A crowdfunding approach for open content publishers and creators that really makes sense, but would need to become universal to be a real solution to the current crisis of value:
Flattr.com – How Flattr Works from Flattr on Vimeo.
Some details via Peter Sunde:
“Users who join the site can use it to discover interesting articles, great music and useful software, like on the aforementioned social discovery sites. If they see something they like they can give it a thumbs up, which is nothing new either.
The innovative part is that users of Flattr set a monthly budget they are willing to donate each month to the content they like. This can be as low as $2, or whatever the user is willing to share. At the end of the month the money is shared between the creators of the content they liked, who are all Flattr users as well.
In other words, Flattr allows consumers to flatter content producers for a flat-rate fee, and offers a revenue stream to those who create and share content.
The idea behind Flattr is innovative, but for the service to be a success the user base has to be significant. If Sunde and friends succeed in that they have an ideal solution to pay off the people who share their work for free.”
Flattr will make it possible for content creators who don’t want to associate their creation with advertising, to be given financial recognition for what they are doing.
It will also make for more honesty because people who appreciate a particular creative output don’t have to (dishonestly) follow an advertising link just to show their appreciation.
What a great idea!
This is an interesting model, but time will only tell whether it’ll work. As some have suggested, there is a degree of it all being a ‘scam’ – how do you choose who should get the money recuperated, and will the money actually be distributed? Check out this article at The Music Void and see what you make of it – http://bit.ly/94z3VW