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Song Comments

songbird	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 4:53 PM How about an option for artists to enable or disable song comments on their pages just as we can enable/disable downloads, etc.?
evansorchid	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 5:13 PM And what exactly would be the purpose of that? I can understand having the prerogative on the downloading songs bit, but why would you not want people to comment on your songs. If someone is being abusive you can simply block them and delete their comment. I just don't understand the thought process behind why someone would want that. Elaborate.
songbird	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 5:32 PM I realize we have the capability to delete and block comments. And it's not about deleting abusive comments. I'm sure we all have different opinions as to whether or not comments left on our songs are a good thing/bad thing/relevant/irrelevant/helpful/not helpful, etc. For me personally, I don't want people to feel like they have to comment just because I have a song on my page. I just want to share my singing and hopefully have people enjoy what they hear. Likewise, I just want to enjoy the songs I listen to on this site and don't want to feel pressured to comment. The experience of listening to and sharing music is different for everyone as everyone is unique. That is why I believe artists should be given a choice to enable or disable comments on their songs just as we as listeners have a choice whether or not to comment.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 7:33 PM Oh Oh. We had a major debate on this a while back and people seemed to be very polarized on their opinions. For now though, I wouldn't worry too much about it Katie, it is a pleasure to leave a comment on your music and if I have no time to do that, I can still enjoy listening to your music without any obligations.
evansorchid	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 8:21 PM That’s just so altruistic sounding that I just can’t help but chuckle….. But, the pressure is just more than I can bear, so I’m just going to post my comment on your track here... since you don’t want me to comment on your tune. _______________________ Wow, your vocals are really outstanding on this track. So vulnerable, yet so strong. Your pitch is absolutely perfect. The vocoder is a very nice touch. Ace production! The music is sweeping and graceful and absolutely makes your voice sound quite astonishing. _______________________ And don’t try to pretend that you didn’t read it…..
FraDonaghy	Date: December 8, 2007 @ 9:12 PM I am with Katie on this one. I personally would like the option of disabling comments.
GTOriginal	Date: December 9, 2007 @ 9:52 AM I think we should stop calling them "comments" because I keep expecting to hear actual voices instead of reading text messages. DMusic is after all, home of the "ShoutBox".
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 9, 2007 @ 11:11 AM How about an option to disable the chicken emoticon for Moam...
Mojosnake	Date: December 9, 2007 @ 7:28 PM
evansorchid	Date: December 9, 2007 @ 8:49 PM How about an option where no one can stream our music. I just feel that as an artist that I should have the option to turn off or turn on streaming whenever I want. The listener should be able to appreciate the stone cold silence of my artist expression and if they cannot then they obviously have no taste. Did I mention I was a subscriber....
ShadowMom	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 9:14 AM I have sometimes wished for an option to "turn off" some users... alas, Jack has a more level head than I do. So you are safe. For now. Did I mention I was an admin....
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 10:20 AM You can't turn me off, Mom... I'm like cat flu (FIP) (for the "huh?" persons reading, a cat's immune system attempts to kill the disease but inadvertantly speeds up its growth, eventually killing the animal... now that sounds scary when applied to this place)
jack	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 6:05 PM On 10th Dec 2009, ShadowMom said: I have sometimes wished for an option to "turn off" some users... alas, Jack has a more level head than I do. So you are safe. For now. Did I mention I was an admin.... It exists, I shouldn't have to remind you the time I made all your comments say the same thing.
FraDonaghy	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 6:58 PM You can turn off the ability to stream your music Evansorchid. Just turn off the song's visibilty. It might be an idea to turn off your sarcasm too.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 9:37 PM Who needs to watch Hatton v Mayweather when the boxing matches here are more interesting?
ShadowMom	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 10:00 PM I remember, Jack.... and I didn't back down, did I? That's one of the most enjoyable evenings I've ever had here. Even if I did spend time in the dungeon with
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 10, 2007 @ 10:02 PM Hey, at least my socks were clean!
ShadowMom	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 7:03 AM Then what the hell was that smell??
evansorchid	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 8:38 AM My guess would be horse manure from that fine white steed FraDonaghy seems to be mounted upon.
farfor44	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 9:40 AM ~~still~
FraDonaghy	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 10:30 AM On 11th Dec 2009, evansorchid said: My guess would be horse manure from that fine white steed FraDonaghy seems to be mounted upon. ..or it could just be your attitude. We all get that you don't agree with Katie's proposal, that doesn't mean you can poke fun at it. You should treat other users here with the respect you in turn wish to receive yourself. I very much doubt you would appreciate it if someone tried to belittle any proposals you made.
