Pop!

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

[in memory of Sean Bell. killed after being shot at 50 times by New York police officers on his wedding day.

Sean Bell was unarmed.

The police officers were acquitted of all charges]

Just in case nobody told you.

Time is dead.

My brother recently sent me a MP3 of some song he thought was hot. I loved the song.

But the thought of when it was actually released didn’t even pop into my mind.

It used to be that what was hot was time based.

It’s what made the Top 40 relevant. You wanted the latest shit.

It’s how mass media operated. What’s popular this week?

But here’s the truth.

No one cares what’s popular now.

People want to know what’s relevant to them now.

The movie business is dying because it’s time based.

The number one movie? Who cares?

Just make sure it’s in the theaters after my friends tell me it’s good and when I want to see it. Or I’ll buy the bootleg.

The Broadcast television business is dying because it’s time based.

The number one tv show? Who cares?

Just make sure what I can watch what I want, when I want or I’ll bypass all the commercials on TIVO.

The record business is dead because it was time based.

The number one song? Who cares?

I’ll download what I want NOW.

Blame cars, planes and the internet.

Distance is on life support.

Time is dead.

So what does this mean if you are a blogger or a new media honcho?

It means several things.

One. Fuck popularity. Popularity is time based. It’s dying. Your audience will not all find you on the same day, week, month or even year.

In the blogging tech world controlled benevolently by our King Gabe Rivera and his minions, it is easy to get caught up in the popularity/time game.

I know what I am going to say is heresy, but your readers don’t play that game.

They live in a universe that doesn’t work that way.

They are not going to be looking for Molly’s great post about the Zune today. Or any links to it.

They are going to be looking for it when they are looking to buy a Zune.

Today they will be looking for something else.

You may not have noticed but people have started throwing away their watches.

And not just literally.

Your audience already knows time doesn’t matter.

In a timeless age quality counts.

If your audience can view you anytime, anywhere then you have to be good all the time.

I may read your post 2 years from now and think it’s cool and you’re cool.

Or (if you read this blog) that this posts sucks and I suck.

This isn’t the age of mass, time-based media.

This is the age of individualized, timeless media.

You can take that to church.

People have been profiting off the content of others forever.

Fairy Tales

Music

flickr

TV Guide

But that’s not really what this Shyftr flareup is about is it?

The question is really about control.

How do I keep my audience? How do I profit from my audience?

Brian Clark (yeah, the Copyblogger dude) and I (remixing the work of Nobel Laureate Thomas Schelling) wrote about this issue years ago .

The only path to power in this ‘new’ universe is to let go.

Dig what that means?

Here it is in a sentence.

The only way to get the audience to follow you is to follow the audience.

That means the weakest party in the current Shyftr nonsense is, of course, Shyftr.

You, on the other hand, don’t realize your own strength.

I had a good laugh today when I turned off the talking heads on The McLaughlin Group and checked out the well-thought post by Matt Craven on the Shel Israel/Loren Feldman fight.

I won’t go into details about what’s happening except to say that it’s funny.

In so many ways.

One of the unsaid facts about now is that you don’t really have to know anything.

You can Google “video tips” and learn to make acceptable videos in 10 minutes (15 if read slow).

The fact that a guy with the name Fast Company behind him creates allegedly (I haven’t seen them. No chicks.) boring, badly produced videos is sad and funny.

In so many ways.

Actually internet video turf fights are going on all over.

I hungrily devoured the Andrew Baron post recently about the sexism of Wallstrip and the resulting Twitter fight between the Wallstrip crew and Andrew.

It didn’t get Techmeme traction but still fun reading.

(Note I have seen both shows. Smart chicks.)

These resulting arguments are, of course, good for all involved.

Not because of any agreement they might bring to the space.

But because of the attention it brings.

The rap game taught a generation that the best way to get attention (which, of course, is internet currency) is to take sides and make (a lot) of noise.

What we have in the blogosphere is the generation that grew up on Tupac vs. Biggie playing the same game in their universe.

Unfortunately Shel seems to have grown up on Laurence Welk putting him at an obvious disadvantage.

In so many ways.

(15:37:0 michael miraflor: http://www.myspace.com/flobots
(15:37:16) michael miraflor: so, supposedly this is the new sublime
(15:37:2 michael miraflor: sort of a rap / rock fusion
(15:37:36) michael miraflor: with political commentary
(15:37:44) michael miraflor: i hear a little linkin park
(15:37:53) michael miraflor: anyhow, “handlebars” is getting crazy rotation in socal
(15:39:33) rafi: hrmm
(15:39:33) michael miraflor <AUTO-REPLY> : I am away from my computer right now.
(15:39:3 rafi: sounds like garbage

