Why Crowdfunding Rocks
There’s no doubt that the Internet has changed the way we do many things. I cannot remember, for instance, the last time I visited my bank teller, bought a postage stamp or walked into a book store.
While the use of the Internet has some unsavory social implications, such as IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder) to name one, it also has aspects that will forever displace the balance of power from a few at the top calling the shots, to the rest of us determining our own path.
Displacement
The first such phenomenon in my mind, was YouTube. Before YouTube became popular, you were a star when Nickelodeon or Disney told you you were. Someone in those corporations would scout talent, made them up and then made them famous.
Now take Fred , for example. He put some crazy-funny home-made videos up, and people liked him. He now has over a billion views and over 2 million subscribers. No one at Disney told him what to say or what to wear. Or Jenna Marbles, the hilarious inappropriate blond hottie, who’s now sporting over 11 million subscribers and over 1.27 billion views. I dare Nickelodeon to sensor her rants.
The web, in these cases, is all about displacement. Letting you and I decide what goes and what doesn’t rather than having some suit decide for us. Amazon.com is another great equalizer — not so much for book stores, but very much for authors. Anyone can write and publish book and get a chance to sell it along side the best sellers. I like that!