GeneHilbert	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 12:02 PM I thought I'd comment but then I disabled that option. Well Damn....! Never mind I'll do next time.....
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 12:10 PM On 11th Dec 2009, ShadowMom said: Then what the hell was that smell??
ShadowMom	Date: December 11, 2007 @ 1:08 PM You have GOT to stop wearing panties, BuzzBoy! I told you about that before, I'm sure. See-- you never listen to me!
Tattoomom	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 1:04 PM I need to have the option for people to leave negative or un-helpful comments about our stuff... Bill gets awfully testy if the revenge list gets too short...
jack	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 1:38 PM How about something like this: When you upload a song, you could select an option 'prefered comments type', which would be something like * All comments * Crtique Only * Only from my friends or watchers list * No comments from anyone
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 3:13 PM The thing I remembered about the thumbs up/down system was that so many would hit down just because they didn't like the artist or song, then do it to half the other songs on their list. Now that option is gone because it was messed with... My questions are how would we control "criticism"? And would the comments allowed be from the user's buddy list only (bear in mind artist pages can have multiple users) or just groupies, who can add themselves? If the latter, then perhaps groupies should need to be approved by the artist first?
Israfel	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 3:22 PM I get a kick out of this thread. No offense to Kate, I think everyone should be able to decide to either have commnets or not on their own page but I do get a kick out of this site. In one forum, everyone's yelling about not being censored and here, we are deciding to allow eachother to censor comments on our pages. Ya gotta love the irony!
jack	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:03 PM Well personally I am slightly against the idea, since this is a community and I think interaction should be encouraged. Then again, it should be the artists right to choose - and they may just be showcasing finished work that they don't want critique on. I have no idea how such a thing would be moderated except by the artist themselves anyway, since there's obviously no way to intelligently read the content of a comment without wasting a large amount of resources doing so. Leaves us pretty much back at square one and down to either turning comments off entirely or allowing all comments. Another option to consider would be allowing users to 'lock' comments on a song when it's completed and just there as a showcase, with the possibility of unlocking it at later stage. Just brainstorming.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:08 PM I think all or nothing would be the best place to start, as with the previous thread on this matter. It's less to code and it will also throw up plenty more debate on how it works and what users think in practice rather than in theory. Yep Issy, it is rather ironic. Then again this is the result of having such a colourful and diverse community.
songbird	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:14 PM Jack...I like your idea of having artists have the option to "lock" comments on a song. That is what I was initially going for with this forum. It's all about having a choice. As far as this discouraging interaction on the site, I don't believe that will happen. This site is all about interaction via shoutboxes, forums, and notes. If someone wants to tell an artist how they feel about their particular song, and the comments are "locked" on that song, there are other means to convey the message to the artist.
jack	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:20 PM Valid points on both sides, I'll have a chat to Tracy about adding something and see how it goes from there.
FraDonaghy	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:32 PM Of course as it sits at the minute it is possible to stop comments being made on your page If memory serves we correctly, in the privacy options, blocking artist comments for all people who are not on your buddy list is an option. So all you would have to do is enable that option and then delete your buddy list. Everyone would still be able to communicate with you via the notes & shoutbox etc, just not comment on your songs. I can't speak for everyone (even the minority of us who would prefer to disable comments), but personally the reason behind my thinking is that there are numerous options available to give feedback to an artist here at DM (shoutbox, note, journal comment etc etc) but when the comments are directly associated with the song they become a part of how that song is presented here on the site. Yes, subscribers have the option to remove unwanted comments, but not everyone is a subscriber.
HenriRoger	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:37 PM Katie and fra I respect your choice but, I don't understand You take a real risk of staying appart from how it works here and on all music sites . Now you both have at dmusic a number of people knowing you ,but consider any newbie with "no comment" option and not commenting , he would meet nobody here ... I think it's better you explain your choice on your journal than to just have a kind of "no comment" button on your songs .
