One of the best things about finding something first (a piece of music, a new fashion style, an important article) is the feeling that you own it.
Nobody else knows about it (at least from what you’ve seen) which means you can share it and get credit for it as the source.
The Internet is the great facilitator and destroyer of discovery. The paradox of sharing content is that it obviates exclusivity.
When stories get publicized, especially amongst your tribe, they get shared fast and find people who are genuinely interested.
You may detest this rapid absorption. Someone can easily make the content their own with a fresh tweet or blog post. Even a retweet or reblog emulates an original share.
Digital ownership is transient and a bit, socialist — the Internet owns your words.
The thin window for exclusivity in a hyper-connected, social world, can still be a fun challenge for the digger. The curious never stop discovering, always about hunting for the next interesting gem.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you find it first. You still need to convince others why they should appreciate that piece of content too.
The royal road to exploration is social. You can keep the promise of discovery all to yourself, but the world is colossal, and knowledge is meant to be shared.
