I agree wholeheartedly with Dave Volek, a platform sporting the same business model as Facebook will just be another Facebook, but with a different name.

The problem with most social media platforms we’ve seen is they need to profit from the users, ie by hosting ads etc, there appears no other way to fund development and maintenance of the platform.

That is whereas the platform should be funding the users; it should really be a means of amplifying the value, per Metcalfes law, of each user, as a valuable member of society, rewarding the user directly for their value added to society.

Platforms which profit from the users have it entirely the wrong way round, and there is the fundamental problem.

It is very difficult if not impossible to do anything differently in the world where all collective activity must make profit.

Imagine how much more attractive to users a platform offering them a good liveliehood would be, than one that just siphons off their value to the owners, and how much more valuable, by Metcalfes law, that platform would be to the world.

But, the world is changing, with the advent and possibilities of free money (Note that its value goes up, not down, when it is issued!), as can be had forever by pledging to, and eventually plugging into the sun, by assigning the debts of all humanity to be paid down by that, the true source of wealth of all things, the possibilities are endless, just like its energy, donated to us for free, it tells us how we should also really be operating, donating everything for free to all who need it.

That, is the business model of nature!