FraDonaghy	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 4:41 PM I have tried that Henri and people still went ahead and commented. Again, you can comment in the shoutbox etc to introduce yourself and draw attention to your music. This applies to newbies and old hands alike I don't expect DM to change the way it operates simply because of how I (one user) feel, though I do feel the need to share those feelings and see if anyone agrees. If not though, then that is fine
evansorchid	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 10:54 PM If this is adopted it will absolutely erode the communal aspect of the site. If a comment is so abhorrent to an artist and they are a subscriber they can delete it. If an artist is not a subscriber and they want a comment removed they can contact an admin and the admin can remove it. New artists to this site can see the artists who are commenting frequently, and may visit their pages and listen to their songs, in hopes that they also might receive a comment from an artist who enjoys commenting on other artist’s material. In this manner, many newbies are accepted, and the community as a whole will grow. Many of us love this site and enjoy leaving comments because it is a part of our own artistic expression to leave our impressions of the song on the respective comments page. I would like to think that most of here at DM respect each others talents and leave respectful and constructive comments on other artist's pages. Just because that's not always the case, doesn't mean that we should be able to turn off song comments all in the name of 'choice'. If I’m listening to an artist’s song and I discover that I cannot comment on it, I guarantee that I will never visit that artist’s page again. I don't care how good the song is. I'm not going to rave into their shoutbox or send a note praising the song. I'm going to make a mental note never to visit that artist's page again, because in my opinion, the artist that has choosen to disable song comments is either really insecure about their song or extremely smug and has purposefully placed their song on a kind of plateau above those other artists who enjoy receiving the constructive feedback. In my opinion, this will create an ‘us versus them’ cliquish mentality among those who elect to turn off comments. So, I would like to propose that if this is allowed to happen that we also create a new option for when we sadly choose to block an artist. Right now, we can block other artists from User comments, Artist comments, Shoutbox posts, and sending Notes. I say that we create an option to block them from streaming our mp3s as well. That way an artist who has opted to block song comments on their page, cannot receive the enjoyment of listening to other artist's mp3s. That would be my 'choice'.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: December 12, 2007 @ 11:02 PM Yikes !! So Spike, don't be shy, tell us how you REALLY feel
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 12:30 AM On 12th Dec 2009, evansorchid said: ...I say that we create an option to block them from streaming our mp3s as well. That way an artist who has opted to block song comments on their page, cannot receive the enjoyment of listening to other artist's mp3s. That would be my 'choice'. Not really possible, since that user/artist can just log out and bypass any filter.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 12:36 AM Much as I understand and agree with the arguments for & against having this option to disable comments, the real matter at present is choice. Give the artist the option to choose whether to allow comments or not - What the community will think about those artists is something that will just have to be dealt with as time goes on but will it be really any different to the various debates we've had over the years about other areas, like self-streamers, chart rigging, spammers, etc?
songbird	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 7:06 AM Apparently my suggestion must not be that out of the box for Jack to even consider it knowing that he's quite the busy person around here.
evansorchid	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 10:27 AM I sure hope that your next collaboration partner feels the same way as you Kate. I know that I sure wouldn’t want to go through all the work of writing lyrics, composing the music, arranging, producing, mixing, mastering, etc., only to discover that the talented vocalist that has agreed to contribute with me on the song neglected to inform me up front that they don’t feel the need for any feedback on the tune. Unless, of course you are able to do all these things yourself. In which case, I’m really looking forward to hearing that track.
songbird	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 10:36 AM My collaboration partner, should anyone dare work with me after the terrible suggestion I put forth, would have the choice of putting that collaboration up on their page and enabling the comments.
ShadowMom	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 11:21 AM There are pros and cons about this, but really what it comes down to is choice and respect. Respect each other's right to choose. If some artists are not comfortable with comments, then it would be nice to give them the option, and keep our judgments to ourselves. I do believe the disabling should be done on a track-by-track basis, just in case, perhaps in the file manager. But however it's done, it's a personal choice.
zedsalt	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 11:32 AM I wouldn't find the idea of an option to disable comments "terrible". I mean, those artists would be setting themselves up for a sharp decrease in the number of listens, but I don't see anything wrong in giving us that choice, if it's not too terribly difficult to implement. With the amount of time and effort involved every time I want to listen to something posted here, I simply wouldn't bother with any song/artist where the comments were disabled. No one I know with a lightning-fast connection would bother, either. Some of them have expressed frustration with the notion of having to register at a site to make a comment, but from what I hear, they always do. I guess the important thing would be to somehow CLEARLY indicate "This artist has chosen to disable the comment feature", in order to avoid giving people one more reason to eschew DMusic in its entirety.
songbird	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 11:42 AM ShadowMom: I think your suggestion of disabling on a song to song basic is a great idea. zedsalt: In line with what you've said, I agree that anyone visiting the artist's page should be aware of the comments feature being disabled on any song they choose to listen to on the page. That way, they don't spend time and energy writing a comment, only to find that after pressing "post", it didn't show up.
