Okay, try to bear with me because this will be a long post. Firstly I would like to express my gratitude for the overwhelming support I have received in the last few days, in Funky Frolics' darkest hour you have cheered my soul and cleared my head. I am not able to respond individually to each message I've been sent but would like to touch on a few points that were raised...
1. Funky Frolic will continue. I was never tempted to pull the plug on something I have invested so much time and energy into. I can't guarantee my commitment beyond 2012 but for now I remain dedicated to sharing my love of music and hopefully turning people on to new and exciting sounds.
2. Many of you voiced the opinion that is was better for me to move forward than go back and try to fix hundreds of broken links. While it saddens me to do this I can't help but agree, my energy is best used elsewhere. For those who are late to the party all I can do is apologise, I will assess reupload requests on a case by case basis but can't make any promises.
3. I just wanted to make it clear that I don't hold a grudge against Mediafire. They were well within their rights to do what they did and frankly I'm surprised they didn't give me the boot earlier. I was naive and labelled my uploads in a way that made them easy to search for but also easy to delete. For me the biggest shame is losing the majority of my home made compilations including all the Legends Of Library series. Those comps WILL be reuploaded eventually and I'm hoping to add bonus material not found on the original releases. Last month Le Spock actually packaged my Frolic Beat comps with improved rips and covers but the Depositfiles link has already been pulled. So, if you're out there Le Spock and are able to re-up on Mirrorcreator or 4Shared I'd much appreciate it.
4. That brings me to my next point. So far Mirrorcreator has been a safe option for my new uploads, even if a few of the mirrors get pulled it still allows users some different options. I'm also looking at 4Shared and Wupload which I have found to be the best services when I've downloaded content in the past.
5. I appreciate the suggestions about going private but for me it is counter to what Funky Frolic is all about. I've always wanted to reach as many people as possible and if this makes me a target of various forces then I have to accept that as part of the game. The doors at Funky Frolic will always be open.
6. To the person who just sent me a message saying that most of the Mediafire links on my account were other people's files anyway - you are right and wrong. I had uploaded a great deal of my music collection and if those albums happen to be available elsewhere it doesn't mean they weren't my own rips. Yes, I reuploaded numerous files from other blogs. This was purely done as a way of providing another download source of the material in question and given the events of the last few months it was a prudent decision. The files in question are now in countless more hands and should no active links be available in the future there is a higher chance of someone taking the time to upload them again. I have had to replace a lot of my dead Megaupload files with links from other blogs purely through necessity and the same will no doubt happen over time with my lost Mediafire files where possible. I make no apologies for this.
The majority of what I do these days is bringing pre existing uploads to a wider audience. The whole "ownership of a rip" debate is counter productive to what most bloggers want - to spread great music as far and wide as possible. I've seen lots of my own rips turn up elsewhere ( without any credit ) and I could not care less, if anything I am flattered by it.
7. This has all coincided with a rather busy period in my real life but I'll try to post something tonight.
I will leave you with another thank you to all the supporters, well wishers and contributors that have made Funky Frolic what it is. Some of you have written of the impact this blog has had on your musical appreciation. The fact I've been able to influence the tastes of people I will never meet, who live on the other side of the world and might not even speak my own language is something I will cherish forever. It's been an honour to help you on your musical journey. Some of you have also opened my eyes to composers and groups I wasn't aware of previously and I am very thankful for your contribution to my musical journey. I hope we can continue to build positive relationships and connections in the future.
Until next time, stay funky.
