| The last few months have witnessed a
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| | emerged, none became sufficiently
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| bloodbath in tech stocks coupled with a
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| | dominant and all-pervasive to constitute
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| frantic re-definition of the web and of
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| | a standard. Web merchants' ability to
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| every player in it (as far as content is
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| | accept micropayments is crucial.
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| concerned).This effort is three
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| | E-commerce (let alone m-commerce) will
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| pronged:Some companies are gambling on
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| | never take off without it.Enter Amazon.
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| content distribution and the possession
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| | Its "Honour System" is licensed to third
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| of the attendant digital infrastructure.
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| | party web sites (such as and SatireWire).
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| MightyWords, for example, stealthily
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| | It allows people to donate money or
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| transformed itself from a
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| | effect micro-payments, apparently through
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| "free-for-all-everyone-welcome"
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| | its patented one-click system. As far as
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| e-publisher to a distribution channel of
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| | the web sites are concerned, there are
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| choice works (mainly by midlist authors).
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| | two major drawbacks: all donations and
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| It now aims to feed its content to
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| | payments are refundable within 30 days
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| content-starved web sites. In the
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| | and Amazon charges them 15 cents per
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| process, it shed thousands of unfortunate
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| | transaction plus 15(!) percent. By far
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| authors who did not meet its (never
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| | the worst deal in town.So, why the
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| stated) sales criteria.Others bet the
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| | fuss?Because of Amazon's customer list.
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| farm on content creation and packaging.
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| | This development emphasizes the growing
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| invaded the digital publishing and POD
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| | realization that one's list of customers
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| (Print on Demand) businesses in a series
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| | - properly data mined - is the greatest
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| of lightning purchases. It is now the
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| | asset, greater even than original content
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| largest e-book store by a wide margin.But
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| | and more important than distribution
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| Amazon seemed to have got it right once
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| | channels and digital right management or
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| more. The web's own virtual mall and the
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| | asset management applications. Merchants
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| former darling of Wall Street has
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| | are willing to pay for access to this
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| diversified into micropayments.The
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| | ever expanding virtual neighbourhood
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| Internet started as a free medium for
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| | (even if they are not made privy to the
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| free spirits. E-commerce was once
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| | customer information collected by
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| considered a dirty word. Web surfers
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| | Amazon).The Honour System looks
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| became used to free content. Hence the
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| | suspiciously similar to the payment
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| (very low) glass ceiling on the price of
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| | system designed by Amazon for Stephen
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| content made available through the web -
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| | King's serialized e-novel, "The Plant".
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| and the need to charge customers less
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| | Interesting to note how the needs of
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| than 1 US dollars to a few dollars per
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| | authors and publishers are now in the
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| transaction ("micro-payments"). Various
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| | driver's seat, helping to spur along
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| service providers (such as Pay-Pal)
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| | innovations in business methods.
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