UC Berkeley Digital Content

Business models--opening panel

Can't talk about business models without first talking about customer 
value. That is the single biggest problem with the web today--everyone talks 
about business models, but not about whether what they're offering is 
actually a business. In that regard, the web today is best for pure advertising 
and product information. 

Overview for opening panel on business models
	Sponsorship, banners and commercials are artifacts of static media,
		and will have to change/morph because they don't work 
Legal/technical issues
	Privacy of consumer data will be huge
	Legality of collecting information without permission
	Security of collected data: what happens to db if company is sold
		or bankrupt?
	Need laws like EC that strictly limit sale of personal data

Business issues
	Driving people off a site with banner ads is dumb. Doesn't work for
		info provider, and is probably superfluous for advertiser
	Click-through or hits is a really bad measure of use. Totally inaccurate
		and subject to forgery and fudging
	Transactions will become increasingly important as customers see
		tangible benefit (both price and service) for moving from retail
		to buying direct.
	Customer service will become an increasing cost of doing business
		on the net
	Who needs content providers if you can go direct? (see first item)
	Who will drive--content providers or advertisers? Citibank can put
		news headlines on ATM receipts, so where does that leave
		news wires? Tying content to related advertising is heinous
		from POV of journalistic integrity, but makes the most sense