iTunes Plus Upgrade replaced track with version in a different language

[reggoboy]

I just went to play a song in my iTunes library (Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca") and found out it's in Spanish. It used to be in English.

Then I realized what happened, and a little research confirmed I was right: I accepted Apple's $0.30 iTunes Plus upgrade on that track, and iTunes replaced my existing file with a DRM-free version of the track in a different language!

So now I'm wondering how many other tracks in my library have been replaced (by the iTunes Plus Upgrade program) with versions that aren't what I had originally.

This reveals a serious design flaw in the iTunes infrastructure. I'm an enterprise information architect, and the first design rule here should be that, internal to the database, each track has a unique numeric id so that you never confuse two tracks. You never key off a "name" field, esp. when the names are not guaranteed to be unique. This is the same design flaw that screwed another poster here who had MobileMe remote wipe the wrong iPhone. If anyone under me ever made a design decision like that, he's be out on the street.

 

[Darth.Titan]

And now that you're finished ranting about how your multibillion dollar company would NEVER make such a simple mistake based totally on how you think iTunes does things...

...perhaps you should just submit a report to the iTunes store describing your problem. They will either fix it or refund you with no questions asked.

 

[reggoboy]

You're right... Apple could merely process potentially millions of manual customer issues; or, they could architect the system properly so that it works right in the first place. Which makes more sense?

 

[Darth.Titan]

Considering you have no idea how the system is set up, I'd hardly think you're qualified to recommend improvements.

Mistakes happen. (Like using the word 'architect' as a verb for example...)

 

[gloss]

Mistakes happen. (Like using the word 'architect' as a verb for example...)

–verb (used with object)
4. to plan, organize, or structure as an architect: The house is well architected.

 

[BittenApple]

Considering you have no idea how the system is set up, I'd hardly think you're qualified to recommend improvements.

Mistakes happen. (Like using the word 'architect' as a verb for example...)

verb [ trans. ] (usu. be architected) Computing
design and make : few software packages were architected with Ethernet access in mind.

lets not bicker now...

 

[reggoboy]

Thanks, guys.

I apologize if I came across as arrogant. If it were any other vendor, I wouldn't waste my time posting. But I appreciate Apple's world class standards of quality, and so I was alarmed to find such a glaring shortcoming.

Hopefully it's not too late to get fixed.

 

[Darth.Titan]

–verb (used with object)
4. to plan, organize, or structure as an architect: The house is well architected.

 

[Lorenz0]

I still can't believed that you admitted to owning any Ricky Martin!!

Maybe the whole update was architected that way on the basis that everyone would be too embarassed to come forward and complain.

 

[whooleytoo]

There is a problem.

I just checked in the iTunes Plus section, and it's offering me upgrades for songs I don't own. That might sound like a bonus (assuming it'd work), but if I casually hit the "Buy All" button I'd be paying for music I don't own and might not like!