We want you to know we're listening to your comments in the survey, emails and everywhere you give it. We're trying to add features and content you've asked for -- within the bounds of what we can legally provide, of course. So here you go:
A blog.
Done. OK, that one was easy!
Video clips.
That was another one we heard loud and clear. In the past few days, I've added some videos around the pages to try to enhance Benn's research. I don't want to spoil all your fun, so off you go. Hunt a little and I'm sure you'll see them. And of course, we'll add more if we can if Benn feels like it's the right fit for this site.
Audio clips.
Yup. Trust us, we get that one! We're all here for the music, right? Nothing would help expand the impact of this site more than audio evidence of the facts presented. Pretty straightforward.
A blog.
Done. OK, that one was easy!
Video clips.
That was another one we heard loud and clear. In the past few days, I've added some videos around the pages to try to enhance Benn's research. I don't want to spoil all your fun, so off you go. Hunt a little and I'm sure you'll see them. And of course, we'll add more if we can if Benn feels like it's the right fit for this site.
Audio clips.
Yup. Trust us, we get that one! We're all here for the music, right? Nothing would help expand the impact of this site more than audio evidence of the facts presented. Pretty straightforward.
But obviously, that one is all about the legal stuff. We love the idea of helping Who fans in their quest for listening to everything they possibly can get their ears wrapped around. But we're not pirates. And "fair use" of music clips is not so well-established as to allow us to serve copyrighted music, even in snippet portions. There's really no way around it that doesn't cost a small fortune and a major organ. For now, Benn's words will have to do.
Images of the band.
That was a request many people made. That one deserves a longer discussion, and likely will require more resources.
There are a lot of great photos available around the web, but we've tried to be very careful with what we've used and how we've used them. We're not focusing on the live shows, so we'll leave that for others. But there are some great period images of The Who in studios, as well as the band's everyday life. You can see dozens on Getty's site, for example. (I especially love the mid- and late 60s stuff.)
Just for fun, try pricing out a long-term release for one of those photos. You'll quickly see how expensive things can get when you want to use dozens of illuminating, yet copyrighted, works. While Benn and I want the best site possible, we're not independently wealthy (not even close!) -- this is what you might call a "hobbyist" site at present. I don't know that Benn has plans to make it an income-producing venture anytime soon. That might be the only reason to justify paying, say, $125 US per photo every two years for three or four dozen photos. You do the math; it hurts my head.
Photographers, like musicians, tend to hold the creative rights to their work, and we want to respect that. We hope all of you have seen the incredible concert images created by Ross Halfin, William Snyder, Matt Kent and others during the band's tours over decades. I know from real experience that they work hard for a living and support themselves and their families through their work. It was no different "back in the day" for guys who shot in B&W. Be thankful they documented what they did, when they did, or we wouldn't have so many iconic images of the world's greatest rock band, in its heyday.
Nevertheless, we're trying to figure out how to work within our modest boundaries (very modest) while still giving you what you want as well as what you need to get the most out of this site. Bottom line: Stay tuned, and keep those cards and letters coming...
-- Webmonkey
Images of the band.
That was a request many people made. That one deserves a longer discussion, and likely will require more resources.
There are a lot of great photos available around the web, but we've tried to be very careful with what we've used and how we've used them. We're not focusing on the live shows, so we'll leave that for others. But there are some great period images of The Who in studios, as well as the band's everyday life. You can see dozens on Getty's site, for example. (I especially love the mid- and late 60s stuff.)
Just for fun, try pricing out a long-term release for one of those photos. You'll quickly see how expensive things can get when you want to use dozens of illuminating, yet copyrighted, works. While Benn and I want the best site possible, we're not independently wealthy (not even close!) -- this is what you might call a "hobbyist" site at present. I don't know that Benn has plans to make it an income-producing venture anytime soon. That might be the only reason to justify paying, say, $125 US per photo every two years for three or four dozen photos. You do the math; it hurts my head.
Photographers, like musicians, tend to hold the creative rights to their work, and we want to respect that. We hope all of you have seen the incredible concert images created by Ross Halfin, William Snyder, Matt Kent and others during the band's tours over decades. I know from real experience that they work hard for a living and support themselves and their families through their work. It was no different "back in the day" for guys who shot in B&W. Be thankful they documented what they did, when they did, or we wouldn't have so many iconic images of the world's greatest rock band, in its heyday.
Nevertheless, we're trying to figure out how to work within our modest boundaries (very modest) while still giving you what you want as well as what you need to get the most out of this site. Bottom line: Stay tuned, and keep those cards and letters coming...
-- Webmonkey