I am a commodityI was reading A turning point for the web? when the following idea popped into my mind:
Google treats its users like it treats its servers. Cheap to acquire, and cheaper to replace then to fix.
Yeah, Web 2.0 is all about people, but not in the way we think.
Comments:
karl:
It's what I call the new slaves of information. If you think in terms of market and value of products (which is very hard for me ;) ), all people tend to say that information is the key value… so right now you have zillions of people producing information freely (peasants, slave) for some big companies living from it (nobles, aristocraty). Welcome to the wonderful world of the new economy… a very old world designed long time ago.
Ed:
I guess the question is: how can we opt out? From what I can tell, the majority's opinion seems to be that by publishing our information on the web, we are implicitly making it available for redistribution, and if others make money off that redistribution effort, that's OK.
I believe that I should have some choice in the matter, and that I should be able to opt-in to such services if I like. If I do, I think I should recieve a part of the revenues generated from my information.
The technology exists to make this happen. The will does not.
Alternatives, anyone?