From: sabrina downard Date: 16:29 on 10 Jul 2006 Subject: DRM can bite my ass Dear Apple: As I'm sure you know, I've been a pretty unrepentant Mac fangirl for a while. I like shiny things. I like your laptops. I like your operating system (and I used to like your old one, too). I like my transparent terminal windows. I like not having to run OpenOffice just to read the attachments people insist on sending me. I like Quicktime. I like a lot of things you do. But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. So I've got two powerbooks. One's my "real" computer, which has a slowly failing hard disk, and so I've also got a loaner from work. I copied my home directory over to the new one via drag and drop and everything worked very well -- thank you -- such as my shareware apps recognizing my previous registration codes, all my photos and documents and the cruft accumulated over years. Even my Firefox plugins came over (and, it should be noted, that the Firefox on this laptop doesn't exhibit the completely wack-ass behavior that Firefox on my other laptop does -- so that seems to prove well enough that it's not my preferences or plugins or something that's causing it, interestingly enough). Everything was great. ...Until this morning. I had ripped some music over the weekend, onto my external hard disk and added it to the real laptop's iTunes library therefrom. I wanted to listen to it at work today, but my upload speed from home is pretty crummy, so I decided I'd just throw the music on my iPod Shuffle and take that to work and listen to the tracks off of it. I hopped in the car, happily listened to my new MP3s on said faithful iPod on the way in, arrived at work, and plugged in the iPod to my loaner laptop. Whereupon I got a message that said something like "Some songs have not been copied to the iPod 'wee' because this computer is not authorized to play them, including '$song_by_some_other_band_that_was_in_aac_format_but_i_dont_care_about_that_band.'" Okay. Whatever. I have that album on this laptop and I don't know why you're whinging about it anyways, as I didn't ask you to "copy" anything. 'Cos it was already *there* and all. But whatever, I didn't want to listen to that band at the moment (and I can always go type in my stupid iTunes Music Store password if I did). I want to listen to those new MP3s......hey, WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO? What I'm assuming happened here is that my iPod, named 'wee' (what? it *is*!), had some sort of sympathetic bond with my old laptop, "shiny." It liked shiny. It was evidently involved in a fiercely monogamous relationship with shiny. When I plugged it in to my loaner laptop, "snooty," it decided that, as a part of automatically updating the iPod (why was snooty auto-updating wee if wee is married to shiny?) it would delete the MP3s that were not a part of snooty's music library. Despite the fact that they're not AAC files and had no DRM of any kind. And it's not just that iTunes is not showing them; I downloaded and fired up PodUtil just to check. Then I plugged the iPod directly into my external speakers. Gone, daddy, gone; the love has gone away. Attention Apple: Those were my bloody MP3s. I wanted to play them for myself on my bloody iPod. You morons have just fucked me over because now not only can I not listen to them on my laptop speakers, but you deleted them off the iPod entirely so I can't listen to them in the car or over headphones until I get home tonight. (I would be SO PISSED if this had happened while I was travelling and away from my home computer!) In practical terms, won't someone please explain to me the legal reasons I have *less* right to listen to music I purchased on one set of speakers versus another, to the point where the laptop not only disables the music in question but outright destroys it? You disabled the AAC files that were not authorized. If you wanted to similarly refuse to play back the MP3 files that were not in my currently-connected laptop's music library, why was it necessary to REMOVE them and not simply disable them? I used to carry my old 5G original iPod around with music on it and plugged it in to listen to on other people's computers with some regularity. That was evidently okay behavior back in the halcyon days of, what, 2002? The times they are a-changin'. Suck my dick, Apple. --s. p.s. no anti-IMS anti-DRM advocacy rants need to be sent. I know, I know, I know. I did not deserve what I got in this instance, I don't think, and I'm not ready to pick up a sign and start picketing the Apple Store just yet, but jesus fuck this was a stupid fucking thing for them to do. p.p.s. I'm totally firing up OurTunes and seeing if anyone else on campus has that album so I can pirate it so I can listen to THE MUSIC I FREAKING BOUGHT. You *shits*.
