Comment by refulgentis | Hacker News Reader

Comment by refulgentis | Hacker News Reader

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They mean that 20 years ago I was really into music blogs and videos and tagging and getting videos onto my iPod to the point it's literally what got me into programming: step by step, shitty AppleScript to set up auto convert + add to iTunes flows, compiling C to get the latest HandBrake that could do non-DVDs...

Now it's too easy: I have the absolutely fantastic experience of having infinite music in my hand on demand without any of the work. I've completely lost touch with music over the last decade. I am always vaguely frustrated because it's not _that_ good, it panders to my taste too much, and there's no value to any of it.

The foraging made it a hobby and intellectually stimulating, the "please tap this! or this! or this! or this!" makes it boring and all the same.

> The foraging made it a hobby and intellectually stimulating

Funny, I get a far superior foraging experience exploring radio stations based on obscure artists and other people's playlists.

I don't understand how the friction of having to build programming tools made your music experience better.

And I truly don't understand how making things easier leads to you losing touch with music. Maybe it's more just a function of getting older and having other, new priorities enter your life?

I checked in with the poster, they got oddly upset, shook their head and started mumbling under the breath: "no, _DVDs_, handbrake. the programming was for iTunes movies". Then they spoke more clearly: "no, my lifestyle hasn't changed, and no I won't prove it, even if I wanted to, I don't understand the idea of strangers telling me my lifestyle changed and that's why I don't read Pitchfork anymore"

Ha! Thanks for the laugh. Now these are the comments I come to HN for... :)

Maybe as you matured and developed more responsibilities as life went on, you had less time and energy to invest in music as a serious hobby. This is a normal development.

I checked in with the poster: they got oddly indignant about it and claimed they knew themselves well and they meant their comment. I asked for more concrete proof that their lifestyle hadn't changed significantly and they refused.

Is this parody, or an actual private conversation you had with the poster?

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