Michael Lynton needs a waaahmbulance.
The legacy media are maddening. Print, broadcast, movie studios and record labels are cowering around a lightning-struck tree, enjoying the warmth of the fire (the Internet) but not really knowing what to do with it. They burn their fingers or fail to keep it lit, and then curse its arrival.
The latest mewling comes from Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton. He raises some valid points in his complaints about how the Innertubes have made it easier to share pirated content. But then he goes on to say, “I’m a guy who sees nothing good having come from the Internet. Period.”
Lynton talks about how content creators — newspapers, books, movie studios and record labels — have all been hurt by the Internet. By that logic, I’ve been hurt by algebra. I could have done much better in school if I didn’t have such a hard time in algebra. Forget that I could have gotten a tutor, studied harder, or even just asked for help. I didn’t. My fear of math meant I was perfectly suited to become a reporter. I did that for 20 years until the newspaper industry kept finding new and inventive ways to kill itself. Do you see where I’m going with this?
The “content creators” have had more than a dozen years to leverage the power of the Internet. When newspapers were flush with cash, why didn’t they buy Monster.com or Craigslist? Why didn’t the record labels beat the file-sharing services to the punch? Why did newspapers give away their content? Why didn’t they figure out a way to create content for their print and Web models? They’ve had nothing but time, but that time was never used wisely.
I’m not the first guy to jump on Lynton for his comments. There are much more erudite arguments over on Mashable and Techdirt.
But here’s the best argument for the good of the Internet: it helps create community. And if you want to see a community that is thriving on the Web, type “special needs” into your Twitter search. There is a constant conversation among parents, caregivers and advocates. Think about how much harder it would be to find needed resources or even a shoulder to cry on, if not for the Internet.
Here at KGBTexas, we have a great opportunity to help be a part of that special needs conversation. We just started working with the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation and Morgan’s Wonderland, which will be using social media to promote programs and projects. The Internet gives them the opportunity to reach so many more people than they ever would have been able to with traditional media.
Yes, there are times when sharing on the Web isn’t always a good thing (like movies before they hit theaters), but to say that nothing good ever came from the Internet is asinine.
