Is there any possible way I can get these lessons on a disc? My computer room is about a hundred times too small to play my electric in and the big screen would be a hell of a lot easier to see on. And this way I could take my lessons wherever I am. Thanks.

Unfortunatley GMC cant offer lessons to be copied digitally- otherwise lessons get pirated and therefore stolen. The instructors work very hard to create their lessons and we students pay hard earned cash so it is unfair when our material gets stolen.
This is a frequent question and i don't think Kris will be offering it anytime soon for these reasons^.

It is true, we pay for it with our cash, but then shouldn't we be able to have the lessons? It's more like we are renting them. Not to be a smartass, but you could easily just stream the videos and burn them on to a dvd, it just doesn't seem right to pay for something and only be able to use it when your at a computer.

i wouldnt mind getting them on dvd/ipod, and im definatly not saying its impossible.

However, if given the opportunity, some people would choose to use them to make money as opposed to using them for their leisure.
Thats why there isnt a great big DOWNLOAD button, other wise they'd be all over the internet,
people would stop their subscription as they could get it for free anyway,
GMC would lose most of it's members,
would have a reduced income,
would not be able to pay instructors,
not have any material to offer and GMC would close.

Rather than this^ happen i'm going to stick to using my computer. Ofcourse all lessons offer tabs and most offer gp5 tabs, so learning on the go should be easy enough once you have chosen your favourite lessons.

I wouldn't say it would lose everything, look at how many free music downloading programs their are, yet iTunes and napster and how many other pay programs still thrive.

There are also a number of free guitar sites- and yet the GMC still thrives.

Thats because it depends on the honesty and integrity of its users to ensure it continues to grow.

At the end of the day; the site is set up as it is for several reasons, most of which i have just outlined.
If Kris wanted to- he would change it- but he hasn't.
I really don't think theres much more to discuss about it than that.

I'm with DeepRoots on this 100%. Nobody wants to lose GMC to piracy. I don't intend for an offensive or rude tone Mitch, but GMC has all a guitarist in need could ask for. Taking it away would ruin the guitarist community itself.

Andrew, I think this thread should be locked.

Mitch, DeepRoots pretty much covered it, so lets call it quits for this thread.

I'm with DeepRoots and Ayen 100%.

More then happy to have a discussion on copyrite, 'free' download and so on (AND I'm a big supporter of freeware, open source and copyleft here) elsewhere but Kris has a right both to make his living and to protect his and the instructors' IPR.

Cheers,
Tony

EDIT - spelling: duh what's a 'dowload' when it's at home? I really must buy a dictionary.

Let Kris decides about it,this is his work and he's doing it more than awesome.
Who knows,maybe in 20 years we'll have holes in our heads,just plug USB stick into it
but no sharing for free.

I don't wanna be a cyborg

I DO (sounds cool !)

More than cool
Imagine virtual wah installed in your throat.
Saying many nasty thing without being spotted.
Add pitch shifter to it and your female neighbour is gonna be accused for that.

Hmm,didn't say much about lessons on CD/HD tho

Hah, yes, but you need reverb as well for that instant authoritative sound

Hello Mitch_04,

First: you have a very good point - it would be very handy for members to quickly be able to download a lesson to practice it elsewhere. Also members with slower internet connections sometimes have to wait quite a while for longer lessons to load - which isn't good at all.

Until recently my intention has been to offer downloads. However with recent happenings - I have been forced to reconsider.

There is no doubt that 99,9% of our users are completley loyal to the site and understand what could happen if portions of gmc member content was made available for free. However I think a little further clarification would be good: it is enough if one single user decides to start spreading gmc for free, for it to be available to the whole world.

We are a very small company investing all the bucs we have got into site feature improvements and expansion of our instructor staff. The subscription model is what enables this - we can charge 10 bucs/month because we are only offering access to our lesson library for a limited time. If we were to sell the whole archive for download we would have to charge a whole different price in order for the business to work.

Please note that we have added complexe technical solutions to the site and have many more to come (this week we have finished the planning of video lessons 2.0, with which will give our video lessons a completely new look and functionality).

Also - we have have increased our gmc staff from 1 person to 25, taken instructors, admins and developers into consideration. In spite of this, as well as the increase of quanitity & quality, we have always charged the same fee and have no plans of raising it.

If we want to enable further expansion of the site (and believe me we want that - you wouldn't believe all the cool things the team has got planned for you! ) - then let's all cross our fingers and hope that gmc material stays on gmc servers only...

Kris

I too hope all the GMC content stays on the GMC servers! It ensures a good community overall I would hate to think the Content could somehow end up on bit torrent etc

he did it)

If you let us download vids, you can also add passwords on the video (when you view it). THis could be your GMC id. My friend has passworded all the vids he secretly recorded of people in class (ill ask him how he did it).

Good job keeping piracy out till date.

I like this site the way it is and I am looking forward to seeing
all the new developments Kris has up his sleeves. It would lose the community/club
aspect if it were merely a download site IMHO.
Actually make that IMO - I'm not really humble

This might be good idea.
Each member has his own password for download,but when he downloads video
his user name and/or password gets "rendered" with video
(Kris,like you used to put GMC sticker on videos before).
And IF some members shares it on net,you instantly see who is he cause he cannot erase
his ID it from the video.
Just a thought.

I personally feel the content delivery is as it should be! It ensures overall entegrity for the community on the whole.

I agree, the content shouldn't be up for download. I have saved a couple lessons to my computer for when my internet speed is capped(otherwise it takes too long). But that is where it is staying, on my computer. And as Kris said if one person was to share the vids free, it wouldn't take long for them to be lurking on the internet.

