That’s definitely NOT to say that those incentives can’t exist as coins in the realm of a gift economy. But, from the perspective of the Guardian again, a gift economy won’t necessarily come to characterize a community they try to build. Or, in other words, if Neil is a great guy and does you a favor, you won’t necessarily feel grateful and return with golden links pointing in his direction. The ethic of the link isn’t a law of nature. It’s a culture that must be nurtured, and the Guardian’s got to know that.

Great angle. In an Amway (Ponzi) economy, then Neil would get a cut of what I product.

But this is a gift economy. I think there are sufficient rewards for Neil without that kind of complex payment structure. Neil does me a favor. I’m grateful to Neil. I send him traffic. Neil feels good. Neil brags about finding good people. The more Neil finds good people, the more quickly the next people he finds are integrated into the network. That kind of thing.

Okay…I’m with you. I’m very much with you. But you’re only talking about sticks. What about carrots? There must not only be a downside to recommending idiots; there must also be an upside to recommending geniuses. So what does Neil get out of recommending the genius who adds to Glam’s bottom line?

Now, I don’t doubt that there’s a great answer to this question. If you recommend great people–because you have great taste–then you deserve more trust. Maybe that means Glam’s more likely to serve your posts on its main site. If your posts are served more often, or more prominently, then your revenue from ads is higher. Of course, money’s just one option; there are other incentives for sure.

BTW, I have no life and watched the video….