Web 2.0 That Replaces Money: TriggerStreet & BookMooch
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I came across a site today, one that illustrates an interesting phenomenon of the Internet.
TriggerStreet bills itself as “the place to go if you wanted to find exposure and feedback for your Screenplays and Short Films online.” They also do short stories, and more recently, books. The idea is that you can upload your work and other people can critique it. And if enough people like it, maybe that will catch the eye of a filmmaker or a publisher.
I’m not sure of how much “exposure” uploading your materials will really bring, but TriggerStreet works just like a writers group. You share your work, others critique it. Then you return the favor by critiquing other folk’s work.
What makes Trigger interesting is that you must earn the right to upload your work. If you have an old script lying around, you can’t just throw it up on the site hoping that fame and fortune will find you. You first have to critique five other scripts. Only after you’ve given feedback can you upload your own work.
In a very real sense, TriggerStreet allows you to barter goods and services, albeit a limited spectrum of services.
Money, in its most basic sense, is a token. It functions as a medium of exchange. I perform work for person A who gives me bills and coins. I then take that paper and metal to somebody else, and I trade it for something I want. They didn’t want what I provided for person A, but that’s ok. We have money to represent that I’ve done something worthwhile, and I can trade it around to most people.
But TriggerStreet has taken money out of the mix. I’m trading my services (critiquing a movie or text) with other similar services. The nice thing is that the Internet provides millions of people, and the chances of me finding somebody who wants my services are pretty good. There are a lot of aspiring filmmakers and writers out there who need feedback. TriggerStreet allows them to find each other.
Another good example of this is BookMooch.com. On BookMooch you post books that you are willing to give away. When somebody requests one of your books, you pay the shipping and send it to them. By doing this you earn points. You can trade these points in for books from other people. No money is exchanged, except at the post office when you ship your books. It’s trading in its purest sense. Again, the benefit is that while most people would have no interest in my nine-year-old copy of Old Yeller, somewhere, somebody out there does want it. BookMooch, and sites like TriggerStreet, help people find each other.
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