Commercial Success for Everyone - Is this a Dream?

6.4.2010 von joergkrause.

Being a content provider is easy in the Web 2.0 world. Using social networks you can easily share everything you like amoung your friends and even everybody else. Share your documents or thougts through a blog to a broader audience is easy either. Both is a great way to send a message - for whatever reason.

I’m an author and write articles and books for several years. I do this not just to have fun or share my experience and knowledge. I’m not altruistic, to be honest. I do this because I get paid. It’s not that much. I cannot live from my writing. But it’s an additional income that I like and need. Most authors are not full-time writers. But only few get paid at least a bit, such as me. I know that there are an amzaing number of people who work hard every day and would be able to write and share their valuable experience and knowledge too. The only thing is, that they can’t sacrifice the little amount of time to write for nothing but fun.

I remember the time I worked with Linux. “Have fun” was part ofthe greating once the startup sequence was done. People who know me know theat I’m committed to Microsoft technology meanwhile. It is, because I can’t live from fun. I need money. I love money. Honestly, I work because I get paid. The most things I do I like to do as well, which is great and I think it’s because I feel mostly happy.

The thing I want to write about today is that even the smallest income for a work would be a great step forward in a Web 2.0 world. What if you get a few dollars, pounds, or euros for every article you published in your blog. Sure, some try to add things such as Google AdSense to their pages. This could bring a few bucks. However, most people never get enough leads to their pages to a get a single penny. This is the truth. Again, like any former period, few make the money and the masses get nothing (but fun). The “fun” thing is new. The remaining part is like it has been for centuries.

Would it be time to rethink this? I guess so. What if you share whatever you like to share - content of any sort of media (written articles, books, fiction or non-fiction, videos) and you get some money back. Sure, nobody cruises through the net seeking where to pay money for content. But big providers make money. Google makes a lot money with all your content. Do you know? Even Technorati, Blogger, and all the thousands of pages make money. Do they share? Yes, they share content. No, they don’t share money. That’s not fair. Period.

I think about a project that changes the rules radically. Content has to be free. Additional services could be charged. But a site collecting, organizing, and enhancing content makes money from reades, advertisers, partners, or other publishers.  What if this site shares the income with the authors. You’re not an author? You’re an artist, such as an designer, you make videos, pictures, music? Add your service and get paid for being the one who as improved the quality, added a better presentation, made a distinct summary or whatever to move the content to a professional level.

You see the direction? Most content on the web is radiculous bad. I don’t talk about fun videos on Youtube. They might have their audience. I mean, what if you produce a video showing how to build a sophisticated wall in your garden, using what the local do-it-yourself store provides. Make a series of such videos to help them doing things better. Share it. It’s not fun, it’s a professional work eventually.

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