Making Money Off Youtube

Embracing New Opportunities Is Being Defeatist?

from the please-explain dept

A few months back a columnist for the Guardian, Helienne Lindvall wrote a laughably confused argument claiming that people who explained how "free" was an important element of a business model should not be trusted because they also made money. That made no sense, and lots of people explained why. She also got an awful lot of the basic facts wrong.



Lindvall is back, and rather than admitting her mistakes, she tries again, but comes across as even more confused and factually-challenged. The majority of the piece is about setting up more strawmen to knock over, with the two key ones being (1) that supporters of embracing new business models are "defeatist" because they suggest that file sharing cannot be stopped and (2) that while record labels may have ripped off musicians in the past, the companies ripping off musicians today are the "web 2.0" companies that are making money on content -- such as Google, Flickr and others.



Neither argument makes much sense when held up to any scrutiny. Lindvall seems to make the same mistake she made in her first piece (for which, I do not believe she has yet apologized). She takes a tiny part of an argument that someone has made, and pretends it's the entire argument. Just like she claimed that those who embrace free as a part of their business model are somehow being hypocritical in making money elsewhere, she now claims that people's entire argument is based on a tiny sliver of their argument, and ignores the important part.



The problem with her first strawman is that people aren't saying be "defeatist," and just accept that file sharing is file sharing and give up. They're saying that if file sharing isn't going away, and (here's the part she misses) you can use that to your advantage to make more money, why bother worrying about file sharing as being some sort of evil? The second strawman is a bit more nefarious, but goes back to the fallacy that web 2.0 sites are some sort of digital sharecropping, with the users "giving up everything," and the content creators getting nothing. That, of course, is hogwash. The reason people use these services is that they get something in return. What people like Lindvall forget or ignore is that in the days before YouTube, if you wanted to post your own video, you had to (a) buy expensive media serving software from the likes of Real Networks (b) install the crappy software and maintain it (c) host the files yourself, costing you server space (d) stream or download the files yourself, costing bandwidth. Then YouTube came along and made all of that both easy and free -- and you still want to complain that they're ripping you off? Seriously?



Fine: let's make a deal. For any project that Helienne Lindvall is involved in, she cannot make use of these tools which offer free services. Instead, she must set up the technology on her own server, and host and pay for all of it herself. Otherwise, she's just supporting the digital sharecroppers, right?



There are a few other whoppers in the article as well, such as this one:

Doctorow pointed out that numerous authors give away their work, while earning good money on the lecture circuit. I don't doubt that this model works for some authors, but there are fundamental differences between books and music.



Producing a record -- as opposed to writing most books -- tends to be a team effort involving a producer (sometimes several of them) and songwriters who are not part of the act, studio engineers and a whole host of people who don't earn money from merchandise and touring -- people who no one would pay to make personal appearances.

I love the "but we're different!" argument, because it comes up in every industry. I was just in Hollywood, where I explained how musicians were actually making use of these models and someone got upset and said "but we're the movie industry, and we're different!" Earlier this year, I met with a publisher, who also was looking at these models, and again exclaimed that "but book publishing is different!" Everyone wants to believe they're different, but everyone faces the same basic economics. Also, I'd imagine that my friends in the publishing industry would be pretty upset with Lindvall's false claim that a book is not a team effort. You have publishers and editors and agents, all of whom often take on quite similar roles to producers and songwriters and engineers.



That said, the really ridiculous part of her complaint here is that the same people she complains don't earn money from merchandise or touring also don't earn money from record sale royalties for the most part. There are some exceptions, but most of them are paid a flat-fee for their work, and that doesn't change either way under the new models, so her complaint here doesn't make sense. If a content creator can make money giving away some works for free, they can still afford to pay the fees for those who help out. The entire argument that an engineer "doesn't tour" is specious. The engineer doesn't make money from CD sales either.



Finally. Lindvall must be the first person to describe Jaron Lanier as an optimist, since he came out with his incredibly pessimistic book about how the internet was destroying everything good and holy in the world.

33 Comments | Leave a Comment..

A chill’s setting in and everyone (in the U.S., at least) is putting away their Halloween pumpkins and skimming over their Turkey recipes. While the seasons are quickly changing, we’ve brought together another round of social media tools and resources from the past week or so.

