Samuel Wan : News, Information and Resources

Hi Sam,

Can you elaborate more on: "Information sold as units of value vs. subscription service.". Any pointers/links maybe?

Thnx :)

Hi Owen,

This idea was just a hint given to me by someone at work when I asked him for an opinion on paying for information. I'm still thinking about this stuff, so I might be succinct or even correct...

I thought that open-source "bazaar" channels of information would overtake proprietary channels of information as the most significant source of information in our lives. Sure, free information sources require some kind of filtering to turn that glut of data from noise into signal, but I figured open source tools would make public information sources cost-feasible. The equation would be Benefit = Value_Of_Info - Cost_Of_Noise_Filtering.

But he suggested my false assumption was in the zero cost of noise filtering. Actually, that's where the money would be made. With so much free data, someone with the expertise to make sense of it could charge a premium. (By charging, I mean a variety of revenue streams like direct charges for a Wall Street analyst's report, or indirect charges via advertisement revenue for each click from a free google search).

So instead of spending a lot of money subscribing to large streams of information, such as cable television, newspapers, NYSE quotes, etc., imagine someone with the ability to package that information into a tight summary relevant specifically to you or your business. Tivo, tailored newsfeeds (my brother's a journalist, he tells me these things exist), specific stock analysis, etc.

I would rather pay-per-view, or pay for a Tivo, or pay for a stock analysis, then program my VCR or learn the skills of a fund manager. I simply don't have the time. The static equation is... Money == Time.

Of course, I'm learning more about Bit Torrent, which *seems* to lower the cost of information, but what kind of information and for what purpose? Bit Torrent's great for passive information like mp3s and TV shows. However, could you use such a high latency system to predict when the bus will arrive at your stop? Not really... (www.mybus.org).

My wife keeps reminding me that I take information too literally and forget decision making is often the ultimate purpose of acquiring information.

Oh, to address the earlier thought on zero-cost noise filtering... basically, not everyone knows how to program their VCR, and not everyone knows how to compile or even install free software.

I've been searching for a site like this for months. I fell in love with a married man six months ago, three months before my own wedding, and we could'nt stop seeing each other ever since. He has 3 kids, I have 2 , and all these kids are under 7 - so it's all a big mess. It's getting harder and harder to keep both lives going, but I can't decide which one I want to let go. My lover is in the same situation. All we know is, we have never felt a love so strong, on both parts.