> what "our" ideal end-game goal is? I think most HN users will agree that the good stuff costs money. So the question is really who pays, and how. For me the

> what "our" ideal end-game goal is? I think most HN users will agree that the good stuff costs money. So the question is really who pays, and how. For me the ideal end-game is ability to get what I want through a direct pay-as-you-go transaction. In the ideal world this transaction is explicit, instant, anonymous, nearly zero overhead and non-recurring. Explicit, because as a consumer I want to be able to say no, and know exactly when I engage in a transaction. Instant, because waiting X working days sucks. Anonymous, because there are many reasons to stay anonymous. Zero overhead, because we want to cut middlemen. Non-recurring, because a recurring payment is _always_ an up-sell. Paper money works great in the offline world. Any kind of an indirect payment is not ideal because it takes control from the consumer and gives it to someone else.