Re: [microsound] the politics of myspace

[Owen Green <owen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kim Cascone wrote:
> > OTOH the real trend scouts now are the users of MySpace, working for
> > them without being paid at all, without even recognizing that they
> > work for MySpace by building networks.
>
> exactly! very well said Frank! and this is the single most important 
> point made so far about Myspace...
> in other words: they are counting on your inability to think critically 
> about the politics of myspace so they can profit from your labor...

Yes, Frank makes excellent points.

However, with your paraphrase above, and much that you've said on this 
subject, I don't understand why you've chosen to make assumptions about 
the motivations and credulity of those that 'do' myspace, or why you and 
so many participants in this conversation have elected to be so 
antagonistic towards each other.

In posing your question earlier - "and is the 'enabling' power of social 
networks real or is it simply another sort of commodity sold to us 
through viral advertising?" - you seem to be implying an either / or, 
IMO, a false dilema. It seems to me pretty self-evident that both can 
happen - people make new friends, get gigs and other work, etc., and it 
gets used as a data harvesting tool for corporate interests. Is this 
different from asking the same question of commercial cd distribution? 
Or using plastic to pay for things? I suppose if you really do see it as 
one or the other, it would explain why some of your posts suggest that 
partakers are either stupid, trend whores, 'bedroom' musos, or 
capitalist hounds, or some mixture.

There seem to be some interesting general questions around all this; 
how, in practical terms, does one and do we, develop socialised practice 
and networks that not only try to minimize harmful complicity in Bad 
Things, but also effect positive change? Is there even any scope for 
doing what we do without engaging with destructive forces (a well 
flogged horse but still breathing)? Is there any consensus on what 
positive change might entail? If the web as a means of sharing sound has 
just become a 'sea of mp3s', of which most are (purportedly) rubbish, 
then what to do about it?

And so forth.

--
Owen



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