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Comment by akamoonknight | Hacker News Reader

This isn't exactly the same, and isn't a new thought, but is at least tangentially related. One of my memories is around finding my dad's record collection and seeing the music he and my mom would listen to. There weren't any mind-blowing secrets, but it felt like a window into a world I didn't know about before and somehow was a slightly formative experience. I don't know what that experience looks like in a world with subscription services where there's nothing to be stumbled upon by others. There's fewer bookshelves or movie collections to leaf through at a friends house everything is guarded by a password and hidden away, there's less opportunity to stumble across that secret hidden collection and that feels like a little bit of a loss to me. Probably just me getting older and complaining about the good ole days though haha.

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>I don't know what that experience looks like in a world with subscription services where there's nothing to be stumbled upon by others.

I collect physical board/card games, some out-of-print (and some just particularly fancy playing cards). None particularly "alien" (except maybe my gothic skull-festooned playing cards that play a little flipbook animation when arranged the right way), but I think someone of a future generation might have a fun time psychoanalyzing me based on what I included and didn't. I also have a couple of physical books that might catch someone's interest (I can particularly recommend "S." and "The Museum of Lost Wonder" as books that transcend the writing on the page).

I don't really have any plans to squirrel them away and keep them hidden, but it's totally plausible that in the future I pack them away as some of the games in particular aren't appropriate for young kids (a couple are horror-themed with some slightly graphic images).

Is "S" the JJ Abrams book adventure? I haven't finished it yet, but was enjoying it when life got complicated and I had to put it down.

House of Leaves is also similar in a way that the book is more than a book, but I can never make it very far.

Great point! We stayed at an Airbnb about a year ago, and part of the fun was seeing the record collection they had, along with a record player we could use. We queued up Jolene by Dolly Parton, some live Allman Brothers Band, Meet the Beatles... it was a great reminder of the experience, and also a way to get to know the host’s musical tastes.

Is there some equivalent where I could say, “Here’s what I listen to the most” ? Seems like some kind of fun little utility opportunity... maybe even just a publicly-shared playlist of top-played songs / albums?

I never followed through: had the idea to make my own "TV channel" at home with various ripped DVD movies, television. Maybe "Twilight Zone" on Friday night at 9:00 PM followed by an old horror film. It would be always "serving" in real time, unable to be paused or queued up. You "tuned in" if there was something you wanted to watch. No binge-watching: wait until next Friday for the next episode.

This was my idea for raising my kids with "TV" but not TV if you know what I mean. No crap, no commercials.

Would still be fun to do. And now I am inspired to try a "radio station". You know there is a ton of "old time radio" on archive.org. CBS Radio Mystery Hour on Saturday night? (Wouldn't want to compete with Twilight Zone's Friday night spot.)

Not quite what you're describing but...

DI.FM does streaming only, no queuing or making your own ay lists.

A subscription comes with full access to their Jazz and Rock sites too. Well over 100 channels.

Not affiliated in any way, just a happy long term customer.

This is the reason why I like cinemas. You have to be on time, there is no pausing to go pee or get a drink etc.

I hate these interruptions but my family does not care that much (fortunately they like to go to the cinema with me as well)

That's an awesome idea! There are also a ton of old computer and console commercials on archive.org

Super idea

It kinda feels like public playlists are what it would have to become, but there's a sense of curation with a public playlist that might not be present with something more akin to a private collection. I'm not saying i want to find the playboys in a box under my grandpa's bed, but there's a difference in what we present to the world at large vs what we keep to ourselves that feels like it almost requires something physical.

There is also something nice about it being bound to a physical space, ideally the person's dwelling.

This brings up nice memories of sitting around late at night at an eccentric, older friend's apartment, drink coffee and chat. Occasionally someone would notice an interesting sounding album wed then listen to or discuss or someone would notice a book that would become the topic of conversation.

All my recent favorites are digital now. The dynamic is so different when it's shifted from "what's this book?" to "Oh, let me tell you about the book I just read".

That's not (necessarily) due physical vs digital though. One is you asking about something you find interesting and the other is someone telling you about something they find interesting.

Definitely. It's easier though to ask the question of the physical object is sitting there to spark your interest

True, and FWIW, I am on your side of the 'argument'. While I love the convenience of digital and sometimes wonder if things I believe were 'better' is just age/nostalgia talking, I do think there's a genuine loss of character in the world, and even sense of community, with the gradual disappearance of physical media/art.

> Is there some equivalent where I could say, “Here’s what I listen to the most” ?

In the old days (at least up until the late 1990s) and especially on music newsgroups, people would write at the end of their posts what was now playing as they posted, eg:

NP: Song - Artist

There were plugins that would do that for messenger applications (there might even be something for Discord, I'm not sure)

Have you seen the movie Nine to five (1989) with Dolly Parton? It’s great!

I just watched it for the first time tonight

1980, not 1989

last.fm has been around for decades

https://listenbrainz.org/ "commits itself to safe-guarding the ListenBrainz data indefinitely." It might be a better intergenerational communication medium than last.fm

I’ve been continually using last.fm for 14 years now. I think that when I’m older, or if something happens to me, it might be a cool way to see who I was.

I 7my wife and I have talked about this. I think we are going to fill a CD binder with our favorite albums and DVDs (all burned, but still) for our kids to "discover".

I can't imagine how my tastes would be different if I hadn't had access to my parents records.

There is the other side, too. My mum died two years back and she collected many, many, many things. We haven't started going through the stuff yet. But we will someday. And I get horrified when I think about that day. It will be sad and it will take a lot of time.

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