When I was younger I played in bands. To record our music we'd set up a tape deck and play things through a microphone. The sound was pretty terrible but at least we could listen back at ourselves and criticize our work. We had no medium to distribute this other than copying and giving to friends.
This has all changed with the evolution of computers and the internet. Chris Anderson talks about this in the long tail with what he describes as "democratizing the tools of production." Being a mac user I now have access "free" to garageband. This gives me a tool to record and create my own music. I can also do this with video production as well. I have a HD kodak playsport to record my adventures on my iSUP or surf board. Now I can also publish these movies, music too through sites like youtube. And of course there is this blog for publishing the written word. Which I pay nothing for the service and can effectively reach out to an audience most places in the world. As Chris Anderson states ".. we are shifting from being passive consumers to active producers."
Because these tools are "free." The reason for doing things isn't primarily a profit motive. The real reason is to create something, experiment or learn. And one can move from the bottom of the information production pile to the top "if it strikes a chord." I no longer sit in front of the TV and consume content but actively consume and produce at the same time.
No comments:
Post a Comment