How people pay for content is just as important as whether they will pay for it
In the UK we have a wonderful sitcom called Father Ted about three useless Irish priests who live on a windswept island.
Among the characters is Father Jack, a permanently drunk monster of the cloth whose only words are 'drink' and 'feck'.
In one episode a group of high-ranking bishops come to stay and Ted, panicked about the effect Jack will have on these influential men, teaches him one catch-all phrase.
Whenever spoken to by one of the bishops, Jack is coached to reply 'that would be an ecumenical matter'. It works, and Jack is regarded as a wise and deep thinker, until he inserts a holy relic into the rectum of one of his estimable guests.
I've decided to adopt this approach myself - the use of a stock phrase, not the rectal trauma - whenever I'm asked my verdict on some new mobile service.
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'Ecumenical' might get me some funny looks, so I've decided on 'anthropological' instead.
Here's why. I've come to realise that just as important as the thorny issue of whether people will pay for stuff is the question of how and where they'll acquire it.
There was a perfect example this week, when digital music company MediaNet launched a new concept called MN Open. The service offers a bundle of artist information, downloads and other media that can be integrated by any web page using its API.
Essentially, MN Open takes the music to the people rather than the other way round. After all, why go to iTunes when you can get music from an artist site or music community forum?
Now, regardless of the business model, it seems to me that 'this would be an anthropological matter'. Do people want to shop in a central location or not? Do they want to own or stream music? Why will they pay more for ringtones than full tracks?
All questions best addressed to what's in the head rather than what's in the wallet.
No one can answer any of them with certainty; it's why so many tech start-ups go bust. But in the case of MN Open I am a little unsure about the idea that everyone just wants to retreat to their own community.
Sometimes it's good to go where the majority is, even if it means fraternising with Snow Patrol fans.
I'm just waiting for someone to ask me what I think of personalisation products for Christians. That really would be an ecumenical matter.
