pay for digital social spaces
exploring a future of digital social spaces / networks where users pay
pay for digital social spaces
The mistake of the 1.0 platforms was to optimize for engagement—likes, clicks, and shares. This was a successful short-term growth strategy, but at the long-term cost of sustainability. For engagement includes not only joy but rage, not only mirth but sadness. Incentivizing these things creates hellishness, driving people to disengage, to become... See more
Ari Schulman • Why Speech Platforms Can Never Escape Politics | National Affairs
While Meta’s paid messaging tools brought in about $1 billion last year — peanuts compared to the whopping $132 billion the company earned from ads — paid messaging revenue is growing far faster than ad revenue and has more than doubled since early 2023.
Issie Lapowsky • How WhatsApp ate the world
Read.cv / Posts - free plan or “name a fair price” (suggested $6/month), gets you some perks, including ‘supporter’ badge
Social media differs from note-taking apps. Users provide content and interaction for free. "Why should I pay when I'm the one creating value?" Fair question.
But maintaining the space where that expression happens costs money. Playing in a park is free. Maintaining the park requires taxes.
But maintaining the space where that expression happens costs money. Playing in a park is free. Maintaining the park requires taxes.