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> Also see: Libraries. Ha :). But the library isn't providing a download link, is it? Regarding a majority of a book's sales being made by honest people, yes,
by eob 17y ago
> Also see: Libraries.
Ha :). But the library isn't providing a download link, is it?
Regarding a majority of a book's sales being made by honest people, yes, I assume you're right. And perhaps the publicity from being available for free will increase the number of honest people that buy a book.
But it is a tricky line to walk.
I remember reading about how the Soviets were suspicious of supposed "free markets" being able to stabilize themselves in the Reagan / Thatcher era. They just couldn't believe that things would work out to an equilibrium in the end. Auctions are similarly magical.
Perhaps the "give it away, and then let people pay you if they like it" model of the internet is similar from the standpoint of an outsider: sounds impossible the first time you hear it, but it tends to work out in the end.
- jzdziarski 17y agoIt's not really "give it away, let people pay", it's more, "let people choose whether to pay or steal". Bezos' prediction that e-commerce would "work" when it became easier to buy than to steal has been true now for several years, and I think that's a better principle to go by than trusting soviet economics :)
- Saavedro 17y agoDefinitely. Convenience is key for digital goods. I could never bring myself to install iTunes, but I spend -loads- of money on amazon mp3, because it's as convenient as any regular download link, it just happens to charge me money. The downloader for amazon mp3 (which isn't even required for single songs) is also extremely lightweight compared to iTunes.