A defining characteristic of digital shopping is the notion of shelf space. In the past, stores were limited by the physical space they occupied and however much stock could fit into that space. This is no longer the case.
As mentioned in the last post, information is the new commodity driving this show. Digital stores can stock an infinite amount of content. I had been aware of this phenomenon although I was unable to put it to words the same way others have. David Gauntlett explains “how people make money from giving away information free over the Web”. Instead of selling the content themselves, they sell the immediacy of access to the content.
The issue with this new attention economy is that only a few groups have caught onto it. Legacy media is clinging to content scarcity and strangling the freedom inherent to the Internet. This transition has been drawn out long enough! (Haven’t you made enough money, Murdoch et al?!)
Subtle plug for GameWreck here. Check out my YouTube channel where I play games. You’ll be laughing at how much of a trainwreck I am!
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