
Flattr is now in open beta - cstuder
http://blog.flattr.com/2010/08/open-beta/
======
wccrawford
You know what annoys me? When a company has a blog for their product, but that
blog doesn't include a link to the product. Anywhere.

If your blog post interests me and I want to learn about the product, it
should be as easy as clicking your logo to get to it.

~~~
raju
Amen to that! I have come across several company blog posts where there is no
direct link to the actual site. Clicking on their logo usually leads me right
back to the blog.

Very annoying - For anyone else who gets annoyed with this - Clickable link -
<http://flattr.com/>

------
bl4k
Advice: This would have been a good opportunity to tell me what Flattr is
rather than making the assumption that I have been eagerly following along
with your progress and am as excited now as you are.

(Edit: Found the homepage, read it, still don't know. Tab closed).

~~~
steveklabnik
I put 20euro into my Flattr Account, and choose to spend 2uero a month. As I
browse the web, when I see content I like, and click the 'Flattr' button,
which is like the Facebook like button. At the end of the month, everyone
who's button I clicked gets an equal share of 2euro.

I can spend whatever I want monthly, this is just what I actually do.

------
rarestblog
Actually, I think they could get traction, but for that to happen that would
need to release an API to check if user "donated" to my blog/service/etc.

Therefore I can create a "premium" zone accessible for a smallest fee ever.
That would create a need for user to create Flattr account. You pay to see
some premium content. Also, you pay the same fee to get premium content on
dozens, potentially, hundreds of sites.

Otherwise you're just hoping to sign up users to pay 10EUR(?) monthly as a
kind of "permanent monthly donation". Even though it's not a lot of money, but
still most people would avoid that: 1. it's a semi-permanent obligation 2. as
practice shows - relying on people giving a donation for something available
for free is a bad idea. (Let alone MONTHLY donation for same thing)

You need to provide something in exchange for their money. Give us the API to
find out that user donated and we'll give him a reason to sign up with Flattr
(premium content).

~~~
fina
While seemingly similar that would be an entirely different concept. What
flattr does is enabling small donations for things you already like. One of
the nice things with flattr is that the users are already "sold" and have
already payed the "fee". If they like what you've done they are going to
flattr you, not thinking "is this really worth x". There are a lot of
potentially nice things that differs from other revenue models, like making it
harder for "link-bait".

I can't really explain entire concept (as I see it) in a good way, you'll have
to "get into it" yourself. You also have to keep in mind what the founders are
coming from. I don't think it would be a very good fit for Peter Sunde to push
for "paywalling" of the Internet with a subscription network.

Finally, the monthly minimum amount is currently 2€.

------
mootothemax
Great news, well done! One quick suggestion: have a link to Flattr from the
blog ;)

------
kilian
I like the business model, even though it's heavily geared towards content
creators. I have no problem putting a little money in and rewarding other
content creators if I get something in return, too. It doesn't have to be
equal. So far, I have flattr'd one thing, and have received three flattrs.
There's something in it for me.

However, if I didn't have stuff people could flattr, I doubt I would've
joined.

~~~
fina
So my comment was removed without reason or identification so I'm going to
assume it was a mistake based on that I previously posted two comments and
removed the duplicate.

Here is my original comment: _"Well, part of the point is (or will be) that
most people on the Internet creates content. Like you just did when you wrote
your comment. I guess this will be clearer when the API stuff gets going."_

While I do feel pretty unmotivated to explain what I mean, I'm going to give
you the benefit of the doubt.

One of the more highlighted features of the Internet is that the line between
customer and consumer has been blurred. Today you can create what was
previously only known as a TV channels or newspapers in the form of video
sharing or blogs. Even when traditional media publishes something, you can
follow-up with your own view. Because of this and social media trends, _almost
every Internet user is also a creator_. The upcoming Flattr API will let sites
with user created content have their users flattr each other and take part of
the revenue of those flattrs.

------
revorad
In an earlier discussion, patio11 had an interesting comment about their
business model - <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1499269>.

