Gargoyles
I am a big believer in the value of free (both beer and freedom). And while digital goods get much of the attention, there are equally interesting things happening in the physical world. Chris Anderson’s most recent article in Wired starts with the classic example – Gillette and the "sell razor blades" approach. The whole "get a free cell phone when you sign up for 2-yr service plan" is also good. I’d like to throw another possibility into the mix – free gear in return for information.
It’s an idea that I first encountered over 15 years ago when I read Neal Stephenson’s "Snow Crash". I was reminded of it again when justin.tv became popular. Stephenson’s term was Gargoyle and it means someone who is basically a live terminal node on a network, streaming different types of real-time data into some central server 24/7. The Gargoyle does not care who uses the data they collect, only that they get paid if someone does. And of course they get to use the gadgets for their own purposes as well.
Why is this relevant? Because in a world where information is king and attention is scarce, there will be a premium paid to companies/organizations that can get the right information into the right hands at the right moment.
A Gargoyle is merely a network node in physical space. This provides some important advantages. One, a Gargoyle can carry sensors and detect environmental factors. They can carry location aware technologies that provide speed, direction, altitude and attitude data. Lastly, because Gargoyles are human they can respond to the environment in useful ways, improving the quality and quantity of data.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to envision a future where companies offer up free gear to Gargoyle-wannabes. In return for the data they collect they get free gadgets. On top of that, they can make money when their data is used in some way. Personally, I think its inevitable. Heck, I want to be one. It’s an interesting potential business model in support of Anderson’s thoughts on "free".
February 25th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Bravo. I think that is beautiful. I always identified with the idea of a gargoyle. When I read it in snow crash I thought, yes, I would BE that.
On a side note, By the goddess I want one of these.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Interesting post. I could see this working for things like GPS data or weather information. Give people free GPS devices in exchange for traffic and auto insurance data. Or, give away free web-enabled weather tracking devices and sell the data to news outlets.
February 26th, 2008 at 4:52 am
hmm, can someone say android phone?
or is this a hint that bug labs is being looked into by google?
February 26th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I’ve been working on this idea for ages. The hardware is the easy part — it’s the interface that’s a bitch. And I’m not a coder and just barely a scripter, so it’s been a hassle.
February 26th, 2008 at 7:39 am
I think everyone likes receiving that free razor in the mail and I have on more then one occasion switched my brand allegiance as blades increased from 3 to 4 to 5. I am a big fan of free hardware as well. Napster launched a free MP3 player with service deal a few years back that caught some buzz. http://www.news.com/2100-1041_3-6089914.html