The future of media will be free content, a technology industry leader told ASU students Wednesday morning.
Scott McNealy, chairman and co-founder of Silicon Valley-based technology developer Sun Microsystems, spoke to business and journalism graduate students in the Cronkite building at Downtown Phoenix campus. McNealy talked about entrepreneurship, technology and the future of digital media.
“Free is the new black, and user-based content is king,” McNealy said, adding that businesses shouldn't be afraid to use these new methods.
Combining user-based content with the creative efforts of entrepreneurs will lead to new breakthroughs in media, he said.
The cost to produce products, such as videos, music, articles and software, continues to become cheaper, McNealy said. With prices dropping, companies are able to work more with free content.
“So rather than fight that, we should feature it,” McNealy said.
Journalism graduate student Josh Sprague, who specializes in digital media, said he was excited to hear from McNealy.
“I think traditional media is way resistant when it comes to free content and letting users jump in. Some local papers think that user-generated content is letting people put up weather pictures on their Web site, and that's not what user-generated content is,” Sprague said.
McNealy's talk explained that use-based content can various forms, from YouTube videos to blogs.
“Traditional media is really scared to let the crowd jump in when that's what they need to do to survive,” Sprague said.
McNealy, an entrepreneur who was one of the four people who founded Sun Microsystems in 1982, stressed to the students the importance of being creative in their work.
“I've always been one to think that, 'If everyone else is doing it, I don't think I want to do it.' I don't know why I think that way. I mean, I named my first kid Maverick, but you've got to be controversial and correct or there won't be any differentiation,” McNealy said.
He also spoke about a new project Sun Microsystems is working on, Curriki.org, which is an example of adapting user-based content to a modern audience. Curriki allows teachers and students to share their curriculum, worksheets, tests and learning material all on a single site.
Chris Cameron, a journalism graduate student, specializes in digital media and said McNealy inspired him.
“McNealy is definitely a leader in the digital front,” Cameron said. “He definitely knows that innovation in the digital front is important.”
Reach the reporter at snrodri2@asu.edu.
