I’ve been working on a project called Your Online Life for a couple of months now. It’s a “web guide for the rest of us;” an explanation of current web tech and trends. It’s meant to describe the latest websites and services, how to use them and why you’d want to.
My original plan was to release the site as a pay service; $50 for lifetime access and upgrades. I’ve been increasingly uncomfortable with that, for a few reasons.
- I don’t know how to market it, or to whom. I have a few contacts, but not enough.
- While I think it’s worth $50, I don’t know how to convince others that it’s worth $50. People expect web content to be free, unless you’re the Wall Street Journal.
- I like giving things away.
So I’ve removed the payment code. Your Online Life is now free. Go ahead and read through it, and let me know what you think.
I’ve added a tip jar, and in the next few weeks I plan to offer a few detailed, supplemental how-tos for a small fee ($15 or so), covering topics like securing your computer and a comparison of different messaging services. These are topics that will benefit from a holistic approach covering many subjects, and for which I can write essentially short books of strong, intense value.
The site’s future is still uncertain, but I feel better about it now.