THE FREE GENERATION

By: J.J. Covington

Who the heck ever said that work effort wasn't worth a plug nickel? No one. Every one knows that effort should somehow be rewarded. And we've all, globally, come to expect that the reward is a monetary compensation.

Once upon a time, the compensation was purely barter. Now, with today's economy, it is again becoming sometimes a barter arrangement. Fascinating what's old, is now new again. The primitive businessman used his talents to trade for the talents of others in order to survive. That ancient way of thinking is making its way into today's modern culture. And making those, practicing the ancient business of transaction, able to complete, continue and forge ahead in today's modern business world.

Compensation. It's how we survive, it's how pay our bills. It's how we move our companies forward.

The term compensation is used in all business, law, financial contracts and documents, so then why isn't it used to pay those who provided a service, or a product on the internet; and now beginning the same lame-duck path, on the mobile internet devices?

Who ever deemed that monetary compensation was unnecessary for work efforts or services or products?

Who decided that? And when did that become a major aspect of the fabric of society?

Moreover, why was that decided? What was the motivation behind circumventing a basic economic transaction?

And now, there is an entire generation and technological advancement that is undeniably diluted and ruined because of the lack of "respect " for work effort, and because of the extreme lack of monetary compensation.

An entire business generation who was at the helm of the most coveted technologically advanced communication means in our history, in one feld swoop, took down an entire basic economic structure that has brought an entire industry to its knees and out of work.

Additionally, this lack of work effort respect and compensation has solidified the expectation that everything on the Internet is free. Free. Free. Free.

But everything on the Internet is not free.

It is simply perceived as free.

It took someone's time to make that soundtrack, video, film. Time is not free; it is simply taken away from some other aspect of someone's life. But time is most certainly not, free.

It also took someone's talent to make that soundtrack, video, film. Talent is not free. Talent comes at the expense of one's soul. Talent is often spoken of in terms of art, ability, god-given, destiny; all of which are in no way, free. Just the opposite, talent, and the honing of one's talent often comes at the expense of family members and their pocketbook and time and personal commitment.

It also took someone's effort to make that soundtrack, video, film. Effort is not free. Effort is a combination of time and talent and dedication.

There is no such thing as free. Even our favorite economist, Milton Freeman, says there's no such thing as a free lunch - Tnstaafl (pronounced - tanstaful).

Yet, now, an entire world, and entire generation, and entire "new" industry must suffer because of the lack of the respect for another's time, talent and effort. And now, they who set the standards of "free" are now paying the price; layoffs and bankruptcy.

They who began this ludicrous ideology of free are aghast at the financial straights of the global world, when in fact, it was they who created the monster because of the their respectless, almost sociopathic ideology. Yet, as they were in control, setting the standards, having all of the tools and history before them, they seemingly negated the efforts of all those who made the product, and proceeded as if it was only they, the behemoth leaders who were "right".

And now, we find, they, the leaders of the Internet, were wrong in their lead and direction. Dead wrong.

They have left us with no means of "new business" income; a demanding generation of "free", and entire Internet industry expected to be free. And now, the powers who stifled the internet, the soundtracks, the videos, the films, the artists are beginning to wonder "how to make money".

When you ask a child how to make money, they will tell you have to "work". Out of the mouths of babes...

The current problem of how to be compensated for Internet work and distribution is much, much larger than that; socially, globally, technologically.

An entire generation was raised differently, so now how do we correct that? An entire industry blew-out, so how do we correct that? Generations following now have the same basic concepts of the "free" Internet, so how do we correct that? Newspapers have folded. Magazines have folded. Films are shelved. Television shows have no audience loyalty. Artists create for free. The music industry has been brought to its knees. Education is stifled. Culture is stifled. Science is stifled. Societies are stifled. How do we correct tall of that? Especially when the people who now want to be compensated are the very same ones who denied the compensation? Especially when the Old Guard, trying to run new business, in the same old-fashioned way, is still in charge? The answer? The Old Guard will never figure it out. They do not understand the new technology and the new audience and the new generations. They only understand their old ways and their old means and their old structures, and as long as they hold onto their old methods in a new methodical world, they will fail. Only now when they fail, they will bring down entire economies.

It is up to the new generation. The new modern culture to side-step the old guard. Somehow think past them, go beyond their means of thinking and do what is right for the global economy, not for specific corporations or lobby organizations. It is up to they who are willing to stand up and be vocal, to lead. It is up to they who have the new ideas to gather the new generation, and lead them into the new economy. It is up to the courageous.

And ultimately, it is up to every single one of us to insure that work effort is compensated.

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