Last.fm is the devil.

For the past three years, I've worn out my refresh button watching the social music networking site "scrobble" songs that I'm listening to. Even though I know what songs I'm listening to, because, well, I'm listening to them. Homework, social life, family be damned.

I guess it's kind of like drugs because some people really get into it and others try it and give it up as easily as they found it. But there's something in this gadget that keeps me coming back for more and more. I like to see which songs I'm a "top listener" on, like to see peoples' comments (especially on the random tracks I thought only I knew existed), and most of all, I go nuts on Sunday nights/Monday mornings (depending on what those sadistic bastards feel like) waiting for my Weekly Top 10 Artists to update.

As far as functionality goes, Last.fm is notorious for being… not that great. The people who run it run it the same way Lucy from the Peanuts ran her Advice Booth — kind of like you're lucky to even get the service and we'll set up shop and fix bugs whenever we damn well feel like it. I guess I'd have more to say about this if I felt like I could walk away from the program but I know I can't and so do they.

I do have to give them props for their increasing interactivity, however; recently the site announced it would begin streaming full songs by participating artists for free. And it's not just some mess you've never heard of — your favorite artists are up in this, too. Who knows what other features they will add in the near future, but it's exciting to watch the company grow. Even more exciting, though, is watching my plays build up and my charts give me a better idea of who I listen to most. Trust me, sometimes it's more surprising than you might think.

If you haven't yet, get addicted . "Last.fm fever - catch it!"

– J from the Bay