(15:40:12) michael miraflor: the kids love it
(15:40:21) rafi: lies
(15:40:25) michael miraflor: true story
(15:40:45) michael miraflor: its kind of like clearchannel doesn’t know where they belong
(15:41:02) rafi: this is like last year when matt of 33third tried to convince me that la coka nostra have a huge rabid following in cali
(15:41:04) michael miraflor: i’ve heard it on a pop station, adult contemp, rock, and hiphop
(15:41:06) rafi: even if it’s true it means nothing
(15:41:12) rafi: this handlebars song sucks
(15:41:23) michael miraflor: it’s catchy
(15:41:29) rafi: you think?
(15:41:29) michael miraflor: i mean, it’s about riding a bike without handlebars
(15:41:54) michael miraflor: hey, chuck d said they were good
(15:41:57) rafi: lol
(15:42:12) rafi: thats the problem with advertising people… you’re looking for clues
(15:42:16) rafi: listen to the song
(15:42:19) rafi: it’s awful
(15:42:24) rafi: that is a terrible song
(15:42:31) michael miraflor: no no no
(15:42:35) michael miraflor: it’s not terrible at all
(15:42:3 michael miraflor: it’s contemporary
(15:42:46) michael miraflor: that’s the problem with you hip hop snobs
(15:42:52) michael miraflor: you think everything is automatically basura
(15:42:53) rafi: i’m not a hip-hop snob
(15:43:01) michael miraflor: yeah you are
(15:43:04) michael miraflor: you have a hip hop blog
(15:43:09) michael miraflor: which automatically qualifies you haha
(15:43:10) rafi: ha
(15:43:53) rafi: these guys just sound terrible to me… there’s no there there
(15:43:59) rafi: i’m on to the 2nd song now
(15:44:0 michael miraflor: okayplayer called them the future
(15:44:13) rafi: lol
(15:44:2 rafi: okayplayer almost put out birthday girl as a single! they have no clue as to what they’re doing
(15:44:45) michael miraflor: hey
(15:44:53) michael miraflor: birthday girl might have been the best song on that album
(15:45:06) rafi: hahahahaha
(15:46:05) rafi: i’m not opposed to it on principle… it was a shitty song
(15:46:19) rafi: if you’re going to go in a different direction to try and cross over
(15:46:22) rafi: at least have a catchy song
(15:46:2 michael miraflor: see, i still have an ear to the streets
(15:46:32) michael miraflor: … of orange county
(15:46:35) rafi: lol
(15:46:39) michael miraflor: and that song would have made that album go platinum
(15:46:53) michael miraflor: it had that dude from fall out boy
(15:47:01) michael miraflor: that’s like adding fergie to an underground rap group
(15:47:25) rafi: what am i gonna do with you mike
(15:47:34) michael miraflor: and the video was so hipster chic it killed me
(15:47:35) rafi: who would you rather be the roots or black eyed peas?
(15:47:45) michael miraflor: what with those 14 year old girls in american apparel
(15:48:05) michael miraflor: cutting that song was like burning a pile of money
(15:48:21) michael miraflor: i’d rather be the band with more money
(15:48:40) rafi: of course you would.. you’re an advertising… you think this 2nd rate college sounding band is the future
(15:48:45) rafi: you’re in* advertising
(15:48:53) michael miraflor: yes i am in advertising
(15:49:10) michael miraflor: i am riding the pulse of popular culture
(15:49:23) michael miraflor: and the pulse is telling me that handlebars is a hot single
(15:49:47) rafi: ok… my ears tell me this is some boring ass music and that song is particularly weak
(15:49:59) rafi: do you expect this group to have longevity?
(15:50:02) rafi: will they matter in 2 years?
(15:50:12) rafi: they dont even matter now
(15:50:21) rafi: what are they about?
(15:50:41) rafi: i mean i dont hear anything to get excited about is all i’m saying
(15:51:22) rafi: they’re just another myspace act
(15:52:21) michael miraflor: let’s put money on it
(15:52:42) rafi: on what? on whether they sell? poor barometer.. bands that sell still dont matter next year
(15:52:52) michael miraflor: it’s not based on principle (certainly not mine), but on the market
(15:52:54) rafi: i dont care that some poseurs who dont know music consider this important music
(15:53:03) rafi: they do because they’ve been told
(15:53:44) michael miraflor: haha look at their #1 infuence
(15:53:47) michael miraflor: *influence
(15:53:49) michael miraflor: the roots! hahahah
(15:53:49) rafi: you really think birthday girl would have meant a platinum album?
(15:53:53) michael miraflor: nah
(15:53:5 michael miraflor: of course not
(15:53:59) rafi: lol
(15:54:03) rafi: it just wasnt a hit
(15:54:0 rafi: you could listen to it and tell
(15:54:10) michael miraflor: but more OC kids would have copped the album
(15:54:1 rafi: the all important OC kids
(15:54:34) michael miraflor: you’re talking about like 4 million kids with spending power
(15:54:50) michael miraflor: and a penchant for whatever is playing on the radio
(15:55:10) rafi: credibility still matters right?
(15:55:17) michael miraflor: to the masses? no

So I read Arrington’s rant yesterday and something bothered me.

