Free Stuff - and Giving it Away

I know that normally this site is reserved in my portfolio of sites for international affairs, which have been dominated this week by Kosovo's Independance and the possibility of a clash in South America. But on a snowy Saturday afternoon I sat down to read a couple provocative posts, ones that you read slowly and then spend time thinking about.

Author and Blogger Kevin Kelly wrote a thought provoking piece entitled 1,000 true fans where he makes the following assertion of the new economy:

One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered
this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The
gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

Now, that may not seem to gel with my title, Free Stuff and Giving it Away, but follow along and remember that I get to my points by telling you the road I travelled to get there, the journey is part of the story.

This same author and blogger, Kevin Kelly wrote a piece entitled Technology Wants to be Free, which tells the oft told story of Google and the freedom of information story. But there's more to that story of course, there's the story of the monetization of that free information. Kelly goes on to suggest other "free" products and the fact that we are generally approaching free on all products through the economic principal of commoditization and this new Free economy. Here's the way to think of it easiest: You get a FREE phone if you buy a three year service contract.

The phone is Free but you have to buy extra stuff. So Kelly asks, what else will trend toward Free? As products commoditize, and technology makes things ever simpler and cheaper, some products will approach free on their own. Others will be pushed even closer by charging people for add-ons but making the basic product FREE.

So, let me finish the thought, one of the commenters on this post wrote a book entitled The Strategy of Giving, which of course is free as a download in PDF form. I haven't read the book yet, may give it a quick read tonite, but I love the idea. Giving, as a strategy, giving as a way of growing. What can be given away Free may accomplish more than any other activity we can undertake, and may complete the circle of true capitalism.

Today, I freely give you my traverse through my google reader daily trek, my responses and await your comments. Join in the conversation.