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We Don’t Need Aggregators. We Need Distributators.

Last week I went on a rampage against Pete Gimme Morecash, ahhh, I mean Cashmore; of Mashable fame.

He gave a speech to a group of -what had to be- thawed Encino Men about the “future” of technology. The highlight? Aggregator platforms which deliver content from on high to huddled masses which ought to be grateful that major media channels are finding better, faster, more “convenient” ways of reaching our wallets.

Why Pete?

I don’t have anything against Pete, per say. But I have EVERYTHING against what Pete represents. And here it is.

Pete Morecash represents a mouthpiece for the large media channels. They rent his clout to present the hords with “the next best thing” as per the desired outcome. The outcome being “shut up and listen while we tell YOU what’s gong on…oh, and btw, give us your money”.

I submit to you that we DON’T need more ways to pull-in information. We need more ways to DISTRIBUTE our own information.

Being on Facebook and Twitter is a start but it won’t do. Mashable and other attention-hogs are there as well. They have 100s of thousands of eyeballs while we have dozens.

Did I mention that Mashable rips off content from other sources? No really. That’s their “publishing” model. They “aggregate news” from around the web. Which basically means “we take what’s already out there and re-publish it”.

If you and I did that we’d probably get sued for copyright infringement by now. Yup…rules are different for the Mashables of the world.

How Come There Are No Distributors

Small publishing houses (you and I) get squeezed out of the blogospheric equation the way Wallmarts of the world squeeze out mom and pop shops out of our neighborhoods. Never mind the fact that small shops offer superior product and better service.

But it makes sense to spend time and effort (read: money) on figuring out ways to distribute content from on high to the consumer. Except, now consumers are makers of content as well.

So, lemme ask you…

  • Where is the industrial-strength distribution network for you and I?
  • How do small time bloggers effectively compete with the likes of Mashable?
  • Do you think money will invest in development of a platform that distributes power?

Quality Vs Equality

I am convinced -because I see it every day- that small time blogs can create more authentic, more original and more useful content than Mashables of the world. But our fight is not for Quality. We win on Quality every time.

Our fight is for Equality.

As long as the blogopshere’s attention is skewed towards top “blogs”, Mashables of the world cash out on the inequality of the system.

But what if we stopped looking up, and started looking to our right and our left?

There’s a lot of amazing content to the right and to the left that deserves to be shared with your audience. And those who are standing beside you will share your content in turn, simply because human species thrive on reciprocity.

Let’s flip the blogosphere on its head. I’ve already started doing my part.

  • StartYourNovel

    Go Dino Go Dino Go. We’re not “right behind you.” We’re by your side, keeping a united front.

    • http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

      Thnx John. Keep pumping awesome stuff :-) @StartYourNovel

  • M_Gagnier

    @wittlake ugh…. I’m afraid!

  • M_Gagnier

    @wittlake Actually wait.. 3 sentences in and I love it!

    • wittlake

      @M_Gagnier :-)

  • SKarakasis

    @socialmouths He said it!!! Actually wrote it but you get the point ;) Any suggestions for distributators? #SocialMedia

    • dino_dogan

      There is only one Distributator. It’s Triberr. Put that in your pipe, Morecash. @SKarakasis @socialmouths

  • Gilbert C

    Ah well, what a nice surprise! I like the tone.

    It all started badly, though.

    17 years of Internet frenzy behind me (“ah the ’90′s, lots of fun & hopes”), a certain disgust for what it is all becoming, voluntary retirement – the seagulls are my closest neighbors now -, a resolutely snobish attitude versus FB, twitter & the likes… I was among the first people to get a beta G+ account – I guess I’m still on someone’s adress book somewhere in Silicon Valley — and I’m kind of proud to have left it take a dust bath. Once a snob, always a snob.

    So much for the intimate context.

    So there I was, getting a headache sifting through tons of silliness about “content curation”, crappy yet glorified “curation software”, not to mention the army of self proclaimed “social business consultants” merrily sniffing each other’s ass, wagging the tail, uttering nonsensical blurbs spiked with consanguinous comments such as “Oh what a great post! That is awesome! Thanks for the heads up! ” and all that kind of Great Nothing ware which makes you seriously wonder if Man isn’t Nature’s biggest mistake. Oh well. Do I tend to exagerate? Somewhat. Just a bit.

    So. I stumbled upon Triberr.

    My first reaction was bad. “What? Yet another twitter spammer thingy hitting the fan ?”

    You guessed it, I started to chill out it as I kept reading.

    You and your friend Dan are dirty communists and I like it.

    • http://diyblogger.net/ dino_dogan

      hehe…thnx Gil. But ease up with that communist crap till I get my Citizenship lol @Gilbert C

      • Gilbert C

        Not to mention the fact that the USCIS might find out you’ve written a piece entitled “Sign a Petition for Canine Circumcision” ahah… unexpected and pretty good, BTW.

        But I digress. @dino_dogan

  • dino_dogan

    If by”we” you mean people, and not googles and facebooks of the world, then I agree 100% @clairaudience @NealSchaffer

  • Crysislevel

    @AskKim @dino_dogan u said it ryt kim :-)

  • http://www.theskiingblog.com Ayla85

    I agree for these thought’s, Why should I seek for the “aggregators” if in the field of marketing you need to see the outcome of the possible product.
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