Let’s get one thing out of the way: monetizing non-scarce information is difficult. The default monetization model of the online world is advertisement, a model that relies heavily on surveillance and gameable analytics. V4V offers an alternative.
Selling information outright doesn’t work. Selling bits and bytes on a per-item basis is nonsensical, since bits and bytes are non-scarce. They can be replicated ad infinitum.
The V4V model flips monetization on its head. It leads with abundance: information is set free; no artificial barriers or restricitions are added to the content, whether it is audio, video, text, or something else. The value is given away freely, and those who find the information valuable are asked to give back.
The main difference between a conventional transaction and a V4V transaction is that a V4V transaction is:
- voluntary,
- unlimited, and
- direct.
V4V allows value and information to flow freely, without restrictions, and without middlemen. It is a different approach to monetizing bits and bytes online, as well as a different approach to creating content and value.
People will give whatever it is worth to them. Some might give the equivalent of $1, some will give $50, some will give $500 or more.
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