Comments on: Tape Trading in the Digital Age http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/tape-trading-in-the-digital-age/ news & perspectives on fan communication and online social life Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:03:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nancy Baym http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/tape-trading-in-the-digital-age/comment-page-1/#comment-885 Nancy Baym Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:42:57 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/tape-trading-in-the-digital-age/#comment-885 Thanks Kelly! Validating the serious study of fun things seems to be one of my callings, and not a bad one to have either ;) Really interesting to hear you say people speak of knowing the taper. The mystery of who did the taping was something we never even considered when I was in on that scene. Except, of course, for the elusive Board Tape. Goes to show I suppose that social hierarchy always finds a way to assert itself, no matter how egalitarian the internet makes things seem. Totally agree about the Dead Internet Archive Project. No April conferences for me, I'm giving a talk at my alma mater, the University of Illinois, in mid-April and that's it. Thanks Kelly! Validating the serious study of fun things seems to be one of my callings, and not a bad one to have either ;)

Really interesting to hear you say people speak of knowing the taper. The mystery of who did the taping was something we never even considered when I was in on that scene. Except, of course, for the elusive Board Tape. Goes to show I suppose that social hierarchy always finds a way to assert itself, no matter how egalitarian the internet makes things seem.

Totally agree about the Dead Internet Archive Project.

No April conferences for me, I’m giving a talk at my alma mater, the University of Illinois, in mid-April and that’s it.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/tape-trading-in-the-digital-age/comment-page-1/#comment-884 Kelly Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:14:52 +0000 http://www.onlinefandom.com/archives/tape-trading-in-the-digital-age/#comment-884 Your discussion of "social status" with tape trading is interesting. With tape trading moving to and now doing the bulk of its work on the internet I can see how that would have felt like a blow in terms of "fan hierarchies" for you. I think the social status has shifted now to give more powers to (or back to?) the tapers. At Dave Matthews Band concerts I often hear fans discussing and in many cases rating those tapers who capture higher quality recordings and put them up the quickest for people to download. I've heard people talk about having met this or that taper once or knowing this taper via this person and that person. Online music archives like the Grateful Dead Internet Archive Project for example give fans a way to connect with this dialogue and to write their own informal histories, linking their memories and connections with music with the ablility to download a concert recording or a concert they went to. This is especially important when one considers that fans new and old no longer have a chance to see the Grateful Dead perform. It is through the live music recordings that these fans are now able recreate the Dead’s musical experience and I think that is invaluable. To get even geekier for a moment I must profess my love for your research. You always make me feel validated about my work especially when my cohort used to teasingly refer to my research in air quotes. Maybe we'll run into each other at some of the upcoming conference on the East Coast in April. Your discussion of “social status” with tape trading is interesting. With tape trading moving to and now doing the bulk of its work on the internet I can see how that would have felt like a blow in terms of “fan hierarchies” for you. I think the social status has shifted now to give more powers to (or back to?) the tapers. At Dave Matthews Band concerts I often hear fans discussing and in many cases rating those tapers who capture higher quality recordings and put them up the quickest for people to download. I’ve heard people talk about having met this or that taper once or knowing this taper via this person and that person.

Online music archives like the Grateful Dead Internet Archive Project for example give fans a way to connect with this dialogue and to write their own informal histories, linking their memories and connections with music with the ablility to download a concert recording or a concert they went to. This is especially important when one considers that fans new and old no longer have a chance to see the Grateful Dead perform. It is through the live music recordings that these fans are now able recreate the Dead’s musical experience and I think that is invaluable.

To get even geekier for a moment I must profess my love for your research. You always make me feel validated about my work especially when my cohort used to teasingly refer to my research in air quotes. Maybe we’ll run into each other at some of the upcoming conference on the East Coast in April.

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