Best Idea For A Web Site, Ever
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Topic(s): me,computers
2006-11-21 02:24:35 PST
As was the case two years ago, I'll be in Vegas for Thanksgiving this year. I hope that everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving! It's important this year that we remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving: the day we give thanks to turkeys for tasting so good, by stuffing odd bits of food into their excavated cavities and eating them.
I've got what I think is a terrific idea for a web site. I've told some people about it already. Some people agree with me, others laugh. Let me know what you think of it!
The hottest web sites these last several years have been social networking web sites. Starting with Friendster, then later Orkut, Facebook, and of course MySpace.
I've got a similar idea with a different twist. My idea is to socially network people who owe each other money. So that if Jane owes Bob $10, Bob can go to this web site and enter that info in to the web site.
Then later, suppose Bob owes Dave $10. Bob enters that info in to the web site. What the social network would then deduce is that Bob should not pay Dave $10. Instead, it would deduce that Jane should pay Dave $10.
Or, it may be that there is a fourth party involved between Dave and Jane such that the debt automatically cancels, without anyone having to exchange money.
I think what you'd find once the social network grows large enough is that nobody owes anybody money! If there is a debt, it would be very quickly canceled out by some debt between two people five links down the social network. That is, canceled by two people barely related to and completely unknown by the original debter.
On a larger scale, small businesses could also enter in to the social network. So that if I buy $3 of donuts at the local donut shop, that would also be entered in to the web site. And it would be canceled out by some debt coming from within the donut shop.
Of course there are many details to work out. Like what to do if some person accrues way too much debt. What to do if there is a debt disagreement. But those are all just details, and not really applicable to a hypothetical discussion.
Pulled eFingers: |
Stacey —I think about this stuff every time I "lose" money and "find" money. I figure it all comes out in the wash. |
Lori —Ahh.. but the problem is that people tend to not want others to know their debts. |
Ngan —Catchy title!! Though, if I owe someone just couple bucks, I don't think I would go through the hassel of log-in into some website to settle the debt. |
Eric —Ahh.. but the problem is that people tend to not want others to know their debts.Perhaps the only debts displayed are your debts and the debts others owe you. That's just an implementation detail.hassel of log-in into some website to settle the debt.Perhaps the web site has a text message interface, an email interface, whatever. Besides, the idea is you never (or very rarely) have to settle your debts. Debt setting occurs automatically because other people also have debts that settle your debts. The issue then is telling the web site when you create a new debt, and I think a text message would be sufficiently simple for that. |
hitch Hicker —Ahh.. but the problem is that people tend to not want others to know their debts and also there are already companies that keep track of individuals debt (ie. Tran Union) and companies that help pay off the debt (ie. Banks, PayPal). |
Eric —there are already companies that keep track of individuals debt (ie. Tran Union) and companies that help pay off the debt (ie. Banks, PayPal).Yes, but there's a very large difference. This hypothetical web site doesn't expect you to accrue huge debts or pay off your debt. It'd settle small debts by shuffling around small debts within your social network. |
hitch Hicker —Your idea holds if total expense=total income. But there are always those individuals who tend to spend more than their income (borrowers) and those who save more (creditors). |
Mom —Dear Silicon Valley Friends, I need to find a good source of free clip art, if you have one, please email a link to me at sk06@txstate.edu Thank you, Eric's Mom |
Exercise Your eFinger: |
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