Re: [microsound] I want myspace MTV

[Xdugef <info@xxxxxxxxxx>]

--- Frank Barknecht <fbar@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> Actually the real danger I see with networks centralized in one hand
> is that this hand gets access to a lot of information from watching
> logfiles, the topology of the various networks they host etc. So
> MySpace or whoever will be the winner in the fight about socal
> networks is capable to see emerging trends very early on and they
> *will* use this knowledge. 

For $600 million I can only hope they get their money's worth.

> Let me explain with a silly example scenario: In asia "Para Para" is
> or was a popular popmusic/dance trend, while in western areas this is
> almost unknown.  Now do a search on MySpace for Para Para and you
> will
> find some western fans of this as well. If their number grows,
> MySpace
> will know this much earlier than anybody else, and they could and
> would sell this information. They won't sell it to anybody on this
> list, of course, but only to those, who will be able to pay much more
> for it. Or maybe they don't sell it at all but get into the
> Para-Para-business themselves similar to how Ebay bought Paypal. 

Oh my god you mean we could end up with the asian version of Shakira..
who'd of thunk it.

Are you suggesting that their are A&R people who actually look for
obscure and experimental music??

Ebay did not have to buy information to see that paypal was a
goldmine.. the most irritating thing about that transaction is that
ebay is now double dipping on profits.



> Now what does this mean: For example it will change the job of the
> trend scouts and A&R people. They will look at MySpace, but they will
> always be at least one step behind MySpace. 
>  
> 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. 

You could look at this way.. if A&R people are really looking at stats
from myspace then by all means all experiemntal artists need to get on
there now to bend the curve towards the less mainstream!!!

> Yes, it's actually very simular with computers and software.
> Commercial software more and more goes into a direction of being a
> *service* instead of a finished product. You subscribe to MS-Office,
> you don't buy it in the future. That's one of the reasons why
> personally I only use Free and Open Source Software and why I promote
> its use by giving free support on various mailing lists or websites
> but not on MySpace. ;) There was some talk about elitist behaviour
> here recently (livecoding, "no more myspace" etc.), so I'd like to
> point out that I'm not promoting Free Software and I'm not warning
> about MySpace out of an elitist view (like "Windows users are stupid,
> MySpace is for kiddies" etc.) but from a deeply anti-elitist
> motivation.

So is myspace elitest??  Is the hardware you use opensource, do you
only use recycled cpus and electrons??? ;-)

I don't see the point of not promoting those viewpoints on myspace.
Only promoting them to the choir and to the small non mainstream forums
is not going to get a widespread response. Although the amount of
development help and usefull input might be better when it comes from
the smaller groups.. rather than say myspace.. who as a generalisation
will consume with little return.


> > There will never be a sole social netowrk provider.. why?? because
> > there will allways be those who wish to reject the mainstream and
> will
> > form there own communities.
> 
> I hope this will be true, but it won't realize itself automatically.

There is no need to hope it to be true .. there are allready non
mainstream communities.. such as this email list for example.

Communities online do not realize themselves automatically.. there is a
human involved who says here is topic and here is where it will live. 

But the point is that unless all interest have the same number of
followers then there will allways be a majority or mainstream. These
days there are people who tend to follow unpopular trends and as soon
as the become too trendy they move onto the next unpopular trend.

However if your main objection to myspace is the notion of big brother
is watching you ..then maybe you have a reasonable objection. But
instead of the bleak state of things portrayed in 1984 ..big brother
wants to sell you toothpaste or the lastest musical fluff.

Adrian





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