Get Shouty

I’ve been thinking about gifts. Again.

I am a believer that you are what you give away. And, in addition, ” Bis dat qui cito dat,” meaning “You give twice when you give quickly”.

I love sharing a research piece, a presentation, an insight. I often have to defend this trait, as many believe that it can make you vulnerable, that you’re giving away your advantage.

But information is everywhere. And it’s free. And it’s freely available.

Showing you my cards doesn’t give them away.

Kevin Kelly in his magnificently observed piece on the next 5000 days of the internet puts it this way:

• Copies have no value
• Value is in the uncopyable
• Media wants to be liquid
• Network effects rule
• Attention is the currency

As Kelly observes that there are 8 things that are better than free:

1. Immediacy
2. Personalisation
3. Interpretation
4. Authenticity
5. Accessibility
6. Embodiment
7. Patronage
8. Findability

It’s never been about what data you have access to- it’s always been how you use it.