the main problem with id3 tag is not the use of WMP or programs. its the flexibility. Because of id3v2, you now have to worry about album artist, contributing album, various artists, composers, producers, conductor, etc etc etc etc and more ETC.
that’s the biggest problem right there. because id3v2 allows you store ANY information you desire, such tags get inconsitant from program to program. the comparasion between winamp and wmp11 is probably just a few fields, but compare that to another program and another program and another program, and the varying fields overlap and differ.
Not to mention you can now include lyrics and long essay comments, it just makes id3 tagging more of a hasal. Do you really need all that information? I’d understand for maybe professional heirarchies, but even than the current online database of napster and rhapsody are only using 3-4 fields, the rest is just left blank.
really you have to look at what you personally need, and because these features are openly offered, many feel the need to use it. but really when you go through your library and listen to your music are you going to want to know who the contributing artist, varius artist, composer, producer, etc is? I think at that point, you’d have remembered all that information for that particular song and not even need the id3 tag. I’m actually just fine with the title of the song and artist and a folder specifying where its from or what genre it is.
but everyone is different. the debate is really pointless. . . its like one side is arguing red should be blue and one side is arguing blue should be red. the end product is that you’ll have a red and blue still. in this end there will always be id3 tags and non id3 tags. at one point mp3 players did only folder view, then they did only id3 view, I think its very realistic that it will merge.
