Sinister: Diamonds Aren't Forever

[Michael Jones]

---Jason Brent <jbrent at callisto.uwinnipeg.ca> wrote:

> he said everyone knows that cd's are going to turn to dust in 25
> years! Instant anxiety attack insued!!! 

I think this belongs in the same category as 'Polo mints make you
sterile' and 'Power Showers destroy your immune system' - mythological
scaremongery that is difficult to conclusively disprove.  CDs have
been around for 20 years now (in wide commercial circulation for 15),
and there haven't been too many reported cases of them decaying away
to nothing.  Those that have been found to deteriorate have been
traced back to pressing plants with dodgy operational practices.  Such
as employing too many people with ginger hair.

> He said most of the TRUE music
> fans he sells to have all switched back to vinyl. 

Well, to put things into perspective, it's worth bearing in mind that
vinyl records begin to deteriorate after their very first play. 
What's more, the thermal deformation of the groove wall that occurs as
a natural by-product of stylus-vinyl friction takes some hours to
completely dissipate - so, if you're in the habit of playing your
favourite LPs more than once in an evening, you're accelerating their
demise.  (Actually I may have pulled that last factoid out of my bum -
I certainly can't remember where I got it from.)  Still, not to worry
eh ?

Loads of people have a strong preference for black plastic, despite
(or perhaps because of) its inherent limitations and distortions. 
Then there's the whole question of cover art - if CD had come along a
decade or so earlier, the world might've been spared Roger Dean.

I like vinyl because it's sex-ay.

Mike (a FALSE music fan).   
_________________________________________________________

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