Journal LehiNephi's Journal: Gripe #1: Media packaging 1
I love listening to classical music. But the excitement of bringing home a new CD of Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky or Chopin is quickly dampened as soon as I try to put the CD in the CD player. In my way stands a barrier so seemingly weak, yet so obnoxiously strong, that I am tempted to give up and download the music over P2P.
I refer, of course, to the plastic cellophane wrapper on the jewel case. Whoever designed it ought to be taken out back and shot, as should every supervisor/manager/executive up the line who approved the packaging. There is no pull-cord like cassette tapes have, no shrinkwrap seam corners to grab and stretch out, no paper wrapper, no nooks or crannies into which I might conceivably stick the end of a pair of scissors, nothing.
If, perchance, you manage to remove the cellophane, a second line of defense stymies any efforts to listen to your newly-purchased recording. There's a long, sticker-like seal on at least one side of the case, holding your music hostage. This is no ordinary sticker--this one deliberately appears to be easily removable, with a notch in one end and a "Pull here" marking. Alas, it is all misdirection. Good luck getting past that one.
DVDs have a similar problem, though perhaps the movie industry has learned from the music industry's folly. I recently purchased the Toy Story DVD, and found to my delight that the shrink wrap easily tore from the case without any damage. However, I was immediately greeted by a "SECURITY DEVICE ENCLOSED" sticker, similar to the one on a CD. It wraps around the top (and often all three open sides of the case are covered) and adheres to the soft, transparent plastic jacket. If you try to remove this sticker by digging at one corner with your fingernail, the sticker stays firmly put, while the plastic cover stretches and deforms.
I've found that the only way to actually remove this sticker and (*gasp!*) watch my movie was to take a knife and slice the sticker along the crack between the two halves of the case. If you follow this method, you will find that the sticker's stubbornness immediately evaporates, and it will easily pull away from the case as if nothing ever happened.
Perhaps people downloading movies and music from P2P networks are not really pirates after all. They just couldn't open the package.
I refer, of course, to the plastic cellophane wrapper on the jewel case. Whoever designed it ought to be taken out back and shot, as should every supervisor/manager/executive up the line who approved the packaging. There is no pull-cord like cassette tapes have, no shrinkwrap seam corners to grab and stretch out, no paper wrapper, no nooks or crannies into which I might conceivably stick the end of a pair of scissors, nothing.
If, perchance, you manage to remove the cellophane, a second line of defense stymies any efforts to listen to your newly-purchased recording. There's a long, sticker-like seal on at least one side of the case, holding your music hostage. This is no ordinary sticker--this one deliberately appears to be easily removable, with a notch in one end and a "Pull here" marking. Alas, it is all misdirection. Good luck getting past that one.
DVDs have a similar problem, though perhaps the movie industry has learned from the music industry's folly. I recently purchased the Toy Story DVD, and found to my delight that the shrink wrap easily tore from the case without any damage. However, I was immediately greeted by a "SECURITY DEVICE ENCLOSED" sticker, similar to the one on a CD. It wraps around the top (and often all three open sides of the case are covered) and adheres to the soft, transparent plastic jacket. If you try to remove this sticker by digging at one corner with your fingernail, the sticker stays firmly put, while the plastic cover stretches and deforms.
I've found that the only way to actually remove this sticker and (*gasp!*) watch my movie was to take a knife and slice the sticker along the crack between the two halves of the case. If you follow this method, you will find that the sticker's stubbornness immediately evaporates, and it will easily pull away from the case as if nothing ever happened.
Perhaps people downloading movies and music from P2P networks are not really pirates after all. They just couldn't open the package.
not shot (Score:2)
Instead, their paychecks should be enclosed in envelopes of this stuff, it would teach a fine lesson.
I believe that the CD's are wrapped in the same stuff the gordian knot is made from.
Sam