2018-09-17-goodbye-jamendo.md 2.4 KB
layout: post title: "Goodbye, Jamendo" date: 2018-09-17 22:03:05
categories: misc
It's been more than ten years now since the day i got introduced to Jamendo. Back then it wasn't even a site for me: just a tab in the Amarok's internet section. Then it became a symbol of free, open culture. For this reason releasing music on Jamendo was a natural thing for me to do, despite all the hassle with their uncomfortable site, my dislike of centralized services, and the growing amount of sings that they do not in fact stand for creative commons or open culture in general.
It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Jamendo was one of the few things to which i can clearly attribute major influence on me. One might say that were it not for that specific site, there would be another, maybe even better one. That's true, although even controversial rebranding didn't seem to create a viable alternative (that, however, can be explained differently). But it doesn't always make sense to think in subjunctive mood.
In the end, in our universe it was Jamendo that fulfilled its role for me and lots of other people. It became a symbol, which we humans are so fond of creating. Perhaps, that's enough reason for someone to hate them for the change: we tend to dislike betraying friends more than enemies. But personally i feel sadness about it more than anything else.
We don't have time to hate, we don't have time to forcefully return them on the right path; if we're standing for a better world for whatever reasons, we should pour that energy on better things.
What about this post then? Am i writing it to explain my decision to others, or to confirm it to myself, or simply to transform my nostalgic feelings? Perhaps it's a mixture of all these things. But what i've written so far doesn't qualify as explanation to people who don't have a clear understanding of what open culture is and why it matters.
That might be just a bit too long to go into all details in this post, though: despite all the recent practice i'm not that good in explaining ideas, especially those that are most familiar to me. Besides, if you're intrigued enough, you may as well read posts that will follow which will have enough reasons to touch on this subject as well. I'll wrap up at this point, so as to not make this farewell post too long.
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Goodbye, Jamendo. You were a good page in the history of internet, but it's time to flip it over.