Check out class='blippr-nobr'>Social Mediaclass="blippr-nobr">social media for tips on how to gain Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter influence, or a glimpse at the future of Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare. Tech & Mobile includes a thorough discussion of online privacy, A/B testing resources for developers, and website designs that blew us away. Business comes packed with tips for using Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook’s new groups, marketing to an international audience, and startup funding tips from eight investors.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Social Media

• Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week /> Wondering what was hot in the Twitterverse this past week? Check out our comprehensive chart of the top trends.
• 10 Fun Doodling Apps to Unleash Your Creativity/> The pen and paper may be on a fast track to obsolescence, but the doodle will live on forever. These 10 sites are some of our favorites.
• The Future of Social Media and Politics/> With the midterm elections in their final throes, we spoke to some key players for their views on what the rise of mainstream social media has in store for the next generation of political campaigns.
• HOW TO: Gain Twitter Influence/> Twitter Influencers Guy Kawasaki and Robert Scoble share their tips for earning Twitter cred.
• 4 People Who Let the Crowd Control Their Destiny/> We’ve taken a look at four instances of crowd sourcing one’s life — all of which launched around the same time, but include their own set of hardships and rewards.
• A Glimpse at the Future of Foursquare/> CEO and co-founder Dennis Crowley discussed the future of Foursquare Wednesday, touching on customized recommendations, the instant checkin, and brand discovery.
• HOW TO: Organize a Mashable Meetup/> Many of our readers have been taking the reins in getting to know each other by organizing Mashable Meetups. Here’s how to get started setting up your own.
• 5 Must-Follow Non-Profits Making a Difference With Social Media [Mashable Awards]/> From raising money to spreading awareness to connecting with people, social media is a boon for non-profit organizations. Here are five must-follow groups that stood out in 2010.
• Social Media Weddings: 4 Tips From the Pros/> Social media can help you research vendors, communicate with guests and share your big day with your friends and family. Here’s how.
• An Inside “Look” at Showtime’s New Voyeuristic Series/> Based on director Adam Rifkin’s 2007 film of the same name, “Look” was shot via security cameras and integrates social media.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow class='blippr-nobr'>Mashable’sclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Tech & Mobile

• 10 Essential Websites for iPhone Photographers/> We’ve bookmarked 10 brilliant online resources that offer great galleries, talent showcases, app reviews, exhibition news and more, all for the iPhone photography enthusiast.
• 5 Website Designs That Blew Us Away [Mashable Awards]/> A beautiful website can blow you away: Here are a few of the websites we think showcased excellent design work this year, both in terms of form and function.
• 5 Stylish iPhone Alarm Clock Apps to Wake You Up On Time/> We’ve tried and tested five great alarm clock apps for the iPhone that can’t make getting out of bed any easier, but at least you can customize your morning.
• “Def Jam Rapstar” Raises the Roof Just Short of Greatness /> The game’s creators can go on and brush their shoulders off because the limited options won’t hold those living room MCs back from personal stardom.
• The Social Future of Xbox Live and “Halo” /> We spoke with “Halo” Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor to learn more about Bungie and Microsoft’s strategy for promoting social gaming with “Halo: Reach.”
• 9 iPhone Apps for Managing the Recruiting Process/> Instead of creating new processes or downloading a bunch of new apps, here are some iPhone apps you might already have that can help you manage the recruiting process.
• 5 Media Format Flops Destined To Be Forgotten /> For every VHS, there’s a BetaMax. As consumer electronics companies do battle, the tech landscape is littered with losers. Check out the interesting stories behind 5 famous flops.
• Hands-on With Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard /> The K750 won’t change your life. It won’t even even help you type faster. It will, however, allow you to buy a few less batteries.
• 10 Intermediate and Advanced Tips from PHP Masters/> We asked class='blippr-nobr'>PHPclass="blippr-nobr">PHP experts about their top suggestions for developers on their way to becoming true masters of the art and science of PHP.
• Online Behavior Tracking and Privacy: 7 Worst Case Scenarios/> If advertisers continue to self-regulate online tracking or if the government steps in, what’s the worst that could happen? We spoke to experts on both sides of the issue to find out what’s at stake.
• Two Ways Developers Will Interact With Google TV Viewers/> class='blippr-nobr'>Connectedclass="blippr-nobr">Connected devices like the Google TV promise to bring the web to your living room in one of two ways: optimized websites and native applications.
• 12 Tech Toys for a Geeked-Out Wedding/> A wedding is no time to hide your inner geek. These 12 gadgets will spice up any lo-fi nuptial celebration.
• 7 A/B Testing Resources for Startups and Solo Developers/> If you need a simple, inexpensive way to figure out what’s going to make your website’s users click on that big, red button, check out these tools.
• HOW TO: Start Your Own Internet Talk Show/> Do you fancy yourself a budding talk show personality? With a few inexpensive tools and a bit of planning, you can launch your own web show. Here’s how to do it.
• Why Location Apps of the Future Will Do Much More Than Checkins/> class='blippr-nobr'>Sparkleclass="blippr-nobr">Sparkle is a new location platform launching today from Location Labs.
• 5 MP3 Players for Pumping Up Your Workouts/> Whether you’re looking for a new MP3 player or an alternative to taking your expensive phone into the danger zone, we’ve got five options that are ideal for sporty types.
• The Evolution of Mobile /> We’ve certainly come a long way.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Business

