p2p expereince - napster to AG

i have been using p2p softwares to download music for many years;
they become the main source of my contemporary music, and most
of the music stock are stored as mp3 format
since i was introduced to p2p software i gradually ceased to buy
CDs, at the time primarily pirates and dakous (川翱); but i keep buying
正° CDs of classical music for rarely has any p2p software provide
a good source for classical, and mp3 format is not suffficient for a
clasical fans. so i mainly use p2p software to collect contemporary
music

I) Napster - a harbinger or pioneer of p2p era

the first p2p software i used - this helped to get me know what the hell
p2p is. Napster was not really good but had had alternative at the time.
it was virtually a monopolist. i installed Napster and downloaded quite
a lot of music from other napster users. at the time i also use napster
to play mp3. the era can be called a Napster-era, which

in mid-2001 Napster lost the case and was forced to shut down,
then we have to find another p2p software to downlaod music

2) Audiogalaxy - one of the most user-friendly p2p

Audiogalaxy was simply fantastique: very easy to get started.
the audiosatellite is extremely easy to use. file sharing was
compulsive and users cannot, as they do in other p2ps,
decide whether or not to share. to download music you must
always prepare to share. Audiogalaxy hosts a great number of
great bands and artists - from there i know bands like
Bright Eyes and The Ladybug Transistor. Audiogalaxy
also hosts a great number of users which means that the
software boasts a fantastic source of music.

the good thing is that music is extremely easy to download,
the bad thing, however, is that audiogalaxy rarely provides
complete albums, but rank all the songs depdends on their
popularity.

still we were able to find most bands and songs which
cannot be found in other alternative p2ps.

Audiogalaxy has a very good online community. I organised
a group called “Guided by Voice” on the main site, which
attracts approximiate a hundred of members.

I spent great time on Audiogalaxy. but in mid-2002 it lost
the case against RIAA and was to forced to shut down its
service