Right. And anyone who has played a game on a computer knows that it can be a learning experience. However, these computers aren't just being given to kids... they are being incorporated into the classroom curriculum.

What more, I can't help but to agree with Rob that having an opportunity to play freely with computers growing up has allowed me to become what I am today. From my current job, to my interest and degree in film making, to my hobbyistic websites like Celebrating Sagan and One Album in 120 Seconds.

The bottom line is that computers are going to continue playing an increased roll in the day to day lives of people all across the planet... and the sooner that kids in the developing world have access to computers the sooner they can participate in the global economy and dialogue online.

I just wanted to mention that albums are a relatively new thing. The first long play records didn't reach wide circulation until the 50s and 60s. Looking back at many millenniums of musical history the album is still a rather new creation.

Even if you are just considering the history of recorded music, albums have only been around for about half of it.

So in a lot of ways the growing trend of buying individual songs resembles the purchasing of 78s, and the sheet music for individual songs before that.

And then considering length, most CD albums run more than sixty minutes -- while some of the greatest albums ever clock in at 45 minutes. Sometimes more is less, right?

And also, understanding one song in the context of an album is important, but is that more important than understanding one song in context of an artist's latest work? Or in context of their influences or a genre or movement as a whole?

I dunno.

I love listening to albums straight through too -- but I also really enjoy the opportunity to recontextualize an artist's vision by placing their music up against their influence and artists of similar styles.

What more I think as the user involvement plays an increasingly large part of an artist's completed work... perhaps just a little bit we'll grow to accept the limitations of the album.