IpodExchange

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  • Take a chance on your friend's music with an 'iPod exchange'

    by 
    David Chartier
    David Chartier
    05.25.2007

    The Ocala Star-Banner has an interesting story involving an 'iPod exchange,' where two of their reporters decided to swap iPod shuffles for a few days to get a taste for each others' musical interests. The key to their experiment, at least in their eyes, is the fact that they specifically used shuffles, so neither could scan through the library on the iPod or even tell what songs they were listening to; it was literally more about the experience of what music the iPod would serve up, rather than skimming through a simple list of artists and songs with which one could pass a musical judgement. I'll save the dramatic results for your own reading, but the concept is an interesting one: in a world where we increasingly are keeping more and more - or perhaps the entirety -of our music libraries in our pocket, what would happen if you temporarily traded your collection with a friend, co-worker or that guy you just can't meet eye-to-eye with on [insert band here]? Could you gain a musical appreciation for your iPod exchangee? Or would you scratch them off your listening party list forever?