From: Phil Pennock Date: 16:33 on 10 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On 2006-07-10 at 10:29 -0500, sabrina downard wrote: > But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a > specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. I read The Register (I'm not proud of it and yes I need help); I believe that they recently had an article about the next version of the Mac OS, where they've fixed this. So if you want to pay money to get broken features unbroken, it's possible that you can deal with this soon.
From: sabrina downard Date: 16:50 on 10 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass > So if you want to pay money to get broken features unbroken, it's > possible that you can deal with this soon. is it too early in the morning to start drinking? (if it is, it's probably software's fault) --s.
From: Simon Wistow Date: 16:53 on 10 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:50:57AM -0500, sabrina downard said: > is it too early in the morning to start drinking? The sun is over the yard arm somewhere in the world, I say go for it.
From: David Cantrell Date: 00:18 on 11 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:50:57AM -0500, sabrina downard wrote: > >So if you want to pay money to get broken features unbroken, it's > >possible that you can deal with this soon. > is it too early in the morning to start drinking? Never (says he, the wrong side of some whisky. and beer, and wine)
From: peter (Peter da Silva) Date: 00:50 on 11 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass > What I'm assuming happened here is that my iPod, named 'wee' (what? > it *is*!), had some sort of sympathetic bond with my old laptop, > "shiny." It liked shiny. It was evidently involved in a fiercely > monogamous relationship with shiny. That's the problem... you're assuming that your iPod knows what "faithful" means. It doesn't. Your iPod is utterly promiscuous and will fall right into an intimate relationship with any computer you plug it into. it'll accept that computer's bodily fluids as its own. That's why I never let iTunes get into that kind of relationship. I just copy stuff over. That's one problem with bigger iPods. It becomes more practical to just let it become a kind of appendage to iTunes instead of copying over the stuff you really want. DRM is guilty of plenty of hateful behaviour, this however is something the iPod does all by itself.
From: Earle Martin Date: 08:15 on 11 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:29:31AM -0500, sabrina downard wrote: > But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a > specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. What the fuck happened to that Apple that used to produce non-insane software? You know, that would do things like copy a file from one disk to another, like every other music management application under the sun.
From: Bill Page Date: 14:29 on 11 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: Re: DRM can bite my ass i honestly have no idea what you lot are complaining about - i have had no troubles copying music from an ipod to a computer and back, all around the place my ipod is a filthy whore, let me tell you well, with the aid of "super-lube" senuti to copy stuff off an ipod On 7/11/06, Earle Martin <hates-software@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:29:31AM -0500, sabrina downard wrote: > > But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a > > specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. > > What the fuck happened to that Apple that used to produce non-insane > software? You know, that would do things like copy a file from one disk to > another, like every other music management application under the sun. > > > -- > Earle Martin > http://downlode.org/ > http://purl.org/net/earlemartin/ >
From: Jarkko Hietaniemi Date: 12:27 on 12 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass Earle Martin wrote: > On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:29:31AM -0500, sabrina downard wrote: >> But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a >> specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. > > What the fuck happened to that Apple that used to produce non-insane > software? You know, that would do things like copy a file from one disk to I guess they fired those developers because they had to pay the salaries of the Brushed Metal Clan. > another, like every other music management application under the sun. > >
From: Simon Wistow Date: 12:31 on 12 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On Wed, Jul 12, 2006 at 02:27:32PM +0300, Jarkko Hietaniemi said: > I guess they fired those developers because they had to pay the salaries > of the Brushed Metal Clan. http://daringfireball.net/2005/09/anthropomorphized http://daringfireball.net/2006/01/brushed_metal
From: Jarkko Hietaniemi Date: 18:44 on 12 Jul 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass Earle Martin wrote: > On Mon, Jul 10, 2006 at 10:29:31AM -0500, sabrina downard wrote: >> But I've got to tell you, this iPod destructive mind-meld "link" to a >> specific computer, or whatever the hell it is, is just fucking stupid. > > What the fuck happened to that Apple that used to produce non-insane > software? You know, that would do things like copy a file from one disk to I guess they fired those developers because they had to pay the salaries of the Brushed Metal Clan. > another, like every other music management application under the sun. > >
