All About Streaming Music Services

[Spotted Horses]

I don't know.  The ads say they do.  Some chemical or another is included, or maybe not.

Bleach or charcoal, I think. Whether there is a perceptible effect is hard to quantify.

[Todd]

Bleach or charcoal, I think. Whether there is a perceptible effect is hard to quantify.

A pearly white smile is priceless.  Purchasers appear to believe the products work, so that is good enough.

[DavidW]

There is something to it, but you take it too far, in my opinion. It is a well known experience that people who settle in the U.S. (and not just from the Soviet Union) find it disconcerting to go to the supermarket and find, for instance, an entire wall of toothpaste. Too many choices and they are all the same (maybe two categories, with and without fluoride). It is disconcerting even for a native of the U.S. like me. But being able to choose from dozens of recordings of Mahler's 9th symphony at no marginal cost does not cause me any inconvenience or stress.

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend The Paradox of Choice.

[Spotted Horses]

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend The Paradox of Choice.

I haven't read it, but I think I may have read a review of it.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

There is something to it, but you take it too far, in my opinion. It is a well known experience that people who settle in the U.S. (and not just from the Soviet Union) find it disconcerting to go to the supermarket and find, for instance, an entire wall of toothpaste. Too many choices and they are all the same (maybe two categories, with and without fluoride). It is disconcerting even for a native of the U.S. like me. But being able to choose from dozens of recordings of Mahler's 9th symphony at no marginal cost does not cause me any inconvenience or stress.

It's mind boggling at times! 

[AnotherSpin]

There is something to it, but you take it too far, in my opinion. It is a well known experience that people who settle in the U.S. (and not just from the Soviet Union) find it disconcerting to go to the supermarket and find, for instance, an entire wall of toothpaste. Too many choices and they are all the same (maybe two categories, with and without fluoride). It is disconcerting even for a native of the U.S. like me. But being able to choose from dozens of recordings of Mahler's 9th symphony at no marginal cost does not cause me any inconvenience or stress.

Are the recordings of Mahler's 9th Symphony really different? The record companies executives will say yes, critics will readily confirm. The other question is, how many of these versions do you need at any given moment of time? And there is only this moment.

You and I look at the ability to choose in different ways. Ultimately, it all comes down to the ability to distinguish between what is desired and what is necessary.

[AnotherSpin]

Four categories: with/without fluoride; with/without whiteners.  Intangible product differentiation must flourish so that marketing folks stay employed.

There's also a difference in the place of manufacture.

A few years ago, I bought Japanese toothbrushes in Singapore that were claimed to clean without toothpaste, just with a little water. I didn't like the way they worked. The minimalist design was much more impressive.

[Spotted Horses]

Are the recordings of Mahler's 9th Symphony really different? The record companies executives will say yes, critics will readily confirm. The other question is, how many of these versions do you need at any given moment of time? And there is only this moment.

You and I look at the ability to choose in different ways. Ultimately, it all comes down to the ability to distinguish between what is desired and what is necessary.

I don't know how many I "need," but I have never listened to a recording of Mahler 9 that wasn't unique in some way, or which didn't bring out a musical line that I had not noticed before.

[AnotherSpin]

I haven't read it, but I think I may have read a review of it.

I haven't read this book, and I'm not likely to, the answer to the freedom of choice question is pretty clear to me. On another note, I found this excerpt from a Goodreads review funny. Quote: "Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, [...] decisions have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice." Wait a minute, real jeans are no longer available to the average consumer. Levi's produces anywhere but the US some sorry rags that have little to do with the original product of the mid-20th century.

[AnotherSpin]

I don't know how many I "need," but I have never listened to a recording of Mahler 9 that wasn't unique in some way, or which didn't bring out a musical line that I had not noticed before.

I have no doubt that if you listen to the same Mahler 9th recording more than once, you will hear something new each time.