Sour notes...

What is it about the ability to embed automatically playing music in a website that causes so many web publishers to impose their musical will on unsuspecting visitors? I’m not saying I don’t like music (in fact, I’ve even been known to listen to, perform, and even tap my little piggies to a tune or two.) I’m just bemoaning the fact that often when I’m surfing the Internet while watching television, or even in the silence of my own living room, I find myself hapless prey, trapped in the snare of either some wretched midi-created defunct former top ten ditty, or attempting to grok (it’s a Robert A. Heinlein reference; look it up later) the probably wonderful information on some web page while being involuntarily subjected to the likes of Plies’ “Bust It Baby Pt. 2”.

There’s nothing wrong with allowing website visitors the ability to listen to selected music, tunes selected by the web publisher that he or she believes might be enjoyable or might enhance the visitor’s web browsing experience or will convey a specific concept, emotion, or point of view relevant to whatever the purpose might be. Web site visitors should be allowed the courtesy of choosing whether to hear the audio or instead simply view the presented materials sans a computer generated version of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”

Not long ago I was searching for information on something or other, I don’t remember (Burmese barking spiders, maybe,) when I happened upon a website that featured Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” playing in the background. I couldn’t get to my audio button fast enough to stop the sound from reaching my ears. I didn’t have a weapon handy so I wasn’t able to take my own life or, at very least, puncture my ear drums. And I hadn’t yet installed a program designed to avoid such music-embedded web pages. What was I supposed to do?

I hope to purchase a new drop-kick-proof computer in the next few weeks.