News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by eferraiuolo on Wednesday March 23, 2011 @11:28PM (#2362707)
People are free to add money to their TipTheWeb account to use to fund their Tips at any time. Making a Tip isn't a financial transaction; this allows Tips to be as small as 5¢! And Tips can be made even if there isn't enough money to back it at the time it's made, and can be funded whenever the person wants to.

We’ve made everything about the service extremely flexible and low-key, and shouldn't cause any tense feelings. For example you can cancel Tips (up until they are paid out) if you made a mistake.

Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by jacques_chester on Wednesday March 23, 2011 @11:32PM (#2362721)
> Making a Tip isn't a financial transaction; this allows Tips to be as small as 5¢! And Tips can be made even if there isn't enough money to back it at the time it's made, and can be funded whenever the person wants to.

Tipjoy basically did this, but they still had the fundamental problem that the user has to remember to click in order for the tip to take place. I just don't think people are wired that way.

I admire the work you've done (I am, in part, working on a for-profit "competitor"), but I just don't think it's the right model. In terms of human factors, Readability is closest to perfect IMO.

Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by eferraiuolo on Wednesday March 23, 2011 @11:48PM (#2362763)
With Readability you still have to "remember to click" the read now/later button, and you don't get to choose how much you want to support that article; you actually have to support it _before_ you even read it.
Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by jacques_chester on Thursday March 24, 2011 @12:11AM (#2362811)
I stand corrected. Looks like I was projecting my own thinking on to their system. The closest to what I'm doing was Contenture, since shut down.

If they don't have one already, I expect an opt-out feature before too long. It's the first objection raised to my system whenever I talk to people about it.

Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by eferraiuolo on Thursday March 24, 2011 @12:36AM (#2362875)
Is your project up online somewhere?
Re:TipTheWeb — Building a Better Web, Together by jacques_chester on Thursday March 24, 2011 @01:52AM (#2363041)
At the moment, no. Believe it or not, I've managed to spin an honours project out of part of it (reliable user tracking) and I'm focusing on that at the moment.

In terms of the business model, Contenture was almost exactly what I thought up on my own.