This thread will deal with the realities of using Napster while trying to maintain a reasonable level of SDMB participation.
As many of you have noticed by now, Napster is exceeded only by Bonzi (@&$ing) Buddy* in bogging the living sh!t out of your computer. It has taken me a while to arrive at the best methods to balance the various search functions of both sites.
A typical heavy duty SDMB and Napster session would go thus:
[sup]THIS ROUTINE IS ADJUSTED FOR AOL USERS[/sup]
[li]Log on ISP[/li]
[li]Check Email before slowing down cycle time[/li]
[li]Head into SD boards and check for most active threads[/li]
[li]Bring up favorite thread for perusal[/li]
[li]Load Napster and start search for next song[/li]
[li]Click over to Napster library and start music medley[/li]
[li]Check search for returns[/li]
[li]Start download of desired song(s)[/li]
[li]Check for initiation of song transfer[/li]
[li]Revert to SDMB and read through selected thread[/li]
[li]Periodically check your download status[/li]
[li]Clear out any unsuccessful transfers[/li]
[li]Finish reading thread and switch thread or forum[/li]
[li]Revert to Napster while SDMB reloads new item[/li]
[li]Scroll through finished transfer to check completion[/li]
[li]Input new song search parameters if required[/li]
[li]Check for initiation of song transfer[/li]
[li]Revert to SDMB and check latest selection[/li]
[li]Peruse new thread or forum and select thread or reply[/li]
[li]Click over to Napster and check download status[/li]
[li]Rinse, lather and repeat…[/li]Furthermore, after maxing out my +2 gig hard drive (with less than 200 files averaging 4 megs each), I began to go on a purge binge throughout my system. One of the biggest discoveries is that in your library’s “load” directory will be a file labeled “incomplete”. Right click on this file and look at all of the unsuccessful transfers that you have initiated.
I my case, there were almost 400 megs of incomplete files that I could purge. This does not include the 50 odd incompletes that I opted to retain as reminders of future download titles.
Anyway, let’s hear about your experiences and tips for optimizing your system performance while capturing your favorite tunes. Please include your napster user name.
PS: Mine is xxxxxx
Moderator’s notes: Deleted Napster user name. See my notes in Homer’s post below for the rationale.
Perhaps you should consider-
[ol]
[li]Log on, open whatever you need… blah, blah, blah.[/li][li]set napster to ‘delete’ partial downloads.[/li][li]set Napster to 20 downloads at a time.[/li][li]set up a file for Napster to download to and regularly sort music files from it.[/li][li]open up amazon or listen.[/li][li]find keywords ‘albums-genre’ thou deisre.[/li][li]insert said keywords on Napster.[/li][li]download 20 files at a time.[/li][li]hop onto SDMB[/li]later…
[li]check ‘downloaded’ folder and re-download any missing files. (from a dif. person)[/li][/ol]
Tisk Tisk if I had all the problems everyone encountered reading the SDMB and trying to download songs I’d probably freak out. While I don’t use Napster (the university I am at blocked it) I do use a similar song search/download utility. I feel rather lucky not having to worry about setting aside what I am going to do I just do it. I’m not trying to get in here and harp on the kind of connection I have but I can usually download a 4+ meg mp3 in under 4 minutes… and I’m not even going to talk about my downloading speed (okay maybe I will sometimes it tops out at 200+ kbps). The only problem is here at college they need to give a course that gets you ready to use a slow modem whenever you leave. I think I may just keep coming back for the computer speeds.
My name on Napster is XXXXXXX. Everyone who’s admitted to a Napster name is on my hotlist. I have about 900-1000 songs to share off a 1 meg cable connection. Take whatever you like. At home, I have a 56k with about 1200 songs. Same name.
Mostly rock/pop/r&b, lots of classic rock, guitar work, classical music and opera, quite a bit of rap, comedy routines, and tons of theme songs.
Take anything you like. I wouldn’t go about messaging me, though, because quite often the person on the computer isn’t me. (Heck, it’s not even my computer, it’s John’s.)
Have fun.
