What you naive dreamers don't realise is that while everyone is
becoming technically able to publish, that doesn't mean that everything
will qualify for publishing. As the example of Mac & DTP: Yes, everyone
can do graphics now, like everyone can do web pages, but most of the
time DIY jobs are dull and ugly. Thus it's left to the pros. Besides
WHY should I visit that site/view those photos etc, unless I know you
or we share some niche interest and you are really relevant to it?
As for the radio (you misunderstood the point by the way: that if there
is an event you could use the phone as on-site microphone and cover the
event live - great newscasting, ha ha), like the above, yes, anyone can
do radio, Internet radio (we're talking net stuff, aren't we). So why
are so few people doing it? Well, because it is quite hard and often
involves more than playing one song after another. The same goes for
any publishing.
What do you mean by "drive the cost down"? Rubbish, it is more or less
free already! So what? OK, so no expense except my time, I must be very
profitable right? How exactly am I getting paid back? In fact the more
visitors I get the higher my expenses (need more bandwidth, better
hardware etc). I still don't get it, mate.
I have done photography for a few years professionally (not news
though), and while a good amateur can technically produce an equal of
not a better result than a pro, it doesn't mean that the pros run out
of work, simply because it takes a lot of other skills to get results
that sells (hint: it's not just the photograph, but the "services"
around it).
One very reasonable way to approach this is "micro-publishing", is to
provide means i.e. services to turn crap into gold, like Apple enables
their customers to do. Put in your snaps, let's say relevant only to
family and friends, not of interest to anybody else and with a few
clicks produce a good looking web page, a DVD etc. Everyone's happy,
who cares that the world doesn't want to see it. Now charge $1 for
doing a really cool photo album. The world is waiting for such
services. We need tools, not more raw materials!
But don't try telling me that picture editors are waiting for all the
great pics from mobile snappers to come in, and we will get "better and
more news".
I am sure there is a porn angle to all this, which probably works
despite all that I have said above ;-)
Dirk
On Tuesday, Feb 18, 2003, at 17:55 Asia/Tokyo, Johan Bengtsson wrote:
>
>
> I agree with Erik, here's why:
>
> If you drive down the cost and trouble of instant publication of news,
> more people will be able to publish things that they think are
> newsworthy. Look at Bloggs for example. Now think mobile bloggs with
> photos.
>
> If you drive down the cost and trouble of publishing a photo you also
> drive down the number of viewers that you think needs to see it in
> order
> for you to go through the trouble of doing it. Therefor, more photos
> from more events will be published since there indeed is more relevant
> news.=20
>
> And why hasn't this hit radio you ask. Well everyone can't start a
> radio
> station but everyone can have a Blogg.
>
> /Johan
Received on Wed Feb 19 03:27:40 2003