The other day my attention was grabbed by a very short entry in Bruce Sterling‘s blog. Essentially it consisted of a title The Inherent Nature of a Capitalist “Attention Economy”” and a link “Michael Goldhaber, economic prophet” plus one of Sterlings photos”
Now I don’t know about you, but the term, “Attention Economy” seems very last century to me and the name “Michael Goldhaber” didn’t register. So why did I click on the link?
I think, in this case, it was a combination of things. First, I rate Bruce Sterling, so a recommendation from him carries some weight. Second, the link was to First Monday, which, while quite often a bit worthy and dull, sometimes contains some articles that require serious attention.
This essay proved to be one of them.
Goldhaber is a very lively and persuasive writer, but I am not convinced by his argument that the “attention economy” is replacing the money economy. What he has persuaded me is that “attention” is an increasingly important part of the money economy. And, that getting and giving attention is a phenomenon we should take very seriously.