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November 11, 2003
More Blog Comments about Quixtar
By QBlog in
Those unfamiliar with blogs probably do not understand the full potential and power of this relatively new publishing phenomenon. Blogs essentially demolish the traditional gatekeepers of information and democratize information distribution. Anyone with a voice now has a cheap, easy and robust method to be heard by tens, hundreds, thousands and possibly millions of people around the globe.
Never before has so much power been given to the masses. Putting this power in the hands of the masses certainly does NOT guarantee that they will be heard or even that many of their voices are worth hearing. However, like capitalism, it's the OPPORTUNITY created by blogs that radically changes the dynamics of information and how it's publshed and distributed. Those who truly understand this are the ones who "get" blogs and recognize them for what they are: The Printing Press of the Modern Age!
Ok, so where am I going with all of this? Well, by understanding some of the strengths of blogs one can better appreciate the impact of such honest and candid opinions as those illustrated in the Random Observations blog. The thoughtful post titled "The Quixtar/Amway Sales Pitch" allows us a glimpse into the mind of someone "outside" the Quixtar community. Those inside the Quixtar Community (either pro or con) may not be able to fully appreciate the value of these "untainted" observations. Prior to blogging it was extremely rare to find such comments (of any kind) about Quixtar from people not actively for or against the business. Blogs have changed that. We can now get a glimpse (however incomplete) of what some people think and feel about this business.
I urge you to take a moment and read the entire post. I've pulled out a few lines that I thought were especially interesting:
If the case can be made that the bottom is a fine place to live, I'm done. I might even buy some products to see how they are. If they're good enough to buy for their own sake, there's nothing wrong with selling them.But if not, then the core business itself is actually signing up new people, not selling products. And we have ourselves a pyramid scheme, whatever we might call it.
And, if so, then (here's the scary part) the most moral thing one can do is to ensure it reaches saturation as soon as possible, and thus collapses with as little damage as possible.
In other words, I fear game theory, plus my understanding of Christianity* would dicatate that my own responsibility may be to "innoculate" as many people as I can, thus artificially constricting my own local market, and ensuring a local "collapse" as soon as possible, with as little collateral damage as possible.
[*In addition, I've never been comfortable seeing a pit-trap but walking away leaving it for the next victim, thinking: "It's not my problem." We don't have to fix the world, no, but when something comes on our own radar screen, we suddenly have to make a choice.]
Comments
I love movable type. I just haven't gotten mine out to the masses because I haven't taken the time to build a custom stylesheet so it doesn't look plain as the defaults. Now that I won't have to be "core", I'll have crap loads of time :) Or maybe I'll just go contacting for sharp ambitious people to make friends and go out and do things with. lol
Great stuff!
Good find, Q.
Posted by: lawDawg | November 11, 2003 11:39 AM