Why are Napster, Gnutella and similar sharing programs so loved? For the same reason that ... is so ... though dealing with the most advanced ... is imbued with the old Supe

Why are Napster, Gnutella and similar sharing programs so loved?

For the same reason that Microsoft is so hated.

Microsoft, though dealing with the most advanced technology,

is imbued with the old Superior-to-Inferior philosophy, a philosophy

that is still prevalent among the big corporations of our day.

Napster and similar sites follow a philosophy more in harmony

with today's technology and society: Peer-to-Peer philosophy.

These differing philosophies show up in company organization,

management and marketing. I concentrate here on peer-to-peer

marketing, which is a synonym for helpfulness marketing.

Superior-to-Inferior Philosophy

What is a boss? Someone who is superior to you.

What is a corporate hierarchy? A ladder of successive superiors.

What is a monopoly? A superior who has the last word.

The old industrial corporation conformed to a Superior-to-Inferior

philosophy. It believed in the following 3 maxims:

1 - BIG IS BETTER - The bigger you are the more superior you

are. And if you are on top - a CEO or chairman - you benefit

handsomely. This is why corporations participate in mergers and

acquisitions. This is why companies seek to be monopolies and

multinational conglomerates. This is why they have mass advertising

campaigns.

2 - CENTRALIZATION BRINGS CONTROL - They follow the old command

and control concept used by military organizations: Superiors

lay down the rules and inferiors follow them. The hierarchy is

sacrosanct. You hear a lot these days about pyramidal hierarchies

being squashed into flat pancakes. In big corporations this is

not so. Microsoft offers an outstanding example of a penchant

for control. It has developed the Ebook Reader, which exerts

control over how you use an ebook you have paid for. Would you

like to share this ebook with friends? This Reader makes it difficult

for you to do so.

3 - BIG DADDY KNOWS BEST - Superiors have superior information.

Superior corporations (big ones) have superior information that

inferior corporations (small ones). The top level superior corporations

(multinationals) write press releases that make the news, write

articles to advance their ideas, get personalities to sell their

products on radio and TV. They tell inferior consumers what is

good for them and what to buy.

Superior-to-Inferior Philosophy is Dying

Times are changing. At one time the Superior-to-Inferior philosophy

worked. It worked well. But it is less effective today. Eventually

it will lose most of its effectiveness. There are 2 major reasons

for this:

1 - RISE OF TERRORISM - The terrorist attack on September 11

brought our vulnerabilities to the forefront. Which buildings

in New York were attacked? The biggest. Suddenly big is vulnerable.

Now centralization is bad. Better to allow subdivisions to operate

on their own. Big corporations present good targets. Merging

is a dangerous activity.

2 - TECHNOLOGY OF CONNECTEDNESS - The Internet is THE technology

of our age. The Internet gives a voice to everyone. People may

connect to other people in many different ways: websites, publications,

email, forums, newsletters, discussion groups, organizations,

government agencies, international groups.....Every single person

is connected. Superior-inferior classifications are dissolving.

When you add to the Internet, the cell phone, wireless and other

hand-held devices, the opportunity for the ordinary individual

to be informed and to inform others is multiplying at a dizzying

rate. Who is superior? Who is inferior? Everyone.

Peer-to-Peer Philosophy

Both terrorism and the technology of connectedness are leading

us inexorably to adopt the Peer-to-Peer philosophy. Its 3 maxims

are:

1 - SMALL IS BETTER - Small units make small or insignificant

targets. What terrorist would target a home business? Small units

act and react fast. There is no chain of command to slow things

down.

2 - DECENTRALIZATION BRINGS POWER - The far flung Internet is

less vulnerable to terror because there is no central control.

A terrorist may destroy part of the network, but not the whole

thing. Huge Microsoft wants to introduce centralization with

its Passport software, which is expected to store everyone's

password. Hack away at Microsoft (which has already been done)

and down goes the Internet. Best to resist all attempts at centralization.

Decentralization also means small units can develop expertise

in specific niches.

3 - COMMUNICATE WITH ALL PEOPLE - Instead of disseminating information

from superior to inferior, enable all people involved to communicate

with each other, to learn from each other, to work independently

with each other. The emphasis is on people, not robots. Robots

are merely substitutes for inferiors. People-people communication

is the best means for learning, working, and improving.

Basic Marketing Pointers

As the Peer-to-Peer philosophy takes over, the effectiveness

of Big Business will decline and the role of Small Business will

increase. A home business will be an excellent idea. Here are

a few guidelines for your Small Business, based on the peer-to-peer

philosophy:

1 - Rely on people, not robots

2 - Make every employee a decision maker

3 - Increase outsourcing to keep yourself small

4 - Use people-to-people communication to learn and to help

others learn

5 - Build small communities that encourage member independence

6 - Sell information expertise (e.g., ebooks) with a minimum

of copyright control

Article Tags: Peer-to-peer Marketing, Superior-to-inferior Philosophy, Peer-to-peer Philosophy, Small Units, Each Other


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