It’s a question I get asked often. Sure, the Web is evolving into a platform for ordinary people to share information with just about anyone who’ll look or listen, but why put information out there if you’re not making money off it? Why have a personal blog if people don’t pay to read it? Why put pics on Flickr for people to view and re-use at will, for free? Why podcast your valuable thoughts and insights if you’re not going to charge per download?
Seth Godin believes it has something to do with our new economy (ironic, seeing as economists are clueless as to this odd new “for free” trend). We call it the connection economy, in his recent post he refers to it as a hobby economy. Or at least this aspect of it. People have no qualms wearing their hearts on a digital sleeve, expecting nothing in return except for the satisfaction of knowing that it’s possible, and that someone, somewhere, experiences it.
From his post…
More and more people are spending more and more time (and money) on pursuits that have no pay off other than satisfaction.
It’s conceivable that money and love (in that order) are no longer the only things making the world go round.