Rick Rolled Out

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

Google's trying to take over the world.  Youtube is a useful pawn to that end.  Makes perfect sense to me.

From what I understand, the official word on their world domination plan is that it hinges upon the singularity. This is, presumably, why they hire top AI researchers to do pure research for a company that's primarily making web apps.

Interesting, I'd heard that before but I have no link.  Do you?

I'm pretty sure it was Word of God at some point, but I can't seem to find it at the moment. It might have been part of that email they sent around 2007 trying to recruit all the google code account holders.

[LMNO]

We also might want to look at the initial circumstances in this situation.

Some internet jokers played a prank that linked supposed content to [UNRELATED THING X].

The "value" of [X] was in the non-sequitor nature of the link.

Additional "value" was the once-popular status of the link, now largely derided (before the rickroll phenomenon, an early 80s club night would not play the song, or if they did, it would clear the dancefloor*).

So, there is nothing about "Never Gonna Give You Up" that the jokesters found valuable in the song itself; rather, it was the cultural placeholder and irrelevancy that added the humor and entertainment.

The point being: If the original Rickroll jokesters had to pay to use the song upfront, they wouldn't have done it.  They would have chosen some public domain footage of an equally obscure and culturally irrelevant thing, perhaps a clip of Pettycoat Junction (which has an episode or two in the public domain, actually).

The point being, that this guy isn't gonna get paid either way - it was used because it was free, and if it cost money, it wouldn't be used.








*Citation: I have attended many, many early 80 club nights.

[Jenne]

Excellent synopsis, LMNO.  Makes me sad it had to be explained, it's like a joke that's ruined in the explanation after no one gets the punchline, but it's the sort of meta-meta-analysis that keeps this board hopping.

Also, speaking as a sister to two brothers who are self-publishing/recording, it's a tough world out there.  The "starving" artist will do just about ANYthing sometimes to get out there and be "known."  Let alone "noted."

But once they ARE "notable," they tend to want to reap those rewards and open source tends to be a 4-letter word.  Sad, but true.  I understand both sides and empathize with both.  I think education about what the alternatives and how you can use both to your benefit as an artist/producer/etc. are the key to making it work for you.  And then you won't feel burned by the consequences of either.