Well, if it makes you feel any better, I burned all my first 23 CD’s worth of MP3’s in Macintosh-only format.
Yeah, the convenient little MP3 discplayers don’t deal with those.
(Not that I have one yet. I’m still laptop-based for the time being. But a while back I started reburning the old ones in hybrid format and now everything’s compatible.)
Not to bring down a “shock and awe” response from the mods, but I think the mods here, for the most part, are not really well versed on the whole burning, ripping, thing of the music for personal use thing.
Many innocent threads have been closed from mod knee-jerks.
I understand that, as they are skittish, and as they should be re the piracy/copyright thing.
However, most of the threads lately are talking about personal music collections, and members just asking non piracy related questions.
They (we) are just asking simple tech questions like how to put a cd on mp3, or a wav to mp3, or whatever. Those questions are in no way advocating piracy!
Ripping my own cd to disk is not fucking piracy, and with the advent of mp3 players, especially for cars, ripping is a cool thing, no diff from putting my cd’s on cassette. And it will be the next cool thing when the prices come down.
Merely initiating a discussion about transferring music from one medium to another is in no way advocating piracy.
Perhaps the mods might educate themselves on this issue, and instead of blanket bans on ANY question regarding the above, consider having a bit of fucking slack.
Not that I really give a shit either way, but I think that when you have a post that says “yeah, I downloaded these MP3s illegally” it’s pretty fucking safe to say that the blanket policy against threads discussing illegally downloading MP3s is going to come into effect.
Yeah, there have been threads that were closed despite not discussing illegal downloads, but this sure as shit wasn’t one of them.
Oh, and ftr, that was more in reaction to this thread’s existance than to Klaatu’s post which I, at times, agree with.
Indeed, KK.
Now, like I have said in previous Pit threads on this topic, I don’t have any desperate need to press the issue myself. I’m pretty well-versed on how to get iTunes and Toast to work. 
However, Mp3s can be a pretty harmless and mainstream computer-related topic. I mean, they sell books on Amazon.com teaching you how to rip, play and burn MP3s! It’s a pretty mainstream computer feature these days. Both Mac OS X (and OS 9) and Windows XP have built-in MP3 players and CD-burning software. It’s become quite commonplace and mainstream to rip and play MP3s.
Yeah, I guess it was my fault for not being overly aware of the policy on illegal topics, but I only mentioned the mp3 thing in passing. I still don’t think it was appropriate to close the thread because I briefly mentioned that some of the mp3s I had were illegal. The fact of the matter is, where and how I got my mp3s had no bearing on the thread. The thread was about ID3 tags and, as I’m sure those of you who looked at it noticed, other people brought up the question of where I got my mp3s from. See, I didn’t think it was relevant.
Just for the record, I’d like to blame White Lightning, seeing as he’s the one who said that my thread was about pirated music. I’d say he came off with a more-postier-than-thou attitude, but I haven’t been around long enough to judge things like that. I’m pretty sure UncleBeer just saw that and figured what the fuck. I can’t blame him, as busy as he must be. So while I still don’t think I needed to be called an asshole, I can see what drove him to do it. Get that knee-jerk checked, White.
Well, Sqube, the fact that you mentioned “illegal” mp3’s DOES matter, on this board anyway.
That is another thread.
However, I stand by my post.
“Oh, it’s okay, officer, I only murdered that guy in passing.”
“No, don’t worry, ma’am, I’m only raping you in passing.”
“Don’t get up, I’m only stealing your TV set in passing.”
Hmm… for some reason, I don’t have much sympathy for you.
Yeah, because copyright violation is alot like murder, rape, and burglary 
Yeah, I know, I know, that wasn’t strictly your point, but it seemed like the natural response
Yosemitebabe and AudreyK:
It’s not unusual to get less-than-stellar info from CDDB. Sometimes compilation albums will come back with “Various Artists” listed in every artist spot, rather than list the individual artists’ names. However, you have the opportunity to correct and submit the list. Cool, no?
Sqube, the really big reason that your thread got locked was this statement from you:
FTR, I’m not claiming that I ripped all of these songs. However, I removed the ID3 tags from the ones that I ripped as well. So poo to you!
