The Death of Online Video

Ninja boy Kent Nichols posted another of his periodic attention getting link bait articles (mission accomplished, sir) titled “Is Online Video Dead?” I think the first “podcasting is dead” article I saw was in April of 2005 and they’ve been coming ever since. This whole line of thinking used to depress me but now it invigorates me. If all the people like Kent’s friend will not get into online video because “it’s too late and there is no money in it” then I feel great. That means the field is once again unattractive to carpet-bagging gold-rushers looking to sweep in, make a fortune as quickly and cynically as possible, and then sweep back out. We don’t need those people. We’ve never needed those people. That those people don’t want our medium anymore is great news for everyone.

The whole rationale behind CreateSouth is the exact opposite line of thinking. It is fun to create and be creative and even more fun when someone else experiences your work and talks to you about it. Is there any money in it? Who cares! There’s no real money in radio at the individual DJ level, why would it be any different for podcasters? I’ve always thought the salutary effects of having a culture with many versed in media literacy and media creation are enormous. A populace empowered to create and publish their own thing whenever they feel like it is a better populace. That is democracy in action, and is much more valuable than a few bucks per podcast.

Get out there, do your thing. Some of you will have success at the Ask a Ninja level. Almost everyone else won’t. Big deal, it’s the same way with novels and screenplays and bands. You should do it because you love it first, make the most of it you can but with realistic expectations. If you take no pleasure in the creation of it, you are certain to fail.

Goodbye, new media get-rich-quickers! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. It was bad to know you and no one will miss you.

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dave

Dave Slusher is a blogger, podcaster, computer programmer, author, science fiction fan and father. Member of the Podcast Hall of Fame class of 2022.

One thought on “The Death of Online Video”

  1. New Media is dead, long live New Media.

    I find it so sad that people only seem to look for the quick buck and not much else. These people probably have a job they hate, and they’re looking to get into something just to hate doing something else for money? They figure they’re gonna love it when the money starts rolling in, and that’s the only love they have, of money rolling in. No sense, man.

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