The Flicker Blog and Podcast

As a consequence of a discussion about peer-to-peer file sharing on the Tech-House Mailing List, I became aware of a study completed by Felix Oberholzer of the Harvard Business School. The document investigates the impact that peer-to-peer networks such as Napster etc have had on album sales in the US.

Apparently, illegal downloads have had virtually zero impact on album sales in the US. In fact, it is suggested that downloads actually help encourage sales. Those who download tracks and don’t buy the respective album, would not have bought it anyway – apparently.

Oddly, I don’t think of this as positive news for recording artists. With the current setup of the music industry, it’s only the labels that make any money.

Theoretically, the internet provides a great distribution method for any artist – and besides the marketing muscle; it’s only the distribution that a record company really offers the artist these days. With the development of PC based recording and production software, the traditional, expensive recording studio is increasingly obsolete.

Still – you make your tracks; and you could theoretically get them to millions of users. But – how do you get noticed or paid? Without the marketing clout of the industry heavyweights, I wonder how much demand there is on Kazaa for tracks from artists such as Flicker? Even if there was a huge demand – would downloads have any effect on the sales of vinyl (CDs rarely being produced by smaller labels in this genre)?

Yesterday, Dad was 60. We had a big family party to celebrate, and I’m glad to say that he seemed to have a truly great day.

As for me, I’m not sure if the weekend’s constant reminders of the aging process/mortality are to blame – but I’ve felt a very dark mood over me for several days now. I’ve not been sleeping well either – and I never know if the insomnia is a symptom or cause for these bleaker moods. I guess it’s about time that Summer hurried up already!

Today must have been positive feedback day – or something like that.
I actually received something approaching fanmail via our site – someone had bought Demon Tweaks and took it upon themselves to hunt down our other releases and find our site – the power of google!

(Note to self – try to improve the sites’ google effectiveness! A search for ” Flicker Demon Tweaks” no longer brings up flickertracks.com. On a positive note, there are a lot of listings though.)

I also heard from Mazi regarding Perfect Portion/Little Bit. He’s already stated that he wants them for Gourmet – but he now wants to remix them too. In many ways, that’s very flattering – meaning they inspire ideas. In others, I can’t help but feel that this means they’re somehow less than perfect (like perfection is somehow attainable).

Enough with the paranoia already! It’s standard practice across the whole industry. Anyway – it’ll be interesting to see what he (or others) do with the tracks.

Went to a rather fascinating presentation at the Oxford Internet Institute today.
Dr Barbara Simons presented the findings (or at least tried to) of a paper she had co-authored for the American Department of Defense’s FVAP (Federal Voting Assistance Programme).

Essentially, the US was planning on using the next presidential election to ‘test’ the concept of letting overseas citizens and military personnel vote online. That’s from any internet connected PC running Windows! The test group was to be around 100,000 voters – and if successful, a scaling up would occur for the 2008 election. Remembering Florida in the last presidential election, that’s quite a large number of potentially ‘unsafe’ votes!

I was entertained and staggered at the arrogance of some of the ‘intellectuals’ present who challenged her for being against the spirit of scientific endevour in her recommendations that the programme be cancelled. Their argument being, that to rule out a possible course of action was being in some way, a ‘luddite.’

I felt quite the opposite was true – the paper does not suggest that the aims of the project are wrong-headed – but it does quite explicitly list the unavoidable flaws in the technology on which it is based. These real and demonstrable weaknesses mean that no democratic election based on Internet Voting could be truly considered ’safe.’ Unlike the last US Presidential Election of course!

Apparently, the US has called off the programme as a result of the report – although their website currently states otherwise.

An exhausting day. I have spent the whole of it going through the most gruelling selection process I’ve ever experienced. And all this for a course I applied for at work! IQ tests, interviews, role play excercises and presentations.
That said, it was actually quite enjoyable – the worst part being the anticipation and preparation. My brain hurts!

Today Louise and I visited the wonderful Gellert Thermal Baths in Budapest.

I found myself marvelling at my englishness! Why is it we find the concept of nudity and people in close proximity such a big deal? Watching the sheer matter-of-fact behaviour of the ‘regulars’ as they sat on wooden benches awaiting massages, or as they strolled in and out of the various hot and cold pools really made me aware of my awkwardness.
I feel it was a real achievment to have gotten throught the doors! Unusual, but a fantastic and memorable experience.

Heard today that I’ve succesfully made it through to the second phase of the course I applied for at work recently. Great news, but I do now have to prepare a presentation for Tuesday 16th. Not so bad, except I’m going to Budapest tomorrow and won’t be back until the evening of the 15th. What luck!

Went to the bar at work with some colleagues, then on to The John Snow in Soho to meet up with the Tui lot. After a few drinks, everyone was leaving, when Mark Collings & Corrie walked in. Of course, this meant I was doomed to staying until the bitter end, catching up – not seen either of them for ages.

Finally got home (drunkenly) at near midnight and found Louise up to here neck washing up. Being an old romantic fool – I proposed to her. Just like that!

Of course…if I had any kind of writing ability whatsoever, this would give me the ideal opportunity for the cliffhanger ending! However, I’m not one for such cliched devices – thankfully, she accepted!

Of course – we now have the big dilemna of how, where. when etc! It was the answers to these questions that have made us put it off for so long in the first place. In my drunken and therefore ‘clearer’ state of mind, I decided that if we didn’t decide that we were going to it, we’d end up debating all the less important issues for ever. What a night!