Song removal?

[WeaselSlayer]

I don't know if there's a precedent for this, but is it possible for artists to request removal of songs they did from the songfight archives?

[Hoblit]

I think if we all did this... it would create a lot of extra work for the fightmasters. I would love for a few of my songs to drop off of the face of the earth in case somebody ever decided they liked one of my songs and searched me here. My luck, they'd run into Birds of Our Own and immediately drop their 'Hoblit' search.

When you enter the song, you are surrendering it to the public as you know!

I've got no official say of course... this is just my $0.02 and you can mock my movements and read my post through your nose if you like

[Caravan Ray]

I'd like to remove some of Denyer's songs. Is that OK?

[frankie big face]

We've had discussions about this in the past and my opinion (that the artist should be able to request removal of a song for any reason at any time) was not very well received by the two exceptional gentlemen who run the site.

P.S. I like your "Birds of My Own," Hoblit.

[Kill Me Sarah]

You know this just occurred to me... wouldn't it be sweet if users actually managed their own song postings? When a new song came out, you had to log in and post it yourself and then when the deadline came you were locked out of posting, but you could choose to delete songs at any time.
The other upside of this would be that when deadline came around, the front page of the site could be automated to run out and grab everything posted to that fight before the deadline.
It would probably be a bear to code to begin with, but might take a lot of the work off the FMs' shoulders in the long run and eliminate all the "why aren't the songs posted yet?" whining (mine included).

[frankie big face]

...[users] could choose to delete songs at any time.

This would be very bad, likely resulting in broken links all over the place (i.e. archive, etc.). If you were going to make this change, you may as well just have artists host their own songs.

[WeaselSlayer]

There's a song of mine that I think requires some sort of sensitive handling. Somehow my family caught wind of it and was very hurt by it, etc. and on top of that, I never know when future employment may be made difficult by it. And yeah, I guess I should have thought of that before I put it on songfight, but I'm not even out of the teens yet (until monday anyway) and have a lot less foresight than most. And mothers and employers alike do tend to frown on songs about incestuous rape, in spite of it not really being about that at all.

[Kill Me Sarah]

...[users] could choose to delete songs at any time.

This would be very bad, likely resulting in broken links all over the place (i.e. archive, etc.). If you were going to make this change, you may as well just have artists host their own songs.

I would think that having artists host their own songs is where you'd get broken links, not the other way around.

[Lunkhead]

If the FMs felt like they couldn't take the song down for some reason, maybe they could reassign it to a new band name, specifically one that was not easily connected to your real name?

[frankie big face]

...[users] could choose to delete songs at any time.

This would be very bad, likely resulting in broken links all over the place (i.e. archive, etc.). If you were going to make this change, you may as well just have artists host their own songs.

I would think that having artists host their own songs is where you'd get broken links, not the other way around.

Well yeah, that's what I meant. I guess I saw what you were suggesting as the same thing. I probably misunderstood you.

[Niveous]

It's an interesting dilemma.

If you say Yes, then you ruin the integrity of the archive and you create a false image of what the fights were like if suddenly people start taking out the bad ones.

If you say No, you're infringing on the musician's right to their own music. There's nothing on songfight that states that once you enter a song it becomes the property of SF.

I think the answer should stay no. If you entered a song in the fight, you were under the understanding that the song would become part of an archive kept for posterity.

In a situation like Luke's where the Henley family went a googling, I say just adopt a stage name. I suggest either Pee Girl Gets The Belt or Black Cohosh.

[Sober]

If you feel like your songs used to suck, and now you're all awesome and don't want them associated with you, change your name.

When I get to the point that I feel like my production and writing is at a new level, I will forgo The Sober Irishman.

Basically, quit sucking in the past tense or quit whining in the present.

[Sober]

If you say No, you're infringing on the musician's right to their own music. There's nothing on songfight that states that once you enter a song it becomes the property of SF.

From the faq:

Song Fight will take no official or unofficial position on this issue. Enter at your own risk. By submitting your song, you are authorizing us to post it permanently on a publicly viewable Web site where it can be downloaded by anyone.

[Niveous]

If you say No, you're infringing on the musician's right to their own music. There's nothing on songfight that states that once you enter a song it becomes the property of SF.

