Rethinking categories of media
It is found or it arrives.
It is hosted many places or it has a single home.
It earns and delivers on permission, or it’s spam.
It changes over time or it’s static.
It’s the work of an individual or the production of a community.
It’s valuable because of network effects, or in spite of them.
It produces energy and momentum, or it absorbs it.
It’s scarce or it’s widely available.
It thrives on the long tail or only works if it’s a hit.
It dances with the early adopters or soothes the feelings of the late majority.
It’s truly live, or it benefits from time shifting.
It launches itself or it waits to be pressed.
It enhances productivity, or it reduces it.
It is a catalyst for cultural change, or it feeds on cultural change.
It energizes and inspires, or it trolls with snark and irony.
People share it because it benefits them, or someone has to hustle to make it spread.
It goes stale very quickly, or it becomes more relevant over time.
It’s worth talking about, or it’s not.