4 ms·

To partly rebut what maciej is saying here, I'd point out that Backblaze is a very successful not-free service which was also courting purchase offers; paying f

To partly rebut what maciej is saying here, I'd point out that Backblaze is a very successful not-free service which was also courting purchase offers; paying for a service is no guarantee that you'll get to rely on that service forever, which is a major failing of web-based services in general (and a frequently-mentioned point from my clients when I suggest using some web-based service or another). But I mostly agree with him anyway. I paid for and love pinboard. I will probably start paying for his page archival service within the next month. I'm more comfortable with it not only because of his track record so far, but because I know I am his customer. If it were a free service, I'd be far more concerned about how many concessions he'd be willing to make for his real customers -- advertisers or metrics companies or who-knows.

chc 15y ago
Even if that happened, wouldn't you think Backblaze is less likely to be dismantled by a potential purchaser than some free social doodad? (I'm not saying it's impossible; just that the incentive to kill a profitable product is less than the incentive to kill one that's still feeling around for a winning business model.)
quanticle 15y ago
I will probably start paying for his page archival service within the next month. I'm more comfortable with it not only because of his track record so far, but because I know I am his customer. If it were a free service, I'd be far more concerned about how many concessions he'd be willing to make for his real customers -- advertisers or metrics companies or who-knows. As the old saying goes, "If you're not paying, you're not the customer. You're the product." Kudos to Pinboard for asking you to become a customer, rather than settle in and be sold like a product.
- joebadmo 15y ago
  Cash isn't the only way to pay for a product. Notice in TFA he mentions ads as a perfectly legitimate source of income.
- canbeboth 15y ago
  If you aren't paying and the company is trying to make money, then yes, someone else is probably paying for it. However, the implication does not go the other way. If you buy a newspaper, go to a movie, or watch cable TV, you are both a customer and a product.
- scq 15y ago
  The old saying is not very old. Here's the original: http://www.metafilter.com/95152/Userdriven-discontent#3256046 http://www.metafilter.com/95152/Userdriven-discontent#325604...
ahoyhere 15y ago
Is Backblaze profitable? A lot of services which charge money still don't charge enough to be self-sustaining. A self-sustaining product may still be sold. But if a product CAN'T sustain itself, it MUST either be sold, or shut down, eventually.
- smackfu 15y ago
  If they aren't profitable now, I don't see how they will ever get to be. There are no network effects where a tipping point would make them profitable, and hardware is already customized and costs are directly dependent on number of users.

chc 15y ago

Even if that happened, wouldn't you think Backblaze is less likely to be dismantled by a potential purchaser than some free social doodad? (I'm not saying it's impossible; just that the incentive to kill a profitable product is less than the incentive to kill one that's still feeling around for a winning business model.)

quanticle 15y ago

I will probably start paying for his page archival service within the next month. I'm more comfortable with it not only because of his track record so far, but because I know I am his customer. If it were a free service, I'd be far more concerned about how many concessions he'd be willing to make for his real customers -- advertisers or metrics companies or who-knows. As the old saying goes, "If you're not paying, you're not the customer. You're the product." Kudos to Pinboard for asking you to become a customer, rather than settle in and be sold like a product.

joebadmo 15y ago
Cash isn't the only way to pay for a product. Notice in TFA he mentions ads as a perfectly legitimate source of income.
canbeboth 15y ago
If you aren't paying and the company is trying to make money, then yes, someone else is probably paying for it. However, the implication does not go the other way. If you buy a newspaper, go to a movie, or watch cable TV, you are both a customer and a product.
scq 15y ago
The old saying is not very old. Here's the original: http://www.metafilter.com/95152/Userdriven-discontent#3256046 http://www.metafilter.com/95152/Userdriven-discontent#325604...

ahoyhere 15y ago

Is Backblaze profitable? A lot of services which charge money still don't charge enough to be self-sustaining. A self-sustaining product may still be sold. But if a product CAN'T sustain itself, it MUST either be sold, or shut down, eventually.

smackfu 15y ago
If they aren't profitable now, I don't see how they will ever get to be. There are no network effects where a tipping point would make them profitable, and hardware is already customized and costs are directly dependent on number of users.