–Tim
Moderator’s Notes: I’ve deleted Homer’s Napster name. It is the view of the Chicago Reader and the Straight Dope that the use of Napster violates current copyright laws. As such, we do not allow this board to used as a vehicle for breaking such laws. Please do not use this message board for the purpose of trading music through Napster or similar services. I have deleted, and will continue to delete, such information relentlessly. Thank you, UncleBeer.
You would not believe the problems I have with Napster! If I’m playing songs while downloading, sometimes my system hangs so long I get a “program not responding” message.
Sometimes, for no reason I can figure, I’ll get that WARNING! Windows message. I have to shut down my whole system.
AOL boots me every time someone tries to upload. I don’t dare try to download while on SDMB. My monitor would probably implode!
There is a very useful aspect to saving incomplete downloads. There are many songs that I have remembered in the dead of night, that I forgot to put on my play list for future reference. I was quite relieved to find them in the Incomplete file.
In addition, because the entire title is not visible in the window, it can be quite useful for determining the search title from the more complete file name.
Finally, there is the bonus of accidentally downloading songs that you haven’t heard before. The snippets in the Incomplete file can guide your choices in the future.
What do the colored dots to the left of the song title search results represent? I can’t figure it out. At first I thought maybe it had something to do with how many songs the user had in his library but there seemed to be no correlation.
Also, does the song quality deteriorate after several copies? Like if I dload a song that was downloaded from someone else, who got it from someone else, who got it from…
Would it be of lesser quality than one that has been copied once?
The colored lights indicate how the user is connected to the net. I have a 56k modem so everyone who has a 56k modem has a yellow light. Cable, DSL and T-lines have a green light. And those other modems that you shouldn’t even have (I can barely live with my 56k and as soon as my area gets it, I’m jumping on cable) have a red light.
I’m not sure if the quality degrades after many copies. My guess would be not much. It’s not like there are grooves to wear out.
I’m really distressed to see so many members of the Teeming Millions, normally people that know the right thing when they see it, so willing to rip off artists.
Yes, some musicians place their work online for free downloads and that’s their option to do so. It’s permissible if they offer it to you, it’s wrong when you take that choice (and their livelihood) away from them.
Think of it this way; how would you feel if someone took money out of your wallet while you were working? You’d be pretty upset, no? I don’t see a difference.
Rant over.
your humble TubaDiva
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the American Federation of Musicians and thus have a personal stake in this issue.
I just discovered Napster. I’ve gone nuts for it. However, the vast majority of my downloads are of music I already own, either on LP or tape. I just am too lazy to dig up the tape/LP (or, in some cases, the tape deteriorated, and isn’t playable anymore.) I’ve already dished out my money to the record label. I don’t feel obligated to do it again. (However, since I am a “collector”, I am busy buying CDs to duplicate of most of my LP collection anyway.)
As an obsessive music collector, I don’t understand why people would settle for an MP3 of a favorite album, when the CD is readily available. I always buy the CD, when available. I’m finding Napster a great tool for future purchases. I am already feeling compelled to buy several new CDs, because the samplings of music I’ve downloaded are so fabulous.
I cannot speak for everyone, but personally, I don’t feel too guilty about using it, in the context I am using it.
no, that’s the beauty, and the danger to the Record companies of digital copies. When you used a cassette tape to copy a song, the song would degrade each time you copied it. A copy of a copy of a copy of a copy is sometimes barely recognizable as the original song (depending on the equipment used, of course). Digital copies are perfect copies of the original. The only degradation that can really affect it would be a lost packet or missing information during the transfer.
You are quite right, but artists and labels – that is, the RIAA – are going to have to wake up and start offering music song-by-song, at reasonable prices, online. But the RIAA – which is right now busily working to end the existence of Internet radio with crippling licensing fees, with the hearty support of Congress – is not known for its forward-thinking policies.
That file-sharers will steal the songs does not obligate musicians and labels to make music available online, but one would think that business savvy and good sense would show them that the current “You can steal it, but you can’t buy it” system is not satisfactory to anyone. Emusic is a tiny start in the right direction, and the Napster/BMG deal, depending on what it turns out to entail, may be another sensible move.
