[mb-devel] Objective/subjective thingy

[Bogdan Butnaru]

OK, just this one and I'll stop. And I'll keep it short :)

> From: "Frederic Da Vitoria" <davitofrg at gmail.com>
> 2007/3/23, Bogdan Butnaru <bogdanb at gmail.com>:
> > > From: "Frederic Da Vitoria" <davitofrg at gmail.com>
> > > Just
> > > like a shop: if you sell only one limited category of products, true
> > > you are a specialist, but you will have few customers.
> >
> > Not quite. I am aware of the "other" users (though I myself would use
> > the subjective parts of the database). As far as you metaphor goes, I
> > don't think it's an obviously good trade-off to distract current users
> > in order to gain more users. It's a classic error (IMO) to annoy your
> > current user-base trying to gain a larger one. After all, MusicBrainz
> > (at the moment) doesn't have the purpose to have as many users as
> > possible, but to be a good music database. (Otherwise, we'd do myspace
> > or something.)
>
> I agree and disagree: True, our primary goal is and should stay the
> objective data. But I disagree in two points:
> - one... subjective: if I collaborate to MB, it is because I love
> music. And I love music for entirely subjective reasons. [...]
> So asking me (and others users) to work only on the
> objective aspect of what is a subjective passion is not very logical
> IMO.
>
> - one objective: we do need more collaborators. Many editors complain
> there is too much work. The best (only?) way to address the problem
> IMO is to gather more editors. I don not say as many editors as
> possible, just more editors.

OK, maybe I was a bit too "strict", at least in wording, about the
separation. I don't mean to say that we should concentrate on the
"objective MB" and forget about the rest. I just think that we should
keep the two as separate _technically_ (so one doesn't complicate the
other).

I still think that the UI should be separate, too. But perhaps within
the same site, to allow quick switching between the two, maybe even
with modules that a user can "activate". I try to imagine how I'd use
the system, and I doubt I'll mix the two activities much. Actually,
for the tagging/rating thing, I think I'll interact only through an
Amarok plugin or something. (That's all the "input" I have on last.fm,
and the only "output" I get is browsing for similar music to what I
like, so that's separate from MB usage. But that's just me, I agree
users do much more.)

As to attracting users... I agree that there's too much work for too
few editors, but I don't think tagging will help. I expect people who
are interested in the objective thing (i.e., tags-obsessives like me
and discography-buffs) are pretty much already using MB, and those who
will be attracted by the subjective thing probably won't care that
much, or they'll be already here. Of course, there'll be some overlap
and flow between the two categories, and a bit more publicity, but I
doubt it will be significant. We'll see :)


-- Bogdan Butnaru — bogdanb at gmail.com
"I think I am a fallen star, I should wish on myself." – O.