This has everything to do with the profession and yet nothing at all. Bear with me here.
Regular readers will know that Hugh MacLeod, aka Gapingvoid is one of my online heroes. Earlier this month he and I were talking and he was bemoaning the way the blog media world has become ‘too big’ and ‘too anonymous.’ He wanted to change the way he does things. Today, I received (along with 60,000+ other subscribers) an email letter telling me that he’s no long putting his cartoons out on Gapingvoid. At least he’s not putting them there first. He says:
Blogging changed my life. It also allowed me to share my work with people who understood and valued it. For the longest time, I felt as if gapingvoid was almost a “club” of like-minded, passionate, smart people. And wherever I traveled, blogging allowed me to meet lovely, smart, fun people who shared the same worldview. The blogosphere felt like a group who were going to change the world. And you know what? In our own way, we did.
All of which resonates well with me. Of course things change and if you’re successful and grow then there are limits on the number of people to whom you can give attention. Individuals don’t scale well. But then one of the most endearing things about blogs is they allow you to discover others who are smarter than you. It has enriched my writing, provided new perspectives and opened up a world of innovation that continues to inspire. If you’re operating in a niche then that’s critically important. It is the nub of community. As Hugh goes on to say:
We understand that what is gibberish to most people, is actually cool, powerful stuff to us- and somehow fits into the weird, existential angst of work, AND relationships, AND 21st Century life.
But then he drops the bomb:
I’ve decided that I really only want to share my new work (cartoons) with ‘us’ i.e. Y’all. The folks that really dig and support what I do. Call it “Getting back to my roots” or whatever. But starting immediately, my new cartoons will be going out first to this email list, which will really be “Hugh’s Daily Cartoon”- a new cartoon emailed first thing out every day, so y’all can start with a bit of a chuckle when you open your Inbox. Simple. Easy.
Also, by making the cartoons available by sign-up, I hope that we can build this group and maybe do more together- Tweetups, conferences, geek dinners, drunken nights out, whatever.
Is he brilliant or insane? You can argue that by denying initial public viewing, Hugh is strangling the public discovery life blood. That would be nuts and is bound to elicit responses from those who believe all things should be public. On the other hand, one of Hugh’s main income streams comes from selling art. He is entitled to make the ubiquitous scarce. If you feel you’re part of a club, then will you be more inclined to spend out on his stuff? I don’t know. I’ve bought 7 of his pieces including one I gifted to someone I respect. Maybe that person will buy more. Maybe people will see that piece and get curious. Who knows? For myself, I will likely choose carefully and appropriate to the things that matter to me.
There are many valid business models. This may be one. I have concerns that with so much email, people will simply switch off but then what is your required daily reading?
Hugh has been known to make decisions he later regrets. If this is one then I’m sure he’ll change direction. That’s one of his most endearing qualities. An ability to recognize a cock up and fix it. Can you say the same about how you manage your business?
One more thing: the choice of cartoon I’m using to illustrate this post is deliberate. If you’re offended then ask yourself why?
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