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May 30, 2006
New market for your know-how
So you're an expert on computers? [There's quite a few of them on the Bleeding Edge forum.] A new service called Illumio might allow you to earn an income from your expertise. And the opportunity isn't confined to computer geeks. If you're a genuine authority on pretty much anything, or you've got a great contact book, you can enter the Illumio marketplace.
According to John Markoff, in the New York Times, Illumio - which runs under Windows - will make it simple to "pick the brains of friends and colleagues for opinions and expertise". The software links with Microsoft or Google desktop search engines indexes of users' hard drives. According to Markoff, it transparently distributes requests for information to the computers in a network of users. "The questions can then be answered locally based on a novel reverse auction system that Illumio uses to determine who the experts are."
Michael Schrage, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, describe it as "the eBayification of organisations". "The reality is that organisations are run off of informal connections and tools such as this facilitate gray markets in information and interpersonal exchange."
Hmm. Maybe this is a model that could work with Bleeding Edge subscribers. On the other hand, there's so much free information available in the forum, who needs to pay?
Posted by cw at May 30, 2006 12:06 PM
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Comments
It's a novel idea and I like the search your friends heads by searching their computer line.
However it's not clear how one would earn money from it, indeed like much that is good on the web it appears free of such an idea. The down side of being free is cost to provider of course, as bleeding edge itself stands as example. I presume mutual benefit would be the payoff. However, someone who was continually bombarded with requests for information might find illumio a great burden. Are you assuming Charles that a high level of requests could be parlayed into a request for dough?
As to the bleeding edge forum, I see it very much in village (knowledge) well terms, a great place to meet and swap info and in which a contribution is part of payment for use. Not that we aren't nonetheless indebted to the provider of the well. However I choose when to go to the well, the well doesn't come to me! If it did I might find myself drowning.
Counterpoint, a massive aggregation of experts/wells might well (sic) reduce the burden on any one source, thus solving the problem I am anticipating. But also inhibiting a market for the info. mmmm... lots to ponder
Posted by: tflip at May 30, 2006 05:25 PM
This actually sounds alot like Expert's Exchange, however instead of expert points they are dealing in actual money.
Posted by: poedgirl ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://bleedingedge.com.au/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 2, 2006 04:30 PM