“what matters is not where customers are, or even how many of them are seeking a particular title, but only that some number of them exist, anywhere”

I liked this quote in Chris Anderson’s “The Long Tail” because it describes exactly what our blogs are used for and why we should use them. The idea that anyone from anywhere can be reading your content is what is most important.

This reading also offered a new insight into the online sharing of media. Anderson speaks of how the “future of entertainment” is changing rapidly due to the way it is now accessed. We no longer have to purchase media or wait weeks at a time to watch episodes of your favourite shows. It’s as simple as finding a free media site and downloading as much as you please. This made me realise how much I utilise these online networks. I never buy music unless I cannot find it anywhere else. I do not buy TV shows or watch my favourite series on the TV, I download them in HD/Blu-ray quality to watch in my own time.

Anderson also discusses the way sites like Amazon and Rhapsody create links between their files such as similar artist searches. This technique is used on many sites including Facebook and YouTube. Whenever I open these sites, I am bombarded with “suggestions” such as online stores and videos I may ‘like’. I also get emails almost everyday from eBay with even more suggestions from sellers that I have previously bought from. Even though some of these sites are incredibly annoying, it is still a successful technique to get consumers to notice similar items. One site that I loooooooove to use is Pandora which is a music site that allows you to listen to music that is similar to your favourite bands and singers. I have found so many new artists that I now can’t stop listening to since using this site and there’s always something new to listen to.