Comments for Song, by Toad http://songbytoad.com Independent music from Edinburgh, Scotland - with added gin and swearing. Fri, 25 May 2012 00:12:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by Alex http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88037 Alex Fri, 25 May 2012 00:12:14 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88037 Muruch - Thanks for recommending TuneIn Radio. I had no idea it even existed. Muruch – Thanks for recommending TuneIn Radio. I had no idea it even existed.

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by ducky http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88036 ducky Thu, 24 May 2012 17:03:32 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88036 Saying that neither Pandora nor Last.fm are my cups of tea is putting it mildly and it's for the exact reason that you've outlined: that their algorithms are too good at predicting things that I know that I will like, or as I call it -- everything on whichever station I've chosen sounds too bloody alike that I'm bored after an hour. But I know a lot of people who love, love, love it. Matthew, there's an article in The Economist about how Americans are more self-segregating today than ever before and how this is leading to an increased polarization in politics, and that more liberal and conservative types are more likely to choose to live in certain places. It also claims that the rise of cheap personal air conditioning has lead to this change as more people who would self-identify as conservative no longer just spending winters in the South but moving to the South as the ability to make "the climate" more hospitable. In light of your fears about information bubbles, I think that you'd find it interesting because it's not just that conservatives are receiving news that justifies their worldview (insert liberals here) but that they rarely encounter anyone in their personal lives who might counter that opinion. http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/05/personality-and-polarisation?page=1 Saying that neither Pandora nor Last.fm are my cups of tea is putting it mildly and it’s for the exact reason that you’ve outlined: that their algorithms are too good at predicting things that I know that I will like, or as I call it — everything on whichever station I’ve chosen sounds too bloody alike that I’m bored after an hour. But I know a lot of people who love, love, love it.

Matthew, there’s an article in The Economist about how Americans are more self-segregating today than ever before and how this is leading to an increased polarization in politics, and that more liberal and conservative types are more likely to choose to live in certain places. It also claims that the rise of cheap personal air conditioning has lead to this change as more people who would self-identify as conservative no longer just spending winters in the South but moving to the South as the ability to make “the climate” more hospitable. In light of your fears about information bubbles, I think that you’d find it interesting because it’s not just that conservatives are receiving news that justifies their worldview (insert liberals here) but that they rarely encounter anyone in their personal lives who might counter that opinion.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/05/personality-and-polarisation?page=1

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by muruch http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88035 muruch Thu, 24 May 2012 16:56:42 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88035 I haven't used LastFM for years, so can't comment on its present use. Back in the day it always seemed better for sharing what I was listening to rather than discovering new music. I like Pandora if I'm in the mood for a particular artist or song, but not for discovering new music. Even when it introduces me to an artist I haven't heard, they sound exactly like another I have heard. Which is good, just very limited. I think <a href="http://tunein.com/" rel="nofollow">TuneIn radio</a> does a better job since it connects to actual radio stations (including local) as well as internet radio stations, all of which are searchable by country, city, genre, decade, etc. I'm somewhat addicted to browsing the plethora of '90s stations on there, but I've been using the TuneIn app more than blogs or Pandora to find new music these days. I haven’t used LastFM for years, so can’t comment on its present use. Back in the day it always seemed better for sharing what I was listening to rather than discovering new music.

I like Pandora if I’m in the mood for a particular artist or song, but not for discovering new music. Even when it introduces me to an artist I haven’t heard, they sound exactly like another I have heard. Which is good, just very limited.

I think TuneIn radio does a better job since it connects to actual radio stations (including local) as well as internet radio stations, all of which are searchable by country, city, genre, decade, etc. I’m somewhat addicted to browsing the plethora of ’90s stations on there, but I’ve been using the TuneIn app more than blogs or Pandora to find new music these days.

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by rampant chutney consumerism http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88034 rampant chutney consumerism Thu, 24 May 2012 16:23:39 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88034 hold on i missed word or two out! should read like this And blogs/podcasts/labels and even whatever are a whole lot closer to center of what music is all about i.e. not generating advertising income for the owners of the site, there is no altruism going on here with Last FM et al typing fast at work with the CEO sitting behind me doens't help! hold on i missed word or two out!

should read like this

And blogs/podcasts/labels and even whatever are a whole lot closer to center of what music is all about i.e. not generating advertising income for the owners of the site, there is no altruism going on here with Last FM et al

typing fast at work with the CEO sitting behind me doens’t help!

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by rampant chutney consumerism http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88033 rampant chutney consumerism Thu, 24 May 2012 16:18:05 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88033 What do the artists get out of these 'services'? (exposure i guess, tho i don't know any bands that have 'made' it via them) Do the artists get a fair royalty rate? (no, from what i understand) And blogs/podcasts/labels and even whatever are a whole lot closer to center of what music is all about i.e. generating advertising income for the owners of the site. There is no altruism going on here....... so yeah they are shite! Better sir? What do the artists get out of these ‘services’? (exposure i guess, tho i don’t know any bands that have ‘made’ it via them)
Do the artists get a fair royalty rate? (no, from what i understand)

And blogs/podcasts/labels and even whatever are a whole lot closer to center of what music is all about i.e. generating advertising income for the owners of the site. There is no altruism going on here…….

so yeah they are shite!

Better sir?

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88032 Matthew Thu, 24 May 2012 15:41:48 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88032 As I said, if they'd called blogs/podcasts/labels/whatever shite then I reckon I might have been a little riled too. So your considered opinion, after weighing all the arguments and considering the past, present and future of music is 'shite' is it? Thank goodness we got that cleared up. As I said, if they’d called blogs/podcasts/labels/whatever shite then I reckon I might have been a little riled too.

So your considered opinion, after weighing all the arguments and considering the past, present and future of music is ‘shite’ is it? Thank goodness we got that cleared up.

]]> Comment on Live in Edinburgh This Week – 21 May 2012 by rampant chutney consumerism http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/live-in-edinburgh-this-week-21-may-2012/#comment-88031 rampant chutney consumerism Thu, 24 May 2012 15:37:55 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13944#comment-88031 i find the wee fuckers (for wee fuckers read that shite band Bwani Junction) song lyrics, song titles and tweets offensive. The Strokes got loads of shite at the time of their emergence for meeting at private school, but it didn't really matter cos they weren't fucking shite. Love Smiley fucking face i find the wee fuckers (for wee fuckers read that shite band Bwani Junction) song lyrics, song titles and tweets offensive.

The Strokes got loads of shite at the time of their emergence for meeting at private school, but it didn’t really matter cos they weren’t fucking shite.

Love

Smiley fucking face

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by rampant chutney consumerism http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88030 rampant chutney consumerism Thu, 24 May 2012 15:33:52 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88030 Last FM is shite......Pandora is over there shite why do these people bite? Last FM is shite……Pandora is over there shite

why do these people bite?

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by Alex http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88029 Alex Thu, 24 May 2012 15:02:31 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88029 It's the least you can do. It’s the least you can do.

]]> Comment on “Last.fm and Pandora are Fucking Pointless.” Oh dear. by James! http://songbytoad.com/2012/05/last-fm-and-pandora-are-fucking-pointless-oh-dear/#comment-88028 James! Thu, 24 May 2012 14:31:45 +0000 http://songbytoad.com/?p=13949#comment-88028 You could say that I've been waiting for this moment for all my life. Oh lord. You could say that I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life. Oh lord.

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