[Hudlug] Elvis Costello! I spit on the floor!

[Chris Lindley]

On Wed, 2002-09-25 at 11:02, Chris Wood wrote:
> On Tuesday 24 September 2002 10:16 am, you wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I dunno who gets the Sunday Times (major M$ bootlicker!) but there was a
> > free cd given away with it last sunday!
> >
> > It's a demo of Elvis Costello's latest album, with some audio tracks,
> > and some MP3's.  The MP3's are DRM encoded. they will only play if
> > windows will d/l the latest version of Media player, which has all this
> 
> Hmmm... I thought it worked with 7.1 or better. 7.1 has been around for 
> quite a while now... I know it tries to persuade you to install 9beta (I've 
> read the Register article too!), but you can simply use 7.1...

So does it enable DRM with 7.1, or does it have to d/l some patch?

Most of your average home users will d/l this though. They think they're
being offered free stuff!  ... and of course it's better, M$ say so!

What benefits does the beta of 9 offer over 7.1? Does anybody know if
it;'s more than the DRM stuff?
> 
> > DRM stuff in it.  You can then only play each track 4 times. Each time
> > the player connects to a M$ database over the internet, then stops you
> > playing it a 5th time!
> >
> 
> <business hat>
> Get used to it. Media companies have to make money somehow. It costs a lot 
> of money to record music and to market the results effectively. 
> How is this marketing method different to say those little samples of 
> shampoo or perfume you get stuck in magazines? If you like the sample, you 
> maybe buy the product...
> </business hat>

Because it's being done underhand.  Your average user will not realise
that his rights/features/benefits are being restricted rather than being
expanded. Also what happens to phone/modem internet users?  Their other
half/child is on the phone talking to great aunt Nelly.  How then can
they listen to their tracks?

Also re the shampoo sample analogy, it's quite obvious that a small
sachet is a limited taster.  This bonus cd is not obviously limited.  I
in fact played the audio tracks on a cd player, and then discarded the
cd, before I read on /. about it.

BTW Slashdot is very alarmist, and getting more so!  Check this
website:-

http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/klee/misc/slashdot.html


One thing, when you rip your own cd's, does the license you then aquire
via DRM, stay with the track, or do you have to d/l new licenses when
you play the track again?

To be honest, the reason I dislike this so much is to do with its
invasive nature.  I don't want a database stored of what I'm currently
listening to.  I don't want my computer sending info about me to
somewhere else.  OK this is the nature of the life we lead now, but I
still don't like it.  What next?  Mailing shots offering reduced prices
on Elvis Costello cd's to all those people who listen to the demo tracks
the full 4 times.  "They listened, they probably like it!  Let's try and
sell them some stuff."  Perhaps on the fifth attempt to listen to it, it
directs you to a website selling the whole album?

> 
> > What a disgrace!  This has also happened previously. Oasis had a free
> > demo.  I've both as IU do subscrive to the Sunday Times.  Although I
> > reckon I may cancel my subscription.
> >
> 
> Blimey! Do you dislike their writing style too? It seems a little strong to 
> cancel a sub over something like this.
> Remember the CD is only there so non-regular buyers may spot it and say - 
> 'Oh a free CD! I'll by the Sunday Times today', and Elvis' publishers do it 
> to get a few extra sales of his new album as well.
> Personally I buy my sunday paper because I like the style of their reporting 
> (IoS BTW), not what freebie they have this week...

I've never bought any newspaper because of a freebie. The reason I said
I would probably cancel my subscription (not that I will, I've said this
many times and never done so) is that this paper is very much in support
of M$ because of the advertising revenue.  I've never read an criticism
in this paper of M$.  Well there is a column by Danny O'Brian which
sometimes comes close (and is actually quite a good read), but overall
the general IT reporting is like it's been lifted verbatim from M$
publicity material. I buy the Sunday Times, as although the reporting is
far from unbiased, it's usually got the similar right
wing/capitalist/Murdochist slant to the writing.  Intelligent reading of
the paper gives you the correct facts.  (Mind you, I also love
A.A.Gill's TV and restaurant reviews, and as for Michael Winner's
"Winner's Dinners".....)
> 
> > I always wondered why such a paper was giving away cd's liek this.  Well
> > I reckon that they're being paid by M$ and Creative (they have sponsored
> > the cd) to get stuff like this in general distribution, so people will
> > have they're media player upgraded to DRM without them knowing!
> >
> 
> As above, and of course you are right about the media player upgrade as 
> well. But if you already had 7.1 or better (and if not, where have you 
> been?) then you already have DRM, and you don't need to upgrade further, 
> although I have to say I don't understand what you are scared of.
> 
> > It's a disgrace!
> >
> 
> Hmmmmm....... :-/

No, seriously, it is :-)
> 
> C.
> 
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-- 
  Chris Lindley                                  
  chris.lindley@scotgate.org          chrishl@bmb.leeds.ac.uk
  ICQ#157144010	    AIM#fergycool    jabber#fergy    IRC#Ferg
  Climb up it, kayak down it + make sure it runs on GNU/Linux