Shot Across The Bow - Angry At P2P, Broadband Exec Quits - P2P-Zone

JackSpratts · 02-12-02, 12:57 PM

Why I quit

David Docherty
Monday December 2, 2002
The Guardian

Last week, I announced my departure from Telewest. Having banged on ceaselessly about the transformative power of broadband for two years, why do I appear to be throwing in the towel just at the point when broadband access is beginning to take off? I'm not, of course. I still think high-speed internet, massive increases in bandwidth and powerful video and audio compression software will change the way we work, live and use media. It's just that the idea of PC-based broadband content as a unique, integrated, blow-your-mind combination of linear, non- linear, community and networked assets is going to have to wait until the cookie monster generation grows up.

Cookie monsters (CMs) want everything for free. They think the net is an anarchistic space and that anything intended to commercialise it is to be fiercely resisted - even if that thing is creative, innovative and inventive. And in a way, we've all become CMs. We are all irritated by pop-ups, pop-unders, skating BT piggies, online surveys, and spam, spam, spam, spam. Most of us won't even give someone an email address to get access to their content. That's CM thinking. We have elevated meanness into a moral position. And, in a way, we get the content we deserve.

Look at peer-to-peer communication. The people behind it are fantastically inventive software designers. But they hide behind the idea that they are providing more choice for the CM generation. Peer-to-peer Cookie monsters are like Fagin in Oliver Twist - they just want to pick a packet or two. Whatever they say about breaking new bands and writers, the vast bulk of what p-to-p facilitates is simple theft from creative artists.

Consequently, the web has yet to become broadband- compatible. BT's broadband ads are like a kind of cargo cult. It's as if we're all supposed to close our eyes and wish hard and then the web will turn into a God-given cornucopia. The truth is that www is still a jumble of (mostly free) text, graphics, blogs and communication (except for porn, where video is, ahem, the rising form.) I still have a love affair with the web (and indeed commissioned a web drama recently out of my own pocket), but I still believe the internet was born out of a higher purpose than the current web. It was designed for the public (as opposed to pubic) good and I still think its destiny is grander than its present. We can't have put hundreds of billions of dollars into the ground and the sky just so that teenage boys can find something to do with both hands. But it's going to take time to change our views about paying for stand-alone content, no matter how good. And while the capital markets are closed to PC-based content, it's time to look for other ways to develop the medium.

My second reason for moving on is that broadband is in danger of becoming a nuisance word. Like any other nuisance word - such as, say, "objectivity" - it is vague rather than precise and opaque rather than clear. But as with all nuisance words, the fact that the concept is open to debate, tells us something about the problem it is trying to solve. The internet world is split between broadband pragmatists and broadband dreamers. For the former, "broadband" is simply a faster way of getting to newsgroups and the web. For the latter, "broadband" will transform the internet into the on-demand and interactive media delivery mechanism of the future. And for the next few years, the pragmatists will gain the upper hand. But I've always believed that even pragmatists need to dream. And I still see signs that the high-speed internet dream will come true.

For a start, bandwidth will become more plentiful over the next 10 years. Second, governments are getting seriously involved. The internet is great for schools and the public sector and high- speed web-based homeworking and networking will enhance our kids' abilities to learn and communicate. Third, the big boys and girls are determined to make money out of it and will keep going until they do. Fourth, peer-to-peer technologies will provide breakthroughs in low-cost distribution. Fifth, the recession will end and advertisers will wake up to the power of next interactive generation content. Sixth, the mobile and wireless revolution will mesh with broadband wires to give us roaming access to content. And, seventh, all new media devices will be internet compatible, changing the way we gain access to media.

So, as I sign off formally from Telewest, I'm going to continue with the broadband stuff that fascinates me. I'll carry on with Living Health, our NHS-funded project, our network gaming development for Sony, and new ventures that exploit the breakthrough technologies. There is one last side-benefit of moving on. For the past two years, when I've told people at parties what I do, I've been met with blank incomprehension. At least now I can say, "Oh, I'm a novelist" (for the time being).
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediagua...852024,00.html

As usual, it's the customer's fault. - js.