FraDonaghy	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 12:46 PM I don't see why having comments disabled should automatically cause offence to the visitor or lead to a decrease in listens. Surely that says more about the listeners reasons for commenting than anything else. Is commenting really the only reason you might listen? In no way was this move intended as me saying "hey, I don't want constructive criticism".. in fact I crave it. The sad reality is that here on Dmusic, you just don't get it the vast majority of the time, and having endless praise (while appreciated) on your songs leads you to stagnate as an artist. I also don't see why this would be a bad thing for DMusic as a whole. Up until recently, comments associated with the songs wasn't available on MySpace and it never did them any harm. If someone has something to say to me, I would just prefer them to write me a letter rather than write on my wall.
GTOriginal	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 3:01 PM On 13th Dec 2009, FraDonaghy said: Is commenting really the only reason you might listen? Bravo, Fradonaghy! You just saved my entire Jimi Hendrix collection!!! I was about to throw it away because the artist does not accept constructive criticism from me. Smug bastard. He would really shine on that Strat if he would only read my comments on "Purple Haze" and "Red House". Being dead is no excuse either lol. Katie, I like the 2 songs we did so far and would collab with you again any time. Comments Schmomments. While I enjoy putting my remarks on the stuff I listen to, I certainly don't feel I could teach anyone how to do music better, and even if I could I wouldn't want to force it on them, esp. not for the world to see. Fact is, I DO care how good a song is, and if I like it I'm gonna listen to everything I can by that person, regardless of their state on DM. Doesn't matter if they want/don't want comments, subscribe or not, clique with this one / that one, none of it makes a whit of difference once the tune begins to spin. Hell I don't even have to like or know the person... As an artist I won't disable comments because I like to read what the six remaining DMers have to say about my stuff. But the ability to do so will have absolutely no bearing on what I listen to... DM is way better as a music site with cool interaction than it is as a chitchat site with music.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 3:18 PM Fra's absolutely right in regards to why it should cause a decrease in listens but bearing in mind that some are opposed to having the option at all, so it stands to reason that people who would comment and then find themselves unable to, may not bother listening at all. That's the part in my last post about dealing with the fallout if or when it happens as time goes on. Here's a thought. Suppose I have a really old song that's no longer going to be worked on, just added for listening pleasure. If I state this and someone comes along, criticising it and trying to suggest how to better mix it (say it's one of my 1994 cassette recordings that can't be enhanced and it says so!) then what would I think of the commenter? I'd say he/she is a donut for saying such things. At least if I disabled the comment for that song I'd have spared someone some blushes and an obvious public comment proving their stupidity. Still, I know that's not the matter at hand, I was just making light of the situation. As Mom says, it's about choice and respect. Why would anyone be opposed to having a choice? If you don't like the option, don't use it. How you feel about someone who DOES use it is your concern, not mine or the artist who uses it.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 3:21 PM typo - why should it cause a decrease... arse!
GeneHilbert	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 3:31 PM Screw that - I want to be able to tell people when they suck. The exception is Katieoke of course - she is perfect in every way..... Hey.... that could be another subscriber perk.... block all non-subscribers option.... Brilliant!
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 5:25 PM Block all non-subs? Then you'd cut off about 99% of the site... Now there's a point in favour of what Orchid was saying! Worst case scenario is that if someone got so miffed about not being able to leave an artist some comments, they'd just leave a shout or a note... Unless they were blocked there too, in which case a forum rant is probably inevitable.
evansorchid	Date: December 13, 2007 @ 6:52 PM On 13th Dec 2009, GeneHilbert said: Screw that - I want to be able to tell people when they suck. The exception is Katieoke of course - she is perfect in every way..... Am I detecting a hint of sarcasm?
GeneHilbert	Date: December 14, 2007 @ 12:10 PM Absolutely not....... Don't fuck with K - make me have to kick some ass......
moam	Date: December 14, 2007 @ 11:25 PM comments can slurp my dong juice
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:39 AM I propose going to Moam's page and leaving a comment on each song, saying "It sounds like Moam slurping on dong juice".
moam	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:40 AM Do it!!! It'll only give me more comments
evansorchid	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:43 AM But, all of his songs sound like that. Or wait, sometimes you can hear him coming up for air.
moam	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:44 AM Hey atleast I'm making a new approach at makin' music!
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:50 AM It'll be an improvement on what you've offered so far
moam	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:52 AM My next cd is called "dong sea" and every track is me gurgling under all the weight of the dong juice... Just wait 'till you hear this masterpiece!!
