Comments on: Micropayments are macro-b.s. http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/ Brian Fuller's blog on the state of media and communications Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:03:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brian http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1112 Brian Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:38:08 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1112 Dan, great insights, my friend. I'm not sure I'm flipping or flopping, just emotionally reacting to Google in the context of its relationship with the mainstream media (there's more news on this front today, which I'll blog about later). I think micropayment as a technology is fantastic. I attended a panel earlier this year (http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/02/26/social-media-and-nonprofits/) about non-profits using social media. One of the presentations talked about using the cell phone and the provider's back-end billing system to create "text-to-give" charity programs. Very cool. So, bottom line is that Google is making nice, but I don't think micropayments systems work for products the market has (for now) deemed free. Dan, great insights, my friend. I’m not sure I’m flipping or flopping, just emotionally reacting to Google in the context of its relationship with the mainstream media (there’s more news on this front today, which I’ll blog about later).
I think micropayment as a technology is fantastic. I attended a panel earlier this year (http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/02/26/social-media-and-nonprofits/) about non-profits using social media. One of the presentations talked about using the cell phone and the provider’s back-end billing system to create “text-to-give” charity programs. Very cool.
So, bottom line is that Google is making nice, but I don’t think micropayments systems work for products the market has (for now) deemed free.

]]> By: SiliconCowboy http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1106 SiliconCowboy Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:52:59 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1106 Wow Brian is this a flip and a flop? I'm losing track...I thought you were a proponent of micropayments? Anyway, something game-changing is bound to happen. Look at payment systems like Boku, which charges to your cell phone bill, who would have thought of that? It will be wildly popular in half the world where subscriptions are non-existent, everything is pay-as-you-go. We're trying to run an information economy off of an industrial-age monetary system. It simply can't be survive unless there is a way to monetize it. Funny, the big picture: We have managed to do more with less, the result being you can get anything for free...nirvana or disaster? LOL Wow Brian is this a flip and a flop? I’m losing track…I thought you were a proponent of micropayments? Anyway, something game-changing is bound to happen. Look at payment systems like Boku, which charges to your cell phone bill, who would have thought of that? It will be wildly popular in half the world where subscriptions are non-existent, everything is pay-as-you-go. We’re trying to run an information economy off of an industrial-age monetary system. It simply can’t be survive unless there is a way to monetize it. Funny, the big picture: We have managed to do more with less, the result being you can get anything for free…nirvana or disaster? LOL

]]> By: Ry Schwark http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1104 Ry Schwark Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:22:17 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1104 When it comes to generic consumer content and news, there is too much of it. Every paper in the country seems to want to be a national daily... on top of those that really are national dailies. people won't pay for what they can get for free by just browsing another site. You're spot on. It's scarcity that drives the value. If you're one of 40 dailies posting AP feeds and your take on the latest doings in washington. Micropayments for generic consumer news are a fail. When it comes to generic consumer content and news, there is too much of it. Every paper in the country seems to want to be a national daily… on top of those that really are national dailies.

people won’t pay for what they can get for free by just browsing another site.

You’re spot on. It’s scarcity that drives the value. If you’re one of 40 dailies posting AP feeds and your take on the latest doings in washington.

Micropayments for generic consumer news are a fail.

]]> By: Brian http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1096 Brian Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:53:13 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1096 Loring, I actually agree. Micropayments, once we figure out a seamless way to do it, will be OK. And I don't begrudge Google's innovation. But I remain PO'd at the publishing industry for having its head stuck so deeply in the sand for so long and now having to come hat in hand to Google (its arch nemesis) for help. It's not too late to put the content toothpaste back in the tube, but it's damn close. Loring, I actually agree. Micropayments, once we figure out a seamless way to do it, will be OK. And I don’t begrudge Google’s innovation. But I remain PO’d at the publishing industry for having its head stuck so deeply in the sand for so long and now having to come hat in hand to Google (its arch nemesis) for help.
It’s not too late to put the content toothpaste back in the tube, but it’s damn close.

]]> By: Loring Wirbel http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1095 Loring Wirbel Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:26:06 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1095 Lou, Google was making a tactical play from the desktop, and will be sideliners in micropayments. The people that own micropayments will be "trusted services managers", which are coalitions of banks and credit brokers, working with the people providing the infrastructure for NFC. But then, they'll all get caught trying to develop derivatives models for trusted services, and will all be marched off to jail. Until they get snapped up by larger banks. And so it goes. Lou, Google was making a tactical play from the desktop, and will be sideliners in micropayments. The people that own micropayments will be “trusted services managers”, which are coalitions of banks and credit brokers, working with the people providing the infrastructure for NFC. But then, they’ll all get caught trying to develop derivatives models for trusted services, and will all be marched off to jail. Until they get snapped up by larger banks. And so it goes.

]]> By: Lou Covey http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1094 Lou Covey Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:05:16 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1094 It will work... but not from Google. You still have to be able to control where your content goes. It will work… but not from Google. You still have to be able to control where your content goes.

]]> By: Andy Schlei http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1093 Andy Schlei Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:36:00 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1093 Brian, I think you are right, this won't work for content to consumers. Look at the NY Times wonderful experience with Times Select. WSJ being a real exception. The micropayments might work on as a means for content owners to try and get something from other sites that use the content. Isn't AP after getting money even for a link to a story? Just a thought. --Andy Brian,

I think you are right, this won’t work for content to consumers. Look at the NY Times wonderful experience with Times Select. WSJ being a real exception.

The micropayments might work on as a means for content owners to try and get something from other sites that use the content.

Isn’t AP after getting money even for a link to a story?

Just a thought.

–Andy

]]> By: Loring Wirbel http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/2009/09/11/micropayments-are-macro-b-s/comment-page-1/#comment-1092 Loring Wirbel Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:21:13 +0000 http://greeleysghost.brian-fuller.com/?p=890#comment-1092 Three caveats to your otherwise spot-on observation: 1. The National Newspaper Association of America came to Google about modifying an existing Google Checkout product, not the other way around. No surprise, NNAA desperately wants to re-visit monetization any way it can, but not Google's fault in this case (Google IS to blame for 95 percent of the rest of the world's problems). http://smartbookblog.com/2009/09/google-checkouts-and-the-weakest-link/ 2. Micropayments may never catch on in media, but they are already widely used in Asia via NFC for just about everything, so their migration to this area will happen before you turn 60. Their use in everything from tolls to hamburgers will be commonplace within five years. 3. It's not just the WSJ that's talked people into paying for online content. Publications with highly specialized content that dropped their print edition, such as Bulletin of the Atomic Schientists, have successfully moved the readership to micropayments, online subs, or some combination of the two. In short, micropayments, like herpes, are dreadful buggers that inevitable come around again. Three caveats to your otherwise spot-on observation:

1. The National Newspaper Association of America came to Google about modifying an existing Google Checkout product, not the other way around. No surprise, NNAA desperately wants to re-visit monetization any way it can, but not Google’s fault in this case (Google IS to blame for 95 percent of the rest of the world’s problems).

http://smartbookblog.com/2009/09/google-checkouts-and-the-weakest-link/

2. Micropayments may never catch on in media, but they are already widely used in Asia via NFC for just about everything, so their migration to this area will happen before you turn 60. Their use in everything from tolls to hamburgers will be commonplace within five years.

3. It’s not just the WSJ that’s talked people into paying for online content. Publications with highly specialized content that dropped their print edition, such as Bulletin of the Atomic Schientists, have successfully moved the readership to micropayments, online subs, or some combination of the two.

In short, micropayments, like herpes, are dreadful buggers that inevitable come around again.

]]>