TankGirl · 02-12-02, 06:31 PM

Thanks, Jack.

An interesting outburst, not because of any fresh ideas or propositions (as there were none) but as a reflection of the sentiments that the guys on the corporate side of the fence must be going through while watching the present developments. They had their own ideas of how to make money with broadband, but out of the blue came p2p and now people seem to have good use for all the bandwidth you can sell them without any corporate offerings. Who are the dreamers here? Tens of millions of people already doing p2p and together consuming half of Internet’s bandwidth? Sounds pretty real to me. The ISPs seem to survive. The hardware manufacturers seem to survive. Even the musicians seem to be still alive. Cookie Monsters? You better learn to call people with nicer names if you want to make business with them one day!

Quote:

For a start, bandwidth will become more plentiful over the next 10 years.

True. Bandwidth - as well as storage space - will become dirt cheap in 10 years. A great development!

Quote:

Second, governments are getting seriously involved. The internet is great for schools and the public sector and high- speed web-based homeworking and networking will enhance our kids' abilities to learn and communicate.

True. Governments are already seriously involved and try their best to be able to snoop you and control what you do online. I guess the educational sector will follow somewhere behind…

Quote:

Third, the big boys and girls are determined to make money out of it and will keep going until they do.

Some big boys and girls will – surprise, surprise! – also be interested in other aspects and possibilities of the Internet beyond money-making!

Quote:

Fourth, peer-to-peer technologies will provide breakthroughs in low-cost distribution.

True. This has already happened, and it keeps happening. A great thing, isn't it?

Quote:

Fifth, the recession will end and advertisers will wake up to the power of next interactive generation content.

Presumably. Although I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t wake up at all.

Quote:

Sixth, the mobile and wireless revolution will mesh with broadband wires to give us roaming access to content.

True. We will be able to listen to arbitrary streams from our car stereo instead of a few preprogrammed commercial playlists.

Quote:

And, seventh, all new media devices will be internet compatible, changing the way we gain access to media.

True. We will have more freedom in the selection of our media sources, and a better access into decentralized non-commercial media. Great!

Quote:

Look at peer-to-peer communication. The people behind it are fantastically inventive software designers. But they hide behind the idea that they are providing more choice for the CM generation. Peer-to-peer Cookie monsters are like Fagin in Oliver Twist - they just want to pick a packet or two. Whatever they say about breaking new bands and writers, the vast bulk of what p-to-p facilitates is simple theft from creative artists.

Ahhhhh….. the poor creative artist again… where would he end up without his corporate benefactors and protectors….

- tg

theknife · 02-12-02, 07:38 PM

There's so much juicy quotable stuff here, it's hard to know where to begin...great post, Jack - and as always, great play-by-play, TG

Just to pick a few tidbits out of this piece....

Quote:

They think the net is an anarchistic space....

Of course we do - that's the beauty of the Internet

Quote:

...anything intended to commercialise it is to be fiercely resisted - even if that thing is creative, innovative and inventive.

that's coz you've conditioned us well - we have come to learn that what you call creative, inventive, and innovative content variably turns out to be overpriced, exclusionary, obtrusive, and hackneyed content.

Quote:

That's CM thinking. We have elevated meanness into a moral position.

No, we have elevated choice, technological freedom, and privacy to a moral postion - and that's what really bugging you, isn't it?
You sound an awful lot like the TV exec who accuses Tivo users of stealing content if they skip the commercials....

Quote:

. And, in a way, we get the content we deserve.

we certainly do...in fact, I think I'll go get some right now

TankGirl · 02-12-02, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theknife
we certainly do...in fact, I think I'll go get some right now

...and look at all these little anarchistic Cookie Monsters having good time...

assorted · 02-12-02, 08:07 PM

fun comments by tg and knife; hehe.

this guy isn't getting fired for being an arrogant prick?

what's impressive is his assumption that the way things "should be" is very expensive content being produced by a small minority of people for a huge audience. for a guy working with new technology he's certainly thinking in an old school way.

