3 ms·
they don't really create value Maybe they do -- it depends on who's judging. To use Max's example, let's say I am casually interested in owls. Seriously, there
by sabat 17y ago
they don't really create value
Maybe they do -- it depends on who's judging. To use Max's example, let's say I am casually interested in owls. Seriously, there are such people. I'm 60, I am on the internet but am somewhat uneasy with how to use it, and I like owls. Somehow, I find Max's owl video site. I like it! Maybe I even see an ad and click and buy. Maybe. But to me, finding the site and being entertained by his collection of owl videos -- that has value.
- javery 17y agoYeah, the people who created the owl videos are providing value, youtube is providing value by making them available, the owl site is just leaching off of that to make a buck.
- qjz 17y agoAggregation has always had value (the Bible, Familiar Quotes, Readers Digest, The Big Picture, etc.).
- javery 17y agoThoughtful aggregation does add value, to me it sounded like the idea was to grab the first X videos on youtube.
- qjz 17y agoEven thoughtless aggregation adds value, if you consider successful sites that are nothing more than a bulletin board built around a user community that does the actual gruntwork. Putting things in context may be the "location, location, location" of the Web. You could say we're doing it right now, here on HN.
- thesethings 17y agoI really disagree. Some call it "aggregation," but I'm starting to call this layer "discovery." This very site, Hacker News, is a filter that is mere pointer to content elsewhere. (There are occasional "Ask HN," but most every post posts elsewhere). Most sites and tools I use every day are filtering tools. Techmeme is another great example. It is true that a purely automated owl video scraper wouldn't be as good and one that was even cleaned up for five minutes a day, but that wasn't the suggester's point.
- raintrees 17y agoYes, a large portion of the value (for me, at least) is the comments, which are generated by.... us. That is beyond, and because of, the aggregation. What is created is new and more valuable than the original posts, or even the aggregation thereof.
- robryan 17y agoAggregation itself doesn't necessarily create value, but depending on what is done with the aggregation can create much value. Google news is a good example, no one could really say that having all that article discovery and grouping was providing no value. Google scholar provides no content by itself but is very useful.
- jacquesm 17y agoClassic long-tail fallacy in there though, 'build it and they will come' is a bad strategy on the high end, on the far end it's much harder still. I do think there will be 300 youtube aggregated owl sites by tomorrow 9 am though. Best to diversify and do one on whooping cranes instead.