A few posts sit unfinished and unpublished in my blogging software. I think there are some good posts in that bunch. And that’s the problem. Are they too good? I don’t mean the style of the content but the quality of the ideas. They’re ideas that I think are worth something. I keep coming back to them as something I’d like to develop into a product and/or service. So do I blog about them?

Wired would probably say yes. But in a world of transparency, what happens to the idea of appropriability? How do you appropriate the value of a completely transparent thing? This type of thinking leads me, from my econ undergrad days, to the world of public goods. In human capital intensive markets there is an increasing tension between capturing the value of an idea and inherent freedom of the idea.

Lot’s more to think about here. More to come on the topic.

Via Ars Technica

Various “media-components” are provided in a “multi-media center.” In modular architecture, a module-controller communicates with media-modules provided for various media-components. A media-module can include or obtain data pertaining to a particular media-component, identify media-player(s), and access information related to their media. However, the media-modules are isolated from each other, and the module-controller effectively controls output generated in response to user input. A user interface library is provided for the media-modules. Media-modules can obtain a template or other tools from the library and construct their user interface (e.g., menus). Media-modules can also identify a media-player that can be initiated in response to user input. Subsequently, the media-controller forwards user input to the media-player.

I’ve been having conversations along this line, with friends, for years now. There are many pieces of the puzzle sold in separate chunks, but never the full picture. Difficulty — Apple’s DRM stranglehold (EMI press release aside) impedes any UI, design, simplicity, and connectivity strengths they can bring to the table. Perhaps all the hub bub about DRM stems from the knowledge of this?