4 ms·

>Then why have all attempts at commercializing micro-payments failed? I assert that MP constitutes an inherently different market realm, with unique problems an

>Then why have all attempts at commercializing micro-payments failed? I assert that MP constitutes an inherently different market realm, with unique problems and incentives that demand innovative solutions, empowering payment-for-content by individuals surfing the web. There is a pretty simple reason for this: All the embedded players (credit card processors, and banks) don't have the desire to deal with the extremely high volume and low (near zero) margin business this would create for them. Institutions who produce content aren't high on MOST users list of places to give money to when there are plenty of ways to get said product for FREE... You want me to give you $5 today so I can spend $0.03 of it on some article. Maybe I forget about it (good for you) or you loose it (bad for me) and then I have to fight to get it fixed (making this a money loosing proposition on both sides). The greed and avarice, of content producers and advertisers, destroyed what could have been a workable solution (ads), I have no faith that any micropayment platform or what ever else you can cook up is going to work unless it puts USERS FIRST.

maroonblazer 11y ago
>The greed and avarice, of content producers and advertisers, destroyed what could have been a workable solution (ads)... I understand how content producers can be blamed for the state of internet advertising but I don't understand why the advertisers are also implicated. It's the content producers who manufacture and sell the advertising product. If an advertiser doesn't buy the product his competitor will.
- zer00eyz 11y ago
  Totally valid question: How does malware get into ad's, the publishers didn't put it there: http://www.extremetech.com/internet/220696-forbes-forces-readers-to-turn-off-ad-blockers-promptly-serves-malware http://www.extremetech.com/internet/220696-forbes-forces-rea... Meanwhile the industry itself calls ad blocking "immoral": http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-chief-blasts-adblock-plus-immoral-mendacious-coven-techie-wannabes-169194 http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-chief-blasts-adblo... There is this gem linked from the article where some of them admit it might be their fault: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-pivots-ad-blocking-and-issues-mea-culpa-we-messed-167583 http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-pivots-ad-blocking...
ghaff 11y ago
I don't buy the suggestion that micropayments would work if only there were an easy (for users) and cost-effective way of making and processing them. Yes, there are some chicken and egg issues associated with a payment system that achieves critical mass and that doesn't fragment into a bunch of incompatible providers. But, really, that's mostly just technology and market development. Given the need/demand, I doubt it's even very hard. The bigger issue is probably the one that Clay Shirky offered years ago. Mental transaction costs. If I have to decide up-front whether an article is worth reading for a nickel (or whatever), I'm generally going to pass. At best, I'm going to have to think about clicking and that injects a lot of friction into the process.

maroonblazer 11y ago

>The greed and avarice, of content producers and advertisers, destroyed what could have been a workable solution (ads)... I understand how content producers can be blamed for the state of internet advertising but I don't understand why the advertisers are also implicated. It's the content producers who manufacture and sell the advertising product. If an advertiser doesn't buy the product his competitor will.

zer00eyz 11y ago
Totally valid question: How does malware get into ad's, the publishers didn't put it there: http://www.extremetech.com/internet/220696-forbes-forces-readers-to-turn-off-ad-blockers-promptly-serves-malware http://www.extremetech.com/internet/220696-forbes-forces-rea... Meanwhile the industry itself calls ad blocking "immoral": http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-chief-blasts-adblock-plus-immoral-mendacious-coven-techie-wannabes-169194 http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-chief-blasts-adblo... There is this gem linked from the article where some of them admit it might be their fault: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-pivots-ad-blocking-and-issues-mea-culpa-we-messed-167583 http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/iab-pivots-ad-blocking...

ghaff 11y ago

I don't buy the suggestion that micropayments would work if only there were an easy (for users) and cost-effective way of making and processing them. Yes, there are some chicken and egg issues associated with a payment system that achieves critical mass and that doesn't fragment into a bunch of incompatible providers. But, really, that's mostly just technology and market development. Given the need/demand, I doubt it's even very hard. The bigger issue is probably the one that Clay Shirky offered years ago. Mental transaction costs. If I have to decide up-front whether an article is worth reading for a nickel (or whatever), I'm generally going to pass. At best, I'm going to have to think about clicking and that injects a lot of friction into the process.