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Exploring alternative funding models for the web

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#21

Post by snambi »

jerrac wrote: post #4

For a long time I've thought that we need a browser based universal tip jar. Some way that lets me read a blog post, and then tip the site with however much I want. 1 cent, 25 cents, 1 dollar, 200 dollars, any amount. From my understanding of things, the biggest thing in the way is that processing payments costs money. The second thing is making sure the money goes where it is supposed to. With services like Scroll,…

It need not be a tip jar. It can be proper payments. But current credit based online payment system is too expensive for micropayments ( for a fraction of a penny) and it is too cumbersome to be used by the user.

We need a modern payment system, that can process micropayments ( that is a fraction of a penny ) with higher security guarantees and cheaper (or free) than the credit cards.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#22

Post by celticmusic »

jerrac wrote: post #4

For a long time I've thought that we need a browser based universal tip jar. Some way that lets me read a blog post, and then tip the site with however much I want. 1 cent, 25 cents, 1 dollar, 200 dollars, any amount. From my understanding of things, the biggest thing in the way is that processing payments costs money. The second thing is making sure the money goes where it is supposed to. With services like Scroll,…

Are you me?

About 2 years ago I was having a conversation with someone and this was roughly the idea I had. A wallet that users can fill up and apportion appropriately.

So if someone really likes reddit, then they can automatically give say $5/month to reddit out of that wallet. And in exchange they get perks.

And, as you said, if they come across a blog post they really like, they can also tip ad hoc.

Patreon for the web essentially.

We were throwing around ideas for a business, and this was one of mine. I still think it's viable, but I also think it requires a large, established entity, such as Mozilla, to do it.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#23

Post by rubbingalcohol »

rolltiide wrote: post #20
gwbas1c wrote: post #16

Honestly, I just want a subscription model like Netflix or Google Music: A nominal monthly fee for ad-free access to most content on most major websites.

Paid by the ISP which I already pay for

Why should Comcast pay for peoples' hentai blogs?

Problems like creating an online tipping protocol could be addressed with work on new web standards, not private partnerships with for-profit companies spearheaded by a single browser developer. If something like this could work, it needs to be an open standard. I appreciate Mozilla's work on this important issue, but don't think they are even starting with the right approach.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#24

Post by smacktoward »

gwbas1c wrote: post #16

Honestly, I just want a subscription model like Netflix or Google Music: A nominal monthly fee for ad-free access to most content on most major websites.

Even Netflix doesn't work that way anymore. You subscribe to Netflix to get access to Netflix original content. Licensing the entire universe of video, even if you just limited yourself to only licensing from the biggest studios, became prohibitively expensive the moment the studios realized there was an actual market for online streaming and stopped charging peanuts for streaming rights.

I suspect a news aggregator that provided access to "most content on most major websites" would rapidly hit the same wall; just licensing content from the five biggest U.S. newspapers would require a higher subscription rate than most people would be willing to pay.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#26

Post by pavon »

Sphax wrote: post #14

If they don't add a way to opt out of those "random surveys" I'll be pretty pissed.

While the article doesn't specifically say, this will likely use the Firefox Studies(https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/shield) system which does have an opt-out (Maybe even opt-in? Been a while since I've done a fresh FF install).

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#27

Post by admax88q »

gibolt wrote: post #18
jerrac wrote: post #4

For a long time I've thought that we need a browser based universal tip jar. Some way that lets me read a blog post, and then tip the site with however much I want. 1 cent, 25 cents, 1 dollar, 200 dollars, any amount. From my understanding of things, the biggest thing in the way is that processing payments costs money. The second thing is making sure the money goes where it is supposed to. With services like Scroll,…

This would be difficult to target on sites that host content/articles. Would Medium get the tip, or the author of the article. How would the browser decide, and how would it differentiate ownership.

On the other hand it would incentive you to host your content yourself.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#28

Post by decasteve »

hiccuphippo wrote: post #17
jerrac wrote: post #4

For a long time I've thought that we need a browser based universal tip jar. Some way that lets me read a blog post, and then tip the site with however much I want. 1 cent, 25 cents, 1 dollar, 200 dollars, any amount. From my understanding of things, the biggest thing in the way is that processing payments costs money. The second thing is making sure the money goes where it is supposed to. With services like Scroll,…

What happens with the tips sent to a website that doesn't register with Mozilla? Maybe there should be a standard meta tag that websites can add to show they are looking for tips. And then they can even add a URL on the tag so they can use another provider if for some reason they don't want Mozilla to be the gatekeeper of their tip jar. But then again, they can just add the link in the website itself like they alread…

Perhaps a DNS TXT record with the info.

Re: Exploring alternative funding models for the web

#30

Post by vimslayer »

TylerE wrote: post #15
99052882514569 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tips are cool, but a browser-based micro-payments setup will create a more consistent alternative revenue stream.

People have been beating the micro-payments horse since at least the late '90s. I don't get it, at all. No one likes turning every action into a financial decision. History has shown that buffet-style pricing (Netflix, Spotify, et al) is much more appetizing - because you only have to make the decision ONCE. There is no financial pain for consuming content.

Sure, as long as the amount of those buffets stays within reasonable limits. If I stumble to a site from Google, there's no way I'm just going to register to their monthly subsciption plan, no matter how useful their content was. But if I was happy with the content, I could maybe make a one-time donation or payment.

I'm afraid that embracing periodic "buffet-style" pricing also embraces big centralized platforms, like Medium, that can provide me enough content to consume for the whole billing period and then they can distribute the profits among content creators. Maybe that could work, but I'm sure HNers have a thing or two to say about the idea of making Medium the buffet where everyone's going to eat.

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