems begin to appear, students can rest assured that they will face a plethora of other issues. Such infections can frequently lead to students going over bandwidth without knowing why, randomly losing network access, and seeing their computer slowing down to the point of becoming unusable. Over bandwidth issues can bog down the school network for everyone, and the other two issues create problems that the Techmasters and Technology Office must then work to resolve. I am not condoning these types of illegal activities, but simply put, there will be issues with illegal music distribution until there is an easy alternative that is open and easy for everyone. The fact that the iTunes distribution system is safe, legal, and easy makes it far more attractive than any other option I have seen. Before going further, it would be fair to those in charge to highlight why the service does not work in the first place. It ceased to function after a rash of network virus infections during the fall of 2004. The reason the iTunes sharing service does not work is the same reason Skype, online and LAN gaming, and some functionality of AIM do not work well or even at all. The network was secured because when it was open, too many students were not capable of keeping secure computers, forcing the Technology Department to do students jobs for them. That said, it should be a viable option, if those in charge are willing, to specifically reopen functionality for desired programs. It remains an issue of priorities for the Administration and what they believe would be a productive endeavor; if people believe music sharing would be a useful entity to restore, it should be done. It would be to the benefit of everyone if the Academy made the changes necessary to allow such legal sharing. The easiest way to break the market for illegal software is by making the legal alternative attractive to the point of it being a better option. While a great entity, the iTunes store still costs money; it would be naïve to assume that every student is capable of getting what they want. Break the deadlock, and students have a legal option, Technology groups are saved endless hassles, and the school will not face the embarrassment of being caught red-handed by the RIAA.