Quote:

Originally posted by JackSpratts
The truth is that www is still a jumble of (mostly free) text, graphics, blogs and communication (except for porn, where video is, ahem, the rising form.)

hehe; if anyone wants to know what the mainstream is about to embrace in terms of technology one only has to look to porn.... porn has always been on the cutting edge... what was some of the first motion picutes? naked chicks. porn is always first and it's good to look at how porn makes money to see the larger picture of how the web will make money.

as it currently stands, there's money to be made from video. people will pay for fast delivery of decent quality (video picture) stuff. the problem is content. you need to deliver me something that it is somehow more convenient for me to grab then buying a dvd or renting. porn is perfect because it's something that doesn't require a television and i don't want to go out in public to get it.

so what else would work? current theatrical films released as sub par dvd (near vhs would be fine methinks)... peeps would easily pay $10-$20 for that download. of course they'll never do it; but i think that would work.

colinmacc · 03-12-02, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by assorted

this guy isn't getting fired for being an arrogant prick?

Hard to believe isn't it?

What isn't hard to believe is the amount of debt he's got Telewest into...

ssj4_android · 03-12-02, 04:12 PM

And why does he think broadband is taking off? Mostly because of P2P.

spstn · 03-12-02, 07:29 PM

Paying $ 10-20 for below VHS quality is not a viable option.

You can go see the actual movie for less than $ 10, and pay less than $ 20 for the actual DVD, and a New Release DVD is rented for $ 2 for one day.

Paying $ 10-20 would be viable if you can apply that payment towards the purchase of the DVD when the title is released, minus maybe $ 2 for the preview viewing.

And don't forget narrowband will still be a majority for the foreseeable future.

Just imagine a medium quality download at 7 kb/s tops.

Unless a creative middle of the road approach is found (and viably funded), most people (read 50% +) will find paying for content in the net unattractive.

I've amassed 2600+ bookmarks since 08/2000 when I bought this system, and there is nothing in there (content-wise) I would pay to get it.

I'm not saying NO, but I believe in heavy discrimination before parting with heavy sweat (Miami, remember?) earned money.

And those interested better listen the sound of this lone hand clapping...

JackSpratts · 03-12-02, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spstn

I've amassed 2600+ bookmarks since 08/2000 when I bought this system, and there is nothing in there (content-wise) I would pay to get...

lol ouch. and there's a lot of people like you spstn making life miserable for old school business boys and girls. capitalists were never very good at figuring out how to make money from plenty.

- js.

TankGirl · 03-12-02, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JackSpratts
lol ouch. and there's a lot of people like you spstn making life miserable for old school business boys and girls. capitalists were never very good at figuring out how to make money from plenty.

- js.

An excellent point, Jack. The old school business people have hardly started to grasp the idea of digital luxury - but people have not missed it. They have been actively participating in mass scale p2p experiments since Napster, and in every case the lesson has been clear: a million people freely connected to each other with existing technology can form a wonderful worldwide content source and distribution channel. This in conditions where the technology and the communities have been bullied and harassed - where would we already be if p2p had been publicly embraced and supported instead? This is what the 'big boys and girls' from the old school should start asking themselves - because that's where we are heading anyway…

