Yay or Nay: Should Al Gore give it away?
Michael Eakes is a geek who knows his stuff, so it's not surprising he hit on a good way to get more people to see An Inconvenient Truth: he wrote a letter asking Al Gore to give the movie away free via BitTorrent. "The film should be free (as in beer)," he wrote. "Any fee is an economic inconvenience that guarantees a limited distribution. You must reach everyone, in a way only “free” can. I humbly urge you to give it away." What do you think, Hippyshoppers? Yay or Nay? [GT]
An Inconvenient Distribution: A Web 2.0 Geek’s Letter to Al Gore
Related stories: An Inconvenient Truth nears theatres | Tuesday blog roundup: Inconvenient truth 2 et al | Schools Reject Free Copies of An Inconvenient Truth
I agree that this video should reach as many people as possible - but it should also be rememebered that, in general, people value things more when they have to pay for them.
In economic terms, a fee is not an inconveniance, but simply a message by the consumer that he puts value on that product.
If everyone goes out and buys this video, it won't just reach a large audience of people who want to see it, but it will also send a strong message to businesses and politicians, as it shows them that people are willing to pay to be green.
Posted by: Joshua | December 30, 2006 12:34 PM