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# Powazek said it best
- URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/powazek-said-it-best/
- Published: 2006-04-05T15:25:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-25T03:35:19.000Z
- Author: Chris Messina
- Tags: design, Life online, Society & economy, Technology

[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe/123944208/?ref=chrismessina.me)[Derek](http://www.powazek.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) makes a [great point](http://www.powazek.com/2006/04/000576.html?ref=chrismessina.me). Of course, this point has been made before, only now we have an alternative phraseology (that no doubt will be corrupted all the same at some point): "*authentic media*". I dig it, but perhaps we could go a step further and make it totally off limits, calling it "amateur content", in the nothing-is-worth-doing-unless-you-love-it kind of way. Think about it this way: friends don't let friends monetize friends. You've gotta be an amatuer to do it for something other than the benjamins. I mean, who wants to create "professional" content? Exactly. Still, let's use "*authentic media*" for now and see how it goes. And we can all be happy amateurs creating authentic media together.

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### 💬 Comments from the original post

**[Kevin Marks](http://epeus.blogspot.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-04-05 16:59:23

I retranslated 'amateur' into english before, and you made a shirt - Lovingly created media.

**[sean coon](http://www.seancoon.org/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-04-05 19:27:59

yeah, that's fine in our own domains, but when mainstream media outlets start to \*leverage\* our content, we need a micro-cut of the pie. if not, power structures will stay the same. i'm not down with that.

**[FactoryJoe](http://www.factorycity.net/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-04-05 20:16:50

Agreed. Proposals for avoiding that (which I agree could be inevitable)?

**[sean coon](http://www.seancoon.org/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-04-06 12:06:17

simple. build kickass aggregation and distribution models that leverage mainstream content \*and\* authentic media with a shared advertising model. something that is sustainable and pulls a critical mass audience that \*makes\* the mainstream shift paradigms. like [newsvine](http://www.seancoon.org/2006/03/newsvine%5Fthe%5Fwisdom%5Fof%5Fthe%5Fcrowd.html?ref=chrismessina.me). if you post there, you get a default 90% return on the CPM advertising revenue for the page. that's residual cash. then, for every referral you make to the service, you receive a 10% cut of the next "reporter's" advertising revenue. if we keep our eyes on the business and revenue angle -- just as much as we focus on tagging, social apps, "authentic media" opportunities, etc. - -we'll flip this power structure in no time flat.

**[Betsy Devine: Funny Ha-Ha or Funny Peculiar?](http://betsydevine.weblogger.com/2006/04/08?ref=chrismessina.me#a2678)** · 2006-04-08 05:00:03

**User-generated discontent...**"coalbarge" This is a barge full of coal, one of many each day that float past Pittsburgh and down the Ohio River....

**[The News And Record: Editorial, Tagging And Citizen Media at connecting\*the\*dots](http://www.seancoon.org/2006/04/the%5Fnews%5Fand%5Frecord%5Feditorial%5Ftagging%5Fand%5Fcitizen%5Fmedia.html?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-04-17 13:05:59

\[...\] I’m a huge proponent of editorial groups diving directly into the information mechanisms of the web — actively participating by monitoring concept feeds, reviewing authentic media, commenting on blogs in the community, basically, engaging potential news & entertainment sources in a smart and authentic manner. \[...\]

**[Living In A Participatory World at connecting\*the\*dots](http://www.seancoon.org/2006/06/living%5Fin%5Fa%5Fparticipatory%5Fworld.html?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-06-15 01:50:31

\[...\] Are we more interested in participating as authentic medic creators and information contextualizers from afar, while being left alone to receive our timely, customized, community-centered, topical information? Or do we believe in standing together as a workforce of developers of this information revolution and as personal, information contextualizers to create change in our overarching financial system itself, ensuring a greater diversity of fiscal opportunities for people living on the other side of numerous socio-economic divides? \[...\]