How Penny Per Page Might Work

Thanks to Wes and IBElite for this information on a groundbreaking idea that could shift the Internet as we know it.

The Web is an amazing and remarkable phenomena that has changed the way we think about information, publishing, commerce and computers. Most importantly, the Web has had a huge effect on every individual's ability to distribute information to the world. Prior to the Web, there really was no way for an individual to reach a worldwide audience. Today, with the Web, worldwide publishing is simple and instantaneous. Anyone with a computer can publish anything they want, and the entire world can see it a few seconds later. There is tremendous creativity and thousands of new ideas. The possibilities for content and services that the Web can offer seem endless.

While it is extremely easy for any individual or business to publish material on today's Web, one thing is currently missing -- there is no easy way to make money from those Web sites. Three years ago, there were two schools of thought on Web business models:

• Web sites could pull in advertising dollars like TV and radio networks can, making significant amounts of money off of advertising.

• Web sites could sell products electronically - eCommerce.

• It turns out that neither of these models works very well on the Web. It is fairly easy to see why today, but in 1998 it was hard to imagine that these models would not work.