Jason Fry of the Wall Street Journal has been hanging out in a lot of bars (for journalism's sake, you understand). He's been researching a piece on digital jukeboxes. His working theory: digital jukeboxes, like those from TouchTunes or Ecast, destroy the community-building nature of their more mechanical cousins.
He takes us to bars throughout New York City, from a couple of Blarney Stone's in lower Manhattan to Hank's Saloon in Brooklyn, and wonders if bar owners will take the time required to customize their jukebox (while, at the same time, recalling proudly how much fun it can be to "find the gems in a jukebox full of classic-rock warhorses ... Give an frat-boy jukebox an indie tinge ... Keep your rock-minded friends entertained in a country bar ... "). He
But if you're going to subscribe to Fry's theory, that with mass customization and digitization comes loss in community and the thrill of the hunt for that one good song in an otherwise terrible jukebox, you'll have to agree that digital music -- and, most specifically, iTunes -- is killing community. If people can get any song they like, why should they listen to their friend's music, or (horrors) listen to the music selected by a group of barflys? By allowing people to have whatever they want, are we destroying that ability to get along?
Interestingly, this isn't even the first time digital music has been accused of destroying our commonalities with our fellow man, and our ability to get along with others. In Australia, iPods were banned for some schools out of worries that they were making kids too selfish.
Despite the concerns of Fry and the Aussies, I hardly think that the world will turn its collective back on iPods due to worries about solipsism. There are still plenty of things to agree upon, even if we take "Achy-Breaky Heart" vs "My Humps" out of the running.
[Photo Sarah Gilbert]
Closing Bell: When We All Love the PIIGS (NBG, SQNM, PG, ERTS, KO)
Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21
Chasing Value: Hasbro Earnings Makes My Point
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-05-2006 @ 6:41PM
Bas said...
Interesting! Maybe the same is true for blogs, and are they not social but just a-social?
6-05-2006 @ 6:57PM
PhantomX said...
You see--here's the thing, the celestial jukeboX is and should be just as just as Jesus or the Pope or President Bush and his army of conquerors; everybody on
the face of this Earth has an ear for a *****Sound*****
, and their sounds need to reflect who they are and how
they feel: Now the Dixie Chicks are ghetto superstars and they know that a genre with an installed base ain't where it's at. . .
9-03-2006 @ 2:28PM
DGWaters said...
I am super happy that Apple has worked another social trend setter in to the tech world. They are still the under dogs in the OS side, but they seems to have all the innovations for the Multi media world.
I just wish they could pull their stock out of the hole for a little while so I could feel safer.
http://stocktruth.com/?STOCK=otcbb&symbol=aapl
They really need to hit it big on this one. Even big ‘bad’ press would help at this point. Just stay in the light!
--
DGWaters