History of the MP3

If you have about 20 minutes to kill, I highly recommend checking out this utterly fascinating article from Pitchfork magazine on the social history of the MP3. Beyond just chronicling the rise of this new music format, the article gives a broad overview on how advances in technology can work to change and shape culture in powerful and sometimes unforeseen ways. I was amazed by the breadth and depth of the piece and how meticulously it was researched. It almost functions as an argument for itself--it is exactly this type of well thought-out and intelligent "criticism" that the author is advocating for in this new world of global music sharing and online communities. I am continually amazed by the individual writing on Pitchfork, and this speaks to the growing reality that web-based media is capable of creating content just as good as that from reputable newspapers, magazines and other print media.