Pondering

I've been reading through some of the various discussions about the commercialization of fanfic, which is IMO a very bad idea for all sorts of reasons other people have expressed way better than I could, but it got me to thinking about art as commerce in general and the ways in which the current system of distribution are failing and frustrating both artists and consumers. And I'm wondering if it isn't time to bring back some very old ideas with new tech twists in terms of how we make sure artists can both create and, y'know, eat. 'Cause heres the thing. I don't think artists/writers/musicians are going anywhere, but what is going away are the massive profits corporations make off them and the control they have over them. I can't see that as a bad thing.

So how does an artist make a living without relying on the current system? What would the new system even look like? One idea, what about the return of patronage? Except this time around the new tech allows not only the rich and powerful to support and direct art, but anyone with five bucks and a paypal account to chip in and contribute to what they find valuable or important or entertaining, and the means to find them through message boards, websites, online communities and so on. We've already seen something similar happen successfully with blogs in particular, where often readers/users contribute to the continuation of a site, and pay the "salary" of a full time blogger through fund raising drives and tip jars in combination with traditional web ads and sponsors.

What if similar participatory networks and patron supported communities for artists were the primary access point for consumers? And feel free to tell me I'm a total idiot and why in comments. I'm sure there are all sorts of pitfalls and/or better ideas than mine out there. I just wonder if the fear that if people don't have to pay up front for access that they won't pay at all is really true. Or if it's a matter of who they will pay and how. Yeah, it's true that if someone can download a song for free they are less likely to pay 20 bucks for a CD produced by Big Record Company. But does it also follow that they would be unwilling to fnancially support their favorite artist in other ways that ensured continuing access?

I dunno. I'm probably just talking out of my ass here. I just see this whole wealth of potential in the way the internets work to give more access, more control, and more freedom to both artist and consumer. The issue of money so often seems to come down not to how Jane Writer or Mary Musician will make a living off her art, but how Big Corporate Interest will make a profit off her work. And they just aren't the same issue.

I think what it comes down to for me is why should big business should be the gatekeepers of what we read, what we listen to, what we look at and how it's presented? Have they really been all that great about protecting artist's financial stability or artistic freedom? Can we do better? How? (these are not rhetorical questions, I'm actually asking here).

Got cats?

Last week I made the most excellent purchase of a self cleaning litter box. I've hesitated to buy one for a couple of reasons. First, they are a bit pricey. Second, I worried that my cats would stage a rebellion and start pooping in my laundry if I gave them a litterbox that moves and makes noises.

The fact that I am fundamentally lazy as hell overrode both of these concerns and now that it's been in use a week, I'm going to encourage any cat owner to consider it. The pricey issue hasn't changed, but I'm calling it worth the cost then some. Seriously, who loves cleaning litter? What if, every time your cat had to do his business you had to do nothing but sit there while an ionized air freshener automatically cleared the air and ten minutes later any waste was scooped out and the litter was resettled and raked? What if all you had to do was wander by every once in awhile and dump a sealed container in the trash, swap a new container in, and add a bit more kitty litter? This is my life now. And I can already tell that I'm going to be saving money on litter. Because it's cleaned out so often the remaining litter is staying fresher longer, and because I'm not flailing around with my scoop less of it is ending up scattered around wastefully (I'm, er, a bit of a klutz).

As for the cat's opinion? They are fine with it. Abby is not fond of the noises it makes when it starts cleaning but has no issue at all using it. Spike...well, Spike jumped about ten feet in the air the first time it did it's thing but then almost immediately decided it was the COOLEST THING EVER to watch it rake. I am starting to suspect that he is peeing way more than he needs to just to set it off. And they are both enjoying having an always completely clean litter box.

So, yes. Product endorsement from me. If you can spare the cash and hate litterbox duty as much as I do? Get one. They work exactly as advertised.