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Step 1, Google serves info directly and consumers rejoice Step 2, Google extinguishes the web and nobody has a reason to publish content, consumers lament but
by monkpit 5mo ago
Step 1, Google serves info directly and consumers rejoice
Step 2, Google extinguishes the web and nobody has a reason to publish content, consumers lament but are trapped, Google has created a platform to serve content instead of links
Step 3 (or maybe 2a), Google is now monetizing their content machine
Step 4, Google offers people a way to contribute to the content machine, make some $$ per N views, whatever. People create content within the ecosystem
Step 5, Google is now the internet, more content is created overall, quality is lower overall perhaps, algorithmic echo chambers flourish even more than today, old heads on HN lament, everyone else just goes on living
- jcattle 5mo agoI mean this is already (kind of) the case for video. There's no real mainstream way outside of youtube to make meaningful money with free video content. But yes, interesting thought which does kind of make sense. The marketplace-ification of the textual web.
- eithed 5mo agoWith google search you don't get money for creating content as people rely on summary provided by the search. Imagine people would go to youtube and watch previews of your videos solely; or the preview is your video, but condensed and given preferential treatment.
- jcattle 5mo ago> With google search you don't get money for creating content as people rely on summary provided by the search. I'm aware. And I'm curious how that will play out. Because same as with Youtube, historically Google Search gave the means and the discoverability to monetize producing valuable free content. Youtube is directly dependent on people producing free content. If Youtube wouldn't pay its creators as well as it does, it would simply die. Same with Google Search. Good content and good SEO gives the means for websites with free content to survive. Google usually takes a cut on ad placement on those pages with AdSense. If Google Search now doesn't pay content creators as well as it used to, what will happen to free content on the web? It's bad for Google and it's bad for the creators. We will see.
- larodi 5mo agohow about Tiktok - seems quite meaningfully getting money to people. Of course with short-format video, but still video, right?
- jcattle 5mo agoAs far as I know, Tiktok pays significantly less than Youtube. But yes, TikTok is a thing, as well as Twitch. Still, it's all very centralized platforms, which historically isn't the case for all the monetized free content you usually get from google search (reviews, recipes, travel guides, converter sites etc. etc.)
- account42 5mo agoSince "making money with free content" essentially means manipulating your users into spending more money elsewhere from which you then get some indirect kickbacks, I don't think we need to lament there being fewer opportunities for that particular business model. That's not to say that video centralization doesn't have other actually bad effects.
- camillomiller 5mo agoIf so, I can only see a silent Laotian Buddhist monastery in my future. Until Larry Page buys it out, of course.
- pferde 5mo agoHaven't they tried doing Step 4 already? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knol