It also becomes a new mode of publication, often more informative and useful than the traditional journal article. It also predicts a greater sharing of knowledge and with that a greater sharing of power. Through the bazaar called the Web, people who are geographically distributed can collaborate in making and distributing software, music, photographs, video, artwork, texts, and ideas without any central coordination. As an example, we now see open-source, or bazaar, ideas percolating through the world of music with the advent of MP3 and other coding schemes. An artist does not have to please the record company, but instead becomes one.
People can now produce their own Internet radio as well, thus providing live broadcasts.
In all of these areas, open source has both its detractors and its proponents. Detractors argue that chaos can result, with everyone claiming authority. They see the need for consistency, quality control, and the protection of intellectual property rights. Whatever the costs in messiness, they are far outweighed by the power of many and by extending democratic process. Starting in 1981, the Reality Club has held meetings in the United States in Chinese restaurants, the New York Academy of Sciences, and various other venues in New York.