Name: Nick Marino

From: Connecticut

Bio: I study exponential trends; work with Internet company empowering consumers; heavy Internet user.

Area of Expertise: Futurist/Consultant

Topic: Economic structures

Headline: Financial Sharing: Business Model of the (Very Near) Internet Future

Nutshell: Because the Internet is Us, our lives will become ad supported - Financial sharing is the next paradigm shift.

Vision: Our technological progress is radically increasing while our business models at the human level are not. They’re based on exploiting people to make the biggest profit margin possible. This will not be sustainable nor realistic for our future society and quicker adaptation of innovation.

What the Internet did was create a revolution in connecting and now it’s in sharing (Web 2.0). To put in bluntly, today we share everything...except money. That will and is changing though.

ADVERTISING REVENUE (Internet companies' main money source):
The game changer will be the distribution of ad revenue. The advertising industry is a $600 BILLION industry and exists as a service specifically for companies and not consumers. Every year a larger portion of that number moves online. We may get free tools and content but it is one of the biggest inconveniences of life to constantly be marketed at and the reason for all the privacy issues talked about in the news. People often do not TRUST, WANT, or NEED ads.
...But since our actual lives are fusing more and more into the Internet, new advertising platforms will work in a way that benefits everyone; not just companies. Basically the “middlemen” and consumers will become ONE.

This is not an optimistic view either, trends show the next Internet "Superpower" will be a company run BY the people FOR the people. If we look back at all technological progress, the individual has become increasingly more important and powerful to the group. This time it’s financial power and everyone will benefit from their usual daily activities.

It’s a topic sorely lacking thought and discussion as it relates to ALL AREAS OF PROGRESS no matter what field you're in. I think it’s important for this to not go unnoticed and hope to further the discussion...

My bet is that my compan,y PeopleString will become this social power no one sees coming:
http://www.peoplestring.com/?u=jnmarino
Developer Platform: http://rewardstring.com/?u=jnmarino

Date Submitted: 7/29/2010