[mb-style] [no label]

[Bogdan Butnaru]

On Jan 5, 2008 1:58 AM, Olivier <viapanda at gmail.com> wrote:
> 2008/1/4, Philipp Wolfer <phw at rubyforge.org>:
> > So I think with the three types [white label], [no label bootleg] and
> > [no label self-released] we should cover nearly all cases.

Sorry for entering the discussion so late, I just returned from a
vacation. I'm not entirely sure I understand the need for separating
things between the different types of "[no label]".

The difference between the official and bootleg no-labels should be
done only by the release status, I see no reason to enter it again in
the label name. I'm not sure what a white-label is, but if it means
what I think it means, a non-official (ie, not released by a label to
be sold) but not-bootleg (ie, not released illicitly) release
distributed for promotional reasons, then we also have a release
status for that one. I also don't see what a release that is both
official and "[no label]" can be other than self-released.

So unless I'm missing something essential, I really think that we
should only have different no-label pseudo-labels unless it's
absolutely necessary. Otherwise, we'll have things like:
*) a bootleg released by "[no label bootleg]", which is redundant
*) official releases that are marked release by "[no label bootleg]",
which is contradictory (and an easy error to make, since among the
proposals that is the first entry for "no label" in alphabetical
order)
*) promotional "[white label]" releases which I think a big fraction
of users has no idea what it means
*) and we'll still need a plain "[no label]" for releases where we're
sure have no label (ie, I have the CD in my hand and no label is
mentioned), but I don't know it's release status; it might be a promo
or a bootleg or a self-released demo/compilation sold at concerts,
etc.

In short, the fact that a release was not released by a music label
should be _strictly_ disconnected from the release's status. It's
basic database design.

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