MetaChat - After yesterdays randomiser thread

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05 June 2005

After yesterdays randomiser thread I thought it might be interesting to have a Metachat CD swap. But then I remembered what a bloody hassle it is getting CDs together, packaging them up and traipsing down to the post office. How about some private file swapping network where we could zip up some tunes and everyone could download any they like the look of? Would Waste do the job? Anything else out there that could do this? Bad idea? Good idea?

post by: dodgygeezer at: 08:06 | 28 comments

Good idea! I don't know about Waste - there is Soulseek.

posted by mlis 05 June | 10:54

I don't use a p2p program, but I could always just upload mine to my web space. Great idea.

posted by iconomy 05 June | 11:26

I'd love to partcipate, and god knows I've got the goods to share, but after installing my home wireless network, I still haven't worked out that whole port forwarding thing, so I've been sans-p2p for a while.

posted by jonmc 05 June | 12:05

it is a good idea--maybe thou we should do it by gmail or logged-in url to make it easier?

posted by amberglow 05 June | 12:39

Is soulseek the one where everyone needs to use soulseek (as opposed to just any old p2p) to be able to trade files?

posted by iconomy 05 June | 12:45

Why not just use dropload to send out zips of mixes? No p2p finagling necessary.

posted by brainwidth 05 June | 12:55

Maybe the best option would be to just let people host their own mix however they choose and just post a link to it. There's plenty of free hosting out there that could be used.

So here's how it could work. I'll post a thread asking people to get their mixes ready for next week (and that they'll have to figure out some hosting). The following week I'll post another thread and people can post comments in that thread with the link to their mix and including any other info about the mix.

Sound good?

posted by dodgygeezer 05 June | 13:21

ok, but if we post a link to the mixes online here, they'll be public...won't bandwidth become a problem? maybe we should do it by email?

Send one big group email once we know everyone who's in--and list all our links or whatever?

posted by amberglow 05 June | 14:07

Sounds great. Any potential lawsuits to worry about, though?

posted by mudpuppie 05 June | 14:13

Add to that that I'll host it on my site if someone helps with the technical stuff. I'm not coming close to my bandwidth limits -- have about 190 Gb to spare. Would that do?

posted by mudpuppie 05 June | 14:18

well, mudpuppie, all you'd have to do is create a subdirectory, and it could display as one of those directory listings, and people could just take what they want.

legally, it should be hidden and not posted here, i think, but via email only.

posted by amberglow 05 June | 14:41

The subdirectory/password protection part I can handle. What I don't know how to do is enable people to upload files. Or am I missing the point?

posted by mudpuppie 05 June | 14:43

Do you have PHP on the server? If so I'm sure we could get some page together to do uploads.

posted by dodgygeezer 05 June | 14:50

PHP, MySQL -- yep.

posted by mudpuppie 05 June | 14:53

Cool. I'll e-mail you with something tomorrow. There's already a whole load of scripts out there that can do this sort of thing so I'll test a few out.

posted by dodgygeezer 05 June | 15:54

jon, my son wants to know if you have the mp3 Cult of Personality. I can't find it via the normal routes and he saw that you have Living Color on your ginormous winamp playlist.

posted by iconomy 05 June | 16:14

I only have it on an old cassette, sorry.

posted by jonmc 05 June | 16:26

That's ok - worth a shot. Thanks.

posted by iconomy 05 June | 17:23

I have it iconomy - I'll email it to you.

posted by yhbc 05 June | 19:22

Just for the sake of discussion:

What about an ultra-low-tech solution? Just set up a GMail account and post the log-in details here, then we can all send a mix or an indiviual track or whatever and collect whatever we want, ignoring the rest?

posted by dg 05 June | 22:09

I'm in. P.S. If anyone wants to check out my collection on soulseek, I'm there under the same username as here. Message me and I'll add you to my buddy list.

posted by matildaben 05 June | 23:02

ps: I am in, of course.

*wonders about jonmc's taste after noting the small number of Pink Floyd tracks on his list*

posted by dg 05 June | 23:09

Obviously, he only has them on the original reel-to-reel tape, dg.

What, don't you have Pink Floyd on reel-to-reel?

posted by yhbc 05 June | 23:17

What makes you so sure I don't?

Actually, I don't, but I do remember reel-to-reel players, which should count for something.

posted by dg 05 June | 23:28

Actually, I think the mp3 players are the new reel-to-reel. They used to be marketed as a way to create playlists of music to last for a whole party and similar things, so there is some correlation.

As they say, there is nothing new under the sun.

posted by dg 06 June | 00:03

If I asked everyone who's interested for a dollar for hosting would you be prepared to pay or would that put you off?

There's a service called Streamload that'd be perfect for doing this but it's $10 dollars per month.

posted by dodgygeezer 06 June | 05:32

Actually it wouldn't seem fair to make payment a precondition. I'll just get an account and if people feel like throwing some money in the pot then that'll be cool.

Sound good?

posted by dodgygeezer 06 June | 06:17

How cool - I just got an email from someone, with the Cult of Personality mp3 attached! Thanks again, Phil. That was really nice.

posted by iconomy 06 June | 13:49

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