Archive for December 2009
I came to a startling realization today: Buying an album on iTunes is not the same as buying a CD! Why not? Lets say 6 months after buying a CD, I get bored with it. I can sell the CD on eBay or to a buddy of mine. I challenge you to do that with an iTunes album. Well, because of Digital Rights Management (DRM), the only way to “sell” your iTunes collection is to authorize their computer to play your music; this requires you to give them your username/password–not a very good idea. From a business perspective, this is brilliant. Every sale of a digital song is money in the studios’ pocket. When someone sells a used CD to another person, the recording studios see no financial benefit from that. I was surprised to learn that CD sales are still the driving force behind music sales, even though it is decreasing (Source: NPD). Over 65% of all music sales are via CD. iTunes alone accounts for 25% of all music sales.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I want to share something new that my church is doing that embraces technology–something that is open to the public. The Public Affairs Department of the LDS church has started a YouTube channel (MormonMessages). This channel publishes inspiring messages which are appropriate for any audience. You don’t need to be LDS to appreciate the videos. I’d like to take this opportunity to share a Mormon Message with you. This message is especially appropriate during the holidays as it encourages everyone to remember the things that are important in their lives or, more specifically, who is important. In this video, you’ll hear from a man named Thomas S. Monson, a man whom Latter-day Saints believe is a prophet of God or God’s mouthpiece here on earth today.
Take a moment and enjoy this Mormon Message
After reading an article written by my professor, my boss, and my friend (all the same guy) about online gaming, it caused me to reflect on gaming in my own life. There are times, while growing up, that I have probably spent too much time playing computer games. My interest was always First Person Shooter (FPS) games rather than Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG). The four FPS games that I have played the most are: Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Unreal Tournament, and Tactical Ops–I never really got into Counterstrike. I do enjoy playing the Command and Conquer series, but as a general rule, I suck at strategy games.
Unfortunately I rarely have time anymore to play games and haven’t for several years now. To be honest, I miss playing games sometimes. It is surprising what kind of adrenaline rush you can get when playing a computer game. I have never felt like I was addicted to a computer game (seriously, this isn’t some sort of denial). I know there are times when I neglected other things at the expense of a game, but one can do that with books, hobbies, and even exercising. I don’t think the issue is how much time you spend playing the game, but what priority does the game have in your life? Occasionally interrupting your life is one thing, constantly is another. I’m grateful that (a) I don’t have an addictive personality and (b) I have never gotten into games that are purposefully addictive (i.e. Everquest or World of Warcraft).