From: sabrina downard Date: 13:29 on 04 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On 7/10/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > Dear Apple: [snip] > Okay. Whatever. I have that album on this laptop and I don't know > why you're whinging about it anyways, as I didn't ask you to "copy" > anything. 'Cos it was already *there* and all. But whatever, I > didn't want to listen to that band at the moment (and I can always go > type in my stupid iTunes Music Store password if I did). I want to > listen to those new MP3s......hey, WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO? Hah! I figured out how to experience this in an even more annoying fashion. (I never learn.) Step 1: Buy shiny new laptop with latest, greatest, et cetera. Step 2: Copy entire iTunes music library over from external fw disk to new laptop. Step 3: Copy an old 'iTunes Library' data file that's six months out of date (the one off the firewire disk rather than from ~ on old laptop) Step 4: Fail to notice that although all your music is actually present, iTunes doesn't know about anything after that old data file Step 5: Plug in iPod Shuffle because its battery needs charging -- and you figure that it won't destroy any data on it because hey, this is *exactly the same music repository* as from the other laptop, from which it was loaded Step 6: 'iPod update is complete.' No warning that it's going to destroy my data! Awesome, it must have worked. <--- This is the point where I never, ever, *ever* clue in that having hope is the first step towards disappointment. Step 7: Click on iPod in iTunes. Realize that half the music is gone. Again, all deleted files were unprotected MP3s. The stuff that was missing was the stuff that was newer than the iTunes Library file. Step 8: flail ineffectually and make obscene gestures in the general direction of California. Step 9: click File -> Add to Library, select the stupid damn Music/iTunes folder. Step 10: reload what it deleted onto iPod. stupid iTunes. stupid iPod. stupid Apple. stupid half-assed attempts at DRM that are neither effective, efficient, or CORRECT. --s, who detests being assumed to be a de facto thief just because she uses files in a particular format.
From: Bill Page Date: 15:27 on 04 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass so what you're saying is that you didn't use the tools provided, or pay attention to the backup you were trying to use? this doesn't sound like software hate to me, this sounds like self-love. On 12/4/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > On 7/10/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > > Dear Apple: > [snip] > > Okay. Whatever. I have that album on this laptop and I don't know > > why you're whinging about it anyways, as I didn't ask you to "copy" > > anything. 'Cos it was already *there* and all. But whatever, I > > didn't want to listen to that band at the moment (and I can always go > > type in my stupid iTunes Music Store password if I did). I want to > > listen to those new MP3s......hey, WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO? > > Hah! I figured out how to experience this in an even more annoying > fashion. (I never learn.) > > Step 1: Buy shiny new laptop with latest, greatest, et cetera. > Step 2: Copy entire iTunes music library over from external fw disk > to new laptop. > Step 3: Copy an old 'iTunes Library' data file that's six months out > of date (the one off the firewire disk rather than from ~ on old > laptop) > Step 4: Fail to notice that although all your music is actually > present, iTunes doesn't know about anything after that old data file > Step 5: Plug in iPod Shuffle because its battery needs charging -- > and you figure that it won't destroy any data on it because hey, this > is *exactly the same music repository* as from the other laptop, from > which it was loaded > Step 6: 'iPod update is complete.' No warning that it's going to > destroy my data! Awesome, it must have worked. <--- This is the > point where I never, ever, *ever* clue in that having hope is the > first step towards disappointment. > Step 7: Click on iPod in iTunes. Realize that half the music is > gone. Again, all deleted files were unprotected MP3s. The stuff that > was missing was the stuff that was newer than the iTunes Library file. > Step 8: flail ineffectually and make obscene gestures in the general > direction of California. > Step 9: click File -> Add to Library, select the stupid damn > Music/iTunes folder. > Step 10: reload what it deleted onto iPod. > > stupid iTunes. stupid iPod. stupid Apple. stupid half-assed > attempts at DRM that are neither effective, efficient, or CORRECT. > > --s, who detests being assumed to be a de facto thief just because she > uses files in a particular format. >
From: jrodman Date: 15:56 on 04 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 01:57:34AM +1030, Bill Page wrote: > so what you're saying is that you didn't use the tools provided, or > pay attention to the backup you were trying to use? Unsubscribe.
