I find a lot of comfort in Sturgeon’s Law ruling the media universe. It sets a level playing field for the constant filtering I have to do each day to find “good” (subjective, I know) media-worthy content. As a consumer, my needs are constantly changing for certain types of information. I didn’t realize that I apply filters to everything I see and hear, especially online. When I click the internet browser button, my filter sensor is on overdrive. I am currently a research analyst and have learned what sources to trust and which to not trust, however the 90% cr*p rule is great for finding the fantastic 10% of useful knowledge.
I have had a little change of heart from my first post on the topic of having to filter through the abyss of information to find the data I actually need or want... If I did not have all of the (90%) choices available to me I would not know what filter I need to apply to find the sources and content I do need (10%).
While working on the media project and wiki project as a producer I have had to really think about my audience and define clear messages and questions to get the results I am looking for.
Reflecting on the long tail content, I am as thankful for the 90% cr*p as I am thankful for the fast-forward/skip/next ||> button.
I agree with you Shannon, if we did not have the ninety percent, how would we know what was "good?" What would we have to measure the so called good against. Although I do agree that ninety percent of everything is crap, we kinda sorta need it ;-)
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