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I Stopped “Creating Content”

refactoringenglish.com

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Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#91

Post by nicbou »

jasonshen wrote: post #16
serhack_ wrote: post #15

after discovering most of my content has been scraped thousands of times, I don't have any willingness to continue posting my blog. Well, yes, I was expecting that (you know.. by publishing content on the net, everyone could read it -- and profit off!). I've some content for some months, including some analysis. I wish somebody could motivate me to publish them anyway.

Would you feel the same way about creating open source software that had been forked 1,000's of times and used without your knowledge? Are you interested in living in a world where everyone only does things if they feel they can directly capture the majority of the value created?

There's a difference between giving your neighbors eggs from the chicken you raise, and the local chain hotel including them in their breakfast buffet.

Even if the output is free, you might enjoy the community, the gratitude or other indirect rewards.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#92

Post by pluralmonad »

firefoxd wrote: post #35

Content used to be a bad word, now kids want to become content creators when they grow up. I was hired at a job the very same day Google released their first Panda update[0]. This was the update that nuked all content farmers from search results. It was complete chaos, I sat in an empty cubicle, not knowing if I should stay or leave while the manager cursed and paced. Our ad revenue went from millions to zero, overni…

"I want to be a Kardashian when I grow up..."

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#93

Post by ngriffiths »

> When I found myself using a corp-speak term, I questioned whether there was another word that felt more natural and communicated the same thing.

In other scenarios the non "corp-speak" term feels kind of wrong and the "corp-speak" one is actually better though. I feel like this is all just a realization about what the goal of the business actually is and a realization of just how many different goals you could have. In this case it sounds like it's just to do some good writing, not to grow for the sake of making more money or whatever else. And that makes a huge difference in how you talk about it of course.

Also if someone used the word "lead" I'd conclude that they... work in sales? How can that mean anything about whether they'll be helpful to you or not?

Ok one more thought: sometimes the corp-speak feels way less stuck up than "oh actually, I'm a writer. I measure progress not from other people being willing to pay me some money, but in terms of my own highly refined taste. I have many leather-bound books, and..."

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#94

Post by advisedwang »

WalterBright wrote: post #75
advisedwang wrote: post #26

I believe there is a material difference between "content" and other modes of creative output: content is defined by a pipeline. It is desired for it's recurring revenue. You could make the tackiest, most commercial and derivative musical, but it's still not content because it's just one. You could make the most eloquent, poetic and inventive podcast in the world, but so long as you are still doing weekly releases (w…

> The tragedy is that we want artists to have reliable income If artists create art that people are willing to pay for, great! I don't really want to pay artists for art I don't like. I remember when Nirvana suddenly became successful. Many in the local community called them "sellouts", which is quite unfair.

I like the kind of output artists make when they work on individual creative projects. I don't really like the kind of output artists make when they feel they need to crank out something every week that has to have roughly equal appeal to the exact same audience.

But the way the internet (and other mass media) scales means that only the latter can really have a business model and reliable income attached.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#95

Post by munificent »

WalterBright wrote: post #76
munificent wrote: post #50

I make electronic music as a hobby, and I feel the same way about the term "producer". I understand the history behind where that term came from. (The people who were making musical decisions while standing behind the mixing board often were initially producers: people whose job it was to oversee the entire production and coordinate between the musicians, engineers, etc. Then when DJs at discotheques wanted longer ve…

Michael Jackson was smart enough to hire Quincy Jones to produce his albums, and his work took a great leap forward as a result.

Oh yeah, Quincy Jones was a genius. I listened to the whole "Off the Wall" album a while back with headphones on and it's just a sonic masterpiece.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#97

Post by catapart »

rc5150 wrote: post #29
catapart wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you. I would prefer to be known as a "content creator" rather than a "woodworker" or "game developer" or "illustrator" or "writer" or "musician". Especially because all of that work tends to overlap all of the time. It feels so limiting to be described by a singular part of what I do. And I'm neurotic enough to want a 'comprehensive' word, rather than to slash myself to death in a description. I don't partic…

Anecdata, but I find it funny you mentioning woodworker and musician. I build guitars and I play them. There is /some/ overlap, but only at the end result of me playing the guitar I have built. If I were to distill either of the two disciplines into 'content' each endeavor would lose its own individual meaning for me. Being a musician has nothing to do with the output of working with wood, and likewise, my prowess on…

I can certainly understand that, but I don't lend any specialness to anything I do, which may be why I don't consider any of it as needing to be differentiated for its craft. It's very useful to be specific when going in to specifics, but it seems very pedantic to be specific when I'm being general or broad. It might stem from just having so many different areas of interest. Feels braggadocios to keep chiming in with "I do that too", when I could just cover everything with "I create various types of content".

Though, I will admit that I never include cooking in that. Food, for some reason, has never felt, to me, like "content". Can't say I've ever interrogated why.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#98

Post by tayo42 »

duggan wrote: post #66
tayo42 wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What else would you call smaller companies and products within a company?

Whatever they are! Using the literal word "brand" in public messaging is leaking the marketing team's lingo to customers.

Oh I see, you'd think they'd know better then to use jargon publicly...

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#99

Post by figassis »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #88
danielciocirlan wrote: post #59

You “create content” if what you’re after is just money, and “content” is this malleable goo you have to produce and shove it down the algorithm so that it gets “traffic”, another form of goo that gets “funneled” and “converted” into money. In other words, it loses all (human) meaning. So yes, if you care at all, you shouldn’t “create content”. You should be writing essays, recording tutorials, training, music, conve…

I agree with everything except the last sentence. Humans are not rational agents, doubly so when it comes to money and spending. There are many communities where charging even a nominal fee for your work leads to backlash due to built up expectations of free contribution.

I'm not sure if they're irrational. Payment/subscription fatigue is a thing. Today it seems like you have to pay to breathe. It's suffocating. I often go through periods where I reject every money ask compulsively, the same way as I would "disconnect".

It's quite interesting how quality of life gets inverted in non intuitive ways. If you travel to a "developing country" you notice you are no longer bombarded with ads. Watching YouTube is close to the premium experience, bc the country presents no ad revenue to Google. You then travel to a "developed" country and you can't watch a 5 minute video without watching 2 ads.

Everything is a transaction, it is too easy to transact. People used to just write, to just make music. Sure, they need to eat, but they lie. You hear people that make insane amouns of money asking for a coffee. imho, writing is a thing you to to share knowledge, to have a conversation, to learn, etc. It is a way to also get people to know you better, and maybe learn about the things you do that they would want to pay for. So unless writing is your full time job, asking money for it leaves a bad taste.

Re: I Stopped “Creating Content”

#100

Post by WalterBright »

munificent wrote: post #95
WalterBright wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Michael Jackson was smart enough to hire Quincy Jones to produce his albums, and his work took a great leap forward as a result.

Oh yeah, Quincy Jones was a genius. I listened to the whole "Off the Wall" album a while back with headphones on and it's just a sonic masterpiece.

Yes one of my very favorite albums! I'd put it in my top 10 easy, and I listen to a lot of music. I still remember when a friend of mine dropped the needle and I heard it for the first time.

The Thriller album is more popular, but I like Off The Wall better.

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