Flattr.com is more than a website. I agree to a great extent with the tagline of the website, “big change through small payments.” The concept is very simple: An interested person is expected to make a monthly commitment of an amount as small as 3 Euros on the “Flattr” Website, and then click on the “Flattr” button whenever he sees it on any website of which he likes the content; all the clicks for the month are added, and the committed amount is distributed proportionally amongst the flattered websites. If this concept picks up, it will be nothing less than a revolution. The following would happen:
– First and foremost, unlike in supply-side economics, the capital will flow voluntarily from consumers to producers.
– Secondly, the consumer will first get
entertained by the product (NEWS included), and then pay by
clicking on the “Flattr” button, so the consumer in real sense will
become the King.
– Thirdly, the consumer can spend to his capacity (or even not
spend) and get the same entertainment which a high spender would
get — equality of entertainment by knowledge.
– Fourthly, the producer would be more interested in giving better
entertainment than generating money as he wouldn’t be able to
control the moods and choices of the consumers through expensive
advertising.
– Last but not the least; the power structure will change comprehensively: the brokers will not become richer than the producers by mere intervention, and, hopefully, there will be no more Rupert Murdochs.
If the above concept gains abundant popularity, not only the markets will benefit from good products but also the consumers will feel less stressed for they will get truly entertained. ©2012-2015 Ankur Mutreja