As an update to a rather simple article that I wrote about paying for content online and the importance of not restricting access to content, I've been working on an extensive overview of methods of exacting payment for writing, music and art online. The article describes a number of non-advertising business models for independent artists, writers, and musicians.

This is the first bit of work that I'm doing for this grant I recieved that is paying for me to do independent research all summer. I'll be looking mostly at how institutions and social forms shift from one set of media (tangible productions like books, CD's, prints..) to another (digital distribution). The original plan was to look to the transition from oral traditions to literate traditions in the days of yore to inform the study of the present transition; I think that will still play a part, but I'm unsure how significant it will be.

Comments welcome.