The idea of blogger super heroes getting together to fight CNET just struck me as bizarre.

Now Mike’s a smart guy if your goal is cash.

But isn’t his idea a bit 20th Century?

It’s chasing pavements instead of being a really big idea.

I think what bugs me is that it feels so…wrong.

It’s ignoring something important.

I know we all still have that 20th Century residue on us but a quick look at the true success stories of the 21st Century is all about building something useful for me.

Something with value to me.

The idea of a blogger justice league to fight CNET (who has enough problems) is ludicrous.

It’s a quagmire in the making.

Let me give wanna be superstar bloggers some unasked for advice.

It’s not about you. And it’s not about them.

It’s about me.

The smartest person in the blog network in the game is Denton. Because he realizes something that Mike seems to miss.

All the Gawker sites are not really about the writers.

They are about the comments.

The users.

Anything to get more participation out the audience is the only way to really grow.

It doesn’t matter who blogs. I mean good writing is important but getting a good audience is even more important.

And how do you do that? By shifting the power of your site away from you and to me.

A few days ago TC writer Duncan got his hands on the financials of Instablogs. He obviously got them from a reader.

Now the Instablogs story is an interesting one.

Ankit and hot chick/excellent writer Nandini started it with a thousand dollars and now they are making 25k a month.

And they are negotiating a 3 million dollar cash influx.

One look at the Instablogs site tells you it’s all about me.

Though they have news from the AP the site is all about audience participation. People from all over the world argue and complain and vote and comment on the issues of the day.

It’s really hard for something like that to fail.

Why?

Because the users are invested.

They come back again and again to see who said what to them.

Now back to TC.

After reading Duncan’s post people had questions. So many that the CEO of Instablogs chimed in to clarify a few things.

I mean Duncan is a very cool guy (had drinks with him and Loren about a year ago) but what was interesting about that post was the comments.

That’s why Fred’s investment in Disqus was smart.

Cuz that’s where the action (and the money) is.

In the apostles.

Someone please remind Mike that Jesus dies.

It’s always the best of times.

One day I had a huge fight with my parents.

One of those really nasty fights.

They didn’t get me.

I felt lost. I felt angry. I felt alone.

After the fight my brother walked up to me and asked me to take a ride with him. So I got into the passenger side of his black Honda Accord hatchback and he put in a Depeche Mode CD.

I wasn’t a big DM fan at the time but he went to track 1 of their “Music For The Masses” album and blasted it as he drove down the dark roads of our Lousiana neighborhood.

He didn’t say a word. Neither did I.

We didn’t pick up any alcohol or weed. We just drove for a an hour or so with “Never Let Me Down Again” on repeat. And I felt better.

Then we went home and I talked to my parents.

Whenever the Grammys arrive I think about that ride.

But mostly I think about all of us. And our confusion and anger.

The fact that we feel so alone and the power of music to make you feel that someone out there gets you.

No matter how many Facebook contacts or MySpace friends you have Few things are as important as a great song.

Except maybe a great brother.

Enjoy the Grammys.

Let’s go crazy.

I know the writer’s strike is the big news, but the real interesting negotiations are the ones going on between Prince and his fans.

Prince, after sending cease and desist letters to fan sites, gave them an ‘exclusive’ unreleased song. Not all fans are happy and are accusing sites which promote it of selling out.

Prince and his major fan sites are now in negotiations.

Umair is on a roll.

Let me be the first to say that Apple is blowing it. A falling star. Anyone who joins forces with Ticketmaster…jeez. (see Umair about Facebook and notice the parallels.)

Matt speaks.

Chris Rock: Music kind of sucks.  Nobody’s into being a musician.  Everybody’s getting their mogul on.  You’ve been so infiltrated by this corporate mentality that all the time you’d spend getting great songs together, you’re busy doing nine other things that have nothing to do with art.  You know how shitty Stevie Wonder’s songs would have been if he had to run a fuckin’ clothing company and a cologne line?

RollingStone: Plenty of rappers say, “I’m not a rapper, I’m a businessman.”

Chris Rock: That’s why rap sucks, for the most part.  Not all rap, but as an art form it’s just not at its best moment.  Sammy the Bull would have made a shitty album.  And I don’t really have a desire to hear Warren Buffett’s album - or the new CD by Paul Allen.  That’s what everybody’s aspiring to be.

We live in a weird time.  No one knows who’s smart - we just know who makes money.  ”Hey, somebody invented Viagra!  We don’t know their name, but we know Pfizer, because they make the money.”  That guy made a pill that keeps your dick hard, and nobody knows who the fuck he is.  The pharmaceutical companies are like fuckin’ record companies.  There’s literally the Bo Diddley of medicine walking around, not getting his royalties.  He signed all his fucking pill publishing away.

(”Rolling Stone”, Issue 1039, November 15, 2007, page 157)

via lefsetz

If you are interested in updates on the WGA Strike check out http://twitter.com/writersstrike