a couple of comments: a. This is indeed "a market for eyeballs" and direct marketing, depending on whether it is sucessful (i.e. in providing us with information we appreciate) or not, is either helpful or it further adds to the informtion "noise" on the web. b. wrt Allan's comment, I think I understand your argument, but still I feel more comfortable will pulling the information I need, instead of being served with the information I am supposed to like. If indeed direct marketing is going to help reduce the information noise that exists on the web today, I fear that this is too big a price, and that there should be other ways to spread information efficiently. In fact, I am sure that by considering infomation as a product in itself, then it should bear the same characteristics of other digital products, and thus benefit from both anarchic production and distribution models (services such as digg, reddit, stumbleupon etc. seem to aim at this direction). Giving up informational self-determination should not be perceived as a necessary sacrifice for more relevant information.

-- NikolaosVolanis - 23 Oct 2009