The mainstream is composed of individuals each trying to be what they think they want to be. To succeed in the mainstream, you have to help all those individuals reach their goals (whether they know what they are or not). Approaching the mainstream as a homogenous lug isn't going to make for success. I guess that's why I've failed/not been interested in the past. I've seen the mainstream as a clueless mob mass. Maybe that's the way it was in Marshal McLuhan's past, but not today. The mainstream is universe of stars. "Every man and woman is a star" A.C.
So to enter the modern mainstream, you must appeal to the concept of individuals, not mass.
I've got some observations about Apple and Google on this topic, but I've got a lot of work and I more or less took the day off yesterday, so must get crackin!
I don't know if I would agree that the mainstream is, in fact, made up of individual stars. That may be too optimistic.
If I were to ascribe any celestial quality to the mainstream, I think it would be that of cosmic dust. Certainly, there is potential to have some gravitational energy pull together clumps of this dust to create stars, but without such gravitational pull, it is still just dust.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is create the gravity and hope that the dust gathers. Otherwise, it will be waiting under the sofa for us when we move again.
Posted by: Hellyweed | December 26, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Hellyweed, I completely agree with you. Cosmic dust describes what I saw in my head as I was writing. Thanks for your comment and translating what I was thinking into better words.
Posted by: heathervescent | December 26, 2007 at 12:26 PM