Posted 2 years ago

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http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/11/28/your-winnings-sir/

The recent brouhaha at TechCrunch, about astroturfing YouTube to make videos go viral, drew strong reactions from all quarters. Some people were shocked by the tactics described. Others were shocked by the naivete of the shocked. And still others were shocked in a Casablanca sort of way:

Captain Renault:
I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]

Croupier:
Your winnings, sir.

Captain Renault:
[sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.

Piles of money will continue to be made in this way. But there are other piles that can be made by offering identity and content services that take us in another direction. I would like to gravitate toward those piles.