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:56 AM Dong Sea
evansorchid	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:58 AM I think I heard a preview. He's working that organ pretty hard.
Thaspian	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 12:58 AM I think this should be done. Infact I think song comments in general should be disabled. No one offers criticism. It's always "OMFG THAT'S GREAT!!1" or, even on the worst recorded songs of the worst recorded music, someone will bring something up like "I like how you hit the snare on the end. EXCELLENT! " I can't stand it.
Thaspian	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:02 AM One example. I clicked the link to the page of the guy above me, and looked through a few of his song comments, and couldn't find anything less than a 5 star rating. Now, I didn't give it a listen. So maybe it really is that good. But, chances are, something in one of the songs sucks.. at least to one person who listened, and maybe even someone who commented. But it's not there. That's the curse of DM. No one leaves bad comments, and bad comments are how people know to stop doing things the wrong way.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:02 AM "I like how that chicken gargled as you strangled the life out of it"
evansorchid	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:06 AM I didn't know we had 5 star song ratings. I clicked Thaspian's page and didn't see any songs, so I really don't know what he's complaining about.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:23 AM I propose a different system for Moam's songs: 5 chicken song rating! for his contribution so far.
moam	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:23 AM god damn...so this is why i love DM so fucking much
evansorchid	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:26 AM You're gonna have to be more specific. All of his songs sound like a strangled chicken gargling on dong juice.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:33 AM how have we managed to talk about chickens, dong juice, song comments and organs without mentioning Saint?
GTOriginal	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 1:27 PM On 15th Dec 2009, moam said: My next cd is called "dong sea" and every track is me gurgling under all the weight of the dong juice... Yeah sure, steal my idea you copyright infringer! (throws all freshly created GTOriginal "Dong Sea" CDs into incinerator) © There, it's all yours now...
GeneHilbert	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 4:34 PM On 15th Dec 2009, Thaspian said: No one offers criticism. It's always "OMFG THAT'S GREAT!!1" or, even on the worst recorded songs of the worst recorded music, someone will bring something up like "I like how you hit the snare on the end. EXCELLENT! " Dude.....! You obviously, have never read many of my comments.....
evansorchid	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 6:09 PM On 15th Dec 2009, GeneHilbert said: Dude.....! You obviously, have never read many of my comments..... I can vouch for that.... Hey Gene, you should go and comment on one of my tunes, just to prove him wrong.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 15, 2007 @ 10:57 PM Thaspian's remark is actually more of the norm when it comes to most song comments although there are a few who truly speak their mind. Both are valid comments in their own rights... And there should still be a choice on whether an artist allows comments.
Israfel	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 12:41 AM Actaully, since there are only like 12 people left here at DM that even listen anymore, is this comment thing really an issue?
zedsalt	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 11:16 AM Well, sure, Issy! Maybe even moreso. I mean, if Katie and Fra are two people of the same opinion out of fifteen or sixteen people (Let's be optimistic in guessing the number of listeners. Why not?) instead of tens of thousands, doesn't that make it more of an issue, rather than less? In all honesty, I haven't given that much thought as to why I've downloaded hundreds of tunes here, as opposed to...um, another site (rhymes with "round Nick") where I've been a member almost twice as long and listened to maybe a half-dozen songs. I don't particularly enjoy leaving comments; it feels a bit like a chore. Still, I almost never listen to a song here without commenting, and I almost never listen to music on that site which doesn't have any obvious review feature. I have no desire to make it sound like an ultimatum...I doubt many people would care...but my interest in DM has been waning pretty steadily since the redesign, and another step AWAY from making music the focus of the site. My hope would be that DM keeps the comment feature, and that no one feels obligated to comment or to read the comments others leave on their material.
zedsalt	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 11:19 AM I meant to say "...another step AWAY from making music the focus of the site would likely lead me to just take down my songs and pics and go elsewhere".
HenriRoger	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 12:01 PM The " no comment" feature is up ?
kyodylee	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 8:54 PM I still listen, but I stopped commenting a long time ago. There's probably a lot more people like me nowadays.
jack	Date: December 16, 2007 @ 9:13 PM For now, it might be an idea to just place a notice in the song description if you don't want to see comments.
songbird	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 6:58 AM On 12th Dec 2009, FraDonaghy said: If memory serves me correctly, in the privacy options, blocking artist comments for all people who are not on your buddy list is an option. So all you would have to do is enable that option and then delete your buddy list. Everyone would still be able to communicate with you via the notes & shoutbox etc, just not comment on your songs. Tried this and it works.
zedsalt	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 10:45 AM So, effectively, the option to not receive song comments already exists, right? What is DESPERATELY needed, then, is some kind of obvious, unmistakable notifcation of that anywhere that the disabled songs can be accessed.
