WSJ.com - It May Be a Long Time Before the Long Tail Is Wagging the Web

WSJ.com - It May Be a Long Time Before the Long Tail Is Wagging the Web: "It would be wonderful if the world as Mr. Anderson describes it were true: one where 'healthy niche products' and even 'outright misses' collectively could stand their ground with the culture's increasingly soulless 'hits.'
But while every singer-songwriter dreams from his bedroom of making a living off iTunes, few actually do, mostly because so many others have the very same idea. And to the extent that Apple is making money off iTunes, thanks go to Nelly Furtado and other hitmakers. Indeed, you can make the case that the Internet is amplifying the role of hits, even in relation to misses, not diminishing them.
So maybe Mr. Anderson really has unlocked the sort of new business rules the cover promises. I say we wait before ripping up any business plans. Let's see how the tail shakes out."