Comment by 999900000999
2 years ago
>Software developers are the wizards and shamans of the modern age. We ought to use our powers with the austerity and integrity such power implies. You’re using them to exclude people from entertainment events.
I can definitely think of worse things programmers are doing aside from making it mildly difficult to see Taylor Swift .
I have personal qualms with working in certain industries because of this, but Ticketmaster ultimately provides a luxury. You don't need to see a concert, and if you have such an issue with their business practices you can do something else with your Friday night .
I've actually never had an issue with Ticketmaster. At a point a certain other ticket provider just blocked me without any explanation, and I had to go down to the box office to buy tickets. That sucked, but compare to airlines who do weird things like print off tickets without the actual seat number, Ticketmaster doesn't bother me too much.
You’re not considering the stagehands and artists who have to live under Live Nation’s vertical monopoly. I was chatting with a former tour guy the other day, someone who’s been a tech for major touring bands since the ‘80s, and he mentioned that he had to quit the business because Live Nation had driven wages down below poverty level while bringing in random unskilled labor to do highly-technical stage setups. (He quit after almost losing a hand to a large piece of unsecured stage equipment.) The enshittification of modern life is an inconvenience to most of us, but life and livelihood to many others.
> Ticketmaster ultimately provides a luxury. You don't need to see a concert
I don't agree. Entertainment/recreation is a need. Music is an important part of the human experience, and seeing it live, with other fans, is really valuable to some people. And the fact is, the value a person places on the experience is totally orthogonal to their ability to use/afford Ticketmaster. And it's not just about Taylor Swift - even local shows can be difficult to access without quarrelsome online portals. (But also, someone being obsessed with Taylor Swift isn't a personality flaw.)
You can find a bar with a band playing. I suggest Kingston Mines if you're in the Chicago area.
Ticketmaster doesn't own have a monopoly on music. You can vote with your wallet.
> even local shows can be difficult to access without quarrelsome online portals
Not all of them, but online ticket is a convenience and then a trap. It isn't going to be outcompeted by me "voting with my wallet." That just betrays an ignorance of situation.
"Fed up with high prices and long lines and ticketing SNAFUs for big shows with your favorite artists?"
"Clearly, the best answer to this is to forget about all of the music you think you like. Just forget all about it."
"Instead, go to the bar and see a band. It doesn't matter if you like the music or not; after all, we know that every live music performance is exactly the same as any other!"
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I agree that experiencing music is a fundamental part of human life, but experiencing specific musicians at specific venues is not. It is very easy to find free live music without Ticketmaster or online portals.
> It is very easy to find free live music without Ticketmaster or online portals.
Oh okay, nevermind then. Heck, I just found some under my couch. How does Ticketmaster even make any money?!