Links for 02-09-2009

• Why Small Payments Won’t Save Publishers « Clay Shirky - "The essential thing to understand about small payments is that users don’t like being nickel-and-dimed. We have the phrase ‘nickel-and-dimed’ because this dislike is both general and strong. "
• Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing: The difference between FREE and 1 cent? - I'm not convinced, as Don seems to suggest, that a micropayments system that is "simple, fast, and universally accepted" is sufficient to overcome the psychological factors.
• Why Your Startup Shouldn't Copy 37signals or Fog Creek - The argument in this piece essentially reprises the main critique of the book "In Search of Excellence" that enjoyed brief vogue in the 1980s. Successful companies can succeed in diametrically opposed ways.
• Scott Rosenberg’s Wordyard » Blog Archive » Isaacson’s pitch for micropayments - The micropayments idea is making the rounds again. I'm not sure what has really changed to now make it viable. (Other than failure of alternative monetization mechanisms.) "When you demand money for access, you’re not only invoking the “mental overhead” of a decision on the reader’s part; you’re effectively seceding from the Web, cutting off the online circulatory system of inbound links, and risking a slow, painful slide into irrelevance."
• The Meaning of Sarah Palin - Interesting essay.
• Drip by drip, Starbucks lost what made it shine -- chicagotribune.com - I've wondered myself whether the fact that "Starbucks is now found in hospitals, nearly every airport and countless corporate cafeterias." (where it's often god-awful) isn't selling out their brand.