For three days now, I've been spending hours trying to understand the full scope of what it means to build a revenue model for snapie.io. Truthfully, it seems like every time I turn a page, a brand new problem has to be solved. It isn't scope creep either. It's just the incline of the climb.
I was thinking, and I'm still convinced I'm right, that I would need to create metrics that allow me to count the more passive types of interaction people have with content. On Twitter, for example, the algorithm counts impressions and click throughs too, not just likes. As you might know, that's not something our blockchain tracks, but maybe that hardly matters.
Of course, this means that if I build an impression tracking system, and if I succeed, it would only work within Snapie. A gap, some would say, but one that has no real way of being filled. I now understand why views on PeakD are exclusive to PeakD. Alas, the thing is, if I'm going to build a promotional feature, one where people can buy exposure, then I have to be able to demonstrate reach. How can that be done without these tools?
I'm also thinking, and I've already scribbled down a few bullet points on the matter, that a new page would have to exist as well. Maybe somewhere inside Settings, or perhaps on the profile itself. A place where users can clearly identify their own behavioral trends.
Are you getting more click throughs lately?
Are your impressions higher at certain hours?
Which posts actually convince people to open them?
That sort of thing.
To say that I'm discovering the complexity of one of these systems, the hidden cogs inside the watch, would be putting it mildly. I've gained a newfound respect for the people who built these systems, and I might even have to eat some of my own words, considering I've been such a vocal critic of them for so long.
The amount of design, the amount of careful thought, the endless debates that must have happened in meeting rooms somewhere, all just to arrive at the formulas that now hold together much of the financial machinery of Web2... it's honestly a bit of a wonder.
That doesn't mean I've suddenly become a fan of the incentives, or of the people sitting at the helm of the giant companies.
But every once in a while it's healthy to peek behind the curtain and appreciate the engineering, even if you don't particularly like the magician.
MenO
That's actually something people would care about. I had a few websites once upon a time. I invested some effort into them. I remember paying attention to the views. I wanted to know how many people were reading my stuff. It wasn't monetized, but it was a matter of ego. I long ago stopped paying attention to those websites. It was a phase. I also had a book writing phase and remnants of that are all over Amazon :) My websites still exist, but I don't even check on them anymore. Still, it's a vanity project I can't yet let go.
I think if you can manage this (wow, the work involved) it might be useful.
It's good to discover things, and also to correct mistakes. I know you'll find what you're looking for. I don't understand much about these things, but I suppose you'll eventually find the key to improving whatever needs it. You're persistent and very capable.
I admire your approach on analytics. Feedback on impressions and click-throughs and interaction patterns might give authors valuable information, while making promotional tools much more open. Even if such indicators remain Snapie-specific, they still hold genuine value as they indicate activity within your own ecosystem.
Bendiciones para usted🙏
such a cool image! i luv how cogs look.
You’re essentially trying to bring transparency to the metrics that Web2 keeps behind closed doors