• HOW TO: Score a Job Through Facebook/> While Facebook is known as a casual network of friends, with 500 million users, it has the potential to be one of the largest job hunting resources available – if used correctly.
• How Online Private Sales Work and How Businesses Can Get Involved/> A look at the ins and outs of online private sales and how businesses can benefit from getting involved.
• 4 Things Small Businesses Should Know About Facebook’s New Groups/> Can Facebook’s new Groups feature be used for business? Here’s a rundown of what you should include in your Facebook biz strategy.
• 5 Tips for Marketing Online to an International Audience/> Expanding your marketing efforts to an international audience widens your brand’s reach, but it entails understanding regional cultures, laws and online behaviors.
• Drupal Founder on Why Open Source is Good for Business /> Fresh off of an $8.5 million round of funding, Acquia and class='blippr-nobr'>Drupalclass="blippr-nobr">Drupal founder Dries Buytaert spoke with Mashable about the role of commercial interests in the success of open source software.
• What to Consider When Building an In-House Social Media Team/> We talked to professionals who have built a social media team – from big global businesses to small companies – in order to pin down some best practices.
• Essential Startup Funding Tips From 8 Seasoned Investors/> Mashable reached out to angels, seed stage investors and VC firm partners and asked them to share their best advice on how to get your big idea in front of the right people.
• 5 Tips for Improving Your Social Customer Service/> Companies that provide support through public channels keep customers happy and gain a reputation as consumer-focused businesses. Check out these tips for streamlining your social support model.
• 5 Proven Strategies for B2B Social Media Marketing/> B2B marketers can use social media to generate leads, create specialized communities, improve SEO, become knowledge sources, and strengthen marketing campaigns.
• HOW TO: Calculate the ROI of Your Social Media Campaign/> If you’re not measuring your social media campaigns on an ROI basis, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Here are some tips to get you on a results-driven path.
• 10 Reasons Every TV Exec Needs to Start Tweeting/> Twitter offers a lot for TV execs looking for a real-time understanding of what fans want. Here’s why everyone in the TV biz should start tweeting.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

[Image courtesy of Webtreats]

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class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

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Embracing New Opportunities Is Being Defeatist?

from the please-explain dept

A few months back a columnist for the Guardian, Helienne Lindvall wrote a laughably confused argument claiming that people who explained how "free" was an important element of a business model should not be trusted because they also made money. That made no sense, and lots of people explained why. She also got an awful lot of the basic facts wrong.



Lindvall is back, and rather than admitting her mistakes, she tries again, but comes across as even more confused and factually-challenged. The majority of the piece is about setting up more strawmen to knock over, with the two key ones being (1) that supporters of embracing new business models are "defeatist" because they suggest that file sharing cannot be stopped and (2) that while record labels may have ripped off musicians in the past, the companies ripping off musicians today are the "web 2.0" companies that are making money on content -- such as Google, Flickr and others.



Neither argument makes much sense when held up to any scrutiny. Lindvall seems to make the same mistake she made in her first piece (for which, I do not believe she has yet apologized). She takes a tiny part of an argument that someone has made, and pretends it's the entire argument. Just like she claimed that those who embrace free as a part of their business model are somehow being hypocritical in making money elsewhere, she now claims that people's entire argument is based on a tiny sliver of their argument, and ignores the important part.



The problem with her first strawman is that people aren't saying be "defeatist," and just accept that file sharing is file sharing and give up. They're saying that if file sharing isn't going away, and (here's the part she misses) you can use that to your advantage to make more money, why bother worrying about file sharing as being some sort of evil? The second strawman is a bit more nefarious, but goes back to the fallacy that web 2.0 sites are some sort of digital sharecropping, with the users "giving up everything," and the content creators getting nothing. That, of course, is hogwash. The reason people use these services is that they get something in return. What people like Lindvall forget or ignore is that in the days before YouTube, if you wanted to post your own video, you had to (a) buy expensive media serving software from the likes of Real Networks (b) install the crappy software and maintain it (c) host the files yourself, costing you server space (d) stream or download the files yourself, costing bandwidth. Then YouTube came along and made all of that both easy and free -- and you still want to complain that they're ripping you off? Seriously?