- tg

02-12-02, 12:57 PM	#1
JackSpratts Join Date: May 2001 Location: New England Posts: 10,017	Shot Across The Bow - Angry At P2P Broadband Exec Quits Why I quit David Docherty Monday December 2, 2002 The Guardian Last week, I announced my departure from Telewest. Having banged on ceaselessly about the transformative power of broadband for two years, why do I appear to be throwing in the towel just at the point when broadband access is beginning to take off? I'm not, of course. I still think high-speed internet, massive increases in bandwidth and powerful video and audio compression software will change the way we work, live and use media. It's just that the idea of PC-based broadband content as a unique, integrated, blow-your-mind combination of linear, non- linear, community and networked assets is going to have to wait until the cookie monster generation grows up. Cookie monsters (CMs) want everything for free. They think the net is an anarchistic space and that anything intended to commercialise it is to be fiercely resisted - even if that thing is creative, innovative and inventive. And in a way, we've all become CMs. We are all irritated by pop-ups, pop-unders, skating BT piggies, online surveys, and spam, spam, spam, spam. Most of us won't even give someone an email address to get access to their content. That's CM thinking. We have elevated meanness into a moral position. And, in a way, we get the content we deserve. Look at peer-to-peer communication. The people behind it are fantastically inventive software designers. But they hide behind the idea that they are providing more choice for the CM generation. Peer-to-peer Cookie monsters are like Fagin in Oliver Twist - they just want to pick a packet or two. Whatever they say about breaking new bands and writers, the vast bulk of what p-to-p facilitates is simple theft from creative artists. Consequently, the web has yet to become broadband- compatible. BT's broadband ads are like a kind of cargo cult. It's as if we're all supposed to close our eyes and wish hard and then the web will turn into a God-given cornucopia. The truth is that www is still a jumble of (mostly free) text, graphics, blogs and communication (except for porn, where video is, ahem, the rising form.) I still have a love affair with the web (and indeed commissioned a web drama recently out of my own pocket), but I still believe the internet was born out of a higher purpose than the current web. It was designed for the public (as opposed to pubic) good and I still think its destiny is grander than its present. We can't have put hundreds of billions of dollars into the ground and the sky just so that teenage boys can find something to do with both hands. But it's going to take time to change our views about paying for stand-alone content, no matter how good. And while the capital markets are closed to PC-based content, it's time to look for other ways to develop the medium. My second reason for moving on is that broadband is in danger of becoming a nuisance word. Like any other nuisance word - such as, say, "objectivity" - it is vague rather than precise and opaque rather than clear. But as with all nuisance words, the fact that the concept is open to debate, tells us something about the problem it is trying to solve. The internet world is split between broadband pragmatists and broadband dreamers. For the former, "broadband" is simply a faster way of getting to newsgroups and the web. For the latter, "broadband" will transform the internet into the on-demand and interactive media delivery mechanism of the future. And for the next few years, the pragmatists will gain the upper hand. But I've always believed that even pragmatists need to dream. And I still see signs that the high-speed internet dream will come true. For a start, bandwidth will become more plentiful over the next 10 years. Second, governments are getting seriously involved. The internet is great for schools and the public sector and high- speed web-based homeworking and networking will enhance our kids' abilities to learn and communicate. Third, the big boys and girls are determined to make money out of it and will keep going until they do. Fourth, peer-to-peer technologies will provide breakthroughs in low-cost distribution. Fifth, the recession will end and advertisers will wake up to the power of next interactive generation content. Sixth, the mobile and wireless revolution will mesh with broadband wires to give us roaming access to content. And, seventh, all new media devices will be internet compatible, changing the way we gain access to media. So, as I sign off formally from Telewest, I'm going to continue with the broadband stuff that fascinates me. I'll carry on with Living Health, our NHS-funded project, our network gaming development for Sony, and new ventures that exploit the breakthrough technologies. There is one last side-benefit of moving on. For the past two years, when I've told people at parties what I do, I've been met with blank incomprehension. At least now I can say, "Oh, I'm a novelist" (for the time being). http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediagua...852024,00.html As usual, it's the customer's fault. - js.

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03-12-02, 04:12 PM	#7
ssj4_android Redefining Reality Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 406	And why does he think broadband is taking off? Mostly because of P2P.

03-12-02, 07:29 PM	#8
spstn No Nonsense Nonsense Join Date: May 2002 Location: Miami Posts: 382	Paying $ 10-20 for below VHS quality is not a viable option. You can go see the actual movie for less than $ 10, and pay less than $ 20 for the actual DVD, and a New Release DVD is rented for $ 2 for one day. Paying $ 10-20 would be viable if you can apply that payment towards the purchase of the DVD when the title is released, minus maybe $ 2 for the preview viewing. And don't forget narrowband will still be a majority for the foreseeable future. Just imagine a medium quality download at 7 kb/s tops. Unless a creative middle of the road approach is found (and viably funded), most people (read 50% +) will find paying for content in the net unattractive. I've amassed 2600+ bookmarks since 08/2000 when I bought this system, and there is nothing in there (content-wise) I would pay to get it. I'm not saying NO, but I believe in heavy discrimination before parting with heavy sweat (Miami, remember?) earned money. And those interested better listen the sound of this lone hand clapping...