Prince - world exclusive interview: Peter Willis goes inside the star’s secret world - mirror.co.uk

Nerds everywhere wasted no time in taking to the comment sections of every blog that covered this Daily Mirror interview to defend the honor of their precious internet.  Don’t get me wrong, I found the endless variations on the “Prince is the one that is completely over” zinger both thought-provoking and amusing, but I’m left wondering why everyone was so quick to rally behind, of all things, the internet.

Prince is not attacking the series of tubes that plugs computer boxes from around the globe into each other as much as he is questioning the manner in which artists get compensated in the age of digital music downloads.  Regardless of one’s personal feelings towards Prince or his music, everyone should support a guy with decades of industry experience, an enormous fan base and nearly unlimited resources as he challenges the current music publishing and distribution paradigm - a paradigm that is still nebulous and flawed to say the least.

If his plan works, we all win.  Any change to the crumbling, hostile music industry has to be seen as a change for the better.  And if this scheme backfires, Prince can go back to throwing vegan orgies in Chanhassen and no one will be any worse for the wear.

Furthermore, the next time you feel the urge to valiantly defend a global system of interconnected computer networks against the honest critique of one of the most prolific musicians of all time, just remember this: Without Prince, there would be no internet. Well, maybe not. But I would still suggest that everyone quick being such dorks.