Fine: let's make a deal. For any project that Helienne Lindvall is involved in, she cannot make use of these tools which offer free services. Instead, she must set up the technology on her own server, and host and pay for all of it herself. Otherwise, she's just supporting the digital sharecroppers, right?



There are a few other whoppers in the article as well, such as this one:

Doctorow pointed out that numerous authors give away their work, while earning good money on the lecture circuit. I don't doubt that this model works for some authors, but there are fundamental differences between books and music.



Producing a record -- as opposed to writing most books -- tends to be a team effort involving a producer (sometimes several of them) and songwriters who are not part of the act, studio engineers and a whole host of people who don't earn money from merchandise and touring -- people who no one would pay to make personal appearances.

I love the "but we're different!" argument, because it comes up in every industry. I was just in Hollywood, where I explained how musicians were actually making use of these models and someone got upset and said "but we're the movie industry, and we're different!" Earlier this year, I met with a publisher, who also was looking at these models, and again exclaimed that "but book publishing is different!" Everyone wants to believe they're different, but everyone faces the same basic economics. Also, I'd imagine that my friends in the publishing industry would be pretty upset with Lindvall's false claim that a book is not a team effort. You have publishers and editors and agents, all of whom often take on quite similar roles to producers and songwriters and engineers.



That said, the really ridiculous part of her complaint here is that the same people she complains don't earn money from merchandise or touring also don't earn money from record sale royalties for the most part. There are some exceptions, but most of them are paid a flat-fee for their work, and that doesn't change either way under the new models, so her complaint here doesn't make sense. If a content creator can make money giving away some works for free, they can still afford to pay the fees for those who help out. The entire argument that an engineer "doesn't tour" is specious. The engineer doesn't make money from CD sales either.



Finally. Lindvall must be the first person to describe Jaron Lanier as an optimist, since he came out with his incredibly pessimistic book about how the internet was destroying everything good and holy in the world.

33 Comments | Leave a Comment..

A chill’s setting in and everyone (in the U.S., at least) is putting away their Halloween pumpkins and skimming over their Turkey recipes. While the seasons are quickly changing, we’ve brought together another round of social media tools and resources from the past week or so.

Check out class='blippr-nobr'>Social Mediaclass="blippr-nobr">social media for tips on how to gain Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter influence, or a glimpse at the future of Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare. Tech & Mobile includes a thorough discussion of online privacy, A/B testing resources for developers, and website designs that blew us away. Business comes packed with tips for using Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook’s new groups, marketing to an international audience, and startup funding tips from eight investors.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Social Media

• Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week /> Wondering what was hot in the Twitterverse this past week? Check out our comprehensive chart of the top trends.
• 10 Fun Doodling Apps to Unleash Your Creativity/> The pen and paper may be on a fast track to obsolescence, but the doodle will live on forever. These 10 sites are some of our favorites.
• The Future of Social Media and Politics/> With the midterm elections in their final throes, we spoke to some key players for their views on what the rise of mainstream social media has in store for the next generation of political campaigns.
• HOW TO: Gain Twitter Influence/> Twitter Influencers Guy Kawasaki and Robert Scoble share their tips for earning Twitter cred.
• 4 People Who Let the Crowd Control Their Destiny/> We’ve taken a look at four instances of crowd sourcing one’s life — all of which launched around the same time, but include their own set of hardships and rewards.
• A Glimpse at the Future of Foursquare/> CEO and co-founder Dennis Crowley discussed the future of Foursquare Wednesday, touching on customized recommendations, the instant checkin, and brand discovery.
• HOW TO: Organize a Mashable Meetup/> Many of our readers have been taking the reins in getting to know each other by organizing Mashable Meetups. Here’s how to get started setting up your own.
• 5 Must-Follow Non-Profits Making a Difference With Social Media [Mashable Awards]/> From raising money to spreading awareness to connecting with people, social media is a boon for non-profit organizations. Here are five must-follow groups that stood out in 2010.
• Social Media Weddings: 4 Tips From the Pros/> Social media can help you research vendors, communicate with guests and share your big day with your friends and family. Here’s how.
• An Inside “Look” at Showtime’s New Voyeuristic Series/> Based on director Adam Rifkin’s 2007 film of the same name, “Look” was shot via security cameras and integrates social media.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow class='blippr-nobr'>Mashable’sclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Tech & Mobile

