Chris Anderson’s new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, is a case study in the chaotic state of the media business. The book argues that the cost of what we now call “content” (i.e. words, images, video, and the like) will necessarily approach zero and that businesses can’t charge for it, they can only hope to make money around that free content somehow.The book Free costs $26.99, but, as the Virginia Quarterly Review has documented, Anderson lifted several passages of the book from Wikipedia (for free). In a recent New Yorker review, Malcolm Gladwell attacks Anderson’s argument that free content will be the standard. Chris Anderson noted an irony on Twitter: “Malcolm Gladwell New Yorker review of Free now out. You can read it for free; I guess he wouldn’t approve.” Of course, you still need to pay for a print copy of the New Yorker.It’s complicated, and there’s little consensus how-or whether-the media business will find its footing. In a Guardian piece today (in their “Comment is free” section), Adrian Monck makes the point that, while these two journalists argue about whether money can be made from media, both are pulling in huge sums from live speeches:Anderson makes-reportedly-a couple of million dollars a year in speaking fees. Gladwell has re-invented the book promotional tour as a paid-for event. A ticket to see Malcolm Gladwell Live! costs more than the book that the show notionally promotes.So if the Anderson/Gladwell debate has a future, it’s one in which you’ll pay for ringside tickets to see them engaging in the intellectual equivalent of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation or, to be kinder, heavyweight boxing.This has already happened in the music business. MP3s are easy to distribute and hard to charge for. A live experience with Radiohead is the opposite on both counts. That’s why recorded music has become a promotional tool to sell concert tickets.Might the journalists and writers of the next decade give their “content” away and pay their bills with speaking tours? Only those with a fan base, perhaps. But Anderson, Gladwell, and hundreds of other authors and “public intellectuals” certainly do have fans. Speakers in their class get $10,000 to $50,000 per appearance. And an event like TED can pay them lavishly, charge $6,000 per ticket, and still make a profit. Anderson himself has invested in a start-up, BookTour.com, designed to collect and distribute book tour information. Even a first-time author with a comparatively low profile can make money on tour by starting to appear on panels with bigger names (sort of like an opening act).This “live events” model might not help the publishers of media much, but it could be a saving grace for the writers themselves, and perhaps even provide us all with new, high-quality public debates. And, as Monck points out, the Gladwell-versus-Anderson clash of the titans will only make them both more valuable on the speaker circuit.
Tags
advertisement
More for You
-
Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
-
14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
-
Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
advertisement
High school teacher reads some of the most hilariously unhelpful emails he gets from ‘concerned’ parents
Retired U.S. Navy chief explains how to end discipline anxiety with wholesome ‘butler’ trick
He threw a message in a bottle into the ocean as a teen. It washed up 49 years later with a response.
Sign Up for the Daily Good!
Advertisement
