The users have spoken ...

... but will the RIAA, MPAA, and others, listen?

Despite the fact that this particular article was very poorly edited (it's rife with grammatical errors, especially in quotations (where it's hard to imagine that the person actually spoke so poorly)), the message is quite clear. Digg found out the hard way that the users are the ultimate arbiters of what is appropriate, and what is not. Indeed, cross your user community at your own peril. My point in the opening statement is exactly that.

Today the online community is "that bunch of computer geeks" to the likes of the MPAA. Most people out there in all those flyover states aren't strong online users, still, so Hollywood can mostly do what they like. That's not always going to be true.

Don't believe me?

Just look at your kids. You think they don't go online? What's going to happen when they are where you are, today? No, there is no amount of legislation or protectionism that will stem the tide when people can all get together and form consensus via the web. Today it's Digg, tomorrow it will be everyone else.