------
petewailes
Thoughts:

* split test your font and colour usage. A lot. I'm pretty sure the green/orange combo is going to hurt your conversion rate

* The black box around the YouTube thing is kinda fuzzy. Crisp is good

* The social element seems slightly random. There seems to be too much latitude for it to get spammed. Maybe feature blogs, instead of posts? Or aim to be the flip side to Kickstarter - I've made something (book, blog, album, book of poetry), enjoy it and then pay me

* Share the love - you're focusing on the wrong thing - people aren't going to share stuff they love in large numbers; content creators will share there own stuff. So if you're appealing to the masses, then it needs to be about supporting the stuff you love. If it's geared towards sharing, what's this got that Twitter/Digg/Fb hasn't got for promotional purposes? Split test the messaging

I don't mean to put a downer on it, just trying to pick it apart a little so
you can make sure it works as best as possible.

------
d0m
"Flattr is a social micropayment platform. Help support the people you like -
and enable them to continue to do what they do! And add your own things to
Flattr and receive support from others."

I'm obviously not an English expert, but I don't particularly like this text.
Too much "10 years old" words repeated. (i.e. "to do what they like to do")

~~~
sp332
Flattr is Swedish, so I'm guessing English isn't the copy writer's native
language either.

------
handelaar
It's your own blog.

It's linking to Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and a WordPress theme.

But not to Flattr.com.

Not picking on you in particular - about six people do this every day. _Drives
me insane._

------
gawker
Does this mean that if no one cares enough to donate then you wouldn't be
making money at all?

------
grisha
Cool. But what is flattr?

~~~
cstuder
It's a sort of micropayment service: You sign up and distribute a fixed amount
of money per month (I.E. 10€). Everytime you click on a flattr-button (Which
seem to shop up on german blogs only, in my experience), they will get a
share. At the end of the month, your fixed amount divided by the number of
shares is payed out to the sites.

There are some implementation details which results into calling themselves a
'social payment service'.

~~~
tomjen3
Which is worth pointing out - it is not a social payment service, it is a
social donation service, since you get to view the content whether you pay or
not.

~~~
gawker
Hmm. So what's the difference between using this and using Paypal for
donations?

Also, it's hoping that people will donate - if nobody cares to donate any
money, would this mean the content creator gets zilch?

~~~
tomjen3
There wouldn't be much difference, but taking donations is only a small part
of what paypal does. You can donate money with a credit card, but that is not
what it is mostely used for.

Flattr on the other hand, can only be used for donations, which means that it
has little, if any value.

------
LewisSlamilton
that could work... intriguing step up from HN in many ways as I'd be putting
my money where my mouth/comments/pts currently reside...

------
jw84
Like TipJoy.

------
rick888
I won't be using this service.

The owners of flattr also own thepiratebay. I remember hearing a speech a few
months ago talking about how everything should be free, just like when we were
children (we need to learn to share). They have no regard for the rights of
developers and have no problems giving a clear and direct roadmap to a free
copy of your commercial application.

If they really believed in sharing, freedom, and rainbows, why does Flattr
charge a 10% surcharge on top of every transaction (more than even Paypal). I
might use them if they didn't make a profit and only paid for the
infrastructure and bandwidth of the service.

It seems most people here don't see them for what they really are: a bunch of
greedy fucks.

~~~
sspencer
"The owners of flattr also own thepiratebay. I remember hearing a speech a few
months ago talking about how everything should be free, just like when we were
children (we need to learn to share). They have no regard for the rights of
developers and have no problems giving a clear and direct roadmap to a free
copy of your commercial application."

[Citation Needed]

"why does Flattr charge a 10% surcharge on top of every transaction"

Bandwidth isn't free.

"I might use them if they didn't make a profit"

How do you know they are profitable?

~~~
rick888
[Citation Needed]

(pirate bay founders create flattr)

[http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/12/pirate-bay-founders-
flattr-...](http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/12/pirate-bay-founders-flattr-opens-
to-the-public-vote-for-sites-you-visit-with-money)

Here is the video where he talks about sharing:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyGCsCpofVk>

"How do you know they are profitable?"

Bandwidth isn't that expensive. With all of the micropayments that will go
through their service, they will make a profit.

~~~
ascuttlefish
What's wrong with earning a few dollars providing a useful service?

~~~
rick888
"What's wrong with earning a few dollars providing a useful service?"

Nothing. It's when you have also have a service that promotes the sharing of
other people's commercial work for free (and say it's because you thing that
sharing is for the good of the world). It's hypocritical and the people in
this forum don't seem to see a problem with it.

I suppose I will just go with the flow and pirate any user's app I see on
here.

