One of the things that amazes me most about the web is that so much content is available for free. Research, ideas, documents, white papers, there are millions of useful bits out there ready for the taking.
It really amazes me when professionals put their hard work out there for anyone to download and view gratis. Which is why I was flabbergasted by SlideShare, a site boasting a community of generous givers of Powerpoint presos and other forms of digital largess. All there for the taking, for nuthin, by you you you.
Go ahead. Surf on over there and type virtually anything into the search bar. I bet you will find some really valuable docs. About half of the files are view only, and the other half downloadable by registered users.
So, the presentations are free, the downloads are free. And yet they have venture capital. I am always amazed by the ingenuity of people to figure out a way to make a free service pay off. But their VC is Venrock, so I would imagine there is a solid business plan with good odds of working out. What will it be? Ad supported? Monthly sub? Pay per download rev share? I am on pins and needles waiting to see. Venrock funds some companies with usual models, so it should be an interesting story about to unfold.
And I am most shocked to say that free is addicting. I don't mean the getting part -- of course everybody likes to get something for free. But I was really puzzled by who on earth would put their work out there for no charge. And yet, a few months after I joined, I find myself uploading our white papers and other forms of content to the World with their platform. It only seems fair. And it always amazes me when fair prevails. As it does so often online.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
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