The Internet in all of its social splendor is revolutionary, some would say the most revolutionary change in the the history of the world when to comes to the way humans communicate.
It’s opened doors for some (e.g. Facebook), posted huge challenges for others (e.g. publishing), and disrupted all of our lives.
But the present experience of revolution isn’t new. Consider this from Cory Doctorow’s Content (links mine):
…forget all that business about how the Internet’s copying model is more disruptive than the technologies that preceded it. For Christ’s sake, the Vaudeville performers who sued Marconi for inventing the radio had to go from a regime where they had one hundred percent control over who could get into the theater and hear them perform to a regime where they had zero percent control over who could build or acquire a radio and tune into a recording of them performing. For that matter, look at the difference between a monkish Bible and a Luther Bible —next to that phase-change, Napster is peanuts.
Radio changed Vaudeville forever. The Internet and its support for social activity has changed our lives forever.
These are facts.
Every new and largely disruptive change will kill some business models and enable others. More facts.
So let’s stop saying, “this changes everyting.” Sure it does.
The more important question, as history shows us, is how will we adapt our business models to fit the revolution?
-Andrew
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