Hulu Cuts Off Boxee

Well, it was bound to happen. Someone was going to step over the line. Making content available for viewing on a PC was fine as long as it didn't cut into the television audience. With Boxee making it just a bit too easy to watch internet TV on a TV, that was cutting too close to home.

Hulu announced that its media partners requested that their content not be made available through Boxee. (good summary article HERE at www.avc.com).

Any industry that feels threatened will fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. Remember when the motion picture industry lobbied congress to BAN the VCR? Remember when the record industry pushed for a TAX on DAT equipment and tapes?

Any business that lets people drive big cars, fly first class is not going to give that up very easily.

This is the new reality and it is really hitting close to home. Just like the VCR, big media will be forced to stop trying to kill it and figure out how to adapt to it.

People have been writing me and asking me if I was worried that this happened. My answer is 'no'. This is simply the natural, predictable progression. It is easy to predict the violent opposition by the entrenched. But just like the VCR, the industry will be compelled to figure all out.

Don't Always Listen To The Experts

When we started this adventure, we talked to a lot of venture capitalists. Part of my speach 2 years ago was a prediction that television sets were going to start adding internet connectivity.

Well, I was roundly dismissed. Don't get me wrong, these are very smart and connected people, but they were dead wrong.

Some of the reasons I was given -
1. I don't understand the TV manufacturing business. It takes 18 months to bring a set to market and no manufacturer would take that risk.
2. TV's with other stuff built in have never done that well.
3. I was being very naive to think that change could happen that fast.

I eventually had to pull that part from my pitch, go too many negative arguments I could not win.

Well, LG Electronics, Sony, Vizio, Panasonic have all announce TV's with internet connections.

The lesson here is follow your instincts, smart people are often wrong.

Guy Kawasaki has some great examples of experts being wrong

Don’t let the bozos grind you down

2 kinds of bozos:
- The slovenly bozo with no credibility
- The successful bozo, which is the most dangerous since people tend to believe them.

Examples of “dangerous bozosity”:
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”
Western Union dismissed the telephone in 1876
“It’s too far to drive and I don’t see how it can be a business” Guy’s reply to an offer to be CEO of Yahoo. He says it cost him $2bn.

Anyway, as I always say, "Being right is great! That and $1.25 will get you a cup of coffee"

Just don't believe everything people tell you, no how matter how smart they are.

Great Article in Linux Devices

Here is an example of homerun PR
Click here to view: Linux Devices Article

It does not get any better than this! This article will be picked up by others and we will actively promote it.

I got this by talking with the editor.