This Year I'm Gonna Insist On Royalties for My YouTube Poop Videos

Jesse Walker | October 27, 2008

Andrew Keen predicts an end to backyard gardens, playground basketball, basement jam sessions, amateur painting, and open mic nights for the duration of the economic hard times, because "the idea of free labor will suddenly become profoundly unpalatable to someone faced with their house being repossessed or their kids going hungry."

Oh, wait. Hold on. He only predicts an end to unpaid-but-pleasurable labor on the Internet:

So how will today's brutal economic climate change the Web 2.0 "free" economy? It will result in the rise of online media businesses that reward their contributors with cash; it will mean the success of Knol over Wikipedia, Mahalo over Google, TheAtlantic.com over the HuffingtonPost.com, iTunes over MySpace, Hulu over YouTube Inc., Playboy.com over Voyeurweb.com, TechCrunch over the blogosphere, CNN's professional journalism over CNN's iReporter citizen-journalism... The hungry and cold unemployed masses aren't going to continue giving away their intellectual labor on the Internet in the speculative hope that they might get some "back end" revenue.

Because that's why most people contribute to YouTube and Wikipedia. It's the reason why people post comments here at Hit & Run. "Back end" revenue! It's the American dream!

Comments

robc|10.27.08 @ 10:48PM|#

Starting Jan 1 I expect to be paid 2 cents per post.

Eeeeeeew|10.27.08 @ 10:50PM|#

"Back end revenue" sounds disgusting.

|10.27.08 @ 10:50PM|#

Thank God I got some appropriate snark for this stupid idea. Over at Slog they treated it with a modicum of respect...blech.

Oh.|10.27.08 @ 10:51PM|#

I'm now ready to believe that was intended in the headline.

|10.27.08 @ 10:52PM|#

I don't know which phrase is worse: "back-end revenue" or "long-tail revenue." Perhaps the former, as it seems almost cool to say that "I'm gonna git me some long tail." Almost.

|10.27.08 @ 11:00PM|#

Seriously. I do not want to hear about backend revenue. Except maybe about Donderooooooo. Cause that would be funny.

So with all this ecocnomic downturniness we're going to pay with our reduced incomes for all the content we wouldn't pay for during the heady days of Pets.com?

|10.27.08 @ 11:14PM|#

I thought that trying to make people buy bogus "content" was pretty much the downfall of AOL.

Furthermore, it still irritates me that newspapers have internet content that is "subscription only"...FOLKS! IT IS 2008! I can go anywhere on the internet and find your crappy content in like, 30 seconds.

Naga Sadow|10.27.08 @ 11:18PM|#

Your right Walker!!! I DEMAND my money! Tell Reason to fork it over or I'm gonna put on my purple fur coat with my hat and feather ensemble and resort to keeping my pimp hand strong!!!

By the way Walker. While on this subject you should demand a tip from readers despite your wage from Reason. I'm a bartender and trust me, it's the way to go.

|10.27.08 @ 11:19PM|#

Jaysus, as pretentious jerks as we can be around here, Andrew Keen and 'thinkerNet' just takes the fucking cake.

|10.27.08 @ 11:20PM|#

In related news, I was sworn into the Virginia Bar today. Now that I'm a lawyer, I expect royalty checks for the legal opinions I post on this site.

|10.27.08 @ 11:25PM|#

Obviously I don't get paid for this comment, BUT I would say 90% of the things I INTENT to do "on that internet" are in the pursuit of making money ( work). Places like Hit&Run and a lot of other blogs/forums are ( welcome) distractions.

If I used Youtube much, it probably would have something to do with marketing/money in at least a round about way.

When I play basketball in my backyard there is never any intent and expectation for making money. When I jerkoff on the internet it is usually while at least attempting to do productive work.

Just my small individual experience, of course.

|10.27.08 @ 11:25PM|#

"INTEND", obviously

|10.27.08 @ 11:39PM|#

When I think of the bailout, and its fallout, I do think "back end"... but I don't think "revenue".

By the way, how much are we charging joe to post here, anyway?

