Seth’s World View

I’ve had a few discussions about making money on the Internet as of late. I’ve read and listened and watched quite a bit on Internet marketing. There’s money to be made and much to be learned. The concepts are pretty simple, using market research as a foundation to identify and test a niche. Then execute well using one of a few business models.

I like the idea of passive income. I like it because it means I could volunteer my time to change the world in some fashion without the constraints of needing a paycheck. Getting to that point point takes quite an investment though….of time. I can, after all, already volunteer some of my time.

After thinking about it, I’m still not all that excited about making money or buying things. Having a comfortable amount of money is nice, but the idea of working longer and harder for more money has never been all that appealing to me. Instead, I like to view the Internet as a vast communication and cultural medium that is essentially a giant board game. I grew up on board games and my favorite were and still are strategy games, like Risk, Axis and Allies, etc. In recent years, I’ve been playing fantasy football, and have discovered I especially like my dynasty league. Why? I like the research and investment part, the risk analysis, buying low. I won my league a few years ago, and have won other leagues. While the money is a nice perk, that’s not a motivator. It’s about winning the game, about implementing a strategy, and enjoying a little luck along the way.

It’s not about winning at all costs. Winning isn’t worth that. Losing my soul isn’t worth it. It’s easily not worth the money to take advantage of someone on the net in order to make more money. That’s not a win. I want to make the world a better place, and I want to make the Internet a better place. Why be there otherwise? Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s right. It’s the pursuit of integrity whether I always live up to my own ideals or not. Selling people what they are looking for is fine with me. I’m uneasy, however, about convincing people they need to purchase something they don’t need in order to meet some created need. There is tension in me because I would rather discourage consumerism rather than encourage it. Perhaps, though, that is a good tension to have for someone who works on the Net.

But the Internet, it’s a game, like chess, or any other strategy game that requires some forethought and implementing a strategy. It’s using the tools and putting myself ourselves our there to see what’s possible. It’s dreaming about what kind of life we can live in this new world. Let the games begin.