this obsession with formatopia

"Pulped wood bound in cardboard isn't culture. words are culture. Books are no more cultural than t-shirts"  (Clay Shirky)

ban the term e-reader

just watched a video of analysts discussing the potential of tablets.  most referred to 'e-readers' - please take note, typically, PEOPLE DON'T JUST READ ANYMORE!! They scan, watch videos, photos and art, move their fingers all over the screen, click click, post, interact, link.  Yes sometimes they like to read a book linearly, from p.1 to the end, but also read in many other ways more often.

OK so i'm being a little extreme, but anyone thinking they can just take text and shove it on a new device is going to fail.

Apple iPad at last

I have just preordered my apple iPad - 64GB wifi+3G.  Nothing like going for the BEST! can't wait!

OECD

a paper I wrote has been referenced in a large OECD report released today.  Titled 'The Evolution of News and the Internet'  it's a big global reference piece. I just wish I could find a copy on the OECD website....

!!!! CALEXICO !!!!

tonight i'm seeing the band whose music i listen to the very most according to last.fm.  And a friend is chauffering me there in a vintage American muscle car.  I am very very much looking forward to this!

music business

After many many years studying the music business, today I have made one final conclusion: as it currently stands the business of music is doomed because practitioners have failed in one core element of business. 

Keep close to your customer. Understand them, surprise and delight them, use them, and most importantly, maintain a close relationship with them.  Those in the music industry have perhaps considered themselves too cool and are perhaps too out of touch to identify, understand and acknowledge consumer needs. Instead they have sued them, overcharged them, ignored them, failed to include them, and not delivered what they want.

Case in point: Music Victoria, which has been nominated as the saviour of the music industry in Victoria, recently undertook a comprehensive survey of the music industry.   Q1 - no category for music consumer. FAIL.  I questioned this and got a quick response: "I'd say there was no 'consumer' category because their survey was based on people with involvement in the music industry." OK so let's take the music consumer out of the industry and what have we left? ummm, licensing music for ads and film soundtracks and games. Oblivian

mandatory viewing - the importance of the first follower

from Derek Sivers who knows a lot about this:

currently reading:

Michael Heller's book. "Gridlock Economy - How Too Much Ownership Wrecks Markets, Stops Innovation and Costs Lives"

quote of the day

Jane McGonigal at TED: "An entire generation of young people are virtuoso gamers. We need to figure out exactly what skills they're honing."

Copyright industry has too many middle operators

According to their 2008 IRS 990 form, SoundExchange, as of 31Dec2008, was  holding over $256 million U.S. dollars in undistributed royalties.  THAT is what is wrong with the copyright industry......