C For Content
Last night I proclaimed we're in a Content Renaissance and this morning, what do I stumble across but a bunch of articles saying the very same thing! It's either a case of 'great minds think alike', or there really is a content renaissance happening. :-) For example, Robert Scoble wrote a rah-rah article about "the content-creation trend that's going on" - his readers made lots of interesting comments on it too. And I read a piece of Marketing hype today from trendwatching.com, raving about something called "Generation C" - C for Content, geddit? Actually it's a good read and I especially liked this extract:
"Don't get us wrong: superior tools and no talent still equals useless content. GENERATION C is and will continue to create heaps and heaps of crap which, at best, will be appreciated only by inner-circle friends and family.
However, when Canon (see above) tells consumers that its products 'leave one difference between you and a professional. They get paid', they're kind of behind already: talented members of GENERATION C actually DO get paid, as their stories, their observations, their articles, their pictures, their songs, and their books are noticed and bought by niche audiences, as well as (increasingly) by mass-media moguls eager for real-time, original content. Think thousands of 'My News' citizen reporters in South Korea, or tens of thousands of bloggers building personal brands (and thus warranting professional fees, and reaping advertising revenues)..."
Strong resonance with my post yesterday. Among other things (go read it - it's better than this post I'm writing now!) I wrote about my Big Idea to write a biography of Web 2.0. This is my idea to write a book about the current Web As Platform and social software bubble. It'll be a non-fiction book, where I travel and interview bloggers and developers - particularly on the West Coast of the USA.
I really want some feedback on that btw - is there something wrong with my comments system or something? Two-Way Web, my ass... ;-)