Upending reciprocity

Reciprocity is a building block of society. You just don't take things without, eventually, wanting to give back in return.

For example, I've been asked to my share of potlucks. Even if I don't bring a dish, I compliment others more effusively and help clean up because just eating and leaving feels wrong.

Of course, you may not give back to the person you first took from. You could pay it forward but give you will if you have taken.

The ad supported internet upends this fundamental need inside us to restore parity. Since Facebook and google aren't making clear the link between us handing them our data in return for free services and then selling data to marketers, at some level we feel like moochers. It affects us to take from these companies and not give back.

Psychically, we'd be better off knowing exactly how much our use of their service costs and either pony up the money or reduce consumption.

This could, in fact, be a business school case study - how to build an infinitely scalable business by charging your customers nothing so that they feel bad asking you how much things cost?

As of May 2017, google and Facebook combined are worth about a trillion dollars.

What if schools and universities started teaching for free but held a lien on a portion of your lifetime income?

What if hospitals treated for free but sold anonymized medical data to pharmaceutical companies?

Software is unique in that a very small number of people can support very very large numbers of consumers. A data center supporting a few million users might need not more than a handful of employees.

All said and done, it's better for us to restore reciprocity in our relationship with the internet.