BITPORTERS ltd.

This post is the “why” behind my recent move to make TownRenowned.com’s underlying business directory data a open resource via Creative Commons licencing.

TownRenowned.com needs to “go to the next level” - growth has been flat for a few months now - it’s just not working as is. The big issue has been low user participation and no incentive to contribute. I think the reason for the lack of both is the following:

#1) Lack of data: TR doen’t have a large amount of business data to vote and comment on. This data is currently being entered by a small group of manager in hopes that the community will take over.

#2) Lack of Community Participation: Nobody likes to see someone profiting off your own work. My business model at the moment pretty much says “hey submit / manage some data so we can make ads money off your work!”.

Not cool, I know this - until recently I couldn’t think of anything better. I really didn’t want to worry about this data problem, I just wanted to make cool mapping systems and ways of linking data together. However it’s worthless if nobody is putting good data into it.

Then I saw this video…

This made me realize the core value of TR is its remixed information. It’s only fair that if I’m asking users to remix data I share the end results with them - so that they can remix that data again, somewhere else. This is the first step - giving the data back. The next step will be giving a large portion of ad revenue back to local charities / groups.

I really don’t know if this is a good move or not. It could be what brings TR into the big leagues or it’ll be what destroys it. TR’s only hope for success/survival is that if it gives enough back, communities will choose this service to “remix” this data.