Jody,

I think they will come around on the delete audio thing. I understand their need and desire for an archive and to keep people from scewing stuff up by deleting songs constantly and screwing up the judging and ranking system. I think once a contest is over and you're not in the top 10, that it makes sense to let folks just pull the audio off the site at will. I think when it's in the top 10, there should be a time period at least where it needs to stay there. After all, money is involved and the evidence of what was entered and what finished in the Top 20 to enter the playoffs should be maintained for some period. If it doesn't make the playoffs, then it shouldn't matter.

Imagine if the top 10 songs pulled themselves off what those who were not in the final 10 would say? (They'd claim it was all insiders and fixed etc... and that they were hiding the evidence etc..) In addition, fans could do what they now do and that is to visit the top 10 and listen to the best music. Artists should WANT those songs to remain.. it gives value to the site, gives fans more reason to check it out and hear good stuff rather than a mix of good and bad in the voting process and it represents the value of the site to both industry and fans by showing how good the top stuff is. Since Ourstage doesn't charge, they need to have something to attract and maintain traffic for advertising revenue. We want to them to stick around in the community. So far they've been nothing but a positive factor not just to JPF, but to everyone else.

So give them a chance to realize on their own that they don't really need all the losers and if folks want to pull them for whatever reason (not really sure why anyone is so worried to pull it in the first place.. people are so paranoid all while often being all to happy to post stuff on sites that clearly state they take ownership whereas Ourstage says the opposite and doesn't take ownership) then let them.

Brian

Brian Austin Whitney
Founder
Just Plain Folks
jpfolkspro@gmail.com
Skype: Brian Austin Whitney
Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks

"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney

"It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney

"Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney