Oh, Techwriterpaws

noah | November 20, 2008 5:00 am
jobslego.jpg

It’s always so cute when tech types get in a lather about one of their pet causes–here, it’s Greg Sandoval at CNet penning an open letter to Steve Jobs begging him to drop DRM on the files in the iTunes Store, which to his mind looks “a little shabby” these days because of Apple’s copy-protection scheme Fairplay–without thinking rationally about why they may be getting a zero instead of a coveted one. (I tried to put the analogy in binary terms so they’d get it.) To wit:

Did Sandoval ever think that maybe part of the reason Apple hasn’t closed DRM-related deals with the majors who aren’t EMI is said labels’ abject stubbornness, and unwillingness to play ball with a company who they feel has wrecked their whole “$17.99 single” model? Or did he ever think that, to put it bluntly, digital-rights management is one of the nichest of niche issues, and to most consumers it doesn’t matter much? And is Sandoval really holding up the Zune, which is as of this very moment touting a DRM-laden subscription model, as something that iTunes is an also-ran of? I understand what it’s like to have a news hole to fill during a lull in the cycle, dude, but next time, you might want to come up with some sort of crazy list that incorporates Cute Overload and shredding. At least then, you’ll get clicks instead of people thinking that you sound like a petulant (albeit dictionary-equipped) Digg user.

Dear Steve Jobs: Set the music free [CNet]

(Ugh, even that title! I can’t deal.)