thought on money makers

netflix can charge $10/month for video rentals and an online database of ready to watch tv shows/movies. Hulu can't, at least not yet. their entire income comes from marketers/ads who are constantly thinking of new ways to capture/engage the audience - to make the audience spend as much time with the product as possible (hence these new interactive quizzes on hulu). I don't think they work.

so why can netflix charge an online membership and hulu can't? I think it's because netflix offers a tangible product, movies delivered to your home. that tangible product helps to create a relationship that is outside of virtual reality. netflix also helped ease the customers of this half internet/half physical reality user into internet using/paying.

what will it say about us as a society when/if we become perfectly content with the virtual reality created by pure internet connections (pay online, use online, communicate online - if at all)?

my hope with bpsd's website is that we're using the internet purely as a tool to enhance physical interactions and relationships - i.e. as a meetup tool/continuing real convesations tool.

launching first trial site in the next week or so.