I googled Ping! and found several other companies already called Ping before Apple's new "social network for music" showed up. Having tried it, I have to say that, only first appearances, I don't think I'll be spending a lot of time there. For a start, I just can't get on with the the way the whole audioscrobbling concept works, since I first viewed Last fm. With Ping! this crude artificial intelligence technology is central to the Apple modus operandi. I would consider my own tastes as far too complex and quirky to have a computer tell me what I should like.. It seems the Guardian's Alexis Petridis agrees, as he tweeted yesterday "Artists we recommend you follow on Ping! : Linkin Park, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews Band...I have NEVER been so offended in my f****** LIFE!".

As for signing up to my three favourite genres, there's a compete absence of 'folk' but mysteriously it offers me 'holiday'! What's that about? Bing Crosby fireside Christmas favourites? 

Interestingly, Ping!'s functionality has also been hit by Facebook blocking a link for Ping! users to add their Facebook friends to contacts after failing to reach an agreement. I also notice that Ping’s strapline is "set you inner groupie free" which makes me feel a whole lot better about our own Pic-Nic Village mantra of "empower your inner entrepreneur". I have been a fan of Apple's products for nearly two decades and love the ease of use and integration. With Ping! it all looks so transparently exploitative, not mention clumsy, corporate and not actually very social at all. 

iTunes 10 doesn't really offer much that's new apart from a dodgy new logo and the Ping! network, which is clearly a tool to maximise sales and revenue through data mining and making purchasing habits public. It's the sort of logic that is almost a throwback to the schoolyard mentality of "if the coolest kid on the block has it already, I must get it too". Along with Facebook's announcement that they are moving into shopping - and taking a 30% cut on every transaction for their troubles, this week must go down as a landmark in the onward march of commercialisation of the web and how we are being used increasingly as consumer pawns on these free sites that claim to be ‘social’ networks. 

Whilst it's becoming clear that there really isn't any such thing as free when it comes to online content, it's also apparent that music is too important to be left in the hands of the music business, or Apple for that matter.