the ephemeral side of the web and musical history

[Wopelka]

i was listening to an interesting radio-show about traditional bands of chanson française from 1900 to 2000. there were old archive recordings to be heard.

suddenly it strikes me that my own medium to spread my little try of creation, namely the world wibe web, fundamentally works in ephemeral mode.

what left for the next generations to understand our times? i mean, bedroom music is still not mainstream (and will surely never be) and remains a sidepart of present culture.

however, in 2100 the music historians and archivists may be interested to understand and explore the "web culture" of our times. what will be left for them? not much, i fear.

[Stupid American Pig]

what are ye talking about, at current pace, we will have destroyed planet earth by 2048.

[advaya]

what are ye talking about, at current pace, we will have destroyed planet earth by 2048.

send your songs out into space with a radio transmitter... Someone is bound to hear it eventually.

[Stupid American Pig]

what are ye talking about, at current pace, we will have destroyed planet earth by 2048.

send your songs out into space with a radio transmitter... Someone is bound to hear it eventually.

Splendid idea- Im going to start building my tower today...

[Wopelka]

on second thoughts, it's probably a good thing that "not much will be left for them"...

[Stupid American Pig]

on second thoughts, it's probably a good thing that "not much will be left for them"...

I guess I walked right into that one

[kaden]

Give it 5 years and only Microsoft Musically Approved Genuine Internet Composers!® (MS M.A.G.I.C.!) will be allowed to use a PC's secure Audio path to make music.

Placing the responsibility of creating Musical Entertainment Product® solely in the hands of trained, certified professionals will streamline the process of Intellectual Property Protection® and allow both Enhanced Listening Pleasure® and Enhanced Earning Potential®. It's a Win-Wintastic solution, citizen.

Now go forth and consume. The future will be here shortly.

K

[Van Greco]

Why wouldnt some of the music bedroom musicians make still be around in 100 years? Most of the music I listen too is pretty obscure and very little of it was ever mainstream or at least successfully mainstream. Time will sift through the glut of music that the computer recording phenomenon has produced. The cream will rise and the rest will be forgotten. It's quite concievable to me that more people will know who vurt is in 100 years than many of the current pop sensations. Perhaps in time it will be recognized that those who participated in that web music culture were really the only ones making valid statements about their times. Perhaps not. But it's equally concievable in my opinion. Now all somebody has to do is write something eternal and we're all set.

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

As long as some loonie has a backup of your MP3 or other audio file somewhere, it's forever, although text on the Web may well outlast most MP3s! Scary to think you might be more remembered for some archived post from KVR in 100 years than some killer tune you made, eh?

Everything is transient, you know. Music from 2000 years ago is gone, kaput, in almost 99.99999999999% of the cases. I'd hate to think someone would still be listening to the dreck I pump out in 100 years! Although I hope they still read my writing.. lol!

It's all a case of un-natural selection.