"His argument boils down to the fact that information is no longer scarce on the Web, and thus, it is not valuable. To make information valuable, you must charge for it. (Yup, he sounds just like Rupert Murdoch). Except he’s wrong because information does not exist in a vacuum. It becomes richer and more valuable the more it informs and links to other information, the exact type of thing paywalls prohibit. If someone says something interesting behind a paywall, it will find its way onto the open Web, just as Morin’s argument is here."
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So, is the argument then that individual pieces of information don’t retain significant value, but their resonance and liquidity do? If we’re no longer placing value on the individual piece of information, the unique and personal insight, but instead on the number of connections that insight is able to establish, don’t we risk creating an echo feedback loop? 

Dave Morin Argues Information Is More Valuable When You Pay For It. He’s Wrong.

  1. Date Posted Icon 21st September 2010