Heh. Dude, the big media companies get their panties in a bunch whether or not the facts support the idea that they're losing money on it. All they need is to *think* they're losing money. Remember how they struggled hard against videotapes? And then video became a gigantic revenue source. Funny that.

ianbuon

Pasadena, CA

August 2006

APR 05, 2007 11:44 AM

herbancowboy said:

d20 said:
^ think that big media companies are either going to take their piece of the online ad revenue pie or they're going to take their ball and go home, which would suck for everyone involved.

Exactly. I have a hard time taking the side of Viacom, but...no, fuck it, I'm not going to take the side of Viacom, but this issue is more complicated than simply "Old Media is dumb and New Media is good."

If we're talking about entertainment, you can argue that it's a frivolous debate or that the democratization wrought by the internet is even a good thing, darwinian-like, and I'd agree with you. But a healthy democracy requires good information, which comes from reporters doing unsexy things like attending city hall meetings and digging through archives, and, those positions are all being cut because the internet doesn't pay, even though self-styled pundits everywhere are linking to somebody's original research.

Basically what I'm asking is when are the idiot kids in Des Moines going to start posting some city council coverage?

No, what I'm saying is that I am an artist who shares some stuff for free on the internet and I'm all for other people doing that. But something must also be done to help out the few remaining investigative journalists, because it's not cheap to dig under the surface of the official story. This lawsuit is somehow tied up in that idea. Now go buy a newspaper subscription--they need it. And you need them. Even if you live in the tubes.

Very well said.

ianbuon

Pasadena, CA

August 2006

APR 05, 2007 11:46 AM

Dark_Templar said:
I hate Viacom and the MPAA they are copyright NAZI's, who are determined to bleed people dry........ They are worse than most governments and seek only to control, own and exploit........ They use their billions to buy goverment policies and regulations in order to crush the rights of consumers......... It would be nice to see their utter collalpse....... It just shows my loathing for them

Maybe, just MAYBE, Viacom has to answer to contractors and employees who want a paycheck for their work too.

Has this thought ever crossed your mind?

skeptik

New Orleans, LA

February 2004

APR 06, 2007 01:09 AM

d20 said:
^ what bean said.

i think that big media companies are either going to take their piece of the online ad revenue pie or they're going to take their ball and go home, which would suck for everyone involved.

Or maybe, at some point, we would realize we don't need their ball anymore. And we'd all go play frisbee, or tag.

Ainur

I'm lost

May 2005

APR 06, 2007 05:39 PM

malkav11 said:
Heh. Dude, the big media companies get their panties in a bunch whether or not the facts support the idea that they're losing money on it. All they need is to *think* they're losing money. Remember how they struggled hard against videotapes? And then video became a gigantic revenue source. Funny that.

All true. And blank audio tapes, because you could "record from the radio". And 100 other things I'm sure. But YouTube is none of them. Without the internet YouTube doesn't exist. The entire world has access to the internet, thus, the entire world has access to all of the content on YouTube, on demand. It is different.