#likeminds - Guy Clapperton Shows Us The Money

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[Guy Clapperton](http://homepage.mac.com/guyclapperton/Personalpage), author of [This is Social Media: Tweet, Blog, Link and Post Your Way to Business Success](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1906465703?ie=UTF8&tag=fishnefedora-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1906465703)![](), appears to be trying to puncture our bubble. People who deride Murdoch’s paywall are derided in turn. Twitter isn’t making money. We’re building expectations of getting something for nothing, and there’s a disconnect between this expectation and the realities of needing somewhere to live, and to pay for it…

He’s returning to the *Times* paywall, and talking about the value of the people that will no longer visit the site, and particularly, do they have any? Murdoch is running a business – he needs to make money. If we’re using free services, who do we complain to? Is the lack of money, of paying customers, going to dry up the source of innovation, which needs money?

This unpaid model could start to change at any moment. And, ironically, the generation that expects everything for free are the generation that will have to pay off our debts…

I’ve been ear-wigging the debate. Lots of words coming up repeatedly. Freemium is one, as you’d expect. Quite a lot of people suggesting that “free” is so deeply ingrained in youth culture via bittorrent that you have to work with it rather than against it. Others are suggesting that one the venture capital dries up, so too will the free culture of the internet. Not heard a single mention of the cost-depressing nature of internet distribution, which is interesting. A couple of people are talking about cross-subsidy and free as marketing, which is intelligent.

We’re moving on…no reporting back?

[View Guy’s Presentation](http://www.slideshare.net/wearelikeminds/guy-clapperton)