Our freedoms as they (seemingly) are on the web: fluid, multi-dimensional, creative, and even (at times) considerate and assertive, have, I must warn you, only a limited lifespan. Justine Bateman states that we 'Need to put our foot down on net neutrality' - very much PRO the openness, this is under threat from the efforts of organisations such as ATT, Comcast, Time/Warner Cable, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, The NCTA who threaten to control all forms of media content. By control I mean for profit $/£s. Until when? Well 'when' the margins of profitability state that this isn't a good idea. So that'll be at the end of time. Increasingly mediated, but always communicative what makes the web? NOT its version change to a '2.0', but its links, networks and openness - A veritable pool for innovation. The question is, should media commerciality innovate like the rest of us? OR is this freedom damaging the quality of information - social or otherwise?
Maybe there's room for both. Today in the UK, Johnston Press reveal a trial to charge for online content.
Other opportunities one could throw in to the mix include:
Maybe Fox's 24 could be 23hours long with a final 'paid for' hour.That bit we all skip forward to anyway and usually when Jack Bauer is either getting his vest top on or off for the upteenth time in 24hours.
The newspaper the Sun could publish with a free 'fully dressed' version. And then with an additional option of a 'less dressed' content version = less clothes more totty for £s.
email could work the same way. Free SPAM. But $/£s for the content that you really care about... That job interview reply etc.
Whatever the future, you can safely bet there will be a price tag for our freedoms.
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