If only answers.com worked, then you could cross it with this to form a
*real* idea market, something as vital as a stock exchange, with bidders of
questions and sellers of answers.
My hunch is that the long-term value of this franchise may be in
*low-quality* intellectual property: goal is to "make a market" amongst the
legions of USENET-style FAQ authors -- millions of questioners, thousands
of answerers, house takes a cut.
It's not "silicon valley startup guide for $200", it's "what kind of SIMMS
can expand a LaserWriter II ntx?" for 50 cents. A few Mac weenies would
kill to knock down these questions at 40 cents per minute (and cacheable
reuse!).
Or my problem of the day, "what's up with solid-state 'smart disks'?" for
$2.
Rohit
PS. also a profile from yesterday's WSJ
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