Using an iPod is ridiculously easy. Even you can handle it, Brooke. Ripping all your CDs to MP3s is tedious but worth the effort. It takes about five minutes per CD, so multiply that by the number of discs you want to put on it.

I agree with gbh that it's a shame to see the packaging/graphic design elements fall by the wayside in the download era, just as it was during the transition from vinyl to CD. I used to have the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers on vinyl, with the zipper built into the cover. Very cool.

But I'm surprised so many people were impressed with that article. It reads like a freshman Econ 101 essay, heavy on jargon and light on insight. The author takes 2377 words to say many obvious things (record labels are middlemen that only care about the bottom line, the RIAA gouges the public, etc.) and offers three solutions to fix it: one that has already failed (subscription fees, an idea that was DOA in the first incarnation of legal downloading), one that invites abuse (insurance, since you can "return" your download claiming to not be satisfied but still surreptitiously keep a copy) and one that only encourages greater conservatism in record labels' choices of who to sign (volume discounts). He also suggests something that's absolutely ridiculous: having prices reflect a song's "quality." That's inherently subjective.

He singles out the recording industry even though the same hassles — excuse me, I mean information asymmetries — occur in many industries. Those nefarious agents he talks about also pick crappy movie scripts to produce and books to publish, and an actor's track record is no indication of the quality of its current offering. Just ask anyone who paid nine dollars to see Gigli. And if you've ever had a lousy meal in a restaurant you've suffered at the hands of those scurrilous agents, the waiter and chef, who either bungled your order or did a lousy job in filling it. Somehow, though, life goes on.

I'm not defending the RIAA. I think they're getting exactly what they deserve. But that author just sounds like a big crybaby to me. Apple's buck-a-song a la carte system is a big improvement over the old way of distributing music. This guy is writing with all the fiery indignation of Karl Marx because he's worried that he might pay 99 cents for a song he doesn't like. Boo hoo.

You're missing the point, Jack. The point is that it's destined to fail. His viewpoint on why it's destined to fail was very interesting to me. I was impressed with the article because the only arguments made to date range from the terms of legality and trademarks, and his analysis of risk in purchase was dead on. I suppose you could look at race or gender studies and say they're convoluted ways of looking at things...but his viewpoint and analysis is one that's missing from the main models out there.

The solutions he's offered perhaps may be flawed. Perhaps that's because there is no solution. It's an interesting time in music right now. Interesting in terms of the classic Prisoner's Dilemma. Is the individual going to forfeit his own interests for the possibility of the greater good of all people? That is, people download music for free because they like it and they can...eventually, left as is, the recording industry will falter and musicians may stop producing the music that the people want, or may lack the resources to do so.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

What's next, of course, is to make all the liner notes, etc., available with the download. I remember when vinyl went to cds...and musicians grumbled about the smaller size of the artwork. I remember when the long cases were done away with and musicians grumbled about the smaller size of the artwork. The next innovation in packaging is sure to come soon.

I admit I still have vinyl in my basement. Actually I have Pearl Jam "Vs." on vinyl even. I also have about a 60 lb. collection of zines stored fresh compliments of Rubbermaid as well...there's something to be said for the way things used to be...God, I'm dating myself.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

Actually, when I download a song from the iTunes store, it includes the CD cover art. You can see it a couple different ways in the program.

It may not be the same as vinyl or CDs, but it's a step toward keeping the artwork alive.

winston, admittedly the author could have deleted some of his work. however, the idea or approach itself was interesting. and we read worse written poop everyday. as for packaging, the technology is already there for them to be able to give the lyrics and photos with each song, or album, etc. while it would be tough to ensure yu get every penny out of sales, costs could be ridiculously low. of course that would be virtual elimination of the RIAA.

His pedantic, patronizing tone annoyed me. Only I'm allowed to write like that.

I'm so behind on this stuff...I'm lucky I can operate KaZaa. Jack--I think you helping me learn how to use an Ipod would be great payback for the real estate (lack of) help I'm providing you...(nothing is free in this world.)

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

No problem. But job #1 will be to download you a copy of "Yah Mo B There" so you can see what you've been missing all these years while wasting your time listening to Ani DiFranco.

and get the hell off kazaa while yer at it.

What's wrong with KaZaa, El?

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach