I just noticed my ASCAP on-line news repeated an announcement from Apple that iTunes will no longer sell songs in favor of forcing consumers to stream their music beginning in 2019. I don't like to use anything "Apple" and do my best to avoid that other constantly changing platform, Micro-doodle. Both are practically monopolies and deserve to sink like the Titanic as far as I'm concerned.

Just thought you should be informed with all this stuff going on about Facebook. We live in an exciting yet very dark era when it comes to "on-line" activities.

Have a great weekend. ----Dave

Thanks for that. The binge is on.

@Dave Rice - What Facebook did has been going on, seriously, since the early 1950's. Companies like Consumer Marketing and DataBase America were collecting information and it got serious when commercial mainframe computers became available. Companies like BoA, WellsFargo, Amazon, Pepsico etc routinely run 60-70-100+ million names through databases.

Hi Sue:

No arguments here. Thankfully, I don't do "on-line" banking... avoid Google and Facebook and all the other "social media" platforms. I gave Facebook a shot when "The Ramp" announced it was sinking and invited members to join a private group at FB. I spent more time fooling with people I did not know and going through more e-mail notifications than I could afford time to answer... so I pulled the plug. Writing songs is my primary interest. Databases are a mixed blessing... and an absolute curse when they are breached.

I forgot to mention (cause it does not impact me) that according to the ASCAP article, Apple will continue to support iTunes products purchased prior to the cut-off date... they just won't sell anything new. It's all about streaming from that point forward... and I don't like my music that way.

Happy Easter.... ----Dave

Not exactly sure how the decline in digital MP3 sales equates to Facebook.

If you're following the trend of the music business, its no secret that MP3 sales have declined drastically, to the point where they're below sales of physical product. However, the far and away winner of music consumption is now streaming. Apple has been slowly nudging their iTunes purchasers to get into Apple Music.

The disingenuous part of your post is saying that dumping a losing business model is forcing people to using streaming. All of the purchases that you made on iTunes are still perfectly usable for as long as computers can play MP3 files going into the future. You can still go out and buy plastic. You can avoid the streaming system for as long as you'd like. Why you'd want to is beyond me, but you're not being forced to do anything. WAIT! You don't use Apple products - so why do you even care if they stop selling MP3s?!?

Oh, and again, Facebook has nothing to do with Apple's decision to forgo MP3 sales.

But if you want to talk privacy - Apple is allowing people to see what Apple does collect informationally about them, and allow them to delete, or edit it. Does Facebook do that? No.

iTunes files are not mp3 they're aac? if i recall?

Hi Jody:

I'm well aware that Facebook has nothing to do with Apple but thanks for your opinion(s). I was merely responding to Sue's post in my typical, conversational manner. Forgive me for thinking I still have the right to acquire my music any legal way I choose. For the most part, I listen to my own catalogue from CD's I've burned or from Memory Sticks I've filled with music files... with the idea of seeing what I can do to improve the next cut... or just packing that particular song into a box in some dark corner. In all honesty, I don't buy much music anymore. At one time I had a record collection equal to that of a small radio station but all of that was music few hear these days. I am a creature of a long-gone era... and I like it that way.

I hope you noticed my first post informing fellow JPF'rs of ASCAP's daily e-zine's announcement about Apple's decision. Shooting the messenger is not a polite thing to do... LOL! B-T-W... I heard one of the news networks saying something about a Facebook decision on privacy settings changes during the last day or so but did not have time to stop and hear details.

Just because I don't use many of Apple's products or buy/stream their collections of songs does not mean I should not be interested in current trends. I do use an iPad to play Chess. I don't buy anything from North Korea but I sure as hell want to know what they are up to, don't you? How about we come to terms with a gentleman's agreement to just give each other a "wide berth!"

Dave, you mentioned and equated Facebook and Apple. Reread your initial post.

Yes, I'm aware that you were quoting ASCAP, who was actually sending out an update that has been reported in tech news for several months now. I wasn't shooting you, I was correcting information and the bad connection between Apple and Facebook. The HUGE difference between the two is that one sells you products (Apple). The other, you are the product (Facebook). One takes your privacy extremely seriously (Apple). The other collects as much data about you as possible, then makes it as difficult as possible to get out of their network (Facebook). If you're using an Android phone in conjunction with Facebook, then your privacy was invaded in ways you can't imagine.

I didn't say you couldn't buy music any way you please. All that is happening is that Apple, and other companies are no longer going to continue selling MP3s as sales have dropped off precipitously as most people that were buying them have gone to streaming. I did question why people still want to go back to vinyl or CDs, but that you can still buy all that stuff, MP3s (or AACs as Ronnie has correctly stated if you're buying from the iTunes Store), etc. I'm sure there will still be outliers that will still sell MP3s when all the big companies stop. The main reason why? There's more money in streaming.

You'll hear it here before ASCAP sends it out to you - Amazon is going to stop doing their MP3 storage lockers at the end of April. Be forewarned. Amazon is going to streaming too and won't store your MP3s for you any more.

Also, are you now somehow equating Apple to business in North Korea?!?

Does "wide berth!" mean ignore statements like Apple/North Korea?

Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google. Within the year, I'm guessing all will be investigated for privacy issues, monopolistic practices and other illegal activities. There are others, as Sue implied. I'm no genius and certainly don't possess a crystal ball or know how to charm snakes and tell fortunes. I do have a bit of a sixth sense about these things. Let the entire world begin streaming... it does not matter to me except I see it as a flawed business model as it applies to the consumer.

Wide Berth means we are like ocean liners coming into port... and because we disagree, we should attempt to keep the distance between us as great as possible.... for the sake of civility. You have a way of expressing yourself that comes off as "talking down" to folks. I am probably older than your father and have paid my dues and would rather have acquaintances than enemies... so, I'm signing off. You get the last word.

Happy Easter! ----Dave

Here's the last word:

Apple has already been thru the ringer for privacy, or rather the protection of it as it relates to their phone & iOS products specifically. Remember the guy who shot up a bunch of people in So Cal and the feds wanted to Apple to unlock the guy's phone and Apple refused to? Apple's newer tech is about keeping things you want private - private. As already mentioned, they're also providing a way for you to delete anything they might know about you - which as far as I'm aware no other major tech company is making easy to do.

Microsoft has already been busted for monopolistic practices, that was quite a while ago.

I agree that Facebook is currently on the chopping block about privacy and that Google is likely next. More or less it likely to come in the form of legislation / law, much like how Europe has gone after the tech companies.

Peace.

Actually you are wrong about that Jody. Facebook allows you to download ALL the personal info they have collected on you and to delete it. But that isn't where the money is anymore anyway. They long ago moved past that and instead they have collected not only your direct info but the info everyone else says about you, what other people you influence, who you get along with, who you love or hate etc. This wider array of info crosses legal lines by the way and that's why Facebook is crashing on the market right now. Because when you've given them permission to lift all your data you also give them permission to do the same for all your friends info and the interactions between the two of you and beyond. Since those second parties may not have given their permission (much of it is people not even on Facebook which is REALLY crossing the line and they use this unimaginably multifaceted collection of info to create deep files on people who never gave permission to be sold to others. It's very ugly for Facebook and possibly Twitter, Google and others. For example, Gmail reads ALL your mail, keeps copies, studies every word, not just of what YOU write, but what you RECEIVE and the words of people who have given no permission to have their privacy invaded. THAT is where the serious money is to be made now. Those people who have slipped the grasp of straight forward social media users. It's very troubling. I wouldn't want to own stock in any of those companies right now.

Brian, show me exactly where Facebook allows you to see and edit what information they have on you. Delete it - yeah they do that, but they make it insanely difficult to do. And there have been reported cases where even if you've deleted your account - they still have your history stored. Meaning, they don't really delete your history. Oh and in case you're not aware - Facebook also stores every single keyed entry you make in posting. Thus, all your typing mistakes, "deletions" in thought process, the rewrites, every single thing you input into their comment and post boxes = stored. I bet they don't show you that wherever it is you think you're allowed to edit your Facebook history.

I'm not saying it isn't troubling. Its extremely troubling. I get people telling me to use Gmail for my email. I simply refuse. And yes I'm aware that they even track emails I end up sending to people that do use it.

Now we're on a huge tangent away from Apple saying they're going to dump selling music as digital files for download - which was the apparent initial idea of the thread.

Okay.. shocked you're not up on this info... but pick your preferred source, I listed 5 but there are `100's of recent articles on it. Also some great Facebook videos discussing it all. You can even see what products it thinks you are interested in. What you CAN'T see, however, is what other people say about you nor who else has given Facebook permission to add things on a file about you even if you've never used Facebook and from what I am hearing, nearly every person in the world has a file at this point, especially in the deeper hidden deals between the massive sites where they share and do database swaps on premium names using their platform. They ADMIT to letting Obama, for example, scrape every ounce of info they had on over 300 million Americans for any use they wanted which is terrifying. This isn't government use, this is stuff he was free to share with anyone he wanted and certainly did:

http://www.alphr.com/facebook/1003521/see-everything-facebook-knows-about-you-here-s-how
http://time.com/money/5212501/how-facebook-tracks-me/
https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/...wnload-everything-in-5-quick-clicks.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/how-to-find-out-your-facebook-data-advertising-likes-download
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-data-facebook-google-has-on-you-privacy

Brian, you are misinterpreting the idea of editing and deleting information from the idea of what these services know about us. I wrote see, edit, delete. I also spelled out how FB actually is collecting more data than even these articles mention. Only one of the articles you linked gives a step by step idea of how you can possibly edit the info. Another gives a link to how you can delete the info. But it still doesn't change the fact that FB and Google make it extremely difficult to do either one. And chances are, they may never delete the info, as per my previous post, they collect every keystroke - even deleted ones.

Apple is now taking it a step further to allow you to see, edit, delete data that 3rd party apps collect on you on your phone.

Remember, if you're not paying for the service, you are the product.

Here I go again, opening myself up to "pot shots" because I am the "messenger." Wouldn't you know it, today's edition of ASCAP's Daily Brief... had another article stating that Apple denies it is shutting down iTunes on-line site for purchasing songs. I didn't bother to read the darn thing... but wanted those of you who give two hoots in hell a chance to check it out for yourself and then decide what to believe. LOL!

Sorry for the possibility of mis-information. I only know what I read... and I've read it both ways on different days. Dang, now I'm just as disgusted with ASCAP as I am with Apple... and all the others previously mentioned.