Rick,
I don't think the results would be very meaningful. Generally, I like what's in my collection (duh!), so that kind of narrows the possible ratings.
I believe you said in a lot more efficient way, what I was trying to say. I know my own taste better than anyone else does. I also am of the opinion, like I said before, that "music critics", are the worst breed of reviewers. Many times, pure sales are used as well in the ratings, which have absolutely NOTHING to do with quality. Most times, sale and music quality go I opposite ways, because of the oligopoly that there is in the music business.
I am starting to get optimistic about the growth of musicians, that are publishing their music independently, as that movement I think will continue to grow and eventually create an environment, as it was in "my day", when records were sold and small record companies, created by musicians on their own would come up, no Clear Channel to own the radio stations AND the venues and NO MTV. Disk jockies on FM radio would have freedom to play all sorts of music, from albums as well and introduce new artists and earned their spot be merit.
In "the day", when a band created a new record, they toured all over on it, to get exposure to it, have it played as much as possible, something the entire record. Record companies now have literally a $0 budget for new artists development, and would rather spend $250,000 to make a video, than have a band tour. Without the touring, and all of the venues to play in, I think there is a talent gap that is their from musicians who don't get their craft together, by playing live. Nothing like it. That, plus so much was learned backstage or after concerts, by the informal jams that would go on, where bands would share some sound and technique (not copy), with another band. That I heard from a veteran musician, who has either performed on, wrote or produced 14 of what Rolling Stone considered the top 100 songs of all time. Not that the Rolling Stone's ratings give any credibility.
My message is too long, but just one more story about what I mean about touring. I am an enormous Beatle fan and am thrilled with the Rock Band release and FINALLY, re-mastering fo their original tapes. The first single to hit America and shot to the tops of the charts was "Love Me Do". In that song, John Lennon starts it off, with a superb harp (harmonica solo). He was a darn good harp player. BUT, he became good, from when The Beatles were playing live for hours a night in Hamburg Germany, John went over to long time Country/Rockabilly and ole Rock N Roll innovator, Delbert McClinton, who has a really great harmonica style. Delbert, an unknown, playing as a side man for a bar band, showed John about getting that sound. After that, Lennon came up with that cool riff on the Harp, on "Love Me Do", the first of the Beatles singles in the U.S. and playing it with a very mature technique.
There are a million stories like that, musicians learned so much, and inspired other musicians, from playing live and touring. Even if you don't know the name Delbert McClinton, I absolutely, guarantee, that you have heard some of his songs and playing.
Although I was trying to throw in a little humor.
I personally don't care what others think, except for some personal friends, who might send me something to hear or alert me of something.
However, I think it is good to have extra fields in the database, because, with some creativity, they can be used for something other than their intended use.
I am an old fart, IT guy, who has developed many systems. From my vantage point, the only true test of an application, is when it goes to the public and used in real situations.
I developed a technique, where I would create a few spare fields, as well as the use of customer defined tables, where a customer of the App, can create a table, that defined some category on their own. For example, on an financial App, I once of these type tables, that would be user defined, was used as a need came up, where they wanted to track what airlines employees who traveled used. So they created a simple table, where they defined initials for all of the airlines, then a description, then they can have the table popup, if they forgot the codes and put it in.
While I don't use it, I can see many situations, where the ratings field can be used for all sorts of things.
It is funny, how I am a slob with paper work, yet for my databases and electronic file folders, I am very neat and precise. So, with my multi-media files, I use a file structure that suits my needs and makes it easy for me to find something, know if I loaded it on my COWON, portable player, when I did, the format, the store where I purchased the item, etc.
Plus MC has a ton of fields that can be used and sorted on.
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Topic: Is there any way of Updating the "Rating" tag from a 3rd party source? (Read 1950 times)