P.S I am not telling you the way I save the lessons so please don't ask me.

Are you sure you didn't save those lessons in a folder which your brother (or anyone else accessing your computer) has set to his dc++ share folder? If I am not mistaken you could set the whole "C:/" drive on share mode. Because if that's the case they could be all over already.

I am not saying that is the case - I am just trying to make an illustration.

Yep, I understand that, but no one has ever touched this computer except me

I don't share files anyway, I do not trust the internet one bit.

guys even if you are saving them i don't think its a good idea saying how or even telling others on the forum that you are saving them.

Lets lead by example ay?

So you have my hard work on your HD,ha

well actually i just have luciana's singing lessons, because that is what i have been practicing most lately, my internet speed has been slowed to 64kbs for a few weeks now.

I have your hard work on cd. a cd called Let It Out!! and i still listen to it everyday i love it Muris.

Yay yay yay now let's all sit and cry!!

You guys all know that not the whole GMC is good guys with YOUR attitude to the thing! There are members who don't even register to forum and there are sure some people at GMC who just pay the membership to give P2P network a big favor and get all those lessons and share them! There are SHARING maniacs all over the world who fight the PAYING sites and you should know it already.

And you can't close torrent sites so i am sure Kris was aware of this matter long before he started GMC.

+1
Cheers,
Tony

Was joking ,no offense
Glad you like it tho!!

I just confirmed with my friend, the password feature is sorta a plugin for Windows Media player (these type of files can only be played on windows media player).

When the person opens the video file itll ask for an ID and password and will confirm this (the id and password would be preset, so it could be your GMC id you used to download the file <no internet is required to sign in and view the file>)

If we would use such a solution, the problem still is that it's enough that one person wants to do it. Sure, we will know who it is cause he'll have to share his GMC-id, and he'll get kicked out of GMC, but the damage will still be done.

But keep coming up with suggestions, it would be really great if it was possible to do this some way that was secure enough!

Ids/passwords is starting to move into the domain of Digital Rights management - downloads could be locked to individual users and PCs etc, but the downside of this is that you end up annoying the people actually paying for the content with restrictions. Also, I imagine the software to do this is fiendishly expensive, and would be locked to an individual player like Windows Media player - instantly cutting out all the MAC users. This is a can of worms, and sadly no real solution to the problem as Henrik has described - it just costs money and annoys the paying users.

Well said Henrik,if this person does it he's probably doing it knowing that he's gonna be kicked out of GMC...
Dunno what else we could do to prevent sharing IF lesson downloaded...

I'm always amazed at the fact that some people believe sharing pirated music or software is OK. Most of these same people would never go into a music store and steal a CD, DVD or software package. Why? Because they most likely will get caught. It is wrong. But ways have been developed via the Internet to steal things like this and people tend to believe it's OK because there is "no harm". After all, it's only "me and my computer".... It's just like everybody in jail is innocent too.

A solid solution that is cost effective to solve this problem is a great idea. I don't have enough pocket protectors, pens and tape on my glasses to create a solution though... . OK, but seriously, Kris brings up an excellent point about controlling the costs of an increasing business, increasing staff, new instructors, maintenance... the list goes on and on. But one thing that will never be available to those who steal is the interaction and help that the instructors and members provide here. If I am a paying member and have questions about a lesson, the instructors ALWAYS respond timely, again and again. My monetary contribution is an insignificant amount compared to what I have gained here.

I'll use this post to say thanks once again to Kris, all of the instructors and the members who help me out. My conscience is clear because I pay for it and I feel great!

Let's than use this moment and increase the membership price as well as some extra prizes for instructors

UH ohhhh!! Yeah Pavel I probably started something... Well, you will need a new strap when that new 7 string comes in.

I will also need a decent amp and some good quality string packs for 7-string. I can't get those here so, you know, extra shipping costs and stuff

Current DRM protection has already long been hacked. It's one reason why Columbia (I think) have decided to abandon DRM for all future releases. Seems that unless you get in to the 128bit security end or better that pretty much any form of software, or hardware, protection is seen as a 'challenge' to be cracked.

Hardware/software protection generally isn't failsafe and often just serves to annoy legitimate use. One thing that I really hate about Cubase is the dongle - I've mislaid mine in the past and spent a frantic day searching for it. I have a friend who went on location and forgot it and lost a lot of time and money before he got it couriered to him.

Cheers,
Tony



Kris might stretch to a new JazzIII XL pick for you Pavel (though you might have to time share it with Muris )

Cheers,
Tony

Exactly - I really am not a fan of DRM and protection exactly because it penalizes the very people you should be treating the best - paying users

No way! Muris endorses Light Picks so i am not giving him my Jazz III!

Forgot about that! - It's all yours then Pavel

Cheers,
Tony

Kris,if not the pick...maybe ice-cream?

Muris - you'll get your black T-Shirt with Kris's name on it for free!

That's cool but I still want my ice-cream or the pick

Thought Kris paid us all to wear that t-shirt

Cheers,
Tony

I see,no free sharing

In the end it comes down to the integrity of the members of GMC. (since saving the lessons is really simple)
The stronger the community feeling the better, than people won't be posting the lessons on the net.

Effective protecting of digital files is very difficult (I know, I'm a photographer and have the same problems with copying, especially for internet use). Lots of big companies have tried all kinds of copy protection and copyright protection, and up till now nobody has found a usable and reliable solution.

imho, the best solution for GMC is to keep the community feeling as strong possible, make everyone aware that you're part of something special...


Problem is that, in the end, you only need one "bad apple"

Signing this!
One is enough and having strong community might prevent piracy.