The BBC has reported from Silicon Valley the next stage in online communities is exclusivity. Following on from a report by HP researcher, Bernardo Huberman, they both talk about the amount of information and groups which is freely accessible to everyone on the internet.

“Everybody has access to the same kind of information and the same array of products,” he said. “Those who manage to convince you to part with a lot of money in exchange for being exclusive, feeling different, and feeling part of an elite group are the ones that are going to make it.”

I think this is a valid point. As consumers expect a level of free stuff from the internet, they are finding out most of it is garbage, which will condition them into thinking they will have to pay for quality.

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