Comments on: Seizing the Means of Production – Part 3 http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406 Wondering Aloud Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:00:26 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Daily Links 01/03/2010 | Irish Publishing News http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406&cpage=1#comment-320 Daily Links 01/03/2010 | Irish Publishing News Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:01:58 +0000 http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406#comment-320 [...] Seizing the Means of Production – Part 3 An excellent cap to an amazing series! Read More [...] [...] Seizing the Means of Production – Part 3 An excellent cap to an amazing series! Read More [...]

]]> By: Oisín http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406&cpage=1#comment-298 Oisín Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:48:21 +0000 http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406#comment-298 Hi Eoin. Two good points there. On the ISP's thing, I agree that they are the ones taking in the bulk of the money, so it is reasonable to assume that they could end up paying to encourage good content to keep people online. In a way, you reinforce the comparison with broadcasters – the carriers are becoming like ITV or Channel 4. However, the main difference is that you flick between television stations. You don't do the same with your point of access to the web. I don't think people are going to start changing ISP's because they think it will affect what they can find on the web. ISP's are really more like a bank or utility provider. Once the service is reliable and reasonably priced, you don't examine it too often. And you're reluctant to take on the hassle of changing, so there is no real incentive on their part to start paying writers for content. They provide the window – what we see through it has very little to do with them. As for the point about the devices, again, I agree in principle but, in practise, if you have the option of getting something for free, or paying for the same thing, people will only pay if that option is substantially more convenient. As a human being who does not want powerful private corporations to control access to content, I hate the idea of us becoming reliant on a single device, or even a narrow range of devices. As someone who wants to reach an audience and make a living from doing it, I have to ask: Why is it as easy to get pirate material of standard quality as it is to get the real thing? Surely the people who make the stuff can give you much quicker, easier access? I really believe the only way to charge for something is to perfect the delivery system. And then, obviously, the more open source it can be made, the better. Hi Eoin. Two good points there. On the ISP’s thing, I agree that they are the ones taking in the bulk of the money, so it is reasonable to assume that they could end up paying to encourage good content to keep people online. In a way, you reinforce the comparison with broadcasters – the carriers are becoming like ITV or Channel 4. However, the main difference is that you flick between television stations. You don’t do the same with your point of access to the web. I don’t think people are going to start changing ISP’s because they think it will affect what they can find on the web. ISP’s are really more like a bank or utility provider. Once the service is reliable and reasonably priced, you don’t examine it too often. And you’re reluctant to take on the hassle of changing, so there is no real incentive on their part to start paying writers for content. They provide the window – what we see through it has very little to do with them. As for the point about the devices, again, I agree in principle but, in practise, if you have the option of getting something for free, or paying for the same thing, people will only pay if that option is substantially more convenient. As a human being who does not want powerful private corporations to control access to content, I hate the idea of us becoming reliant on a single device, or even a narrow range of devices. As someone who wants to reach an audience and make a living from doing it, I have to ask: Why is it as easy to get pirate material of standard quality as it is to get the real thing? Surely the people who make the stuff can give you much quicker, easier access? I really believe the only way to charge for something is to perfect the delivery system. And then, obviously, the more open source it can be made, the better.

]]> By: Eoin Purcell http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406&cpage=1#comment-295 Eoin Purcell Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:43:28 +0000 http://www.oisinmcgann.com/blog/?p=406#comment-295 Oisin, Great series you've written. Two quick points. One thing I may not have made clear is that the reason I think ISP's will need to help finance the creation of quality content is because they and access companies like them (cable companies, mobile and data carriers) have captured the majority of the revenue that people pay for information + entertainment where once publishers of newspapers, magazines and books got a much bigger share. If material is to be supplied on their (ISP's) systems to encourage consumers to keep paying for access to that system and to justify the cost, it'll be in their interests to finance quality content. In terms of devices, I really and truly think we need t start moving away from that thinking, it's detrimental to accepting the reality that the internet is the platform that is enabling this change. The more we see a device as a way to justify charging for internet content the less likely we EVER are to actually make people pay for access to content online. Devices will only ever make money for device makers and a few lucky stars. What's more they may well create the kind of lock in of a system like iTunes that builds even worse monopolies than already exist! Eoin Oisin,

Great series you’ve written.

Two quick points. One thing I may not have made clear is that the reason I think ISP’s will need to help finance the creation of quality content is because they and access companies like them (cable companies, mobile and data carriers) have captured the majority of the revenue that people pay for information + entertainment where once publishers of newspapers, magazines and books got a much bigger share. If material is to be supplied on their (ISP’s) systems to encourage consumers to keep paying for access to that system and to justify the cost, it’ll be in their interests to finance quality content.

In terms of devices, I really and truly think we need t start moving away from that thinking, it’s detrimental to accepting the reality that the internet is the platform that is enabling this change. The more we see a device as a way to justify charging for internet content the less likely we EVER are to actually make people pay for access to content online.

Devices will only ever make money for device makers and a few lucky stars. What’s more they may well create the kind of lock in of a system like iTunes that builds even worse monopolies than already exist!

Eoin

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