ShadowMom	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 11:01 AM "Tried this and it works." -- as long as you don't use your buddy list, which you just disabled. And Zed is right, the notification should be made loud & clear -- but that's up to the artist again. Some people will like this option, some will not. What we strive for is individuality and artist control. That's why Jack's working on skins and we try to make as many options available as you ask for. This is only a workaround solution. I don't think most of you want to kill your buddy list to prevent comments.
GeneHilbert	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 11:20 AM I want to ......
ShadowMom	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 11:27 AM Ohhh
songbird	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 3:36 PM It's not the ideal situation...having to delete your entire buddy list so that you can block song comments. I was pointing out that it is an option that works and one I hadn't considered before Fra pointed it out. Otherwise, this forum wouldn't have been started.
GeneHilbert	Date: December 17, 2007 @ 4:56 PM The problem I have with not being able to comment. Is that commenting is part of the charm and camaraderie of this site. And really for me - I'm less likely to listen if that option is not available to me. Intended or not the message it conveys is – listen or not, I don't really care.
Rodrica	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 5:30 AM Presumably Katie has left open her shoutbox and notes system. Anyone can send her a message that way if they want to. I think what she is trying to say is that she just doesn't want to get into this whole comments thing...which is her choice. There's been so much animosity about what type of comments ppl want and jealousy shown towards anyone that has a load of positive comments, that we can hardly be surprised when a member elects to opt out of that aspect of the site. I know a lot of ppl listen to my music and don't ever comment - that's fine if they want to do it that way. Not everyone is comfortable leaving comments - especially in light of recent altercations on the subject. I have kept listening to Katie's songs since her decision. I listen because I like her work, the comments thing is irrelevant. I don't have to comment on a song to enjoy it. Playing devils advocate, there have been opinions that ppl are more focused on their own opinions/comments than they are on the music. I hope it never gets to a stage here where we find our own comments to be more important that the artist's song.
zedsalt	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 10:43 AM "... ppl are more focused on their own opinions/comments than they are on the music"? Umm, as much as I hate admitting that something is completely and utterly beyond my understanding, I have to ask, just how is that possible?
Rodrica	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 12:15 PM Maybe that's a question that should be directed to anyone who refuses to listen to the music of an artist who will not allow them to comment. Maybe it's also a question that should be directed at people who enter the site and go around listening to 10 seconds of an artist's song, then leave an inane remark or comment. In those cases it's clear the listener holds their own comments in higher regard than the efforts of the person who worked hard to create the track in the first place. Let's face it, some people join sites like this to seek attention rather than to enjoy the music and the spirit of the community. My point is that if this trend grows, then more people are likely to follow Katie's decision and opt out of the comments thing. Many people at DM have mentioned to me that they are feeling progressively more uncomfortable making and receiving comments due to the animosity it creates. Hope that clarifies things Zed.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 10:47 PM I am not uncomfortable leaving comments but would respect the wishes of those who did not wish to be commented upon. Although I would, in some cases, maybe back off listening to that artist, unless I REALLY enjoyed their work, in which case, I can listen without having the obligation and effort of writing something positive and constructive. Such as Katie's work, she's an ace vocalist, so I would still listen but maybe not so much to lesser talented artists. And Thaspian, there are constructive comments on Spike's page, I know because we both like to receive constructive feedback - so, in amongst the positives you will find we have both left some ideas of alternative mixing and arrangement on each other's pages on various songs - I appreciate the honesty and ideas and I know he does, since we worked on a collab together recently - and yes, we made several revisions to the music based upon our feedback to each other, we didn't just say 'That rocks dude' and kiss ass for the sake of it. We said 'needs louder drums', 'needs re-eqing', 'don't like the way that part fits, can we alter it? etc'. We were able to come up with a compromise that suited us both with some fine tuning. We could both have sulked and taken our ball home but the music did sound better because we had the courage to call for some changes. Every day I feel more disillusioned with this site, it's progress and some of the posts and users here. I used to think it was just me being a difficult and pompous prick, but really, you don't have to dig deep to find a huge malaise over many issues, this being just one. I don't know what the future will bring, but my subscription and participation here is hanging by a thread and plenty of others feel the same...
