Edgeio: Paid Content Widget

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Edgeio: Paid Content Widget

by Avatar	Stumble this!	August 12th 2007

Edgeio Paid Content

Edgeio is a start up co-funded by Michael Arrington of Techcrunch fame that began as a sort of Meta Craiglist by aggregating listings from the internet, later it formed it`s very own classified network, added a targeted advertising service and now they are promoting a new service they call “transactional Classifieds”, something that could also be called a Digital locker, just that it would not be all that accurate, but with a little sense of history, we can see this a merely a microtransaction / purchse gateway, the only thing different, is that such transaction can take place inside a widget.

There were others services that tried microstransactions like the very wonderful bitpass, but that failed because it launched too soon, they burned their money in the start up for a market that was not mature enough to be exploited, something that has and will happen all the time and also the widget options were nothing but laughable at that time, but where bitpass failed, Edgeio Paid Content widget could find success for a simple, reason, they built the network first, they have already their targeted market at who direct the sales, it will also fail to find a more broad context because their platform needs to be way better and more open but it is a good try, and more than likely will success modestly.

So, that should clear up all the history and perspective behind the service,something i thought would be needed given the novelty and implications. but lets pass to the widget:

The edgeio paid content widget, will allow the mentioned microtransaction/purhcase geteway to be emded in a website, you can select the content you want to sell from text, files and from streaming media, once selected, the widget will display a lightboxed square where the transaction will take place and finally the content will be liberated for “consume”. the idea is pretty much straight forward, it reminds me a lot to the E-store in a widget Struggle, and that is because it is the other side of the coin, the comercialiation of something, just that in this case it is a digital product the one being sold.

The widget it`s barely ok for a first release,it does what it is supposed to do but it lacks a lot of form, speed, style, versions and options for it to be what it can be, or what their creators claim it to be.

But, it is worth a try if you are looking to sell digital goods, since there is not much in that area in terms of widgets. but i will try to look and bring up a 3-5 comparative post on it if i can get at least 3 widgets. and if i can`t.i hope this widget then generates competition into this niche and brings back microtransaction systems/options, something that it is a perfect fit in the now social network/blog/awareness services filled landscape of today web.

Release Info and direct Reference

Edgeio Paid Content

Edgeio