Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
I don’t always agree with Jaron Lanier, but he has a way of really making you think. In this case he looks at the impacts of the digital economy (more specifically, negative ones), and how to fix them.
Jaron Lanier’s “Fixing the Digital Economy.”
It’s an interesting run-up as he looks at the huge data in the economy, and how some existing ideas might be cultivated to help maintain a middle class he fears is being crushed.
– Steven
Overall, I can’t say I agree with the idea of the “Cult of the Amateur” by Andrew Keen, a book with the humble subtitle “How Internet Is Killing Our culture.” I don’t think the internet is killing our culture (we were doing fine on our own). I don’t feel a read-write culture is necessarily bad, though he does. I’m not worried over remixes. He did cleverly hit on the idea that some undermining of jobs could have vast economic impact. But in the end, his concern that amateurs of one stripe or another are unfairly lionized and squeeze out/exploit/ignore “real” talent was an important point, but also one he missed at the same time.
So I think he’s right and wrong. Let me clarify.
It’s no secret a lot of recent Salon articles have been negative towards self publishing. Hugh Howey takes a broader view on why it’s great. He notes it may not be perfect, but it’s one where you hone your craft as you earn and that the old model had it’s problems
– Steve