> ** Martin Nilsson correctly points out that if we ever wanted to index .mp3
> files, we'd need to include "orphan" song information (without an
> accompanying CD). Very interesting idea, but will people's MP3 files really
> be identical enough that we can index them? I imagine if two people, on two
> [...]
> ** Doug Linder suggested adding a media field (to eventually support
> DVD-Audio and god-knows-whatelse). Those might need to indicate use of a
> totally different record type, though, and we need to think hard about how
> we can accomodate radically different ToC structures in the same DB record
I think these two items are realted. How about this: have two fields, one
"media" and one "local/distributed". If you want to index your mp3's, put
"MP3" in the "media" field and toggle the second field to "local". That
way the client would know to not try to distribute that record. This
would work for whatever kind of media you use locally - mp3's, other file
formats, DATs, custom-burned audio CDs, cassette tapes - whatever.
I agree that there is no way we could expect to include things liek MP3
files in the main database.
I think genres are important to have, even though the lines are blurry in
some cases. The trick to handling it would be flexibility. Have a few
well-defined ones - rock, jazz, classical, etc. - but also have one or two
user-defined fields. Actually, maybe we shouldn't be thinking of one text
field here. Instead of a drop-down list of genres (i.e., "pick one"),
have a separate dialog with checkboxes so you can categorize things into
more than one field.
Genres will be tricky, but very powerful and very useful if we get them
right. It would be *very* cool to say "Computer, randomly select me a
quiet symphony that I haven't heard in six months or more", or "computer,
romantic atmosphere music".
Now I just want someone to make a client with voice recognition, so I can
be all trekkie-geeky and talk to it... :)
-- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug Linder dglinder nospam at datacomm.ch"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!!!"