[/quote]
That was the sole content of one of your posts. Now explain to me what the heck a mod is supposed to interpret that as, except as “ha ha, I got the info that I needed, so now I’ll admit that I illegally downloaded some of my music!”
Sigh… you get the idea, but just to be totally clear, the sentences between the quote marking and the hanging quote tag were posted by Sqube.
You know what I did once that was a really radical idea?
I had an MP3-related question for GQ, but I wasn’t sure if it would be interpreted on the purely intellectual level that it was intended, because of the “Zero Tolerance” MP3 policy here.
So…I actually opened up Hotmail, and sent my question to manhattan, asking him if it was OK, and explaining why I wanted to know. And he said it was, and I posted the thread, referencing that I had permission from him.
And…the thread stayed open, and I got my answers.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little knowledge of policy, and a willingness to communicate and work with the Staff in advance. They will work with you, and I know they appreciate the forethought involved in asking.
If you don’t want to do that, then with respect, please try one of the other 1e+28 message boards out there. Or Google.
Shoot, I have more than 250 legally-owned CDs I’ve ripped to my intranet server, and I’d like to put the ID3s on them myself (my ripper didn’t do it). I went to Google and found the answer within 3 seconds. And a lot fewer people had a lot less unhappiness in their lives.
And I think it is. And it’s my judgment by which you must abide in that forum. As a matter of fact, I was undecided whether to close the thread or let it remain open until you posted that little tidbt. I’m well aware there are legitimate uses for the software you sought. It’s the fact that you intended to use it on illegally obtained items that pushed me to close the thread.
Then how 'bout I give you a lesson in no uncertain terms. Do not discuss illegal activites on the message board.
Then you’d be wrong. MP3’s and what to do with threadsabout them, have been discussed in depth by the staff several times.
The rest of you people providing other suggestions are idiots. Why in hell would you continue a discussion that’s been previuously closed? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I apologize. I thought that since my experience of checking with a Moderator in advance before posting a potentially edgy thread was successful and very amicable for all parties involved, that it was a sound recommendation and good advice. And I thought that directing people off the SDMB for topics which are against policy to discuss here so they would not continue to cause grief here was a positive thing.
I am sorry. 
It could be, Anthracite that UncleBeer’s comment about "the rest of you providing suggestions are idiots, why in hell would you continue a discussion previously closed’ was in reference to comments made by posters in answer to the original question about how to do whatever, not directed to posters, such as you, who suggested the correct way to approach the matter working within the rules of the SDMB. (I’ve also had success emailing mods ahead of time to get an OK on an approach).
Um, Anth, your post has a time-stamp of 8:31 a.m. (Eastern time); UncleBeer’s is 8:38 a.m. I know it’d take me longer than 7 minutes to compose what he wrote, so I’m betting he didn’t see it…yes? (insert deferential smiley here)
Yeah, I never even saw your post Anthracite until after I submitted mine. There’s nothing at all wrong with your post; it’s accurate in every detail. And totally appropriate. Sorry for any confusion.
Hell, I might be new but I know enough to admit when I’m wrong. I just didn’t like the fact that UncleBeer called me an asshole. I can see why he did it though; I guess you must deal with that a lot, eh?
I guess I’ll have to wait before I’m really outraged before my next pitting.
Dammit. I get mentioned twice in a Pit thread but by the time I get here the OP’s already admitted his mistake. Is there no justice?
Cheers, Sqube. You’re exactly right in saying that a lot of this kind of stuff happens around here. The mods are very wary of the whole music-piracy thing, and even if it’s true that they’re not as knowledgeable about the subject of legal vs illegal MP3s and burned CDs as, say, Narrad, I submit that that makes it even more necessary that they err on the side of caution.
Incidentally, I won’t accept blame for your previous thread being closed. I posted in a ‘postier-than-thou’ (nice word, by the way) manner in your thread because I knew it would be closed as soon as a Mod saw it and, as I wrote there, wanted to forestall the creation of this thread here. That was a Futile Gesture I suppose.
I saw the OP here and I suspected you’d soon be banned. I’m happy to say that I’m glad to see that’s not the case. Very classy. Take care and I look forward to your next pitting.