I don't think the point is to create an obligation but to provide an avenue.
At least the way I see it, TipJoy and similar services are not trying to take away the "free beer", but give you a way to buy a guy a beer if he helps you out or tells you a good story.
Re:Interview: TipJoy CEO, Abby Kirigin
by ivankirigin on Monday February 18, 2008 @03:22PM
(#118338)
Indeed. Our hope is actually that there will be more free beer, as people have a way of getting something back for making it.
I'd like to see this kind of model succeed, but how can you transition from the concept most of us have of the web as "free beer" to something one has an obligation to tip?