The axiom of the digital era is that information wants to be free.

No matter how hard you try to protect it, whether through paywalls or copyright protection technology, it’s typically bypassed with ease.

This has forced some to either try harder at protecting their content or find other ways to monetize their offering.

However, assigning a monetary value isn’t the best solution.

When you’re given access to free information, at anytime and anyplace, the value goes down. It gets put into the back of your mind with all the other, “it’s there if I need it” pile.

I attribute this to the treadmill people have in their basements. How many turn into clothes racks within a month?

When someone in the house gets a health notification that requires them to be physical or face serious consequences, suddenly that treadmill becomes the most valuable tool.

Not all information needs to be monetized, but to make it valuable in the eyes of people, there should be some effort into obtaining it.

As counter-intuitive as it may seem, this could be more beneficial than simply offering it.