The Cougar's Byte

Issue date: 4/12/05 Section: Features

Media Credit: courtesy of Swaprocks

Let's face it, the days of being able to legally download virus-free music are over. Instead we are forced to leave the wellbeing of our computers to the mercy of the Internet gods as we download music from the free peer-to-peer sites we all know very well. It's either that, or you have to pay to play. You can download singles for 99¢ or an entire album for $9.99, but it's not like having the actual CD at your disposal, complete with the original artwork. So the next alternative is to buy music from an auction site. With this you receive an actual product you can hold in your hand...if your bid wins the auction. If not, it's back to the drawing board. All of this back and forth can leave a bad taste in your mouth and a hole in your pocket if you're not careful. So what is a college student, who is short on both time and cash, to do?

Get to your nearest computer, launch your web browser, type in www.swaprocks.com in the address bar, and get ready to experience a whole new way to buy and sell CD's, DVD's, and video games. Swaprocks! is an internet swapping service that allows you to trade items that you don't want for items you do. Sounds simple enough so far, right? The service works by having users complete a free registration and then allowing them to list unwanted items for free. Each item has a value of one, regardless of what type of item it is. 1 CD=1 video game=1 DVD. This formula is simple enough to understand even if you didn't do so well in Algebra for College Students. To get started list your first five items and receive 1 swap credit, when someone decides to take an item you offer you will receive 1 swap credit for each item. You can list as many items as you want, the more you list, the more people take, the more they take, the more swap credits you earn. Your swap credits can be used to take an item from another user. And how much does each swap cost you? Nothing at all! And if you decide you don't want your new CD, DVD, or video game, or if you get tired of it, all you have to do is list it and wait for another user to take it off your hands. Swaprocks! is a virtual swap-meet, giving users the convenience of online purchasing and the community aspect of peer-to-peer sharing for a very affordable price.

Now that you're completely in love with Swaprocks! you should know that it was co-developed by one of Kean's very own, alumnus Nick Medvedich. Nick graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Nick works full-time for a printing company in Union; for now the website is something he pursues during his free time. While studying at Kean, Nick played Lacrosse and was captain of the team for three years. Recently he was inducted into Kean's Lacrosse Hall of Fame. When developing Swaprocks!, Nick and his co-developers wanted to create another medium for sharing music, due to the crackdown on downloading. They were looking for a legal way to obtain music for an affordable price. As his two business partner are from Rutgers, the trio are hoping to create a local buzz for the website, starting with college students in New Jersey and hopefully radiating throughout the country. In order to support former Kean student Nick Medvedich, and trade your old CD's, DVD's, and video games, visit www.swaprocks.com.

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