evansorchid	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 10:55 PM That's not what I was trying to say at all, Rodrica. Never in any way, did I say that the comments came above the music. I said that I enjoy listening and commenting and trying to express in words how other's music makes me feel, and if folks take away the option of commenting then it will basically suck the fun out of this place for me personally. If it's a crime to admit that I enjoy commenting on other artist’s material, then I guess I'm guilty. I also enjoy creating some of the music that a few others seem to enjoy around here. And, I guess I’m a total hedonist because, I also enjoy receiving comments. Oh yeah, and I really really enjoy collaborating with other artists. And, let’s just say that I know from experience by working with a certain collaborative partner on a certain song that as soon as we received one eensy weensy constructive not critical comment, this same collaborative partner immediately sent me a note with a request to immediately pull the song and fix whatever problem was mentioned by the commentator. This certain song was up and down at least three times on my page by their request, and countless time on their page. When we finally had a mix that we were pleased with and we had agreed via personal email to post it, lo and behold, someone left another constructive not critical comment, and my collaborative partner pulled the song from their page and requested that I do the same with mine. I refused to pull it fourth time which ticked of my partner. We finally ended up dumping all the files into the lap of a professional who really made it sound fantastic. I’m not a professional. I don’t have a professional studio with professional equipment at my fingertips. I have a PC with an above average soundcard, some analog effect processing equipment, a few decent music software programs a few musical instruments and me. I consider my producing skills to be mediocre at best, and I really enjoy hearing the feedback because I think it helps me to produce better quality tracks for future projects. I accept and expect there to be flaws in the digital files that I put together. I am not a perfectionist. But some people are. So when this collaborative partner started this forum, I honestly had to chuckle because this person is being disingenuous in my opinion about the real reason why they’d like to disable comments on their respective page. And, I really really enjoyed the experience of working with you too Leads. We definitely haggled a bit over our collab, but in a completely respectful mannner.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: December 18, 2007 @ 11:33 PM Agreed. And respect - that's the way I like to work.
Israfel	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 12:23 AM Everyone is making valid points but I think we're missing the real point of the original post. I think the problem is not so much people not wanting comments on their music but it is people not welcoming the pressure to comment from others here. I've never understood why the comments thing was such an issue. I mean, I agree with Spike, it does promote interaction AND it keeps that interaction focused on the music. However, I know that there are those that do pressure (perhaps not openly but certainly in essence) other people to listen and leave a comment. I think the choice to comment or not should be an individual choice and not seen as an obligation. Personally, I welcome all comments - good, bad, goofy, constructive or otherwise. I'm smart enough to read between the lines and can surely tell when someone is leaving bullshit on my page. But whatever...can't change how some people do things so I can't get bothered by it either. Critical does not = negative. Until that becomes a realization we will always have this debate. Will someone not allowing comments make me listen to them less? Probably not. But I don't think I'll ever get what the big deal is about the comments. This is a website. We are anonymous people, miles apart, typing at a keyboard. If you hurt my feelings... well, I can't see that happening. I may like you here at DM but I don't really know you. None of us do. And the more we take steps to remove ourselves from the music interaction focus of DM - the more nails we put into DM's coffin.
GeneHilbert	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 12:29 AM On 19th Dec 2009, Israfel said: And the more we take steps to remove ourselves from the music interaction focus of DM - the more nails we put into DM's coffin. Case and Point..... Well said....
Rodrica	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 3:52 AM Evansorchid My comments weren't directed at you...I know that you are not an artist who focuses on comments rather than the music. But there are those who do. My point is the same as Israfel...comments are becoming too much of an issue. If we keep having these discussions it will only put more ppl off commenting. Removing ourselves from music interaction: I think only a minority of active members will do that. Most of us enjoy the community spirit. I used the term "active" members on purpose. There are many members who, although they put their music up, never interact and nor do they wish to, despite other members' attempts to engage them. My feeling is that if ppl want to interact, they will...and if they don't then they will always find a way to keep themselves to themselves. We have to accept that or change the criteria by which we are allowed membership. Forcing ppl to interaction however would probably only lead to a mass walkout. Let's just give ppl the option to do as they please. I'm sure common sense will prevail. This site only reflects life. Some ppl you can get along with...others you want to avoid. We can't legislate to make everyone dance to the same tune - so it's best to leave well alone.
