<story><title>Google launches Contributor, a crowdfunding tool for publishers</title><url>https://gigaom.com/2014/11/20/google-launches-contributor-a-crowdfunding-tool-for-publishers/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>munificent</author><text>One way to look at this is that you&amp;#x27;re purchasing your own attention.&lt;p&gt;An ad supported site works like this:&lt;p&gt;1. They spend effort producing some content.
2. You want to give all of your attention to that content.
3. Advertisers also want your attention.
4. To support their efforts, the creator diverts a fraction of your attention away from the content to the ad and the advertiser pays them for it.&lt;p&gt;With this system, you basically bid and buy back that fraction of the attention diverted to advertising, and that money goes directly to the creator.&lt;p&gt;One really interesting aspect of this is determining what your own attention is &amp;quot;worth&amp;quot; on the open market. By building this on top of AdWords system, they can calculate that automatically. If advertisers decide your attention is worth more and want to keep those ads in front of your face, they have to pay more, which again goes to the content creator.&lt;p&gt;I think it&amp;#x27;s brilliant.</text></comment>
<story><title>Google launches Contributor, a crowdfunding tool for publishers</title><url>https://gigaom.com/2014/11/20/google-launches-contributor-a-crowdfunding-tool-for-publishers/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>minimaxir</author><text>&amp;gt; &lt;i&gt;Google said the new feature is launching with 10 publishing partners, including Mashable, Imgur, WikiHow and Science Daily.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;p&gt;Er, aren&amp;#x27;t most of the listed parters known for reposting unoriginal content from other parts of the web?&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;m a fan of Patreon because it helps facilitate good original content which the internet needs. This doesn&amp;#x27;t.</text></comment>