A Successful Linux/Open-Source Business Model (Linux Journal) [LWN.net]

The Linux Journal looks at the Open Studios initiative. "What if there was a nice way to provide incentive to those who would create and innovate solely on works placed within the Public Domain? No protection, just incentive. No fabulous wealth unless, luck would have it, the creator happened to hit on the right marketing strategy to attract an audience and provide merchandising products that, along with tours, personal appearances, concerts, exhibits and offers of commissions for further works, produce wealth. I believe I just described one of the fathers of the Public Domain ilk, The Grateful Dead, and their system is remade in the image of Open Studios."

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Unfortunate juxtaposition

Posted Jun 17, 2002 3:22 UTC (Mon) by rjamestaylor (guest, #339) [Link] (3 responses)

*Sigh* - what an unfortunate coupling: Linux (with it's image as the domain of long-haired unkempt programmers leftover from the 60's) and the Grateful Dead (actual long-haired unkempt leftovers from the 60's). I don't think I'll be showing this example to the Board of Directors...

Unfortunate juxtaposition

Posted Jun 17, 2002 3:36 UTC (Mon) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]

Perhaps...but do bear in mind that the Dead, while allowing free taping and trading of its concerts, was one of the best-selling concert bands of all time. Someday somebody will figure out how to make that model work in the software world, and it's going to be great.

(Go ahead, call me a deadhead, I don't mind...)

Unfortunate juxtaposition

Posted Jun 17, 2002 3:56 UTC (Mon) by garym (guest, #251) [Link] (1 responses)

Hmmm ... let's see: Today is June 16, 2002, and your average age to be on the board of any sort of an important corporation is going to be, say, maybe 53? 58 for the really senior people? A little simple subtraction to ask "Where were they when they came out of the haze of adolescence?" Oh-my-god, 1968!

Perhaps there's reason to rethink that decision on the boardroom presentation; even the senior, senior people are from the post-war James Dean generation. Come to think of it, I'll bet there are a lot of business myths that could use some revisiting in light of this arithmatic.

Deliberate juxtaposition

Posted Jun 17, 2002 4:05 UTC (Mon) by garym (guest, #251) [Link]

after all, there's a very good reason Volkswagen sold the new Beetles with a flower to put on your dashboard. It's sure not the $150 vehicle that I bought as my first vehicle, and no where near what my own kids could afford on their post-Pumpkins-payscales. No sirree, it's the next generation's BMW, baby. Like, wow, just imagine it, man. It's like, it's like, like ...

A Successful Linux/Open-Source Business Model (Linux Journal)

Posted Jun 21, 2002 3:59 UTC (Fri) by tompoe (guest, #9) [Link]

Hi: Interesting comments. Thank you.

John Perry Barlow, of the Grateful Dead, is one of the Founders of our beloved EFF.ORG. Please be nice.

Now, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Open Studios, I would like to emphasize that Open Studios is possibly one of the remarkable stories of the Digital Age. It represents a "model" of what Hollywood fears most! It also represents a "model" of our 21st Century Printing Press.

Don't forget for a moment, that we're recording songs, conversations, arts and cultural works, movies, books, marketing themes/campaigns for local community groups, churches, activists' groups, schools, civic groups, and the list is endless. One recording studio that serves as the file generating press for the entire community. Newspapers will balk, printers will balk, marketing firms will balk, and the world will be one loud balking mess!

I hope each reader in each community will contact us soon, and learn more on creating a community-based recording studio in their community. Users' groups, where are you?
Thanks,
Tom Poe
Reno, NV
http://www.studioforrecording.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/studioforrecording/