• 10 Essential Websites for iPhone Photographers/> We’ve bookmarked 10 brilliant online resources that offer great galleries, talent showcases, app reviews, exhibition news and more, all for the iPhone photography enthusiast.
• 5 Website Designs That Blew Us Away [Mashable Awards]/> A beautiful website can blow you away: Here are a few of the websites we think showcased excellent design work this year, both in terms of form and function.
• 5 Stylish iPhone Alarm Clock Apps to Wake You Up On Time/> We’ve tried and tested five great alarm clock apps for the iPhone that can’t make getting out of bed any easier, but at least you can customize your morning.
• “Def Jam Rapstar” Raises the Roof Just Short of Greatness /> The game’s creators can go on and brush their shoulders off because the limited options won’t hold those living room MCs back from personal stardom.
• The Social Future of Xbox Live and “Halo” /> We spoke with “Halo” Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor to learn more about Bungie and Microsoft’s strategy for promoting social gaming with “Halo: Reach.”
• 9 iPhone Apps for Managing the Recruiting Process/> Instead of creating new processes or downloading a bunch of new apps, here are some iPhone apps you might already have that can help you manage the recruiting process.
• 5 Media Format Flops Destined To Be Forgotten /> For every VHS, there’s a BetaMax. As consumer electronics companies do battle, the tech landscape is littered with losers. Check out the interesting stories behind 5 famous flops.
• Hands-on With Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard /> The K750 won’t change your life. It won’t even even help you type faster. It will, however, allow you to buy a few less batteries.
• 10 Intermediate and Advanced Tips from PHP Masters/> We asked class='blippr-nobr'>PHPclass="blippr-nobr">PHP experts about their top suggestions for developers on their way to becoming true masters of the art and science of PHP.
• Online Behavior Tracking and Privacy: 7 Worst Case Scenarios/> If advertisers continue to self-regulate online tracking or if the government steps in, what’s the worst that could happen? We spoke to experts on both sides of the issue to find out what’s at stake.
• Two Ways Developers Will Interact With Google TV Viewers/> class='blippr-nobr'>Connectedclass="blippr-nobr">Connected devices like the Google TV promise to bring the web to your living room in one of two ways: optimized websites and native applications.
• 12 Tech Toys for a Geeked-Out Wedding/> A wedding is no time to hide your inner geek. These 12 gadgets will spice up any lo-fi nuptial celebration.
• 7 A/B Testing Resources for Startups and Solo Developers/> If you need a simple, inexpensive way to figure out what’s going to make your website’s users click on that big, red button, check out these tools.
• HOW TO: Start Your Own Internet Talk Show/> Do you fancy yourself a budding talk show personality? With a few inexpensive tools and a bit of planning, you can launch your own web show. Here’s how to do it.
• Why Location Apps of the Future Will Do Much More Than Checkins/> class='blippr-nobr'>Sparkleclass="blippr-nobr">Sparkle is a new location platform launching today from Location Labs.
• 5 MP3 Players for Pumping Up Your Workouts/> Whether you’re looking for a new MP3 player or an alternative to taking your expensive phone into the danger zone, we’ve got five options that are ideal for sporty types.
• The Evolution of Mobile /> We’ve certainly come a long way.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Business

