Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Napster Business Model

Author:Dave Winer
Posted:6/27/2000; 7:35:08 AM
Topic:Napster Business Model
Msg #:18151 (In response to 18149)
Prev/Next:18150 / 18152

Well Jacob, I already paid for today's song. I bought every Kinks album when they came out. I also bought them on CD, and many on cassette (I'm too busy to record them myself, I'm willing to pay $12 to get them pre-recorded. I like to listen to music when I walk and CDs skip when they move.)

I don't agree that the early battles have gone their way. While they're busy neutering any company that dares to start up to serve the music users, the songs are out. What are they going to do to their users? Sue them? I don't predict good results from that.

The music industry has the same problem the software industry had in the 80s. The presumption of guilt of their customers. This doesn't work.

I remember overhearing a water cooler conversation in my 80s company, the people were telling "stupid user" stories. (Support people talking to programmers.)

At the next company meeting I told them that all our users are smart. The smartest people on the planet, because of all the choices they could make, they chose to purchase our product. They pay our salaries. Without them we'd be jobless. (This was before the Internet boom.)

I'd argue that any company or industry whose interests are aligned against the interest of their customers has no future.

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