I like this idea, and I think for it to take off, it would have to be implemented by easily piggy backing off of the existing email system. If I could download some kind of browser-extension that allowed me to accept payment for emails while letting me continue to use my existing email, I would consider having that option.
However, I think this could face some adoption problems. I could easily imagine there being negative social consequences to advertising having a paid email address. As it makes the statement “I am more likely to ignore your messages unless you pay me for my time.” common knowledge.
My guess is that paid email services are tailored for (or marketed to) the sort of person who’s already happy to send that signal (i.e. CEOs, founders, etc).
[edit: went and looked at earn.com, which looked _differently_ weird than I was expected, something something tailored for people who are up for saying ‘I am into weird things like bitcoin’]
Yup, I think one of the main use cases is to enable a way of contacting people much higher status/more busy than you that doesn’t require a ton of networking or makes their lives terrible. (N.b. I have lots of uncertainty over whether there’s actually demand for this among that cohort, which is partly why I’m writing this.)
I like this idea, and I think for it to take off, it would have to be implemented by easily piggy backing off of the existing email system. If I could download some kind of browser-extension that allowed me to accept payment for emails while letting me continue to use my existing email, I would consider having that option.
However, I think this could face some adoption problems. I could easily imagine there being negative social consequences to advertising having a paid email address. As it makes the statement “I am more likely to ignore your messages unless you pay me for my time.” common knowledge.
My guess is that paid email services are tailored for (or marketed to) the sort of person who’s already happy to send that signal (i.e. CEOs, founders, etc).
[edit: went and looked at earn.com, which looked _differently_ weird than I was expected, something something tailored for people who are up for saying ‘I am into weird things like bitcoin’]
Yup, I think one of the main use cases is to enable a way of contacting people much higher status/more busy than you that doesn’t require a ton of networking or makes their lives terrible. (N.b. I have lots of uncertainty over whether there’s actually demand for this among that cohort, which is partly why I’m writing this.)
To me contacting people much higher status then you is a different process then rationalists contacting fellow rationalists.
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