• HOW TO: Score a Job Through Facebook/> While Facebook is known as a casual network of friends, with 500 million users, it has the potential to be one of the largest job hunting resources available – if used correctly.
• How Online Private Sales Work and How Businesses Can Get Involved/> A look at the ins and outs of online private sales and how businesses can benefit from getting involved.
• 4 Things Small Businesses Should Know About Facebook’s New Groups/> Can Facebook’s new Groups feature be used for business? Here’s a rundown of what you should include in your Facebook biz strategy.
• 5 Tips for Marketing Online to an International Audience/> Expanding your marketing efforts to an international audience widens your brand’s reach, but it entails understanding regional cultures, laws and online behaviors.
• Drupal Founder on Why Open Source is Good for Business /> Fresh off of an $8.5 million round of funding, Acquia and class='blippr-nobr'>Drupalclass="blippr-nobr">Drupal founder Dries Buytaert spoke with Mashable about the role of commercial interests in the success of open source software.
• What to Consider When Building an In-House Social Media Team/> We talked to professionals who have built a social media team – from big global businesses to small companies – in order to pin down some best practices.
• Essential Startup Funding Tips From 8 Seasoned Investors/> Mashable reached out to angels, seed stage investors and VC firm partners and asked them to share their best advice on how to get your big idea in front of the right people.
• 5 Tips for Improving Your Social Customer Service/> Companies that provide support through public channels keep customers happy and gain a reputation as consumer-focused businesses. Check out these tips for streamlining your social support model.
• 5 Proven Strategies for B2B Social Media Marketing/> B2B marketers can use social media to generate leads, create specialized communities, improve SEO, become knowledge sources, and strengthen marketing campaigns.
• HOW TO: Calculate the ROI of Your Social Media Campaign/> If you’re not measuring your social media campaigns on an ROI basis, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Here are some tips to get you on a results-driven path.
• 10 Reasons Every TV Exec Needs to Start Tweeting/> Twitter offers a lot for TV execs looking for a real-time understanding of what fans want. Here’s why everyone in the TV biz should start tweeting.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

[Image courtesy of Webtreats]

For more Social Media coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

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Adobe releases Lightroom 3.3, ACR 6.3 &amp; Lens Profile Downloader <b>...</b>

Adobe releases Lightroom 3.3, ACR 6.3 & Lens Profile Downloader: Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom 3.3, Camera Raw 6.3 and DNG Converter 6.3. These are final versions of updates that were originally posted as 'release candidates' ...

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Adobe releases Lightroom 3.3, ACR 6.3 &amp; Lens Profile Downloader <b>...</b>

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Embracing New Opportunities Is Being Defeatist?

from the please-explain dept

A few months back a columnist for the Guardian, Helienne Lindvall wrote a laughably confused argument claiming that people who explained how "free" was an important element of a business model should not be trusted because they also made money. That made no sense, and lots of people explained why. She also got an awful lot of the basic facts wrong.



Lindvall is back, and rather than admitting her mistakes, she tries again, but comes across as even more confused and factually-challenged. The majority of the piece is about setting up more strawmen to knock over, with the two key ones being (1) that supporters of embracing new business models are "defeatist" because they suggest that file sharing cannot be stopped and (2) that while record labels may have ripped off musicians in the past, the companies ripping off musicians today are the "web 2.0" companies that are making money on content -- such as Google, Flickr and others.



Neither argument makes much sense when held up to any scrutiny. Lindvall seems to make the same mistake she made in her first piece (for which, I do not believe she has yet apologized). She takes a tiny part of an argument that someone has made, and pretends it's the entire argument. Just like she claimed that those who embrace free as a part of their business model are somehow being hypocritical in making money elsewhere, she now claims that people's entire argument is based on a tiny sliver of their argument, and ignores the important part.



The problem with her first strawman is that people aren't saying be "defeatist," and just accept that file sharing is file sharing and give up. They're saying that if file sharing isn't going away, and (here's the part she misses) you can use that to your advantage to make more money, why bother worrying about file sharing as being some sort of evil? The second strawman is a bit more nefarious, but goes back to the fallacy that web 2.0 sites are some sort of digital sharecropping, with the users "giving up everything," and the content creators getting nothing. That, of course, is hogwash. The reason people use these services is that they get something in return. What people like Lindvall forget or ignore is that in the days before YouTube, if you wanted to post your own video, you had to (a) buy expensive media serving software from the likes of Real Networks (b) install the crappy software and maintain it (c) host the files yourself, costing you server space (d) stream or download the files yourself, costing bandwidth. Then YouTube came along and made all of that both easy and free -- and you still want to complain that they're ripping you off? Seriously?



Fine: let's make a deal. For any project that Helienne Lindvall is involved in, she cannot make use of these tools which offer free services. Instead, she must set up the technology on her own server, and host and pay for all of it herself. Otherwise, she's just supporting the digital sharecroppers, right?



There are a few other whoppers in the article as well, such as this one:

Doctorow pointed out that numerous authors give away their work, while earning good money on the lecture circuit. I don't doubt that this model works for some authors, but there are fundamental differences between books and music.



Producing a record -- as opposed to writing most books -- tends to be a team effort involving a producer (sometimes several of them) and songwriters who are not part of the act, studio engineers and a whole host of people who don't earn money from merchandise and touring -- people who no one would pay to make personal appearances.