And, I'm not kidding, put "tip jar" at the end of each post with a link to PayPal, and you guys will be getting some serious "Change We Can Believe In(tm)." (And I mean for the actual blog post by the professionals, not the commentariat, who are more than compensated by their employers while they're goofing off here.)

|10.27.08 @ 11:52PM|#

The funny thing is, all of the things he said people would do less in are things I would expect people to do more of because they're free fun. How is Youtube any different from regular home movies that you can use to annoy the whole world. Though, what would I know, unlike Keen, I've worked for profitable companies.

And seriously, Knol over Wikipedia? Knol sucks monkey balls.

|10.27.08 @ 11:57PM|#

thanks for that voyeurweb link!

hotsauce|10.28.08 @ 1:16AM|#

Now that I'm a lawyer, I expect royalty checks for the legal opinions I post on this site.

Careful what you say about shit outside of VA. Unlicensed practice of law and all that jazz. Oh, and congrats. Though I thought the bar exam was pretty straightforward, the two months of (paid) studying sure blew ass.

|10.28.08 @ 1:47AM|#

People will stop posting stuff on the internet when they have no more money to pay for the service.

Hell some people will feel like they are working by blogging and some might even find a job out of it.

VM|10.28.08 @ 7:54AM|#

"And seriously, Knol over Wikipedia? Knol sucks monkey balls."

and with that, our good Friend, Mo, ushers in another MONKEY TUESDAY.

|10.28.08 @ 9:04AM|#

All payments may be directed at the email link in my screen name. I accept VISA, Mastercard, PayPal, and beaver pics of your skinnier sisters.

Zeb|10.28.08 @ 9:50AM|#

That's right, we are all going to be cold and unemployed soon.

|10.28.08 @ 9:55AM|#

Start charging for your poop videos right when people don't have money to spend on poop videos? It could be genius!!

|10.28.08 @ 9:58AM|#

We want more money!
What money?
The internet money!!!

Yeah, we want some of that internet money!

|10.28.08 @ 10:43AM|#

Wait, I thought with Obama in charge no one will be greedy anymore? Isn't he going to spread around the poop...videos.

|10.28.08 @ 11:00AM|#

Turn to Jesus for your reward, you heathens.

Invisible Finger|10.28.08 @ 11:01AM|#

There are some posters I would pay to go away.

Naga Sadow|10.28.08 @ 1:24PM|#

Am I one of them?

|10.28.08 @ 1:31PM|#

Does this mean Reason will have to pay LoneWhackoff? 'Cause that's a lot of dumb to be just giving away.

|10.28.08 @ 1:53PM|#

Back End Revenue 1-7 were not that great, but Back End Revenue 8 is a classic of the genre.

|10.28.08 @ 1:55PM|#

Mr. Keen clearly misunderestimates the tenacious quality of ego. YouTube videos and chatty message boards aren't "intellectual labor", they are a form of ego self-stroking. And even if one is more charitable toward Mr. Keen and calls Internet activity "recreational," recreation didn't even disappear during the Great Depression.

Of course, my opinions are so freakin' valuable that everyone should want to pay for them!

BTW, congratulations, Mr. Boston Esq. My wife also was admitted to the Va. bar yesterday. Wasn't that ceremony a clusterfuck of massive proportions. Good thing I brought a book while they named off hundreds and hundreds of newly minted shysters...

|10.28.08 @ 5:05PM|#

Tell Reason to fork it over or I'm gonna put on my purple fur coat with my hat and feather ensemble and resort to keeping my pimp hand strong

I take this as a Saint's Row shoutout.

I expect royalty checks for the legal opinions I post on this site.

In my experience, Reason has always paid what our opinions are worth.

NoStar|10.28.08 @ 9:37PM|#

A few years back, I figured out a way to make money from my postings at Slate.com. Having two "starred" personas, I sold one named RatSoN. I suspect, it was one of the reasons Slate's editors stopped giving stars to favored commenters.

I haven't thought of a way to make money by posting at Hit&Run...yet.

James Maybe|10.29.08 @ 5:42PM|#

Reading this comment costs you $0.02 (my two cents' worth, eh). Make sure to send me the cash.