New media meets capitalism and scratches its head

"In the world of new media, where unions have no foothold whatsoever, the formula of overwork, underpayment, and sacrificial labor is entirely normative. The blurring of the lines between work and leisure, the widespread use of amateur or user input on the social web or in open source, and the systematic expropriation of Tiziana Terranova first described as “free labor” has prompted some commentators to ask whether the experience of digital environments should direct us to rethink entirely our basic understanding of labor and enterprise."

--Richard Florida

Well, this blog entry of Mr. Florida's just drives straight to the heart of the matter. I know, I know... it's a little long and laden with a high amount of industry jargon. On the other hand, if you want to know how the gears are working in the media industry: who's getting paid and who's not, what are common un-counted costs, what traps, possibilities, trends, concerns and forecasts are out there, give this link a good read: http://wherewearenow.org/vol1/change/on-the-digital-labor-question/

Here is my 2 cents: Something is still going right. Money is being made. It may be a little less than before, and there are many challenges to identify and work creatively to overcome. In the end, I am certain that these various electronic media, which have recently emerged, will be an invaluable tool for the creative class to reach target audiences, control the "business" of their craft/art and cash in with reasonable proportion to the principals of supply and demand and passive income enterprise.

So, keep paying attention to trends and analyze best communications practices. Evaluate success by measuring increased number of followers along with increased revenue. We are only on the first chapter of this new media story. All shall be well.