::scr paying for it

[Simon Wistow]

Another.com starts charging for its email services ...
http://media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,7496,653703,00.html
... and apparently it works.

The whole thought of paying for stuff online makes me shiver. It would,
I think, prevent me from randomly hopping about searching for stuff
(specific or just out of boredom) and then, god forbid, I might actually
do some work then. 

Just thought I'd get that out of the way so you know where my feelings
lie. Clear the air so to speak. Lay my cards on the table. Wear y heart
on my sleeve, do unto [That's enough - ed]

I've ranted previously [0] about how having so many people on the web
has caused it to be more expensive. It's reverse economies of scale. The
more people there are the more costly it gets. I can afford to run ::scr
on my little boxen but if a million people decided to subscribe then I
couldn't. So, perversely, the more popular something is the less likely
it is to survive.

Unless I got paid. Personally I'm against micropayments, I'd hate them.
It would stop me surfing the way I do and *I* think the way *I* do it is
the best (for me anyway).

Tycho and Gabe at Penny Arcade hate them. They had a well publicised
spat with Scott 'Understanding Comics' McCloud over a "I just can't stop
thinking!" column :
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2001-06-22
http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php3?date=2001-06-22

the column :
http://www.thecomicreader.com/html/icst/icst-6/icst-6.html


and then with Scott 'PvP' Kurtz :
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2001-04-11
http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php3?date=2001-04-11

over pretty much the same thing :
http://www.pvponline.com/rants_success3.php3


The other suggestion which I've heard mooted was taxes. Actually this
was really aimed at free music viz. certain countries (Germany and
Canada I think) tax blank media and give that to the record companies as
payment for ripped off music.

The suggestion was that ISPs be taxed and the money be sent to the
Record Companies. Then we're free to exchange tracks at will.

Both ideas have flaws and merits. I'm throwing the floor open to
discussion. 





-- 
: it's pretty hard to look miserable when you're spinning on your head