I love the "but we're different!" argument, because it comes up in every industry. I was just in Hollywood, where I explained how musicians were actually making use of these models and someone got upset and said "but we're the movie industry, and we're different!" Earlier this year, I met with a publisher, who also was looking at these models, and again exclaimed that "but book publishing is different!" Everyone wants to believe they're different, but everyone faces the same basic economics. Also, I'd imagine that my friends in the publishing industry would be pretty upset with Lindvall's false claim that a book is not a team effort. You have publishers and editors and agents, all of whom often take on quite similar roles to producers and songwriters and engineers.



That said, the really ridiculous part of her complaint here is that the same people she complains don't earn money from merchandise or touring also don't earn money from record sale royalties for the most part. There are some exceptions, but most of them are paid a flat-fee for their work, and that doesn't change either way under the new models, so her complaint here doesn't make sense. If a content creator can make money giving away some works for free, they can still afford to pay the fees for those who help out. The entire argument that an engineer "doesn't tour" is specious. The engineer doesn't make money from CD sales either.



Finally. Lindvall must be the first person to describe Jaron Lanier as an optimist, since he came out with his incredibly pessimistic book about how the internet was destroying everything good and holy in the world.

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A chill’s setting in and everyone (in the U.S., at least) is putting away their Halloween pumpkins and skimming over their Turkey recipes. While the seasons are quickly changing, we’ve brought together another round of social media tools and resources from the past week or so.

Check out class='blippr-nobr'>Social Mediaclass="blippr-nobr">social media for tips on how to gain Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter influence, or a glimpse at the future of Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare. Tech & Mobile includes a thorough discussion of online privacy, A/B testing resources for developers, and website designs that blew us away. Business comes packed with tips for using Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook’s new groups, marketing to an international audience, and startup funding tips from eight investors.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Social Media

• Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week /> Wondering what was hot in the Twitterverse this past week? Check out our comprehensive chart of the top trends.
• 10 Fun Doodling Apps to Unleash Your Creativity/> The pen and paper may be on a fast track to obsolescence, but the doodle will live on forever. These 10 sites are some of our favorites.
• The Future of Social Media and Politics/> With the midterm elections in their final throes, we spoke to some key players for their views on what the rise of mainstream social media has in store for the next generation of political campaigns.
• HOW TO: Gain Twitter Influence/> Twitter Influencers Guy Kawasaki and Robert Scoble share their tips for earning Twitter cred.
• 4 People Who Let the Crowd Control Their Destiny/> We’ve taken a look at four instances of crowd sourcing one’s life — all of which launched around the same time, but include their own set of hardships and rewards.
• A Glimpse at the Future of Foursquare/> CEO and co-founder Dennis Crowley discussed the future of Foursquare Wednesday, touching on customized recommendations, the instant checkin, and brand discovery.
• HOW TO: Organize a Mashable Meetup/> Many of our readers have been taking the reins in getting to know each other by organizing Mashable Meetups. Here’s how to get started setting up your own.
• 5 Must-Follow Non-Profits Making a Difference With Social Media [Mashable Awards]/> From raising money to spreading awareness to connecting with people, social media is a boon for non-profit organizations. Here are five must-follow groups that stood out in 2010.
• Social Media Weddings: 4 Tips From the Pros/> Social media can help you research vendors, communicate with guests and share your big day with your friends and family. Here’s how.
• An Inside “Look” at Showtime’s New Voyeuristic Series/> Based on director Adam Rifkin’s 2007 film of the same name, “Look” was shot via security cameras and integrates social media.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow class='blippr-nobr'>Mashable’sclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Tech & Mobile

