This one is for Christopher R. Weingarten (@1000TimesYes) after his speech at the #140conf.
He brought up something fundamental for the publishing industry and social media: "Crowds have bad taste" when it comes to giving all power to users on the Internet.
Christopher was criticizing the fact that music critics are having a hard time making a living now with the Internet. But it apply to any industry: User generated content can't replace the work of specialists.
Ideally, we'd like to reach the point where artist and crowd play on each other. Watch this "Kid" from Montreal on the video. The crowd knows about scratching and reacts positively to the dozens of techniques Kid Koala's masters. One of the tough things here is that notes come from speed... he could easily be out of tune but he's not!? Amazing.
In fact, any publisher should apply these simple rules: Don't do anything that people can't follow. Educate so they can follow and appreciate. The best leader isn't the one who gives the best orders. It's the one who gives the best order that people will follow.
Christopher, what would you say to this: Maybe the music critics of tomorrow will be the ones who play with customers and not just pronounce a judgment?
When people learn, they come back. Kid Koala has been considered best DJ of the World.
By the way, Christopher worked at Rolling Stones Magazine and is a true music lover. He decided to recommend 1000 albums over the current year. You can check his selection here on his personal blog.
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