I was listening to the Resignation Gang (Part 3) and was interested in the arguments around how people like to get their news and inversion of the network. I have a couple questions running through my mind:

Does the head of the Long tail exist because the market has been unable to deliver meaningful specialization?

• Does the impact of low cost software and hardware make specialization more affordable?
• Do improved information strategies make specialization more accessible and understandable for the tail?

The idea that the head of the tail exists because of inefficiencies in the market makes me think that mass market and mass production are dying. It will linger for a long time but it will die. From content to pharmaceuticals to services, all will be become capable of serving the tail.

If the network is inverted does that make everyone a part of the tail?

• What opportunities exist in a infinite tail scenario?
• What is the most efficient mechanism for value creation?

I was thinking that affinity based collaboration may become the new organizational model. In order to manage the scale and complexity of the infinite tail, an economy based on cognitive products and services will be required. I don’t foresee anytime in the near future when we will be dealing with less information. The growth in the amount, type and quality of information will force people to seek solutions that a match the efficiencies of the market and of their own cognitive processes. The cognitive economy will arise as a function of the emergence of the infinite tail.

Links:
The Gillmor Gang RSS feed
Resignation Gang (Part 3)