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'Am I still listening.....?!

 
    • mjphoto said...
    • User
    • 9 Jul 2009, 10:34

    'Am I still listening.....?!

    Answer; OF COURSE I F***ING AM!!!!!!!! Can I ask, what is the point of the Last FM site asking me this? It seems utterly pointless and annoying and irritates myself and all my mates. Why has Last FM added this feature? Don't they want people to actually use and enjoy thier site?

    I mean, when I'm driving my car to work, BBC radio doesn't stop mid transmission and ask me if I'm still actually listening! I don't have to call an 0800 number to confirm I'm still there.....

    Spotify anyone....?

    Who else feels this? Sorry just had to rant........

    mjphoto

    • [Deleted user] said...
    • User
    • 9 Jul 2009, 10:42
    The purpose of Vic (the "frisbee-throwing bear" hehehe) is to limit the loss of copyright royalty payments which last.fm must pay per stream to the record labels when a radio is left unattended, hence the non-subscriber must confirm their presence about once an hour (six hours for subscribers with paypal). I know "real" radios don't exhibit this behaviour, but they have advertising instead (which would be worse than the stupid bear...)

  • The bear also has his own FAQ entry with some details (and with a picture) here:

    http://www.last.fm/help/faq?category=Listening+to+Music+on+Last.fm#349

    • mjphoto said...
    • User
    • 9 Jul 2009, 13:48
    Hi,

    Thanks for filling me in. I do understand it and it makes sense. It's just frustrating when I'm working. I'm in a studio taking photos and streaming the music (very loudly) through my mac. We're all into the tunes and then it cuts out. When that happens I have to refresh the browser (Safari) and start the radio station again.

    One of the great things about LastFM was the fact that when an artist 'radio station' played I was introduced to new bands and music that I hadn't heard before. The longer it played the more I found cool new stuff. When I have to start again I lose that. I suppose the site's good for a little casual listening but it seems the usability just isn't as good as it was. I knew it was too good to be true! Back to the ipods I suppose.

    Thanks for your advice again.

    Mark..

  • Don't forget if you subscribe you can listen for up to 6 hours before you get The Bear, which would let you do long studio shoots without musical interruption.

    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 9 Jul 2009, 19:35
    That's appalling. The Bear has a cigarette!! He is smoking! He is a Smoking Bear! He is a Bear Wot Smokes! What kind of message are you conveying to our younger members and non / ex-smokers? And how does he light them? You didn't give him hands.

    Well that's just shocking. It really is. Cruelty to animals. Cruelty to bears. Cruelty to ex-smokers taunting them with what once was. Cruelty to the disgruntled people of Tunbridge Wells who must now search for pen and paper to write to you. Terrible. tsk tsk tsk

    *GASP* even the URL!! What's this? "Ciggie Bear" ?? It's not even a slight slip of the colouring in pen! http://cdn.last.fm/flatness/listen_v2/ciggie_bear.png


  • Ha, that's funny. They should play a skit everytime this beast pops up:

    Mr. Hood Gets a Haircut

  • Babs_05 said:
    And how does he light them? You didn't give him hands.


    Forrest fires, innit.

  • i'm proud to say i got to draw Inactivity Bear. Now you can too!

    • ben-xo said...
    • Staff
    • 22 Jul 2009, 15:50

    Re: 'Am I still listening.....?!

    mjphoto said:
    I mean, when I'm driving my car to work, BBC radio doesn't stop mid transmission


    The license payer has already paid for that privilege on your behalf. :)

    Check out my journal for my latest Drum'n'Bass and Electro House mixes.
    http://www.last.fm/user/ben-xo/journal /
    d&b radio podcast http://xo.am/dnb/bd/rss
    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 22 Jul 2009, 16:45
    irvinebrown said:
    i'm proud to say i got to draw Inactivity Bear. Now you can too!

    you realise I'll give him nail polish... ? not to mention full-on make up...

    ps: I was only joshing about the cigarette you know.



    Say hello to Wonky Bear (no make up)


    • numlawd said...
    • User
    • 22 Jul 2009, 19:20
    Oh dear, he's got a sister...

    Wooee Bear :-)



    (He's also got two female friends Caroline and Jackie, but we can't display them here, as it's a family board... hehehe)

    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 22 Jul 2009, 20:14
    Wonky's Sister! Superb!!

    Hey, I've got Wonky's Song: Hello Hello

    Edited by Babs_05 on 22 Jul 2009, 20:33
  • these are deeply disturbing. please keep up the good work.

    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 22 Jul 2009, 21:04
    Wonky's Friend, LazyBird. And this is the song Lady Bird


    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 23 Jul 2009, 20:53
    I'm only holding back cos I thought I'd let someone else have a go...

    • Jonty said...
    • Alumni
    • 28 Jul 2009, 15:21
    irvinebrown said:
    i'm proud to say i got to draw Inactivity Bear. Now you can too!


    I AMS AN ARTISTS!!


    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 28 Jul 2009, 15:33
    I think we should have your new avatar for the "are you still listening" message, Jonty.

    And now that you've posted a drawing, it means I can draw some more! See how patient I am?

    • kapowaz said...
    • User
    • 28 Jul 2009, 16:01
    Is that a drawing of a bear or a self-portrait, Honty?

    • Abscond said...
    • Subscriber
    • 28 Jul 2009, 16:14


    This is my new party trick.

    I'm not sure Paint's default colour set quite matches.

    • klein- said...
    • Subscriber
    • 28 Jul 2009, 16:27

    Listen FTW!

    One more smokin' bear. This could appear after failing to act after the first notice-bear.


    • kapowaz said...
    • User
    • 28 Jul 2009, 16:31

  • i think this might be my proudest professional achievement to date. please please please keep drawing more smoking bears.

  • As the conceptual creator of the bear (i wrote the original bear copy, the picture came later), I feel so proud too. Vic has received a lot of hate, your kind words and pictures keep him going.

    Here's my contribution (drawn in a paint app on an iphone)


    http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidsingleton/3766432026/

    • Babs_05 said...
    • Forum Moderator
    • 28 Jul 2009, 17:30
    ahaa. but will you actually use the new bears (or some of them)? I mean, why are we toiling? WHY??

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