Mp3 a go go
What is the deal with people who run media companies? Mike Robertson, the founder of MP3.com wrote this essay in an attempt to save his music archive from being erased. I think he makes a compelling case. It raises an interesting question about the importance of digital content. He argues that his site should not be erased because the content is in many cases one of a kind, and should therefore be paid the same respect as other pieces of rare art, that is to say, he thinks they should be saved for the purpose of posterity. The media company that currently owns the rights to the content, however, thinks of the digital content simply as something that does not fit into their current business strategy, and that it should be deleted. I do not know what to think. At some point 1’s and 0’s are going to have to be treated more like stone and mortar, otherwise nearly every creative thing our society produces is going to be subject to the whims of CEOs whose only priorities are their bottom lines.