Content Providers - You

I'm willing to bet you are member of a no cost content distribution network. I participate in several. They have names like Facebook, Goggle+, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter. They make (or try to make) their money selling ad views to their content providers, aka, you. We like their services (generally) and we like their pricing (free.) They like our free content and our page views.

I've been using Twitter to initiate updates across my accounts because they seemed to be capable of playing well with others. Up until Friday that is when they and Linked In broke up.

The big boys don't want to play well together. They keep trying to herd us into exclusivity contracts with them so they can "manage" (control) our page views. Personally I don't like being herded. It's becoming like the early home computer wars, everyone wants you locked in with them

At some point someone is going to enter the field and offer a central content distribution system that integrates with everything and everyone. You can think of them as an ubiquitous, all pervasive content outlet, kind of a Visa or MasterCard for content. The other branded credit cards (content networks) will still be out there but we'll all rely on our Visa and MasterCard.

This Twitter – Linked In spat is not anything I won't get over. It's not my first breakup and probably not my last, but it is annoying. Now I have to re-evaluate my personal content distribution work flow. 

Don't forget you and your content are the value of these networks.

George W. Parker