What if I set up a service where you could archive photos, message friends, post your thoughts, organize groups, fan clubs, events and at the most basic level get in contact with friends and relatives, and gave you all that for free?
You and 400 million users would be on it (of course it would have to have great word of mouth and and be the lucky one to stand out from hundreds like it). And it's free.
Now consider this scenario. You are an artist, you post your work online to show it to possible clients. I want to take that art and drag it to my desktop and use it as a screen saver. Should I pay you? Would you want to be paid? Would you want to know that I dragged it to my hard drive? What is the value of your work? I have had my work appropriated with and without my permission, the ones I know of have credited me, the others just take. For instance one site Polyvore with allows you to gather tagged images and create a collage is a thorn in my side and in thousands of others. This is just one example of many on Polyvore that uses my work without permission.
I have noticed that a few friends have joined various groups on Facebook protesting a fee charge. If they looked into the facts, they would see that it is a fee for purchases that you might make on the site. One such group "Join, if you dont want to pay $3.99/ month for Facebook!" has been outed as a scam. Like all internet rumors, it is best to get the facts before jumping on a bandwagon that is about to go over a cliff (and that questions your credibility as someone who can be trusted to post legit links). One site All Facebook takes this meme/rumor to task and outs the scammers.
From All Facebook: "Just two weeks ago we wrote that Facebook will not charge users, however millions of users continue to be deceived. One Facebook group, "300,000 MEMBERS NEEDED TO STOP FACEBOOK FROM CHARGING £/$14.99 A MONTH", has successfully attracted over 474,000 users. Another group claims Facebook will begin charging on July 1st, but it's a flat out lie used as a way to drive thousands of users to the group."
Now to why I think Facebook should charge.
The generation born since 1980 has had access to the internet that is easy and cheap, they were raised on the concept of free; websites, music, video and applications. Why pay for it when it's free? But what does this do to work we see as valuable? Will they pay for art? For a book that you spent a decade writing? Music? Your film? What gives value? If it comes to the point where they expect all services for free, than why offer it? This argument goes back to Napster and the music industry, which has gone into a new paradigm and is still struggling to find it's footing. We need to give value to services, if we don't we will be rethinking why we create anything of value.
I have no qualms about paying for online services, because then they become accountable to me, and because I pay for value. If I don't value other people's work, then why should they value mine?
Image: Ophelia Chong / WHY?
4 Comments
I don't know how I feel about this. FB is conversing with friends. Conversation should be free. I understand the need to keep things up and running and the cost of doing that. I also get that FB has become a marketing tool. It would have to be a very minimal charge. I don't know. Should we pay for connecting, beyond the cost of basic connection to the internet? Instead of a meeting for coffee we are meeting on the W.W.W. Maybe the cost should be a cup of coffee? I think this is a hard call, at least for me, it touches on some larger issues.
To me this is in a different category than copy right and ownership issues. I'm thinking it is touching on our human rights? For instance Google has become the new library and place for free info. and knowledge. Just think if Google cost you every time you used it (it may someday). Already libraries and books are disappearing/changing. My only concern is the gradual loss of our basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, communication, the right to education and free information. As it is you have to be able to afford a computer, or hope your local library has the books or a computer to use and access this info. I think the W.W.W is amazing and I hope we can keep it that way without excluding the poor or adding to the already blurred lines of our humans rights. But then again, I think owning a computer should be human right. Now that would be amazing.
I don't know how I feel about this. FB is conversing with friends. Conversation should be free. I understand the need to keep things up and running and the cost of doing that. I also get that FB has become a marketing tool. It would have to be a very minimal charge. I don't know. Should we pay for connecting, beyond the cost of basic connection to the internet? Instead of a meeting for coffee we are meeting on the W.W.W. Maybe the cost should be a cup of coffee? I think this is a hard call, at least for me, it touches on some larger issues. To me this is in a different category than copy right and ownership issues.
I'm thinking it is touching on our human rights? For instance Google has become the new library and place for free info. and knowledge. Just think if Google cost you every time you used it (it may someday). Already libraries and books are disappearing/changing. My only concern is the gradual loss of our basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, communication, the right to education and free information. As it is you have to be able to afford a computer, or hope your local library has the books or a computer to use and access this info. I think the W.W.W is amazing and I hope we can keep it that way without excluding the poor or adding to the already blurred lines of our humans rights. But then again, I think owning a computer should be human right. Now that would be amazing.
hi teri
good argument. but what is Facebook's business plan, how will they pay the bills with the ads running on the site? they only bring in a fraction of the costs, i rather live with those ads or no ads at all if i pay a minimal fee, and i am a "client" where i can demand my privacy and own my images. thanks for commenting and visiting, its appreciated. :) ophelia
-
Make Your Mouth Water
Soup is straightforward in theory. It's complexity lies in the execution... in how you build flavors and the first flavor layer can come from a mirepoix. Unlike "soup," "mirepoix" is fun to say and it's the colors of the Irish flag, which makes me like it even more.
-
Gov. Brown Sworn In, Faces Tough Job
Our new/old Governor Jerry Brown is inaugurated into a job that promises to be more trouble than even this old pol can skillfully navigate.
-
Empty
These are the empty days. Their hours are filled with blank stares past cubicle walls and through tinted windows. The end is not over and the beginning is far from started.
-
Why Does it Take 20 Years to Build A Shopping Center in South Central?
The 20-year struggle to get a shopping center built at Slauson and Central reveals long-standing problems with the politics of development in L.A.
facebook.com/KCET28
@KCET
RSS: Full KCET Feed
Danh Hoang says :
I still pay for my Flickr account which I have neglected and still love it. Maybe if Facebook can use the one time annual payment model. But I am around a lot of people not willing to pay a dollar for an app on their iPhone so I doubt the casual users would participate. Chances are we will never see cheapies on FB again. It is like keeping the riftrafts out of posh clubs with expensive beverages.