Isn’t it interesting many
people consider the fate of YouTube to be an all or nothing proposition?
$1B) and will one day rule the world or it’s nothing and has no future at all.
This is so common when
something new is challenging something more traditional.
Some people say the new
will replace the traditional – setting up an immediate rivalry.
Some people say the new
is irrelevant to the traditional and it will continue as it has, or slightly
altered, for decades to come.
The new is often regarded
as low quality, unreliable, and unable to sustain itself financially. It’s a fad!
Or, if solvent, the new
is considered a small blip on the traditional company’s financial radar – and
inconsequential.
The traditional is
considered slow, stodgy, and unable to take a risk or experiment with a new
idea.
In fact, people
generally agree that the new idea could have never originated from within a
larger more traditional environment.
Both groups get
defensive.
We can argue about
whether or not copyright laws are a good thing – but not here and not now. As long as copyright laws exist, there is undeniable
validity in protecting copyrights.
However, just because
you can do something doesn’t mean you should (all the time).
When the threat of being
replaced causes traditional media to vilify innovation and tightly grab the
weapon of copyright to prove they have muscle, they’re missing an opportunity
to push their industry forward – to collaborate.
What does new media do
to meet them part way?
Often nothing!
They dismiss the value
of traditional companies. Look at
Google. In considering the potential of
their creation they made no attempt to engage traditional media (until they had
to).
They thumb their noses
at traditional media and then wonder why the lawyers show up!
Is YouTube the new
TV? Are books dead? Is the music industry dead? NO. NO. NO.
Are they evolving? Are they’re becoming new things? YES.
Change is always
somewhat violent. There are winners and
losers. Knowing that makes everyone
defensive and paranoid.
It’s hard to collaborate
when we’re worried about our future.
Will the new company
survive? Will the traditional company be
replaced?
The more we stand to
lose the more extreme our position.
But it’s impossible to
evolve if we aren’t willing to consider and experiment with the possibilities.