Email From Jim Hillegas CEO of JRiver Media Center

[Melloware]

So apparently Jim Hillegas the CEO of JRiver does not like anyone saying what his product can't do and doesn't want any constructive critisism on how to make it better. He constantly edits my posts and deletes my posts whenever I say anything even slightly that he feels is out of line such as "JRMC has no database access ability for developers".

I keep getting request after request after request on why can't RiverMote be more like MonkeyTunes and "why can't RiverMote browse the Library" etc. Well the short answer is because the MC API does not support these features like the MediaMonkey API does. Anytime I mention that on the MC forums JimH deletes my posts or suggests some other technology like DLNA that can't handle the query support I need.

I received this from JimH today and it's been about the 5th such letter. I honestly don't know how this guy ever got in charge of a software company but people skill's are not his forte.

At 02:10 PM 1/17/2010

Please stop providing links to other products.

Please stop complaining about the interface you're using or lack of improvements you want.

If you have a question on how to do something, contact me by e-mail. I'll get Matt's help if needed.

Jim

And then in response to my email...

At 04:13 PM 1/17/2010

> Before we get started I just posted on your forums asking users to please post on our forums rather than clutter up your forums and make you have to constantly edit our posts.

I removed that post. I view it as a complaint.

I am trying to support you and your work, but I will not accept a "come on over to our place" post.

> 1. I posted a link to a Wikipedia page about DACP or Digital Audio Access Protocol and not another product.

Which links to your Media Monkey product

> 2. I am not complaining, I am simply responding to all the posts by YOUR users asking YOU to implement the interface. I am simply responding to their REPEATED, REPEATED, REPEATED requests for improvement.

It may not be obvious to you, but we have an agenda of our own.

Again, I'd like to support you, but it looks like you're heading toward the door.

> You have the worst customer service attitude of any software product manager I have ever seen. By not listening to your users you drive them away. And can I assume you treat other users and forum members the way you treat me? If so, by acting the way you have towards me you are going to drive good developers away who are giving you the opportunity to make your product better. No product is perfect, it only gets that way after years of user suggestions, and developer improvements.

I'll ignore that last remark. It doesn't reflect well on you. I think you're angry.

Give it a day, then tell me what you want


And then I just got this one....

At 04:13 PM 1/17/2010

You're off the forum for a day. This should expire tomorrow. Let me know if it doesn't.



Ummm anywhere else here think my email sounded angry?

[Sutnsihmij]

Typical behavior; I'd actually be worried if you experienced anything different.

I don't get it, unless they are trying to come out with an iPhone app.

Bottom line, as awesome as J. River's apps are, their CEO leaves much to be desired.

[Melloware]

Typical behavior; I'd actually be worried if you experienced anything different.

I don't get it, unless they are trying to come out with an iPhone app.

Bottom line, as awesome as J. River's apps are, their CEO leaves much to be desired.

I asked him point blank if they were developing their own iPhone I would support it 100% and even offered to kill my RiverMote product. He said they are not developing their own iPhone app so I have no idea where his hostility comes from.

It is truly a shame. I am just trying to make his product better but he is extremely hostile. In fact he edited my posts that just mentioned a Wikipedia page about Digital Audio Control Protocol (DACP) saying that is what I what to implement for RiverMote and JRMC. He claimed that the WikiPedia page was a link to competing product..."Please stop providing links to other products."

[danhackley]

What's API?

[Melloware]

What's API?

Application Programming Interface. It's how Rivermote is able to control JRMC, JRMC exposes a set of commands called an API that Rivermote executes to control JRMC. I am at the mercy of what they provide in their API.

[danhackley]

Isn't some kind of hack or reverse engineering possible ?

[Melloware]

Isn't some kind of hack or reverse engineering possible ?

Nope. JRMC is commercial closed source software. Unless they add functionality to their API its not happening. And you can see from their CEO's reaction above its not happening. That is why MediaMonkey is the superior product along with MonkeyTunes. Total openness of the MediaMonkey API and total control with MonkeyTunes.

[danhackley]

Have you looked into the PlugPlayer app on the iPhone ? Looks interesting.

[Melloware]

Have you looked into the PlugPlayer app on the iPhone ? Looks interesting.

PlugPlayer is certainly a good alternative for JRMC. It is a DLNA/UpnP client so it can control any Upnp server which JRMC is.

[danhackley]

I didn't think it was an alternative to JRMC; I thought that it could control JRMC from the iPhone like I was looking for.

[Melloware]

I didn't think it was an alternative to JRMC; I thought that it could control JRMC from the iPhone like I was looking for.

You are correct. At no point did I say it was an alternative to JRMC it is an alternative to Rivermote? It is an alternative to Rivermote. It uses UpnP to control JRMC. UpNP is a generic protocol so Plugplayer is not designed specifically for JRMC but it can control it.

[Sheugel]

Hello,

Haven't things changed recently as far as the api is concerned with the MCWS functions like shown in this thread?:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=60814.0

Sheugel

[Melloware]

Hello,

Haven't things changed recently as far as the api is concerned with the MCWS functions like shown in this thread?:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=60814.0

Sheugel

That merely gives you the current playback list which RiverMote already does. It does not give you library browsing, artist/album searching etc.

[Sheugel]

Sorry to insist but here's part of MCWS list of functions (http://localhost:52199/MCWS/v1/):

Library

Get
Get a copy of the library.
Parameters:
Settings: Whether settings should be included with the library. (default: 0)
IncrementalFileSignaturesXML: A block of XML containing file signatures. When this is provided, only changed files will be returned. (default: )
Response:
Examples:
Click here

Merge
Merge changes into the library.
Parameters:
Delta: A binary package describing the changes. (default: )
Response:
MasterRevision: Library 'Master' revision number after changes have been applied.
SyncRevision: Library 'Sync' revision number after changes have been applied.
Examples:
Click here

GetRevision
Get the revision number of the library.
Response:
Master: The master revision number of the database.
Sync: The revision number of the database (only included sync-worthy revisions).
Examples:
Click here

Connect
Connects to a remote library.
Parameters:
URL: A URL for connecting to a library server. (default: )
Response:
Examples:
Click here

Values
Get a list of values from the database (artists, albums, etc.).
Parameters:
Field: The field to get values from. (default: )
Files: A search to use to get the files to retrieve values from (use empty to use all imported files). (default: )
Response:
Examples:
All artists
Audio artists
Rock artists
Image keywords

Do I misinterpret it or does it allow to search for specific content?

[Melloware]

MCWS is a .NET web service not the COM API.

I use the bare to the metal JRiver COM API which does not support any of these features.

also it is new in JRMC 14 so this would screw my JRMC 11, 12, and 13 users. Not to mention even worse the new Library features aren't until JRMC 15!!!! It would provide me no backward compatibility and it would also force ALL of my users to upgrade to 15 which of course JRiver charges money for each upgrade and not a free upgrade. Not fair to my users.