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I still don't really understand your argument and I think you missed the point completely. Sustainable sites don't need to grow like Facebook because per user r

I still don't really understand your argument and I think you missed the point completely. Sustainable sites don't need to grow like Facebook because per user revenues are constant as usership increases, as opposed to Facebook or any add based sites. If app.net can make a great product, they'll find a way to sell it and people will buy it. Not 900 million people, but many people. Add to this the fact that they could leverage added value in certain key areas like privacy, which facebook can never do, and it doesn't seem so bad for 50$ a year. A couple of years ago you would have been considered a fool if you thought that a 500$ phone would ever sell.

ruswick 14y ago
I have no doubt that their product will be nice. However, unless they get gobs and gobs of users, the value of the product will be significantly diminished. Obviously, a world where millions pay for App.net is great. They thrive as a business, users get a good network without ads. But that's unlikely to happen. That $500 phone wouldn't have sold if a competing phone that people viewed as indistinguishable and that everyone already used were free.
rizla 14y ago
$50 a year is a lot to a student, or a parent with kids, or someone without a job, or a family with inky one source of income, or if you are one of the billions of people that survive on $1-2 a day. That's why in places like india, Africa a $500 phone is still seen as laughable. Even ignoring developing countries and emerging economies, charging 50 bucks is going to be a stretch and seems a bit crazy if you want to appeal to people outside of the silicon communities.... But then again I thought twitter was a silly fad