WAP micropayments [Sunday Times]. Would you pay to view the latest adverts to rent a flat? Or for someone to reserve you a hotel room when you arrive in a new city?
I don't think WAP micropayments will work. WWW has shown that there's always another way of making money - and demographics will only get more valuable. Competition will drive micropayments out. Anyway, WAP is going to cost: mobile providers will charge for anything that goes through their WAP gateway; any of their own services will probably be free. This is not good - but competition isn't big in the mobile arena, and it hasn't turned in the direction of WAP or unmetered calls yet.
Oh, and as for the rent-a-flat thing: would you rather place an advert where everyone will see it, or where only people who have chosen to pay will see it? Well then.
Micropayments in general? Yes. There will be some things in the end we will have to pay for. What? When there is a need for a human interface to process the information, but with free services like No Wonder what will they be? I don't think they will be services though: service companies can sell demographics. No, we'll go back to products. I would pay (small amounts) of money to view BBC News, for example, and that's something someone else can provide.
How far will 'information wants to be free' go? All the way, hopefully, but then we'll all have to find another way to make money.
WAP micropayments [Sunday Times]. Would you pay to view the latest adverts to rent a flat? Or for someone to reserve you a hotel room when you arrive in a new city?
I don't think WAP micropayments will work. WWW has shown that there's always another way of making money - and demographics will only get more valuable. Competition will drive micropayments out. Anyway, WAP is going to cost: mobile providers will charge for anything that goes through their WAP gateway; any of their own services will probably be free. This is not good - but competition isn't big in the mobile arena, and it hasn't turned in the direction of WAP or unmetered calls yet.
Oh, and as for the rent-a-flat thing: would you rather place an advert where everyone will see it, or where only people who have chosen to pay will see it? Well then.
Micropayments in general? Yes. There will be some things in the end we will have to pay for. What? When there is a need for a human interface to process the information, but with free services like No Wonder what will they be? I don't think they will be services though: service companies can sell demographics. No, we'll go back to products. I would pay (small amounts) of money to view BBC News, for example, and that's something someone else can provide.
How far will 'information wants to be free' go? All the way, hopefully, but then we'll all have to find another way to make money.