I my case that depends on what I am looking for. Sometimes I just want audio background -- because I can't devote that "cognitive might" (wonderful phrase, David) due to whatever else I am doing at that time. In those situations a music-only experience -- with controlled variability -- is what I prefer; that's the time when I will listen to pandora.com.
David's point about the "dryness" of Internet radio tuning is also well taken. That is one element that becomes a bit closer to the radio experience when one tunes a wifi radio, because you interact with it somewhat like interacting with a radio. Maybe those who don't *compartmentalize* the experience are those for whom radio holds special appeal -- it's that whole act of tuning, discovery, tweaking, listening, and re-tweaking that holds appeal. The intriguing part is how many folks younger than 30 have little to no experience tuning a radio -- it simply does not strike them as a thing to do. More than a few in that age bracket have never tuned the mediumwave band -- at all -- let alone a shortwave band. Rich C On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 10:28 PM, David Goren <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Fred: > I definitely understand your points, and still itch for the thrill of > tuning rf myself. Though I do like being able to hear different radio > stations and formats from around the world via the internet, there is a > certain dryness to the experience. It feels like "pulling down a feed," > rather than "tuning in a station." Sometimes, the experience of internet > listening is a little disorienting, the more "perfect" connection via the > internet feels less real than feeling tethered to a distant station via it's > transmitted signal, no matter how tenuous. > > There's something about the act of listening hard with all of one's > auditory and cognitive might to connect with a faraway station that is > compelling, and as we know, addictive. And there's also the satisfaction and > skill involved in "playing the instrument," le; using the various features > of the radio to tune in an elusive station. > > That's another area where the internet lacks romance as well as utility. To > find stations, one has to hunt through various lists, try to connect to > stations one at a time, endure endless buffering, changed urls, incompatible > players. > > The networked radio site Global Tuners (formerly DX tuners) comes closest > to replicating the radio tuning experience on the internet, as one can > access tuners based in various countries, and band scan the local and > regional stations. Still, I know many SWL'ers/DX'ers find that experience > lacking as well. It just doesn't feel like radio listening to them. > > There is one bit of internet audio that holds little interest for me, and > that's music-only streams with no discernible radio context. I still like at > least the illusion of someone else's mind and ear guiding my experience. > >
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