From: sabrina downard Date: 16:36 on 04 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass > so what you're saying is that you didn't use the tools provided, or > pay attention to the backup you were trying to use? no, i was saying that iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod without any iWarning based on an iFaulty assumption, but perhaps i should have taken more time to make that iClear. > this doesn't sound like software hate to me, this sounds like self-love. tragically, hate is in the eye of the beholder. cheers, --s.
From: Bill Page Date: 23:26 on 04 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On 12/5/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > > so what you're saying is that you didn't use the tools provided, or > > pay attention to the backup you were trying to use? > > no, i was saying that iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod > without any iWarning based on an iFaulty assumption, but perhaps i > should have taken more time to make that iClear. > oh, yes, sorry, i was looking at it from the other direction - i think i've become so used to the fact that data on a shuffle is basically transient i thought nothing of it. which speaks volumes in itself. :\ /me hides in the corner
From: peter (Peter da Silva) Date: 04:27 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass > no, i was saying that iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod This is where you stop. Or it's where I stop, anyway. "iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod" If you really do want it to sync your music collection to your iPod, and you plug your iPod in when its idea of your music collection is wrong, then it's going to do the wrong thing whether your files are in MP3 format, MP4 format, or DRM-protected MP4 format. This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing.
From: Robert Rothenberg Date: 10:11 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On 05/12/06 04:27 Peter da Silva wrote: > "iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod" > > If you really do want it to sync your music collection to your iPod, and > you plug your iPod in when its idea of your music collection is wrong, then > it's going to do the wrong thing whether your files are in MP3 format, MP4 > format, or DRM-protected MP4 format. > > This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing. I disagree. When I used to use a Palm pilot years ago, the default configuration was not to delete anything (or to ask before deleting things). When I use rsync, by default it does not delete unless given the option.
From: Matt McLeod Date: 10:41 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On 12/5/06, Robert Rothenberg <robrwo@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: > On 05/12/06 04:27 Peter da Silva wrote: > > This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing. > > I disagree. When I used to use a Palm pilot years ago, the default > configuration was not to delete anything (or to ask before deleting things). > > When I use rsync, by default it does not delete unless given the option. You miss the point. The problem isn't that Apple uses DRM (or the particular variant they're using), it's the way they implemented syncing for the iPod shuffle. It is explicitly a "nuke everything, write new stuff to the device" arrangement. It is no great surprise under these circumstances that a poorly-restored music collection with out-of-date metadata is going to mean some loss of content. Which may or may not be hateful, but has nothing to do with DRM. Matt
From: Robert Rothenberg Date: 11:19 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On 05/12/06 10:41 Matt McLeod wrote: > On 12/5/06, Robert Rothenberg <robrwo@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: >> On 05/12/06 04:27 Peter da Silva wrote: >> > This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing. >> >> I disagree. ... >> >> When I use rsync, by default it does not delete unless given the option. > > You miss the point. The problem isn't that Apple uses DRM (or the > particular variant they're using), it's the way they implemented > syncing ... > > Which may or may not be hateful, but has nothing to do with DRM. My reply was poorly worded. I disagree that one should have expected things to be deleted: their syncing is hateful. I've learned the hard way that Apple software will when given the slightest opportunity delete data--- usually without warning.
