most that know me, know that i’m a geek of sorts when it comes to technology. from my days in fund development and non-profit management, i’ve always had a concern about what they call the digital divide..a concern that we have to be intentional in how we develop the digital world so as not to leave anyone out. in that vein the idea of the net being neutral…meaning we all enter it at the same level and have the opportunity to leverage our voices…is underscored by this editorial in the washington post written by OK Go band member >Damian Kulash…here’s a clip:
Let me tell you why I take this so seriously, and so personally. I’ve spent a decade working in the music industry, a business in which the big guys block out the rest of us. Creativity and innovation take a distant back seat to money, and everyone loses, even the big guys themselves. They have insulated themselves from change for so long, they’ve dug their own grave.
Both as a musician and as a music fan, I’ve always wanted to see the best and most exciting musical ideas rise to the top. But we all know the story of the music business: Success is bought more often than earned. Smart money looks for low risks, so the safest, blandest music attracts the most investment, and only the safest, blandest music makes it to the airwaves and the shelves at Wal-Mart. Creative, innovative artists toil in obscurity, the public is fed rubbish, and, for decades, the industry contentedly made its way to the bank.
the web is a powerful tool…the free market rewards those who can leverage things virally on the net…and for those can’t they get the proverbial boot.