Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
But even if everything isn't free, there is enough 'free' at good enough of a quality to directly compete with non-free now. We did not have that growing up. We did have to pay to get better, but better doesn't mean anything now.
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We had "free" growing up. We had TV and radio. We had libraries. We had free concerts in the park, by major professional artists. (Either you're much younger than I, or your memory is failing faster than mine.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
Look at how many people build their social life and activity around Facebook. It is completely free (but evil as a four horned Satan). Youtube (free), Grooveshark (free), Hulu (free), the list goes on.
and on. Every single Cory Doctorow book (free), public domain novels (free), creative commons products (free).
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And all transitory as hell, with the exception of public domain novels. Not losing sleep over that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
Younger generations are growing up in a world where social status and activity is their entertainment, and it costs them nothing. Value is being measured in number of friends and becoming a fan, rather that in any monetary sense. All that is left is goodwill and the leftovers of our nostalgia for physical objects. When there is nothing to hold in your hand, when all is abundant, you have to shift your value system over, that's just a given.
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And it's always been that way...
for kids. When they grow up, however, they discover that a horde of friends on the other side of the world won't help you pay the rent... and that you want that cute girl in Kansas City to be more than just your "Facebook friend."
The grownup world still costs. The grownups are still in control of what costs, and the kids aren't making any plans to become the rich CEOs that bribe the congresspeople to keep costs in place. They're too busy bragging about the number of Facebook friends they have.
In any case, there's no use being worried about "those kids," since <tongue_planted_firmly_in_cheek> they don't read anything but specialty magazines devoted to whatever movies, cars, girls and surf hangouts they're really interested in. They're not reading our stuff... they don't even know it exists, beyond the pop stuff advertised in the specialty magazines. </tongue_planted_firmly_in_cheek>