From: sabrina downard Date: 11:35 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) > You miss the point. The problem isn't that Apple uses DRM (or the > particular variant they're using), it's the way they implemented > syncing for the iPod shuffle. It is explicitly a "nuke everything, > write new stuff to the device" arrangement. It is no great surprise > under these circumstances that a poorly-restored music collection with > out-of-date metadata is going to mean some loss of content. > > Which may or may not be hateful, but has nothing to do with DRM. except that, IMO, the only justification for setting up the destroy-by-default synchronization scheme -- which is, as other posters note, contrary to general practice synching other gadgets -- is that they assume their users are *necessarily* infringing copyright if they turn up with an MP3 on their iPod that isn't on the computer that it's plugged into. it may not be DRM in terms of CSS or AAC, but it's "rights management." i first enountered the data deletion (and posted the original post in the "DRM can bite my ass" thread) when i was just trying to recharge my shuffle, and plugged it into a handy USB port one day, not expecting that it was going to do anything other than mooch electrons. that day i did get a warning, which i didn't understand to mean "i am going to delete your data"; yesterday i simply didn't get a warning at all. improvement! it's just all very hateful software behavior, though i'll grant that it's almost certainly inspired by policy which is not entirely apple's fault. still, if they are going to give in to the man, they really ought to give me a dialogue box which says plainly that my iPod is going to be reformatted. the really sad thing is that, all this notwithstanding, i'm still pathetic enough to want one of the new tiny clippy shuffles. there's a word for people like me. baaaaaaaa, --s.
From: A. Pagaltzis
Date: 11:55 on 05 Dec 2006
Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass)
* sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> [2006-12-05 12:40]:
> the really sad thing is that, all this notwithstanding, i'm
> still pathetic enough to want one of the new tiny clippy
> shuffles. there's a word for people like me.
>
> baaaaaaaa,
> --s.
Heh. I have an old shuffle, and I think it's actually about the
least hateful device I've ever owned. It has almost no features,
only the indispensable ones, and those all work correctly.
I really cannot complain at all.
Of course it has never been under iTunes' auspices. Granted
GNUpod kinda stinks, but I keep the encounters very short ("stick
these files on the pod please", no attempts to manage anything in
any way) so it's just been distasteful, not hateful, which is
something, at least.
Regards,
From: David Cantrell Date: 14:32 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 05:35:34AM -0600, sabrina downard wrote: > except that, IMO, the only justification for setting up the > destroy-by-default synchronization scheme -- which is, as other > posters note, contrary to general practice synching other gadgets -- > is that they assume their users are *necessarily* infringing copyright > if they turn up with an MP3 on their iPod that isn't on the computer > that it's plugged into. Your failure to see any alternative does not prove that there is no alternative, merely that you lack imagination. They assume that you only sync your iPod with one computer (true, for almost all users). They assume that if you remove something from your computer then it should be removed from the iPod (also true for almost all users, for whom the iPod is merely a portable iTunes). Both of those assumptions seem pretty sensible to me. In any case, iTunes does *not* synchronise MP3s (or AACs, or AIFFs, or $flavour_of_the_month). It synchronises playlists. If I remove "Blitzkrieg Bop" from all the playlists that I've told iTunes to sync to my iPod, then it seems pretty damned reasonable to me that the file would get removed from the iPod. > it's "rights management." i first enountered the data deletion (and > posted the original post in the "DRM can bite my ass" thread) when i > was just trying to recharge my shuffle, and plugged it into a handy > USB port one day, not expecting that it was going to do anything other > than mooch electrons. From what I remember, the default is to *not* automatically synchronise when you plug the thing in, but to synchronise if you run iTunes when the thing is plugged in. So I rather think that someone told the machine to do that. > it's just all very hateful software behavior, though i'll grant that > it's almost certainly inspired by policy which is not entirely apple's > fault. still, if they are going to give in to the man, they really > ought to give me a dialogue box which says plainly that my iPod is > going to be reformatted. Re*formatted*?
From: Peter da Silva Date: 17:01 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) > From what I remember, the default is to *not* automatically synchronise > when you plug the thing in, but to synchronise if you run iTunes when > the thing is plugged in. So I rather think that someone told the > machine to do that. Unfortunately the default is _also_ to run iTunes when you plug it in. :(
From: Jarkko Hietaniemi Date: 15:02 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) > it's "rights management." The first thing to understand about the Orwellian term "rights management" is that it is not about your rights.
