Some folks have asked why Vito doesn't have a Facebag page. I did, but I dumped it.
Here's why. Facebag monetizes personal information. I don't object to that; after all, nothing is free. But the way they go about it is...well, if not outright deceptive, then it's at least not entirely up front.
Case in point: the way Facebag handles changes in "features" and user preferences. They're always making changes to maximize the amount of personal information they can harvest. The problem is that a great many of those changes have the effect of exposing personal information that can lead to identity theft and other forms of mischief.
Facebag doesn't notify users about the changes, nor do they make them opt-in. So, you set your privacy preferences thinking you're covered, and next thing you know, Facebag has come up with a new way to defeat those preferences...and your exposure hazard increases.
I finally got fed up. It took way too much time to keep up with their endless changes that compromise my privacy and security, so I dumped it.
It's not that I don't think Facebag is useful. I think it's a great tool for reconnecting with folks I've lost touch with. But as a channel for communication, it has some serious limitations. Besides, I'm not altogether comfortable entrusting my privacy and security to someone (Mr. Zuckerberg) who is on record as saying his users are "dumb fucks". (Google it.) As far as I know, he's never even been man enough to apologize.
If Facebag were to change their policy about adding new features to opt-in, that would convince me that the noises they make about concern for their users' privacy and security are sincere. In that case, I would reboot my account.
But I don't think that's ever going to happen. I think they count on the fact that the vast majority of their users think Facebag is "free", and are unaware that their personal information is being collected. And I suspect that the ones who do know it don't see any downside in it, or just don't care.
I do. And if you're concerned about privacy and security, you should care too. There's a whole world of hurt waiting for folks who post everything about themselves on Facebag. I'm not one of them, and I hope you aren't either.
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Vito Tuxedo / Blog
Why no Facebag?
Some folks have asked why Vito doesn't have a Facebag page. I did, but I dumped it.
Here's why. Facebag monetizes personal information. I don't object to that; after all, nothing is free. But the way they go about it is...well, if not outright deceptive, then it's at least not entirely up front.
Case in point: the way Facebag handles changes in "features" and user preferences. They're always making changes to maximize the amount of personal information they can harvest. The problem is that a great many of those changes have the effect of exposing personal information that can lead to identity theft and other forms of mischief.
Facebag doesn't notify users about the changes, nor do they make them opt-in. So, you set your privacy preferences thinking you're covered, and next thing you know, Facebag has come up with a new way to defeat those preferences...and your exposure hazard increases.
I finally got fed up. It took way too much time to keep up with their endless changes that compromise my privacy and security, so I dumped it.
It's not that I don't think Facebag is useful. I think it's a great tool for reconnecting with folks I've lost touch with. But as a channel for communication, it has some serious limitations. Besides, I'm not altogether comfortable entrusting my privacy and security to someone (Mr. Zuckerberg) who is on record as saying his users are "dumb fucks". (Google it.) As far as I know, he's never even been man enough to apologize.
If Facebag were to change their policy about adding new features to opt-in, that would convince me that the noises they make about concern for their users' privacy and security are sincere. In that case, I would reboot my account.
But I don't think that's ever going to happen. I think they count on the fact that the vast majority of their users think Facebag is "free", and are unaware that their personal information is being collected. And I suspect that the ones who do know it don't see any downside in it, or just don't care.
I do. And if you're concerned about privacy and security, you should care too. There's a whole world of hurt waiting for folks who post everything about themselves on Facebag. I'm not one of them, and I hope you aren't either.
Reply
Politics
Politics is the bane of the human species. It is the cesspool of human endeavor, the repository of descending consciousness, the sinister and dark vehicle by which everything good and constructive and uplifting is debased and destroyed.
Humanity will never be truly civilized until we free ourselves from the superstition that governance consists of subjecting ourselves to those who crave power over other people's lives.
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About Genres
The notion that one can characterize ALL of one's music within a specific genre is exemplary of the kind of idiotic mentality that has afflicted the business of music for far too long.
I can see how it works for dudes (and dudettes) who exclusively play, say, bluegrass, or jazz (whatever that means), or rock (which means even less), or acid death metal punk grunge square wave corrosion, or religious, or maybe even "world"...but it doesn't work for me. Vito's music is eclectic—that is, it's a kind of a polyglot that reflects numerous influences, and captures many different vibes.
How do you assign a genre, anyway? By instruments? If an instrumental tune contains bansuri and tambura, does that necessarily make it "Indian" or "world"? If it also contains a string ensemble, does it suddenly become "classical"? And if there's a pedal steel guitar in there, does that make it "country"?
Maybe that's the reason Frank Zappa is one of my musical heroes. Music critics desperately tried to peg his music as jazz rock, progressive rock, and various other labels, none of which ever sufficed as a proper characterization of the grand tour of musical influences and styles that routinely appeared on any of his albums. His music stands on its own merits, irrespective of genre labels.
Even ReverbNation suffers from this genre lunacy, forcing artists to pick a primary genre (eclectic—my first choice—isn’t one of them). I guess I can understand it from a marketing standpoint, but it doesn't apply to everyone. Nevertheless, it's a fact of life, this music chauvinism that wants to pigeonhole everyone into a box with a dismissive label. I suspect it will be a long time before it vanishes along with other moronic prejudices...if ever.
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Band Members
As of 2013, December, the virtual band lineup is:
Vito Tuxedo - Guitars, composer,toaster; Reno Snarzbarf - Keyboards, beer; Pootney Quainxt - Low instruments, snake wrangler; Cleric Apton - Other instruments, morning services; Boome - Things that go "Bonk!", cello ...etc.; Tooter Nziramagonga - English horn, oboe, prunes; Fesco "Ratboy" Dryhume - everything else, vagrant
...but as with all bands, the membership is subject to change. Considering the fact that these are all virtual band members (except Vito), personnel changes are considerably less traumatic than in Olden Tymes, when the band members were actual humanoids, some of whom were commies from hell, or smoked way too much dope, or had stinky feet, or wanted their girlfriends to "play" tambourine at live gigs...and get paid for it. Things are simpler with virtual band members.
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Foondriss Preveempt
You prolly never heard of Foondriss Preveempt, but he's the alter ego who plays zoot horn on all the Vito tracks that...well, contain zoot horn. His severe zoot horn chops impart a certain panache that spins the boys like dervishes, and makes the girls go GLOINK.
Foondriss was born a poor black weevil in the Looweezeyanna Bye-You, but thanks to your donations and the miracle of modern species-change surgery, he's now a zoot horn playin' terror. Look for tracks featuring Foondriss's zoot horn virtuosity on the upcoming Vito album, Ain't Gwine Bozo No Mo'. You'll be glad you did.*
*Mileage lower in California. In fact, everything is lower in California, thanx to the bozos in Hackramento.
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