Let’s just start off and say that print and traditional news outlets are dead: a thing of the past. I know it, you know it, and Andrew Keen surly knows it. Keen himself (although not admittedly) is an amateur author who specializes is criticizing the interwebs. Keen’s first book “The Cult of an Amateur” expresses his personal distaste for user-generated content websites like Reddit, Digg, Youtube, Craigslist and even Wikipedia, because of the fact they are not only amateur, but anonymous. The idea that the Web 2.0 is killing important established industry is a farce and a far cry from the truth. The truth with the music industry and newspapers is that they refused to change with the times and technology. Both record labels and news outlets fought change, instead of embracing it and continuing to profit.
Whatever happened to innovation? I love the new way of doing things: which is using a lawyer and judge to squabble and gain nothing. Instead of record labels and news agencies getting in on the loot, they just stepped aside and watched Apple clean up shop with iTunes and other innovating and new websites take charge in delivering the daily world news.
The biggest crock in Keen’s book is the fact that mainstream media does it better. Wow! What about the fact that mainstream media is controlled by four multinational corporations. That doesn’t bother you to think that back when Keen was growing up, their certainly was more than four companies running our (the US) major media. We need more global and universal sources: less one-sidedness. Corporations have shareholders, and that is what they are interested in. These are the same major media outlets that refused to cover the real Katrina, the real gulf oil spill, the real occupywallstreet movement and who push propaganda stories about Iran, China and Israel. Major media outlets are just part of the problem, overrun with greed and controlled by special interests.
Keen highlights that popular opinion has supported “slavery, infanticide, George W. Bush’s war in Iraq, Britney Spears” Unfortunately for Keen, he forgot to mention that those were all supported by those major media outlets that do everything so much better…… It’s the major media outlets and corporations that profited and pushed all the wrong popular opinions. In the end, it comes down to one thing: $$$$$
I would argue that without these smaller independent user-generated companies we wouldn’t have the transparency we cherish and the global awareness present today. Reddit, Digg, Youtube all created a community of all kinds of people from all different backgrounds. The very fact that you can participate as an anonymous is what brings everyone together. Of course you get the trolls, who try and ruin it for everyone else, but it also brings out some of the most important and most special people who don’t feel comfortable revealing their secrets along with their identity. This encourages people to come forward and to be honest without fear of the repercussions of catching the wrong eye in the sky.
Reddit and Digg both pull stories from around the world and web and allow user up and down votes to manage content. Craigslist has every item you could imagine for sell in every city, at the click of a button. Youtube can show you your favorite music video or movie trailer or teach you how to play guitar or sew. Where else can you get such specific and diverse information? Google allows you to find anything, anytime. It is the age of technology and more so, the age of information. User-generated websites allow us to get the information,art, music and most importantly knowledge we need, without all the corporate interference and censoring.
The internet has been bad for record labels and CD pressers, but it is mammoth for musicians. Keen should have taken the time to actually interview an artist. Bands don’t make their money off selling CD’s that is pure profit for record labels. Musicians make their money off touring and having people come to their live shows; purchasing tickets and band merchandise. The internet is a free outlet to promote their music. Even though people pirate music and many musicians give their music out for free download, people still go to live concerts and the music industry is still pumping along. The internet has allowed musicians and artists around the world to connect and share. It is not about being happy that corporations are suffering or they stole from artists; it is the idea that they refuse to embrace change. This kind of uproar arose from the industry in the same way when switching from records, to tapes, to CDs, to mp3 format. I do agree that the internet is full of crap, but so are tons of industry releases. The art and music and literature that we cherish and remember are worthwhile, no matter what format they came to us in. The internet is a place for creativity and innovation; the pros drastically and infinitely outweigh the cons and it is here to stay.
Purple Music Straight Outa Boomstone!
