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Here's an interesting observation. Distributing information in its written form used to be the domain of the Church. Printing press has democratized that, for
by DenisM 10y ago
Here's an interesting observation.
Distributing information in its written form used to be the domain of the Church. Printing press has democratized that, for a while. Eventually the diversity of information was roped in to serve the agenda of the new, capitalist elites. While individual journalists often thrive to deliver the best work, the editors inevitably arrange things to serve the interests of particular business groups, and those who don't toe the line fall into obscurity for lack of funds.
Now, the Internet has produced a new information diversity, which is bubbling and foaming as we speak. That too will get roped in. The viral effect will become the domain of well-funded teams, not of lone geniuses. As the art is perfected it will become more capital-intensive, we will see consolidation in the business. Eventually the bulk of it will be divided between few large players, well-aligned with other businesses, and the whole thing will become orderly and predictable once again. Maybe.
- erikpukinskis 10y agoThe difference between the printing press and the internet is that you and me could make a whole new Internet happen with just two $70 handheld computing devices. The printing press needed a newsroom with typists and ad salesmen and a team of people wrestling with an ink belching mechanical beast. The minimum corporate interest required to feed such a beast is substantially more than the Internet business, the physical plant of which costs pennies a day in overhead to maintain (i.e. your cell phone and a few gigs of bandwidth.)
- DenisM 10y agoMoney still buys you a lot of upgrades to your $70 internet. Ad campaigns, talented copy writers, data scientist, psychologists, computing resources for data analysis, large training datasets, cross-channel promotion (e.g. internet + billboards), astroturfers, community management, marketing, focus groups. The amateur hour will come to an end. Especially now that the presidential election campaign has shown us how it's done.
- erikpukinskis 10y agoI don't understand what your last sentence means, but it scared me for some reason. Like a threat?
- DenisM 10y agoIt means that all the viral news and memes stuff so far have been the work of amateurs. Now that the effectiveness of this approach was proven, well-funded professional teams will move in and drive out the amateurs. Same as it happened with newspapers. It seems you are afraid, but you shouldn't be. The professionals are funded by big businesses, they aren't looking to take your life, they want you buy their products, and they want you to be happy while doing it. It's really the same picture we've had for the last few decades, only the technology is a bit different. If you weren't upset back then, there is no reason to be upset now.
- erikpukinskis 10y agoBig business needs both a healthy consumer class and a poverty/continuously violated class to act as a "this is what happens if you are a bad consumer/employee" example to scare people into various kinds of compliance, and maximize profit/minimize wages. It's comforting if you believe you can keep yourself and your friends out of that second category. I keep making new friends in low places so that's not the case for me.