Item independence

While I was analysing the iTunes application I noticed the Consolidate Library function under the Advanced Menu. I think I used this function only once when I started with iTunes, many years ago. This function will find any relevant audio-file on your computer and add it to the library. That really sounds useful. But why did I not see this function in any other MicroContent application?

That is because audio MicroContent items are independent entities. They are files, which can be stored anywhere on your disk or are stores somewhere on the Internet. Why is this not the case for other MicroContent types? Why can I not download the metadata of a book I am reading? Or a recipe that I am seeing? This is in part due to the lack of standards. But also the realisation that any MicroContent Items are independent entities.

What happens now is that many MicroContent items are locking in a MicroContent client, a RSS-file or an Internet Service. MicroContent should grow up and free its items into separate files, useful for separate distribution and later consolidation. And the MicroContent clients should grow more similar to iTunes.

Basically this is the file system approach versus the database approach. Reminds me of advanced file system browser that some people want to promote.

Categories/tags: client
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