Notices by Chris Trottier (atomicpoet@mastodon.social), page 10

Will people talk to you if you join the Fediverse? Does Twitter kill Mastodon when it comes to interactions?

Let's do a comparison. I crossposted the same message to Twitter and Mastodon.

Twitter: 1 like
Mastodon: 112 boosts, 257 likes

I've heard people say, "The Fediverse should be as simple as Twitter."

No, Twitter isn't simple. I say this as someone who used to train people on how to use Twitter.

Only seems simple because people have used it for more than a decade.

The Fediverse should be for everyone. At the same time, everyone who joins the Fediverse should learn basic ideas (i.e., how to register, how to post, etc.).

Everything has a learning curve, and a learning curve should be expected.

I remember explaining to people the concept of hashtags and search algorithms and geolocation. It all seems so simple in hindsight but it isn't.

Well, at some point federation and instances will seem simple too.

Today, $META fell under $100.

In one year, it's lost 68% of its value—it's down 22% this year.

Analysts are blaming the metaverse, but the problem is more profound than that.

CORRECTION: $META has lost 25% of it's value alone today.

And it's lost 68.63% of its valuation over the past year.

That's stunning.

Kiwi Farms is down!

Maybe forever?

This was probably the final straw for Kiwi Farms.

And Kiwi Farms is back. This time they're hosted on Russian servers.

Because of course Russia is a haven for trolls.

Never trust streaming music services.

At the beginning of the week, Arbol's album "Dreams Made of Paper" was available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music—all streaming services.

Now it's been completely removed from all of them.

Which is a damn shame because that album is one of the best electronic albums I've ever heard. I even said so when I reviewed it at the beginning of the week.

I'm buying the CD anyway—then ripping it.

But now YOU can't hear it unless you own a physical copy.

I completely understand why artists would remove their music from Spotify.

According to Spotify's own stats, I was the first to ever hear the album "Dreams Made of Paper" in its entirety.

How much did Arbol get compensated for the listen?

$.007

That's not a typo.

I tried to spread the good word about this great album, and a couple of people liked my music review, but I doubt I moved the needle.

An album is a big chunk of someone's life—Spotify's compensation structure is an insult.

Yet another vinyl rip on a streaming service today 😑

This is why the myth of vinyl's superiority is frustrating.

To uploaders: if the recording is analog, rip it from reel-to-reel tape. If it's digital, use the lossless source.

Why do vinyl rips to suck? Let me count the ways:

1. It ain't analog
2. Surface noise galore
3. Dynamic range is horrible

And this is happening with a lot of historical recordings on streaming services!

@tagomago But I'm telling you, in each case I've heard vinyl rips, I've gone to Discogs to see if any of it is particularly rare.

Usually, it's not rare. Here's an example of one I heard a few days ago. I can buy near mint copies right now for cheap.

I know this was a lazy rip because whoever did the uploading couldn't even be bothered to scan the entire album cover. https://peerverse.space/i/web/post/446425424391237784

@tagomago Anyway, I stand by the notion that, if you're using any kind of analog as a source, go with tape.

Vinyl rips should only be used if tape is not an option. Even then, it should be acknowledged that something was lost with the vinyl rip.

Not even mint vinyl can replace the fidelity that comes with tape.

@tagomago It would be shocking if no tape was available because this album was released on a major label. Presumably, a reel should be safe in a vault.

Now I realize that album also hasn't been re-issued since 1964. So who knows what's going on.

If NFTs make you rage, look at this unhinged speculation on "collectibles". People are selling "shares" of vinyl.

My pet peeve is when journalists refer to Twitter as the Internet because:

1. Regular people rarely use Twitter
2. Technically-inclined people don't prefer Twitter
3. Other social media services, such as Reddit, have as much usage as Twitter
4. Twitter isn't even where most Internet memes are generated

Dear journalists, if you believe Twitter is representative of the Internet, it's because you're stuck in an echo chamber. Get off Twitter. Go use the actual Internet for once.

Pic is relevant.

Now the '00s, that's a misunderstood decade for music!

I often wonder, "How the hell has everyone forgotten The Rapture, The Walkman, Electric 6, !!!, Hot Chip, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Cut Copy, etc.?"

Not even a retrospective. Just completely erased in our collective memory.