Creativity, Innovation And Happiness

from the thanks-to-everyone dept

Thu, Dec 31st 2009 7:39pm — Mike Masnick

Last year, for our final post of the year, I wrote a message On Staying Happy. It seems, at time, that people think that I am filled with anger or rage, because of all the annoying or "bad" stories that show up here all the time. Of course, for folks who know me, this is pretty funny. I'm pretty laid back and quite happy and content for the most part -- which was the point of last year's post.

This year, for my final post of the year, I wanted to take that a step further, and point out how in awe I am of the continued amazing creativity we've been seeing. In just the last year alone, we've seen and written about so many incredible stories of creativity and innovation in a sea of negative from those who insist that it can't be done. We've heard that music and movies are "dying" because of piracy, even as we've seen incredible new music and movies being created by people who are embracing new and innovative business models.

We've seen things like how Amanda Palmer connected with her fans and gave them a reason to buy, allowing her to create some fantastic new music. We've seen how a guy in Israel by the name of Kutiman, that no one had ever heard of probably broke all sorts of copyright laws to create create an amazing album (one of my favorites of the year). We've seen how Nina Paley went from being stifled by copyright to embracing alternatives and how she's used that to build a different kind of business model. We've seen how the business models we talk about are suddenly being applied widely to things like books, photography and even everyday objects. It's been an incredible year for amazing creativity both in content creation and in business models.

As a part of that, I've personally been blown away at the reception I've received (sometimes from initially "hostile" audiences) when I've been granted the opportunity to go out and present and discuss these business models and how they're working.

Finally, as a result of all this, we've had a lot of fun running our own experiments, from which we've learned a ton and were able to work with some amazing and talented partners and content creators. Seeing all this happen even as the stories (without any evidence) of doom and gloom get louder and louder from those who aren't willing to embrace change is even more exciting and encouraging. The pace with which these ideas are being adopted (and adapted) is breathtaking and exciting. We're looking forward to the pace of this activity to only increase in 2010, and we've got a bunch of surprises in store as we look to not only continue discussing these concepts but to really help more people join in the fun as well. Thanks to everyone here for making it yet another fun year. We've been at this for over a dozen years now, and each year is more exciting than the previous one -- in large part due to the amazing community of folks who spend at least some of their free time here. We hope that you had a wonderful and exciting year as well, and look forward to more opportunities in 2010...

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

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–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: business models, creativity, happiness, innovation, opportunity

34 Comments

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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 31 Dec 2009 @ 7:48pm

Right back at ya
Keep on keeping on. We will, too.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 7:49pm

The Antique-Mike
I'm filled with puppies!
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The Anti-Mike (profile), 31 Dec 2009 @ 7:56pm

Happy New Year
seriously, happy new year.
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xboxps3wow, 31 Dec 2009 @ 10:29pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Wooo happy new years to everone!!
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Long Time Lurker, 31 Dec 2009 @ 10:43pm

Re: The Antique-Mike
LOL
I'll drink to that
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 2:17am

:)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 2:18am

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 4:37am

Re:
and happy new decade as well.
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Niall (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 4:53am

Happy New Year
Happy New Year to all, even (and especially?) The Anti-Mike, for making us all think harder.
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Niall (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 4:54am

Re: Re:
Isn't the new decade next year, what with 2001 being the start of the 2000s, not 2000? :)
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Susan Stevens, 1 Jan 2010 @ 7:26am

A lovely story for you
Here is a story that you might enjoy about a group of people who rescued a treasure from obivion. Although it is nominally about a knitting pattern, it's a tribute to the Internet, creativity, to international cooperation, and the use of new technology to recreate the old. I hope you and your readers will smile. And thanks for all the informative, thoughtful posts in this blog.

http://fleeglesblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/queen-susan-shawl.html
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transmaster (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 7:42am

Thanks to Climategate
I would have not have learned of this blog except for Climategate. So I have to thank the unknown Russian hacker turning me on to this place, and the RSS feed so I can easily follow. I am graduate research archivist, and technological historian, in a way you can think of me as a human search engine. What truly excites me we are, at last, starting to see the vast impact on society of the internet. Climategate is an excellent example. No longer are there gate keepers on information. Look at the impact the unknown hacker had on Copenhagen. Blogs, Podcasts, search engines, and news feeds are bypassing the old information media If you try to conceal the truth you will be found out. What is so gratifying is to listen to the old guard information brokers bitch, moan, accuse, dismiss, make excuses. and otherwise sputter in indignation as their world collapses around them. Mike you are contributing to this demise, keep up the good battle we will win in the end.
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Pjerky (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 12:40pm

Re: The Antique-Mike
Your filled with puppies, my girlfriend is filled with kittens, and I am filled with a 20 year scotch and lots of spaghetti (well last night I was for New Years Eve).
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Pjerky (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 12:42pm

Re: Thanks to Climategate
I'll drink to that. Cheers!
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 1:21pm

A happy new year to all.

