One way to fix the chicken/egg problem is to start off by decoupling the data storage from the application.
Disclaimer: I'm the lead developer on OpenPhoto which does just this.
Disclaimer: I'm the lead developer on OpenPhoto which does just this.
This is a very real practical problem. I basically never use any SaaS app that isn't at least as established as, say, Basecamp and if enough people think like me you've got a horrible chicken and egg problem. I'm not sure how you fix it, but I don't think it is via laws.