ChillinBuzz	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 12:47 PM It seems to me that some people are regarding the option as being something that will be so widely used, their self-proclaimed right to comment will be too badly affected for them to want to interact here... So, if I'm getting this right, a few people use the option to disable comments and that in turn is going to make the site such a bad place some people will stop using it? Surely not. The choices of a small minority upsetting the majority is not really a valid argument, unless it's a member of staff screwing up a site feature, then Rods will kick their ass anyway. I got some ideas, they're rough, unmixed. Option 1 - I allow comments, I get good and bad points. Option 2 - I disable comments, I get no comments. The choice is mine, since it's my music and my page. A few people don't bother listening to the songs, I won't know who they are, since 99% of them NEVER fucking commented beforehand! To me, those who are complaining about artists being given a choice are complaining over nothing. I'm sorry but if the majority think the option should rest with the artist, what right do the very few who are opposed to any option have to tell others how to operate their page? That's what it sounds like to me, a few of you are telling Katie and others how they should operate here as artists... That worries me.
GeneHilbert	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 1:39 PM Hey - just do what you're told....... and Shut-Up....... LOL
zedsalt	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 1:56 PM Ah, my bad habit of expecting the best of people has done me another disservice. I never gave a moment's consideration to the idea that to "focus on" a comment could possibly mean something other than to carefully consider every aspect of the subject of that comment, to try to make any (hopefully) helpful suggestions I'm capable of, and to provide...again, if I'm able...something quotable in a onesheet, presspack, or other promotional material. And that was my own short-sightedness. Thanks for setting me straight. I'd better point out that I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, as I can't think of any other way of avoiding a misunderstanding. Just as I never said...and was trying to carefully avoid insinuating...that I somehow "refuse" to listen to something which I cannot comment upon. As I said, that's something that I have indeed done before. I just thought it pertinent that...absent any conscious decision...I almost never did. I just assumed that anyone who posts music here would like others to hear it, and I assumed I'm not the only person aware of DMusic's existence who would likely be lost as a listener in any case where the artist disabled his/her/their song comment feature. Another way in which disabling comments could limit listens (not any sort of threat, just an observation): a dear friend of mine, fellow DM member, and person who suffers lousy internet service bases all of his downloads (like me, the only way he can listen at home) uses the comments section to decide what he's going to listen to.
zedsalt	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 2:08 PM And I realize that I've said it in almost every reply I've posted in this thread, but again, in the spirit of avoiding misunderstanding, I support the idea of allowing individual artists to disable song comments.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: December 19, 2007 @ 2:16 PM Well, certainly it's right that you can't please everyone all of the time. So giving people what they want is probably the right way to go, but it's unfortunate that it's come to this level of malaise and sour taste yet again. I know some people get a charge out of the bickering and flame wars etc but I do not, even if it seems like I do to some people I am here more for the music than interaction, I do shoutbox but in moderation. My number one reason for being here is for the music. I subscribe, I have 3 band accounts and currently have 36 songs posted here, so the evidence speaks for itself that I am here for the music. Several of these are collabs with other Dmusic members. Spike has 23 songs up currently and I know he has had other songs posted in the past that are currently not visible or taken down. He is almost outdoing Bluenevus as Dmusic's #1 collaborater We both subscribe. We both interact. We are both dedicated to Dmusic as a community. What more can we do, short of buying Larry out So I don't feel a need to justify posting some comments and feedback on this forum which might not be 100% politically correct or sit well with some people. Although I do have some regrets, you can't live your life dominated by regrets, you will just go insane. And like I said before, I come here for the music, but looking through the statistics, the number of streams, downloads and comments on material I posted in the last year is SIGNIFICANTLY less than material posted in 2006, (most of which, by my own admission is pretty mediocre work). I have grown as an artist because of feedback I got here and my current material is way from perfect but I have learned better arrangement and mixing, certainly compared to 2006. People like Gene, Hueseph, Evansorchid, Simon Wladram, Henri Roger, AORPete, Issy and TS have really helped me to improve, if only a little, every little helps. I have also been inspired to take courses and get educated by literature and online material from professionals. The Umbriel Rising CD would have never happened in 2006, I could never have gotten the quality from it then that has enable me to sell most of my limited run out and I know that some people here enjoy it because I sold 18 copies to DMusic members. The MUSIC aspect of Dmusic is as much a reason why I am questioning being a subscriber as much as some of the silly arguments. And y'know, I know it's not just me. I've polled several other long standing artists here and all of us are finding the same. I sometimes get into these debates and sometimes shoutbox but it's not my primary reason for being here. I would just be on MSN messenger all my spare time otherwise. I'm not saying other posters don't care about this community (many are passionate about it) but Spike and I both care a lot too, both spiritually and financially. So I think we are entitled to voice our opinions.

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