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[autotelic]

This is not a bug, but two things I don't like about the web media set up.

1. If one adds a web media source, it gets added to some "master list". I understand that this benefits Media Center as a program because new users get presented with a growing list of content sources. But this should be optional. I have a couple friends who stream media for a private audience, and so I don't want thiose streams to be made available to a larger audience. Also, perhaps I'm just a paranoid privacy freak, but I don't really like the idea of the choices I make about what to listen to or watch being added to any master list. I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the people who make Media Center 9 that they are not tracking this data and using it for any research. But in any case, the control over that issue should be in the hands of the user. So, I say again, this should be optional.

2. The list of media streaming sources is saved as a cookie and unless I get into detailed cookie management, I'm at risk of losing them if I delete cookies via Explorer or something. I think this is bad in two ways. One, I just think it's bad practice to have one program tied to the usage of another. I may need to delete my cookies in Explorer for any one of a number of reasons to do with Explorer or disk space or whatever, and that shouldn't have to adversely affect Media Center. I don't have any other software that links itself to another program in this way, so this strikes me as unusual. Two, I have lots of security software that refuses a lot of cookies and may remove them at intervals. I don't want to have to also tinker with them in order to preserve the stability of my internet radio sources in Media Center 9.

It just seems silly to have to face these issues, even though they may be small, when surely it can't be that hard for Media Center 9 to simply store some URLs for media sources in a text file or something.

In summary, I hope a future version of Media Center 9 will make contributions to a "master list" optional, and be self sufficient when it comes to storing web media locations. Until then, I will not be using it for any web media.

Thanks

Dave

[John Gateley]

Hi Dave,

First: you've misunderstood the purpose of web media. You can play streaming stations, share them with your friends, and put them in your database without ever touching "web media" or having them added to a "master list". Click on File->Play Streaming Media and you've got it. If a radio station is in playing now, right-click and import and it will be added to the DB.

We run the web media as a service: a collection of radio stations useful to anyone. If you want to submit, submit. If not, don't.

You can even browse the master list, choose the ones you like, add them to your database, and not use the page again (avoiding the cookie problem).

Second: you have a lot of good points about cookies, but there are a lot of good points against you as well. If you want to avoid this, just import the station into your library.

j

[autotelic]

John,
Thanks for your explanation. It seems I mistook the "Web Media" option as being the only way to administer streaming data within Media Center 9. Thanks for setting me straight!

Perhaps a little text in the "Web Media" interface which says something like "... streaming media can also be imported without adding to the master list by simply going to File->Play Streaming Media...", just to help out others who might have been as silly as me.

As for cookies... as long as the "File->Import Streaming Media" option does not also rely on cookies, then I don't have an issue with it. I personally avoid cookies as much as possible, but I recognize that they are useful in some ways.

Again, thanks for steering me in the right direction.

Dave

[lise]

I'm making the changes to the help file now.