economics? Is that really the question here? ( was RE: [Sigia-l] Re: "Best Bets" the Yahoo way)

[Listera]

On Mar 4, 2004, at 2:21 PM, Christina Wodtke wrote:

> I just want to make sure we are defining PI correctly--  as the 
> payment to be added to the index, and with no guarantee of improved 
> placement.

This is disingenuous at best. The payment either works for a specific 
payer (or is seen to be working in the aggregate) or not. Yahoo is not 
going to continue a service which doesn't work (or is perceived to add 
no value for the payment). Yahoo cannot expect to offer a service worth 
tens of millions of dollars, if it's perceived to provide no value. The 
only way the service works is if the payer gets an advantage it would 
otherwise not have. People will not continue to pay a premium if they 
perceive no advantage in return.

So, once again, either the service will work, therefore the results 
will be gamed, for those who pay, or it won't provide any advantage for 
payers, in which case it will be seen to be worthless and deceptive.

This is Business 101. The last I checked over the roof of my building, 
the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing there.:-)

----
Ziya
Nullius in Verba