From: Nicholas Clark Date: 17:07 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 10:02:12AM -0500, Jarkko Hietaniemi wrote: > > it's "rights management." > > The first thing to understand about the Orwellian term > "rights management" is that it is not about your rights. In Soviet Russia you have rights. In the USA rights have you. Nicholas Clark
From: Patrick Quinn-Graham Date: 16:35 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On 5-Dec-06, at 3:35 AM, sabrina downard wrote: > the really sad thing is that, all this notwithstanding, i'm still > pathetic enough to want one of the new tiny clippy shuffles. there's > a word for people like me. Having never had an original shuffle, I don't know if this is different, and maybe it'd do the same thing if the iTunes/iPod relationship gets screwed up by the iTunes library being turned into an older version of itself, but the new iPod shuffle does nothing automatically. Oh sure, you can hit the button and it starts autofilling (or actually change stuff), but unless you do that it just sits there charging. As to syncing it - other than a limited amount of metadata and on-the- go playlists (and now iTunes store purchases), the iPod has never had two way sync. The iPods-with-screens all go "Oh! This isn't my computer.... are you wanting me to get all cozy with it now?", but again... I don't know if restoring your library files would make iTunes think it was the same machine again. * I got mine for $6 as part of a deal.
From: Peter da Silva Date: 16:55 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) I'm not sure how anything that's actually syncing, rather than installing/copying/whatever, could behave differently. If you use a conduit on the Palm that does syncing (i.e., _not_ "install", which is one-way) it absolutely will delete a record from your Palm if you delete it on the computer, and vice-versa. The problem isn't that it's syncing... it's that it's *automatically* syncing when you plug it in. Which is why I turn off "automatically sync" in iTunes. And why I turned off "Automatically sync" in Microsoft Activesync, and why I'm glad that Hotsync doesn't automatically sync by default.
From: Nik Clayton Date: 13:24 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) Robert Rothenberg wrote: > On 05/12/06 04:27 Peter da Silva wrote: > >> "iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod" >> >> If you really do want it to sync your music collection to your iPod, and >> you plug your iPod in when its idea of your music collection is wrong, then >> it's going to do the wrong thing whether your files are in MP3 format, MP4 >> format, or DRM-protected MP4 format. >> >> This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing. > > I disagree. When I used to use a Palm pilot years ago, the default > configuration was not to delete anything (or to ask before deleting things). Yes. But the Palm Pilot is not a read-only device. As far as iTunes is concerned, the iPod is a read-only mirror of your music. That may not match how you're using your iPod or iTunes. In which case an alternative music player / library manager may be what you're after. N
From: Dave Hodgkinson Date: 13:31 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: Syncing (was Re: DRM can bite my ass) On 5 Dec 2006, at 13:24, Nik Clayton wrote: > Robert Rothenberg wrote: >> On 05/12/06 04:27 Peter da Silva wrote: >>> "iTunes shouldn't be removing files from my iPod" >>> >>> If you really do want it to sync your music collection to your >>> iPod, and >>> you plug your iPod in when its idea of your music collection is >>> wrong, then >>> it's going to do the wrong thing whether your files are in MP3 >>> format, MP4 >>> format, or DRM-protected MP4 format. >>> >>> This isn't anything to do with DRM, it's all about syncing. >> I disagree. When I used to use a Palm pilot years ago, the default >> configuration was not to delete anything (or to ask before >> deleting things). > > Yes. But the Palm Pilot is not a read-only device. > > As far as iTunes is concerned, the iPod is a read-only mirror of > your music. That may not match how you're using your iPod or > iTunes. In which case an alternative music player / library > manager may be what you're after. What he said. My machine is my master, the shuffle the slave. A dumb one. Ssame goes for iPhoto: a lot of people find it hateful as it secretes files in seemingly random directories where they can't find them. Don't. go with the flow. Use the UI to export them, then re-import. It does cool things like always keeping an original so if you mess up an edit you can revert. People who rummage, get into trouble. At least the Pictures directory is perfectly rsync-able.
