Blogging from the College Library at Helen C. White Hall, where I like to work sometimes. One of its charms is that there’s always a wide selection of shared iTunes libraries, so I can listen to music selected by some brain other than my own. (Right now: “Dream On,” by Aerosmith, from a library heavy on the rap-metal. I may soon be hearing Hoobastank for, as far as I know, the first time.) Question: what exactly does this mean? Are the people whose music I can see right here with me in the cafe? Do they know I’m listening to their music? Is there some reason I shouldn’t share my own library when I’m working in here?
Update: One annoying thing about listening to college students’ shared libraries on shuffle is the podcasts of their classes which pop up from time to time. Also, Hoobastank is awful.
The only reason I can think of not to share is if you don’t feel like releasing music you have created or other personal stuff that may be in your iTunes.
It means they are on the same network as you – so probably in the same cafe. In a university they might well be further away than that. They don’t, I think, know that you’re listening.
Actually, I think that’s only partially so — reassured by Emily, I shared my own library, and there is a place in the Preferences box where it tells you how many people are listening to your library (though nothing about who they are.)