The Long Blonde Tail

Free Culture, Transparency, and Search

That's a talk that Wikipedia founder and Wikia Owner, Jimmy Wales, will be giving at the next Free Culture @ NYU Series on Wednesday, January 31st. I'll be there, for sure.

Tim O'Reilly had a lot to say about Wikipedia at Google's Un-bound event, including its comparison to Britannica, in terms of relevance (imagine on a graph Wikipedia on a constant rise, vs. Britannica which is literally, flatlined).

This (via Laura) is Mr. O'Reilly explaining a chart of activity representing the evolution of an entry in Wikipedia, based on the number of changes, edits, and additions [this happens to be a depiction of the Wikipedia entry for Evolution]:

Tim O'Reilly at Google's Un-bound conference in NYC (1/18/07)

There's a reason Wikipedia is one of the world's most influential brands (right behind Google and Apple, and hand-in-hand with You Tube) ... and it has everything to do with free culture.

Change is Now, and Free Sells

These were two central themes at yesterday's Un-Bound, Google's conference in NYC.

On giving it away: Chris Anderson, Wired magazine's editor-in-chief and author of The Long Tail (we take a liking to that title), informed us that the average book sells 500 copies a year, and just two (one, two) sold one million copies or more last year. He also said that “giving away free electronic versions of a book is the smart way to distribute content.” Stellar fellow speakers that day, Seth Godin, Cory Doctorow and Tim O'Reilly concurred.

Cory Doctorow might just be the poster child for this strategy (with Seth at a close second). Mind you, most of the free books are indeed e-books, but that is the entire point. Said Cory, "Electronic books are social, and social activity around a book is a key way to selling books."

The time for (big) change is now. For an incredibly conservative, slow-to-adapt, traditional industry, this is no small feat. Tim O'Reilly advised publishers: "We're in an era of tremendous change, and you need to embrace this change." It sounds simplistic, but it is certainly not simple. The (traditional) publishing industry is kicking and screaming while fighting this change. We think they should take a look at media companies who are not only getting it, but doing something about it.

The prize for best closer yesterday goes to Seth. To a backdrop of an image of the galaxy, he said, (with great enthusiasm, and sense of urgency) "In five years you're either going to be the center of the universe, or you're going to be ... Pluto."

Side note: For the second time in as many days, I chatted with CNET's Caroline McCarthy (a brilliant person and woman-in-the-know). Here's her coverage of the day.

Google: Un-Bound

This coming Thursday should be an interesting day, indeed. I'm headed for Google's one-day conference, to be held at the New York Public Library, called Un-Bound: Advanced Book Publishing in a Digital World. Or:

... a day examining how the book business has changed and how it will continue to evolve. Hear from thought leaders and industry veterans who are taking advantage of our increasingly digital world—from blogs and social networks to print-on-demand and online access.

Some of those thought leaders include Corey Doctorow (an expert in the field), Freakonomics author Stephen Dubner, Seth Godin, and Tim O'Reilly. A smart gathering, speakers and observers, to be sure.