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# Clay Shirky: The Downside Of Attending To Fans
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/clay-shirky-the-downside-of-attending-to-fans/
- Published: 2010-08-10T07:50:00.000Z
- Updated: 2010-08-10T07:50:00.000Z
- Description: Lately, I’ve been re-reading Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky and found this quote to be simple, yet revealing. Considering how much artists are encouraged to attend to their fans, engage. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/08/clay-shirky-the-downside-of-attending-to-fans.html]
- Author: admin
- Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:59

Lately, I’ve been re-reading *Cognitive Surplus* by **Clay Shirky** and found this quote to be simple, yet revealing. Considering how much artists are encouraged to **attend to their fans**, engage them, and address their concerns; it’s often left out of the conversation how much time this *really* takes. Now, I’m not one who buys the 'artists-should-just-be-artists business,' but I think it’s worth noting that, in attending to fans, it's not simply time spent away from art. On the larger scale, as Shirky implies, connecting with fans could mean getting **nothing done at all**.

[![image from comnetwork.org](https://a0.typepad.com/6a0111683c7a25970c0133f2f66af8970b-100wi)](http://comnetwork.org/userfiles/shirky2.jpg?ref=hypebot.com)  "The **downside of attending** to the emotional life of groups is that it can swamp the ability to get anything done; **a group can become** more concerned with satisfying its members than with **achieving its goals**." – **Clay Shirky**