SMS at $0.10 per text is an excellent example: it was total a failure as a business model. Every provider in north america, even prepaid, now offers SMS servic

SMS at $0.10 per text is an excellent example: it was total a failure as a business model. Every provider in north america, even prepaid, now offers SMS services on a monthly basis. It was critical to uptake. A $0.99 song from itunes isn't a micropayment. It's a dollar paid for a music track you are likely to listen to over and over. Additionally, you knew what you were buying because you heard the music for free on the radio or in a club. Journalistic work doesn't fit the iTunes model. News and blog posts tend to be fire and forget. Nobody will pay $1 up front, and once they've consumed the content once, they no longer need to pay for it.