From: Tanja Date: 22:43 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: iPhoto (was: Syncing) On Dec 05, 2006, at 14:31, Dave Hodgkinson wrote: > Ssame goes for iPhoto: a lot of people find it hateful as it secretes > files in seemingly random directories where they can't find them. > Don't. > go with the flow. Use the UI to export them, then re-import. It > does cool > things like always keeping an original so if you mess up an edit > you can > revert. People who rummage, get into trouble. > > At least the Pictures directory is perfectly rsync-able. > > -- > Dave Hodgkinson - Music photography > http://www.davehodgkinson.com/ I hate iPhoto for its inability to deal with my photos, it gets unworkable slow. When I browse my photos I want to browse them. Not stare at that ridiculous beachball. The only way iPhoto works for me is when I put it in the trash. *shoots firebolts at iPhoto* Tanja
From: Dave Hodgkinson Date: 22:48 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: iPhoto (was: Syncing) On 5 Dec 2006, at 22:43, Tanja wrote: > > > I hate iPhoto for its inability to deal with my photos, it gets > unworkable slow. When I browse my photos I want to browse them. Not > stare at that ridiculous beachball. What version? How much memory do you have? And there's a trick to getting the thumbnails the right size for quick browsing.
From: David Cantrell
Date: 16:51 on 04 Dec 2006
Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass
On Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 01:57:34AM +1030, Bill Page wrote:
> On 12/4/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> > [Apple hate]
> so what you're saying is that you didn't use the tools provided
Would those be the Apple tools that "forget" to copy some things and so
are to all intents and purposes useless?
My tale of Appley woe comes from a recent hard disk upgrade in my
Powerook. Due to Laziness (and also lack of time) I paid the nice shop
people to install the new disk and copy over (in fact, the word used was
"clone") all my data. It was rather handy that I could drop the machine
with them on the way to work and pick it up on the way home.
But when I picked it up, my /usr/local had disappeared, all the
developer tools (Apple's own developer tools!) were not there,
customisations in /etc had gone, my crontabs had gone. That's what I've
found so far, there are probably other fuckups on their part.
All this because instead of cloning the data using something like Carbon
Copy Cloner, they'd installed a fresh copy of the OS on the new disk
(although, you should note, one that was two point revisions out of date
compared to what I had originally, it was 10.4.6 instead of 10.4.8) and
used Apple's migration tool. I can *just* about understand that not
looking at my customised /etc/httpd/*. But it is absolutely
unacceptable that it wouldn't:
* apply all the OS upgrades;
* transfer user information like crontabs
* transfer /usr/local (which doesn't exist by default, so if it's
there it's obviously there for a reason);
* transfer the developer tools (a 900MB download if you don't have a
backup of the installer);
Thankfully, knowing that software is hateful, and knowing that hateful
software wielded by drooling monkeys is even worse, I'd taken a backup
the previous night and so can restore things as and when I find them to
be geborkled.
Their excuse, by the way, was that "your operating system was corrupt so
we couldn't clone it". Yeah right. They couldn't explain precisely how
it was "corrupted". Thankfully, I didn't have to raise my voice to get
a "goodwill" refund of the money I'd paid to have them take a backup and
then restore it. I say thankfully because, although I do like shouting
at scum and reducing them to tears in public, I had an appointment with
a lady, and to keep a lady waiting would be most improper.
From: Earle Martin Date: 10:15 on 05 Dec 2006 Subject: Re: DRM can bite my ass On 04/12/06, sabrina downard <viv@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote: > stupid iTunes. stupid iPod. stupid Apple. iTunes is the most hateful sack of shit that I have ever had the misfortune and displeasure to encounter on a semi-regular basis.
Generated at 10:26 on 16 Apr 2008 by mariachi