I know shoutcast isn't open source, but they manage to stick it Time Warner/AOHell whenever possible, so I feel good about using it.
Besides, I found it was far more stable than icecast, although I still keep an eye on their development. You just drop your mp3's into a directory and can provide on-demand content.
The issue isn't price, but performance. Customers want ease of use and reliable service. I do help desk support and as anyone who has done tech support knows, most customers think that their computer should be as simple as their TV. (And most of the population can barely manage that)
Except computers aren't TV's, despite how they've been marketed over the last five years. ISPs provide the same service anywhere you go , all for roughly the same price. What keeps the customers is how stable and well managed their network infrastructure is.
Now, the company I work for was recently swallowed up by a larger ISP and it keeps eating up the local mom and pop's to secure a deal with the local Telco. Currently I deal with customers who up until a month ago were from 3 different ISPs. The difference in network reliablility between the 3 networks is like night and day. One network has nothing but trouble,(disconnects, mail is down, brownouts), another section surfs mindlessly without interuption.
None of the customers give a shit if it costs $29.95/month for unlimited 56K or $27.95/month, they just want to be able to get their precious email.
The dot-bomb is here, and tech industry consolidation is the only thing that keeps it from getting worse. A lot of tech jobs that appeared secure two years ago are now fluff. The pay is shit too, with no capital flowing and a glut of out-of-work IT people.
Slashdot Mirror
Dear Ask Slashdot,
How do I troll for PR?
I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, troll or not.
Besides, I found it was far more stable than icecast, although I still keep an eye on their development.
You just drop your mp3's into a directory and can provide on-demand content.
Shameless somewhat on-topic plug below :P
Except computers aren't TV's, despite how they've been marketed over the last five years. ISPs provide the same service anywhere you go , all for roughly the same price. What keeps the customers is how stable and well managed their network infrastructure is.
Now, the company I work for was recently swallowed up by a larger ISP and it keeps eating up the local mom and pop's to secure a deal with the local Telco.
Currently I deal with customers who up until a month ago were from 3 different ISPs. The difference in network reliablility between the 3 networks is like night and day. One network has nothing but trouble,(disconnects, mail is down, brownouts), another section surfs mindlessly without interuption.
None of the customers give a shit if it costs $29.95/month for unlimited 56K or $27.95/month, they just want to be able to get their precious email.
The dot-bomb is here, and tech industry consolidation is the only thing that keeps it from getting worse.
A lot of tech jobs that appeared secure two years ago are now fluff. The pay is shit too, with no capital flowing and a glut of out-of-work IT people.