DIGITAL is sucking all creative content out of the world. Let me elaborate: Were living in a world now where we (supposedly) get anything we want at a click of a button - Its fast food but translated into every aspect of life, and this kind of instant gratification has spoiled us rotten. The thing that is valued most in our society is expedience, not quality. We throw away the best technologies we have because we want to do things faster and easier; when has an improved technology given us better quality results? With the technology today, anyone anywhere in the world can make an album, movie, etc of the same quality as those made professionally, because modern technology is all about making mistakes easy to cover up; the creative process itself no longer subject to the requirements of talent or the rigors of experience. With so many people creating mediocre art that costs nothing to make and flooding the market with it, where has the standard of excellence gone? Do you know how much MY art costs me personally? Thats what gives it value. But no one wants that. They want it to be as cheap as possible and to hell with standards. Some people make their kids go out, get jobs, and earn money to buy a car, so that they will appreciate that car, take care of it, treat it with respect. Some people are given cars on their 16th birthdays. The things that we value are the things on which we are willing to spend money, and all-too many people prefer not to own anything when they can borrow (or lease) it for free, and today we want everything to be free. Its a sickness that has invaded every aspect of life, from music and movies to healthcare. Look at the direction that Apple and Microsoft are pushing with their products. Total Cost of Ownership keeps going up, and at some point it will no longer exist. How long do we want to own the things that we pay for, before we decide that its better to pay less and merely rent everything? Byrne is right to point out that there WILL BE a cost to getting music for free, even if we dont see it yet...everything has a price, everything has consequences. People seem to think of Spotify as a kind of magical well that they can continually dip their bucket into forever, free of charge, but no one wants to think of the artist who actually produces the work, who is getting damn near nothing for their trouble. Every heard the saying Free advice is seldom cheap? (its Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #59) Nothings free - it has to cost something to have substance and value. Nothing appears ex nihilo - it has to come from somewhere and be made by someone. Heres a quote from David Mamets book The Secret Knowledge: My daughter had an heiress in her elementary school class. The two were discussing their various bedtimes. And the heiress said that every evening, at ten oclock, she went to the small refrigerator in her room, and took out her usual snack: fresh berries and organic yogurt dripped with honey. My daughter asked, Who puts it there? The heiress paused for a while, and said, ...I dont know. ...Who puts the snacks in the refrigerator? Someone does. Support the artist by actually buying their products from them directly? Heresy! That would require EFFORT. But we really should support the things that mean something to us, or quit pretending that we hold any sort of value in them whatsoever.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 18:44:29 +0000
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