Blueprint-overview

From IVP Wiki

Blueprinting the InfoValet System -- An Overview

(Extended version of five-minute PowerPoint/visuals)

What is Information Valet Project?

  • Research effort incubated at D.W. Reynolds Journalism Institute
  • Bill Densmore, Jeff Vander Clute, Steve Mott, Martin Langveld
  • Many other contributors of ideas (via "Blueprint" events)

Challenge: How to sustain values, purposes of journalism?

  • Mass markets splintering
  • Search advertising effective competitor
  • Classifieds done better on the web
  • What sustains journalism in that environment

News as a service not a product

  • Helping user find access to info from anywhere
  • Creating a conversation, community ... network
  • Not just about the story; smaller, larger remix
  • The news social network
  • New concept: The "InfoValet" -- trusted advisor/broker
  • But how to be rewarded

Making the market for digital information -- HOW?

  • Consumer user establishes account with InfoValet
  • Shares as much demographic, preference info as desired
  • This information shared among multiple participating sites
  • Records of activity logged, aggregated to InfoValet, purged
  • Establishes "shared-value network" for commerce, service

Making the market for digital information -- ADVERTISING

  • Rewards for activities, viewing ads, sponsored material
    • Example: The Ford Explorer PDF download
    • Advertising network based on interest not inference
    • Higher CPMs for the news industry
    • Consistent with Federal Trade Commission privacy guidlines

Making the market for digital information -- NEWS/CONTENT

  • Shared-user network for news-oriented social interaction
  • Subscription access to multiple websites (cable model)
    • Access by time, or bundle
    • Economic purchasing on a per-item basis (music, video, text)
  • Enables "public radio model" too (Kachingle, others)

Benefits to consumers/users

  • One account, one ID, one password, (one bill or reward)
  • Personalized service over a network of sites
  • Demographic privacy portable, trusted (no more crumbs everywhere)
  • Rewards for sharing info (like the supermarket card)
  • Access to "deep web," premium, personalized content
  • Freedom of choice in picking InfoValets (unlike PayPal, etc.)

Benefits to other parties

  • CONTENT PRODUCERS -- Free market for digital info
  • Unbounded selling of content, subscription or per click
  • Closer relationship with consumers
    • Advertisers
    • Newspapers / magazines
    • Music, video, entertainment
    • Speciality publishers
  • 'USER OWNERS' -- Share yet maintain ownership of user base
  • Referral fees for sharing users
    • Newspapers/magazines
    • Google, Yahoo, PayPal, Amazon
    • Banks, affinity groups
    • Other namespace companies (travel, sports, retail)

How will it work?

  • InfoValet specifies a "pluggable framework" that allows multiple players to fulfill different roles and compete for business.
  • APIs enable different applications to share data according to the framework specification.
  • The architecture of the ecosystem is distributed as much as possible (instead of being centralized).
  • Security is enhanced by decrypting user information only on the user's most-trusted service provider or the user's machine/device.
  • The user can then control the release of his information to other services, depending on the degree to which he trusts those services.

Adoption strategy: Journalism Trust Association

  • Started with Dec. 3-5 "Blueprint" to frame issues
  • Unveil JTA / IVP vision at April 27 DC event
  • Non-stock, non-profit JTA guides early years
  • Non-competitive ownership, trusted control
  • "Founding members" advise early decisions
  • Broadly representative board gradually enlarged
  • Controlling owner of InfoValet Service Corp.

InfoValet Service Corp. -- Convenor, integrator

  • For profit LLC or L3C / controlled by JTA
  • Convenes industry around specific system
  • Makes/enforces rules for use of InfoValet logo/service
  • Integrates, contracts with advertising, tech, financial-service pieces
  • Any profits dividended to JTA and other stakeholders
    • Possibly transaction fees, license fees

Partners in demonstration for April 27

  • The Associated Press (AP Exchange database)
  • Lee Entreprises (Quad City Times)
  • Hearst Corp. (Albany Times-Union)
  • World Co. Inc. (LJWorld.com -- tentative)
  • WBUR-Boston (NPR affiliate -- tentative)

How financed?

  • RJI inclubated through Densmore RJI 2008-2009 fellowship
  • JTA will give note to RJI/Mizzou, convertible to stock in IVSC
  • Plan for self funding of IVSC
  • Among startup funding options for IVSC:
    • Foundations (if formed as L3C), as program-related investment
    • Strategic investors (who may be licensed/contract partners)
    • Debt financing
    • Equity stakeholders (nonvoting?)

Timeline to incubate, demo and prototype

Goal: Visualization of exemplary functionality
STEPS:

  • Assess current market for state of need, receptivity to solution, and optimal solution set--ongoing; wrapping up soon
  • Develop business model to help newspapers understand how migration to social-network platform and re-invented buyer-seller relationship can shore up finances--ongoing; Final draft due April 1
  • Vet initial array of technology component providers--beginning now
  • Create demonstration of core functionality to help stakeholders visualize nuances--ongoing; final version due April 20
  • Solicit new stakeholders to 'join cause' and identify sources of funding and participation for initial prototype -- April 27

Meeting goal

  • New business for news organizations
  • New ecosystem for news aggregation, customization, sharing
  • Connects news with social network
  • Possibility of dividends to JTA to support journalism
  • Critical Internet framework guided by journalists