Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Monkeys

User generated content – what’s your view?

Suddenly, according to the industry, we seem to have a new category of subject matter:  “USER GENERATED.”

Yet, hasn’t all content always been user generated?  After all, who creates content, monkeys? (Hold that thought...)

“Users” always have generated content.  In the early days of Rock and Roll everyone with a twang and a guitar begged borrowed or stole the $25 it took to cut a demo record (that’s a piece of vinyl with grooves…never mind, check the history books...) and went from radio station to radio station begging and often bribing the DJs to play it.

The difference today is that the Web has democratized the process.  You don’t have to bribe anymore.  Anyone can post anything.

And here’s the rub and the question for debate…

Who cares?

Even in the days of bribery, the DJs were smart enough to know if it wasn’t good nobody would listen.  Sure, they played some trash, after all why take bribes, but DJs were really filters for public taste, bribes and all.

Today, there is no filter.  Bob Greenberg of RGA calls it 15mgs of fame.  Is the fleeting fame worth anything? 15mgs…maybe…

There is some brilliance, and there always has been.  Yet, is there more brilliance today? You tell me.

I spoke last week with some execs from the US Broadcast networks (old style and cable). If you have been following the news, you know they are struggling.  And the all-wise analysts pontificate on this issue and predict their end…yet again.

Their response is simple and pretty compelling: someone has to pay for great content.  One way or another it costs money to create great video, books; songs; music, whatever.  Talent doesn’t come cheap.

So if you like 24 or think Pirates of the Caribbean is great or follow Harry Potter, are you really ready to give it up for the latest “watch me vegetate” clip on the web.

According to the execs, the picture could look like this: a cut back in programming available from them. Then direct sales of discreet content directly to consumers. Quickly consumers will see that it costs them much more to buy individual content, which will of course be premium priced.  Soon, content aggregators will arise and the costs will be even higher as you will have to buy from multiple vendors.  Then, a genius will figure out that a model using advertising as the currency of engagement is the answer and networks will emerge that aggregate and provide great content—only you have to watch commercials to get it for free…

Is there nothing new under the sun? Maybe…

So chew on this thought:

We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.  ~Robert Wilensky

What do you think?

Posted by David on 05/29 at 08:06 AM
(3) Comments • Permalink

  1. I think that most blogs, Youtube videos, Myspace accounts and so on, are less about putting great content out there than they are about people putting themselves out there. In a day when fame is more about exposure than actual accomplishment (seriously, what is on Paris Hilton's W2?), people are scrambling for a chance to be seen by the public or to be on TV, even if it is fleeting. After all, how many idiots and lousy singers showcase themselves on American Idol? How many people spend hours on Myspace reaching out to strangers to boost their friend count? How many people humiliate their friends, family, and selves for the sake of creating a video to upload to the internet? While I think attention is definitely being devoted to other avenues that normally would be dedicated soley to TV, it's more about personal ability to manipulate media than it is about the quality of the programming. After all, kareoke is still a fairly popular activity, but people prefer listening to their iPods.

    Posted by dawn moser  on  2007-05-29 16:08:27

  2. In one way the My Space/You Tube 'evolution' may well produce some excellent ground breaking talent that could easily be transferred to the big screen/stage/ipod, but who is going to spend the days, weeks even years trawling through all the nonsense before they find it. But if someone has talent, they have talent, whether viewed via a podcast or on the big screen. I kind of like some of the stuff on You tube that isn't so rehearsed and plastic. A two minute rant, song, gaff or piece of music seen on one of these sights maybe won't change your life, but some broadcasts are as, if not more memorable than alot of the tried and tested safe tv and film churned out by many an established broadcaster. However with another series of Big Brother starting this week in the UK, it's hilarious to see how some desperate shameless, talentless bods will go for their slice of user generated fame, fear not prime time tv will always deliver.

    Posted by Mike Knight  on  2007-05-29 16:54:33

  3. Today, there is not more talent than yesterday. But there is one big difference: Today, we ourselves decide who has talent and who does not. I've worked in the music industrie for three year, and it's good to know that the so called A&R experts are loosing influence. With the rest, I totally agree. Talent will always need to be paid...eventually.

    Posted by Claus  on  2007-06-20 14:17:06

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