So, I went to download the new U2 album from Amazon, for their (one-day?) special price of $3.99. The Amazon site asked me to download their special proprietary downloader, but I already had it, in an up-to-date version. So I started their downloader up, made sure it was current, and re-started the buy-this-album process. Again, Amazon saiid I had to download their downloader (while their downloader was already running on my laptop).
Gritting my teeth, I downloaded the application that I already had, mounted the disk image, and started the installer. The installer paused to tell me that in order to install the Amazon Downloader, I had to quit the Amazon Downloader that was already running. Only then would Amazon permit me to install the (duplicate) downloader and download the music files.
This exemplifies one of the problems that accompany the industrial determination to perpetuate physical-media constraints in the setting of infinite reproducibility. Irritations such as this will eventually wear away the ideological necessity of perpetuating those limitations, but why on earth might we not pick up the clue phone, embrace the oncoming changes, and learn now what frustrating experience will eventually teach us about the different media economy, without all the counterproductive intermediary resistance and the concomitant squandered time and resources?
(I like the word “concomitant.”)
As I read the last line of your blog, I thought to myself, “I like the word concomitant!” I guess we share a gene or two.
I like concomitant as well… Shared issues with the Amazon Downloader aside, methinks this is some of U2’s best. Thanks for the tip that it was available for cheap today!
Agreed, good word. I need to work that into a sermon.