Anti-Mike, you should be on Mike's payroll. You post more on this site than he does.
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So, 1 Jan 2010 @ 4:39pm

Re: Re: Re:
Are you suggesting that 2000 was the last year of the 1900's?
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Joe - compare dog insurance, 1 Jan 2010 @ 5:02pm

HAPPY 2010
I don't think your full of anger, you just don't sugar coat anything. Say it how it is!
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McBeese, 1 Jan 2010 @ 5:40pm

Happy New Year!
All the best in 2010!

And remember, file sharing is stealing!

Looking forward to lots more stimulating debate.

Cheese McBeese
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 5:47pm

Re: Happy New Year
Dude, you're doing it wrong.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 5:52pm

Re: Happy New Year!
And not collecting stamps is a hobby! And bald is a hair color! Why, just the other week I used file sharing to steal a loaf of bread.

I am a modern-day Jean Valjean!
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Chris in Utah (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 9:17pm

From Norse Edda Havamal
The Wise One has spoken words in the hall,
Needful for men to know,
Unneedful for trolls to know:

Hail to the speaker,
Hail to the knower,
Joy to him who has understood,
Delight to those who have listened.

-Havmal

If I hadn't have tech-dirt I would not even know hot cofee existed. (BigEvilGrin)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2010 @ 11:00pm

Re: Happy New Year!
I see you didn't get a dictionary for a present over the holidays.
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Blatant Coward (profile), 2 Jan 2010 @ 2:52am

Re: Re: Re: Happy New 2010 From Norse Edda Havamal
Wooo Penguin commandos!
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Dave H (profile), 2 Jan 2010 @ 5:40am

happy new year
same to you mike. please keep doing what you do. i feel that if you're pointing out what's wrong and also giving examples of what's right, there should be no confusion on your motives. it's unfortunate, and clearly not your fault, if there's more 'wrong' than 'right' going on (obviously loose definition of wrong and right needed here).

dh
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jan 2010 @ 6:51am

Let's start a pool--
Any guesses on how many oversold business problems which cite "internal studies" will require government and/or legal intervention in 2010?
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jan 2010 @ 11:03am

Creativity = inventor or author coming up with something new.

Innovation = Getting that "new" invention or work into the hands of consumers (who will judge its merits with their wallets).

Happiness = The inventor or author being the one who gets $$ for their new invention and/or work.
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The Anti-Mike (profile), 2 Jan 2010 @ 1:23pm

Re: Re: Happy New Year
raey wen yppah

Is that better?
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 2 Jan 2010 @ 6:53pm

Re: Re: Re: Happy New Year
Oddly, yes.
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Paul Hobbs (profile), 3 Jan 2010 @ 7:30am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
2000 may not have been the last year of the 1900's, but it was also not the start of the new millennium. The 3rd millennium technically started on January 1, 2001 (not 2000). Consequently, the first decade of the new millennium doesn't end until Dec 31, 2010.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 3 Jan 2010 @ 5:59pm

Re:
Sadness = Innovators and Consumers who have their products hijacked or delayed by sit-on-their-ass 'inventors' and 'artists.'
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2010 @ 11:34pm

Re: The Antique-Mike
you eat dogs?
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mermaldad (profile), 4 Jan 2010 @ 8:27am

Happiness and Rage
Happy New Year to Techdirt and all its readers!

I still think that deep down, Mike harbors a cauldron of rage, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off... :-)
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Club Penguin Cheats, 31 Mar 2010 @ 7:17pm

Creativity
Being creative is one of the best ways to relieve stress, especially when in the company of other creative people.
Club Penguin Cheats

Kids Virtual Worlds
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mole removal, 11 Dec 2010 @ 12:20am

Creativity Innovation Happiness
These three are what most people are doing to get a better result in their daily lives or goals.
If one has done these three I think he is a satisfied man.
In short these 3 are the main basis in which we base our goals.
Creativity to get a new way to get the job done. Innovation provides the basic means to get the right ones on track. And happiness comes later when the result of the efforts are fantastic.
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