[mb-style] Should we change Classical Rules?

[David Gibson]

On Tue, Oct 03, 2006 at 12:11:14PM -0400, Aaron Cooper wrote:
> On 10/3/06, Dave Smey <autodave at davesmey.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> I find it rather interesting to see the reaction being overly against my
> >> comments.  Here's the way I see it.
> >>
> >> - new contributor makes first post
> >
> >Actually, you did not make the first post - the conversation on this topic
> >was well under way and you arrived quite late.
> >
> >> - same person starts name calling and starts with "I'm better than you"
> >> comments.
> >
> >In my first response I assumed you were a naive dilletante because
> >
> >1) You explained to us how classical recordings work as if this were news,
> >though, obviously, it has always been this way.  Your assumption seems to
> >be that the people who set up MB in the first place (and the people who
> >run record stores like Tower) are dumber than you, and you understand it
> >better.  Seems pretty unlikely to me.
> >
> >2) You cited rock covers are a relevant comparison to classical recordings.
> >
> >Though I suppose my assumptions were clear in my response, I think if you
> >reread it you'll see that I did not come out and SAY that you don't know
> >shit.  However, your response very explicitly claimed I was "not a
> >classical music fan" and "unqualified," which, if you understood my
> >day-to-day existence and my relationship to music you would realize were
> >absurd assertions.  It was a stupid rhetorical gambit, to be sure, worthy
> >of the epithet "dumbass."
> >
> >Looking through your edits (Charlotte Church, Sarah Brightman, Billy
> >Joel!) and considering your Hilary Hahn fandom I remain comfortable
> >asserting that you are, in fact, a person with a superficial involvement
> >with classical music and pretty bad taste in general.
> >
> >I am, in fact, better than you.  Now go play with your Billy Joel albums
> >and leave us alone.
> >
> >-DS
> 
> That wasn't very nice of you, DS.  Some of us perfer to only dabble in
> Classical music... that doesn't mean we don't have ideas how it could
> be stored in the MB database better.
> 
> Don't be a jerk - no one likes fights on the mailing lists.

Quite.

People look at classical music both composer-first and performer first
depending on the circumstances.  Arguing about which is the more
correct or erudite way of doing it is just petty and foolish.
Especially since it's hardly clear that MB should cater to the
"connoisseur" in preference to broad usability.

I happen to think composer-first is more common overall, and so am
dubious about the proposed style changes.  But that doesn't make
insulting people who approach it the other way a worthwhile exercise.
Even if they said something hot-headed first.

-- 
David Gibson			| I'll have my music baroque, and my code
david AT gibson.dropbear.id.au	| minimalist, thank you.  NOT _the_ _other_
				| _way_ _around_!
http://www.ozlabs.org/~dgibson