• 10 Essential Websites for iPhone Photographers/> We’ve bookmarked 10 brilliant online resources that offer great galleries, talent showcases, app reviews, exhibition news and more, all for the iPhone photography enthusiast.
• 5 Website Designs That Blew Us Away [Mashable Awards]/> A beautiful website can blow you away: Here are a few of the websites we think showcased excellent design work this year, both in terms of form and function.
• 5 Stylish iPhone Alarm Clock Apps to Wake You Up On Time/> We’ve tried and tested five great alarm clock apps for the iPhone that can’t make getting out of bed any easier, but at least you can customize your morning.
• “Def Jam Rapstar” Raises the Roof Just Short of Greatness /> The game’s creators can go on and brush their shoulders off because the limited options won’t hold those living room MCs back from personal stardom.
• The Social Future of Xbox Live and “Halo” /> We spoke with “Halo” Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor to learn more about Bungie and Microsoft’s strategy for promoting social gaming with “Halo: Reach.”
• 9 iPhone Apps for Managing the Recruiting Process/> Instead of creating new processes or downloading a bunch of new apps, here are some iPhone apps you might already have that can help you manage the recruiting process.
• 5 Media Format Flops Destined To Be Forgotten /> For every VHS, there’s a BetaMax. As consumer electronics companies do battle, the tech landscape is littered with losers. Check out the interesting stories behind 5 famous flops.
• Hands-on With Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard /> The K750 won’t change your life. It won’t even even help you type faster. It will, however, allow you to buy a few less batteries.
• 10 Intermediate and Advanced Tips from PHP Masters/> We asked class='blippr-nobr'>PHPclass="blippr-nobr">PHP experts about their top suggestions for developers on their way to becoming true masters of the art and science of PHP.
• Online Behavior Tracking and Privacy: 7 Worst Case Scenarios/> If advertisers continue to self-regulate online tracking or if the government steps in, what’s the worst that could happen? We spoke to experts on both sides of the issue to find out what’s at stake.
• Two Ways Developers Will Interact With Google TV Viewers/> class='blippr-nobr'>Connectedclass="blippr-nobr">Connected devices like the Google TV promise to bring the web to your living room in one of two ways: optimized websites and native applications.
• 12 Tech Toys for a Geeked-Out Wedding/> A wedding is no time to hide your inner geek. These 12 gadgets will spice up any lo-fi nuptial celebration.
• 7 A/B Testing Resources for Startups and Solo Developers/> If you need a simple, inexpensive way to figure out what’s going to make your website’s users click on that big, red button, check out these tools.
• HOW TO: Start Your Own Internet Talk Show/> Do you fancy yourself a budding talk show personality? With a few inexpensive tools and a bit of planning, you can launch your own web show. Here’s how to do it.
• Why Location Apps of the Future Will Do Much More Than Checkins/> class='blippr-nobr'>Sparkleclass="blippr-nobr">Sparkle is a new location platform launching today from Location Labs.
• 5 MP3 Players for Pumping Up Your Workouts/> Whether you’re looking for a new MP3 player or an alternative to taking your expensive phone into the danger zone, we’ve got five options that are ideal for sporty types.
• The Evolution of Mobile /> We’ve certainly come a long way.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Business

• HOW TO: Score a Job Through Facebook/> While Facebook is known as a casual network of friends, with 500 million users, it has the potential to be one of the largest job hunting resources available – if used correctly.
• How Online Private Sales Work and How Businesses Can Get Involved/> A look at the ins and outs of online private sales and how businesses can benefit from getting involved.
• 4 Things Small Businesses Should Know About Facebook’s New Groups/> Can Facebook’s new Groups feature be used for business? Here’s a rundown of what you should include in your Facebook biz strategy.
• 5 Tips for Marketing Online to an International Audience/> Expanding your marketing efforts to an international audience widens your brand’s reach, but it entails understanding regional cultures, laws and online behaviors.
• Drupal Founder on Why Open Source is Good for Business /> Fresh off of an $8.5 million round of funding, Acquia and class='blippr-nobr'>Drupalclass="blippr-nobr">Drupal founder Dries Buytaert spoke with Mashable about the role of commercial interests in the success of open source software.
• What to Consider When Building an In-House Social Media Team/> We talked to professionals who have built a social media team – from big global businesses to small companies – in order to pin down some best practices.
• Essential Startup Funding Tips From 8 Seasoned Investors/> Mashable reached out to angels, seed stage investors and VC firm partners and asked them to share their best advice on how to get your big idea in front of the right people.
• 5 Tips for Improving Your Social Customer Service/> Companies that provide support through public channels keep customers happy and gain a reputation as consumer-focused businesses. Check out these tips for streamlining your social support model.
• 5 Proven Strategies for B2B Social Media Marketing/> B2B marketers can use social media to generate leads, create specialized communities, improve SEO, become knowledge sources, and strengthen marketing campaigns.
• HOW TO: Calculate the ROI of Your Social Media Campaign/> If you’re not measuring your social media campaigns on an ROI basis, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Here are some tips to get you on a results-driven path.
• 10 Reasons Every TV Exec Needs to Start Tweeting/> Twitter offers a lot for TV execs looking for a real-time understanding of what fans want. Here’s why everyone in the TV biz should start tweeting.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

[Image courtesy of Webtreats]

For more Social Media coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

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Adobe releases Lightroom 3.3, ACR 6.3 &amp; Lens Profile Downloader <b>...</b>

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