--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given the trendlines of digital…" description: "\"Given the trendlines of digital publishing, where more and more large platforms are profiting from, and controlling, the works of individuals, I can't ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/john-battelle-7041_after_given-the-trendlines-of-digital-publishi_2093877.png" --- # Given the trendlines of digital publishing, where more and… ![“Given the trendlines of digital publishing, where more and more large platforms are profiting from, and controlling, the works of individuals, I can't stress enough: Put your taproot in the independent web. Use the platforms for free distribution (they're using you for free content, after all)…” quote by John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/john-battelle-7041_after_given-the-trendlines-of-digital-publishi_2093877.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/john-battelle-7041_after_given-the-trendlines-of-digital-publishi_2093877.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/john-battelle-7041_after_given-the-trendlines-of-digital-publishi_2093877.png) > “Given the trendlines of digital publishing, where more and more large platforms are profiting from, and controlling, the works of individuals, I can't stress enough: Put your taproot in the independent web. Use the platforms for free distribution (they're using you for free content, after all). And make sure you link back to your own domain.” [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying on major platforms for distribution can erode independence; maintain control by anchoring content on your own site and linking back. **In simple terms:** Keep your content rooted in your own domain. Key Takeaway Anchor content on your site, use platforms for reach. Themes independence digital media content ownership Mood cautious strategic Type advisory pragmatic When to use this quote - blogging - indie publishing - media strategy - online branding Key Concepts network effects platform economics Questions to Reflect On - What steps will you take to protect your digital independence? - How can you balance platform reach with self‑ownership? A Different Perspective Platforms can change policies, threatening traffic and revenue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Content](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/content/) [Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling/) [Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Digital Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital-publishing-935914/) [Distribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distribution/) [Domain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domain/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Independent Web](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-web-3948358/) [Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuals/) [Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large/) [Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/link/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [More and more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more-and-more/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Platforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms/) [Platforms Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms-free-4150749/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Put](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/put/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure/) [Taproot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taproot-2751630/) [Taproot Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taproot-independent-4150748/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Using](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using/) [Web](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [I think it's really important for the independent web to have a platform, and to the extent that WordPress can serve that role, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-think-it-s-really-important-for-the-independent-web-to-have-a/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [“In truth search can no more be considered independent of the Web than the Web can work without search. 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And I actually started digital-first publishing back in 2005.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-love-digital-books-and-i-actually-started-digital-first-publishing/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [It's a celebration every time we link up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/it-s-a-celebration-every-time-we-link-up/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [“You're my only remaining link to the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/you-re-my-only-remaining-link-to-the-world/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I work very closely with my publisher and just give them tons and tons of music, and then they link that with different songwriters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sitek/i-work-very-closely-with-my-publisher-and-just-give-them-tons-and/) [Dave Sitek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sitek/) > [The true principle of taxation is the benefit principle - those who benefit from a government service should pay for it. 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I apply business principles to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/there-is-a-natural-link-between-the-effective-running-of-my/) [Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/) ## More by John Battelle > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The 'Occupy' movement seems to have found a central theme to its 2012 movement around overturning 'the corporation as a person,' and some legislators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-occupy-movement-seems-to-have-found-a-central-theme-to-its-2012/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Increasingly, search is our mechanism for how we understand ourselves, our world, and our place within it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/increasingly-search-is-our-mechanism-for-how-we-understand-ourselves/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [You happily give Facebook terabytes of structured data about yourself, content with the implicit tradeoff that Facebook is going to give you a social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/you-happily-give-facebook-terabytes-of-structured-data-about-yourself/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [We speak of 'software eating the world,' 'the Internet of Things,' and we massify 'data' by declaring it 'Big.' But these concepts remain for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/we-speak-of-software-eating-the-world-the-internet-of-things-and-we/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Bitcoin woke us all up to a new way to pay, and culturally, I think a much larger percentage of us have become accustomed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/bitcoin-woke-us-all-up-to-a-new-way-to-pay-and-culturally-i-think-a/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [When you bring the scale and precision of data-driven platforms to the brilliance of great media executions, magic will happen. Delivering on that vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-you-bring-the-scale-and-precision-of-data-driven-platforms-to/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [There will soon be streams of data coming from all manner of products - appliances, clothing, sporting goods, you name it. Wouldn't you rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/there-will-soon-be-streams-of-data-coming-from-all-manner-of-products/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The smart phone isn't a perfect device, as we all know. It forces the world into a tiny screen. It runs out of battery,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-smart-phone-isn-t-a-perfect-device-as-we-all-know-it-forces-the/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The truth is, truly passionate media creators don't get into the media business to make huge gains from spectacular unicorn exits. 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After all, who in their right mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-like-diaspora-because-it-s-audacious-it-s-driven-by-passion-and-it/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [I've been a Mac guy for almost my entire adult life. I wrote my first college papers on a typewriter, but by the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-ve-been-a-mac-guy-for-almost-my-entire-adult-life-i-wrote-my-first/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [As our society tips toward one based on data, our collective decisions around how that data can be used will determine what kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/as-our-society-tips-toward-one-based-on-data-our-collective-decisions/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) [Explore all 95 John Battelle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) ## More After quotes > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/at-the-drop-of-a-hat-people-will-say-there-are-no-roles-for-women/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) [Deke Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deke-richards/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I have a lot of success and make a good living, but after while, you start going 'Why? Why are you doing all this?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-have-a-lot-of-success-and-make-a-good-living-but-after-while-you/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [See to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/see-to-do-good-and-you-will-find-that-happiness-will-run-after-you/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Sometimes after a compliment about my characterization skills, I'm asked if I model my characters on real people. Emphatically, no. And sort of, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/sometimes-after-a-compliment-about-my-characterization-skills-i-m/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [After The Wizard Of Oz I was typecast as a lion, and there aren't all that many parts for lions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-lahr/after-the-wizard-of-oz-i-was-typecast-as-a-lion-and-there-aren-t-all/) [Bert Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-lahr/) > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. 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