Why iTunes Sucks

Thanks to Frodo for sending me this article from his hometown newspaper about an independent music store that, no longer able to compete with iTunes and the big box stores, is closing its doors after 17 years in business. This is what happens when people stop shopping local: they limit their future shopping options. Though picking up a few CDs at Walmart instead of at your local record store may not seem like a big deal to you, it adds up, and eventually it drives local merchants out of business. Once that happens, you no longer have the choice of investing your music budget in the local economy. Those dollars instead migrate to Silicon Valley (iTunes), Seattle (Amazon), Bentonville (Walmart) or a kajillion other places that you don't call home.