Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
As I noted in my last column on the subject, the Production Revolution (the ability technology gives us to make many media and technical products) isn't going to make everyone an instant author/artist/whatever. There were multiple limits, and the first limit I noted was some people don't have time time.
So let me continue, depressingly, on another factor that's going to keep the talented from realizing their goals. Technical Skill.
Self-publishing. Webcomics. Game design tools. Art programs.
Give yourself an hour and you can find the tools to let most anyone with some skill be a media creator. You can make books, games, etc. that you could never dream of years ago, and get them to a waiting audience.
Now of course you know I've been a bit cynical that this explosion of tools will also mean a creative renaissance, a kind of "Production Revolution" of media. My own research, my own experience, has been very informative, so let me put it straight:
All these tools may mean that there's a chance for more people to get out their dream comic/video/game/book/movie and so on. But there are still many barriers to their chances to do this. These are not barriers of distribution or technology (which are changing). These are personal barriers.
Lots of free stuff out there, isn't there?
Free books, free games, free video. Games that are free unless you want premium content. It seems that a lot of our media – at least that we can get electronically – has an awful lot of free stuff.
It's also good free stuff. I've been continually impressed with what I can find for free online or via DLC.
Being who I am I like to speculate on why we got so much free stuff available because . . . well this is me, culture, economics, and geekiness. It's sort of what I do. It's my thing. Plus I'm curious.
The reason we have so much free stuff? It's a legacy of previous work.