Tim Bauer’s Running Thoughts

Semi-daily webcast summaries/insights

Clay Shirky (Author): The World Is Drunk, On TV

Have you ever wished …

  • For more time?
  • To have a greater purpose than just the 9 to 5 job?
  • To not have to pay your cable company?

I have, so when I tripped across Clay Shirky (author of “Here Comes Everybody: Organizing Without Organizations”) speaking I caught a snippet of these themes in his opening remarks. His style and flow seemed solid … so I hit play and started running.

Details Notable Points
Title/Link:

Duration:

  • ~25m

Speakers:

  • Clay Shirky
    • Writer (web focus since 1996, 4 books), Consultant, Teacher (NYU).

Recommend to Watch? Yes

  • Clay comes at time management from a new angle … not why you should do it … or how … but rather how society is moving to it regardless
 1. The World Is Drunk, On TV

  • Clay points out that about 60 years ago there was a notable change. All of a sudden, the world had a ton of free time. Just as the key to the industrial revolution was getting drunk on gin to deal w/ the change going on … in our times society freaked out and ended up overdosing on the first outlet they found (TV/Big Media).

2. But All Benders Have to Come To An End

  • And we are coming to the end of ours. No more reliance on TV to numb away our free time. There is now a way to use that capital to do something more. Enter “Crowd Force” and “Community Projects” like Wikipedia, You Tube, Blogging, etc.

3. Don’t Get Snotty, Playing With Your PC is FAR BETTER Than TV

  • He commented on how people who play World of Warcraft (guilty) are using their time far more wisely than TV gazers. They, at least, are building relationships and interacting (a give and take between them and the game). Who interacts w/ TV?

3. Your Kids Next Question — “Daddy, Where Is The Mouse”?

  • His closing story was a father / daughter watching TV. She disappears behind the TV and comes back out and says “Daddy, Where Is The Mouse”. Point being, she is growing up in a world where the memorizing TUBE isn’t enough. She wants to interact .. Watch out big media.

So, 10 points to Clay for framing an interesting view on what is going on today to enable the community movement behind so many initiatives. It provides definite context on why this isn’t a fad but rather the re-awakening of people … and how they use their time.

Would be curious on your thoughts … as always.

* START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

• 5/7/2008, 6:24 AM
• http://blip.tv/file/855937
• Clay Shirky
…………….○ GIN key was transformation during industrial revolution in London
…………………………..§ Meaning people freaked out, didn’t innovate till they recovered from hangover
…………………………..§ Then the new stuff came — elected officials, libraries, etc
…………….○ Social lubricant for today
…………………………..§ Sit Com
…………………………..§ In our time … 1st time we had ‘free time’
…………………………..§ Went to TV … initially
…………………………..§ TV was our GIN … now we are realizing free time shouldn’t be TV
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:27 AM
…………….○ New Book - Here Comes Everybody
…………………………..§ What is interesting - Wikipedia article on Pluto
…………………………………………□ How community evolved the definition
…………………………..§ The counter was “where do people find the time” from interviewer
…………………………………………□ The time comes from TV (which mass media doesn’t want you to give up)
…………………………..§ 200 BILLION hours a year on TV
…………………………………………□ 2000 Wikipedia projects could be done w/ that
…………………………..§ 100 MILLION HOURS a weekend … watching just the ads
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:30 AM
…………….○ What to do w/ the surplus (like Gin)
…………………………..§ People experiment on how to use
…………………………..§ Explore complex ecosystems … try lots of things
…………………………..§ Failures leave the trail of where not to go
…………….○ Wikimap for crime in Brazil
…………………………..§ Pushpin on Google
…………………………..§ Start see map of where crimes are
…………………………..§ Something society knows but can’t get a accurate easy hold on
…………………………..§ Cops aren’t incented to provide it in a model for consumers to use / slice
…………….○ So the TV generation … finds time … by shutting off TV (like Gin Generation w/ prior)
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:33 AM
…………….○ WOW Guilds
…………………………..§ Doing something w/ people (better than TV)
…………………………..§ Example to Gilligan Island … how they almost ALWAYS got off the island … but never did
…………………………..§ Worse to sit in basement and argue about reality TV
…………………………..§ Better to something than nothing
…………………………..§ Even ‘wall cats’ … hold out invitation for participation … anyone can mark up walls
…………………………..§ Media doesn’t understand
…………………………………………□ Run prior to now as consumption model
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:35 AM
…………….○ Triathlon
…………………………..§ Consumer (sure), Produce, Share
…………………………..§ They will take up offer to produce and share
…………….○ Small change
…………………………..§ 1% … 1 TRILLION HRS of TV a year watched by internet site people
…………………………..§ That’s 1000 Wikipedia sites … which are community models
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:37 AM
…………….○ Isn’t this a Fad (still with his recall of an interview over his book)
…………………………..§ Big one time shift ala industrial revolution
…………….○ Sitting w/ 4 year old daughter — story
…………………………..§ Girl goes behind TV … tryin g Shutting off TV … looking for mouse
…………………………..§ Kids think media w/o mouse are not interactive enough … want that or will go elsewhere
…………….○ 5/7/2008, 6:39 AM
…………….○ Repeat consume, produce, share
…………………………..§ Work hammer, tong … figure out next idea … look for mouse (where it isn’t today) .. Reference to TV story above

** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

May 7, 2008 Posted by bauertim | 1-Definitely Watch This | , , | 6 Comments