Comments on: Micropayments experiment http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/ Online economics Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:00:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: aaron http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3304 aaron Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:25:16 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3304 Matt: Thanks for the detailed comments. My idea seems to be a little late - tipjoy.com are already onto it. Matt: Thanks for the detailed comments. My idea seems to be a little late - tipjoy.com are already onto it.

]]> By: Matt http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3291 Matt Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:07:08 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3291 With all of the social networking apps that allow people to share links, news articles, etc. This would actually be a pretty interesting idea for a start-up. (You might want to get a patent on the idea although I wouldn't be surprised if someone already has.) Digg, del.icio.us and other apps are easily embedded in blog posts and are integrated with the content provider (blogger) and the reader. It would work like this... 1. Blogger signs up with app provider and embeds app provider's code in each post 2. Reader signs up with app provider and deposits $$ to be used for tipping 3. Reader logs into app through browser at beginning of browsing session 3. Reader visits sites and finds a post he/she likes and clicks on the embedded tip button for the amount of tip desired. Tip is automatically debited from user account and sent to content provider account. 4. Reader logs off when the browser is closed or session ends. Obviously, this is a crude model and there would be some heavy security issues to consider when $$ dollars are at stake and not just sharing links, articles, etc., but I personally would tip more if it wasn't such a laborious task of logging into paypal and trudging through 4 or 5 screens to submit a small tip. I wouldn't be surprised to see an app like this pop-up in the near future. Right now the unofficial "tip buttons" are google ads and this practice is contributing to a huge and unchallenged problem with click-fraud. As click-fraud becomes more assignable and more companies take the time to identify it bloggers will have to come up with a new means of getting those quick and easy "google ad tips". With all of the social networking apps that allow people to share links, news articles, etc. This would actually be a pretty interesting idea for a start-up. (You might want to get a patent on the idea although I wouldn’t be surprised if someone already has.) Digg, del.icio.us and other apps are easily embedded in blog posts and are integrated with the content provider (blogger) and the reader.

It would work like this…

1. Blogger signs up with app provider and embeds app provider’s code in each post

2. Reader signs up with app provider and deposits $$ to be used for tipping

3. Reader logs into app through browser at beginning of browsing session

3. Reader visits sites and finds a post he/she likes and clicks on the embedded tip button for the amount of tip desired. Tip is automatically debited from user account and sent to content provider account.

4. Reader logs off when the browser is closed or session ends.

Obviously, this is a crude model and there would be some heavy security issues to consider when $$ dollars are at stake and not just sharing links, articles, etc., but I personally would tip more if it wasn’t such a laborious task of logging into paypal and trudging through 4 or 5 screens to submit a small tip.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see an app like this pop-up in the near future. Right now the unofficial “tip buttons” are google ads and this practice is contributing to a huge and unchallenged problem with click-fraud. As click-fraud becomes more assignable and more companies take the time to identify it bloggers will have to come up with a new means of getting those quick and easy “google ad tips”.

]]> By: aaron http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3203 aaron Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:13:15 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3203 AnonyProf, you're probably right, I reckon my estimates will be biased upwards. However, is a biased estimate worse than no estimate? I tend to think not, if we recognise the bias even if we can't estimate how big it is. AnonyProf, you’re probably right, I reckon my estimates will be biased upwards. However, is a biased estimate worse than no estimate? I tend to think not, if we recognise the bias even if we can’t estimate how big it is.

]]> By: Anonymous Prof http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3191 Anonymous Prof Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:23:01 +0000 http://www.26econ.com/micropayments-experiment/#comment-3191 Hi Aaron, I think this is an interesting experiment you've got going, but I worry that there is a large disconnect in people's propensity to click a button that hypothetically gives you Xc and actually giving you that money. In other words, there's a difference b/w saying "sure, I'd give him 10c for this post" and actually doing it. As much as I love the idea of micropayments, I suspect that this type of "experiment" won't really yield a generalizable result. That said, you can have 10 of my cents! -AP Hi Aaron,

I think this is an interesting experiment you’ve got going, but I worry that there is a large disconnect in people’s propensity to click a button that hypothetically gives you Xc and actually giving you that money. In other words, there’s a difference b/w saying “sure, I’d give him 10c for this post” and actually doing it.

As much as I love the idea of micropayments, I suspect that this type of “experiment” won’t really yield a generalizable result. That said, you can have 10 of my cents!

-AP

]]>