Andrew Potter: When ‘free’ becomes really expensive
Maclean’s columnist Andrew Potter recently posted a thought-provoking article on the extended effects of the “freeconomy” on the laws of supply and demand.
In the age of digital culture, it is not just access to art that has been democratized, but its production as well. What we are seeing now is the fulfillment of the old Romantic ideal of every individual as a creative spirit, as millions of amateurs flood the Internet with their own songs, videos, photographs and stories. As a result, real artists have to go to increasingly strenuous lengths to capture a share of the public’s attention—a couple of months ago, for example, the musician Moby booked an entire spa so that journalists could listen to his new album while getting a massage.
For those eagerly awaiting the wrap-up to my travel blog posts, I assure you, it’s coming soon. I’m hoping to have something up by the end of the week.
