Comments on: Viral Videos, Fame, and Hot Air http://surprisinglyfree.com/2009/10/20/viral-videos-fame-and-hot-air/ Surprisingly Free is the site of the Technology Policy Program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Here you'll find our blog and weekly podcast at the intersection of tech, policy, and economics. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:52:29 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Gabriel_Okolski http://surprisinglyfree.com/2009/10/20/viral-videos-fame-and-hot-air/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Gabriel_Okolski Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:06:02 +0000 http://surprisinglyfree.com/?p=416#comment-34 I agree with you, Jerry, that the Internet has broken down barriers and allows people to achieve a certain level of fame (both of which, I think, provide net benefits to society). However, there are still going to be certain people who seek to achieve a different level of notoriety, and I still believe that the increased ease of gaining attention will force these people to take more drastic measures.<br><br>As an analogy: digital camera technology has become incredibly more sophisticated and allows the masses to take photos of which experts in past years would be envious. But the person aspiring to be a great photographer nowadays has to do something truly spectacular or sensational. I agree with you, Jerry, that the Internet has broken down barriers and allows people to achieve a certain level of fame (both of which, I think, provide net benefits to society). However, there are still going to be certain people who seek to achieve a different level of notoriety, and I still believe that the increased ease of gaining attention will force these people to take more drastic measures.

As an analogy: digital camera technology has become incredibly more sophisticated and allows the masses to take photos of which experts in past years would be envious. But the person aspiring to be a great photographer nowadays has to do something truly spectacular or sensational.

]]> By: Jerry Brito http://surprisinglyfree.com/2009/10/20/viral-videos-fame-and-hot-air/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Jerry Brito Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:13:53 +0000 http://surprisinglyfree.com/?p=416#comment-33 Gabe- Putting on my tele-analysis helmet, I think what we have in the balloon boy case is a father who is a little unstable and definitely an outlier. Rather than make people become more and more desperate in their quest for fame, I think the Internet allows people to achieve a certain level of fame that satiates the desires of most. <br><br>Because the Internet destroys the barriers to entry that once prevented a person from being on TV or having a newspaper column, more people can be reach a wide audience--even if it's of a couple thousand rather than millions. And that audience is probably intensely interested in the 'narrowcaster's' subject matter. I couldn't tell you the first thing about Kanye West or Kate Gosslin, but I can tell you plenty about Merlin Mann, Leo Laporte, Jonathan Laroquette, and Seth Romatelli. Gabe- Putting on my tele-analysis helmet, I think what we have in the balloon boy case is a father who is a little unstable and definitely an outlier. Rather than make people become more and more desperate in their quest for fame, I think the Internet allows people to achieve a certain level of fame that satiates the desires of most.

Because the Internet destroys the barriers to entry that once prevented a person from being on TV or having a newspaper column, more people can be reach a wide audience–even if it's of a couple thousand rather than millions. And that audience is probably intensely interested in the 'narrowcaster's' subject matter. I couldn't tell you the first thing about Kanye West or Kate Gosslin, but I can tell you plenty about Merlin Mann, Leo Laporte, Jonathan Laroquette, and Seth Romatelli.

]]> By: Tim lee http://surprisinglyfree.com/2009/10/20/viral-videos-fame-and-hot-air/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Tim lee Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:56:47 +0000 http://surprisinglyfree.com/?p=416#comment-32 Except the Boston case was an accident. There's no way they could have expected the Boston police to be dumb enough to arrest them. Except the Boston case was an accident. There's no way they could have expected the Boston police to be dumb enough to arrest them.

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