From the faq:

Song Fight will take no official or unofficial position on this issue. Enter at your own risk. By submitting your song, you are authorizing us to post it permanently on a publicly viewable Web site where it can be downloaded by anyone.

Oh. I forgot about that. If that's there then case closed. The song is in the archive. The most you can ask for is a name change. Maybe "Boom Goes The Dynamite" or "Disco at the Panic!"?

[WeaselSlayer]

I don't want it removed because it's a shitty song and I'm embarassed by it. People have been hurt by my lack of foresight and there's an active step to take in order to remedy that. Personally I think it's a great song, and I meant the message behind it (though it was mostly lost on people). I just didn't take into account other people who have been nothing but supportive of my musical endeavors and am very remorseful for it. So it's very much not whining. On top of that, on the off-chance a future employer finds this song (and who knows, maybe they will), my actual non-internet-songfight life might be affected. In addition to the very real, very non-songfight lives that have already been affected.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I would think that if you submitted a replacement song for the one that you want removed, with this "family/job" story, they might be kind enough to help you out. But that's just my assumption of course.

[frankie big face]

I would think that if you submitted a replacement song for the one that you want removed, with this "family/job" story, they might be kind enough to help you out. But that's just my assumption of course.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[Hoblit]

People have been hurt by my lack of foresight and ... Personally I think it's a great song, and I meant the message behind it (though it was mostly lost on people). ... on the off-chance a future employer finds this song (and who knows, maybe they will), my actual non-internet-songfight life might be affected. In addition to the very real, very non-songfight lives that have already been affected.

Thats art baby. Sounds like self censorship... slippery slope there guy. You're not even 20 and you're already losing your edge. Alot of people at where I work would not appreciate my work. My current employers would probably turn a frown at my own incestual piece 'my sister'. I don't care. It's art work. If I have to explain it, then explain it I will. (Its easy 'cause I don't really have a sister) (I have a cousin though and she's hot)

If you feel bad about hurting someone's feelings. Apologize, explain how you condensed all of these feelings into one song. It's an artistic expression in the medium of music. Use big words. Whatever you have to do to make things right with the exception of retraction.

Artistic foresight? Is that even possible? Should it be? Live for the now..tomorrow will be here soon enough with a whole brand new set of problems. In the big picture, that song you wrote when you were 19 will be a small pebble in your mountain of being.

Now, I'm off to drink a beer.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I would think that if you submitted a replacement song for the one that you want removed, with this "family/job" story, they might be kind enough to help you out. But that's just my assumption of course.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

OK, let me try it again. I meant that if he had a song to put in place of the song he wants removed, there won't be a dead link.
Basically I'm saying that "possibly" all the FM'ers care about is a dead link.

[Adam!]

It's a bit too late for this, I know, but I heartily recommend submitting under a pseudonym. I'm deeply embarrassed about all of my musical endeavors, so I keep a fairly strict separation between my hobbies and my real life, to prevent either from affecting the other. Recently I was a little disturbed when an ex-coworker of mine managed (through some trick googling or whois'ing, I can only assume) to track me down to Songfight, register on the forums and send me a PM. I know, I know, it's the internet--people can find out anything--but I still felt like my privacy had been violated. I was not prepared to read his opinions on my songs that are, at this point, years old (songs I recorded when I was Luke's age), so I deleted the message without reading it and contacted him by email. Turns out all he wanted was a job reference, and thankfully topics like "songs" or "fucking ridiculous falsettos" were avoided entirely.

And, if you're reading this Dude-Who-I-Am-Talking-About, you're a nice guy, but that kinda creeped me out.

[anti-m]

"songs" or "fucking ridiculous falsettos" were avoided entirely.

Not that my 2 cents is worth a damn, but I am in love with your so-called "ridiculous falsetto" so dontcha go changin.'

Luke, I'm with Hoblit -- explain to your family that it was a work of fiction, and not intended to be taken as fact, or as hurtful. If future employers are cool enough to check out songfight and download your songs, then sheeeeeot, sign a life contract with the company.

And yes, I recommend a nom de guerre, for future exploits.

[j$]

FTR, roymond had a song removed from the archives - though I believe it was because of a copyright violation, or somesuch. I only remember because I liked the song so much and missed its absence.