Compare to Facebook. On Facebook you can get a complete https experience by visiting https://www.facebook.com/ but even if you don't, the login still goes over https.
I'd take frid.ge more seriously with regards to privacy and security of my data if they simply forced all traffic over https and installed an EV SSL cert. Non SSL shouldn't even be an option. Otherwise my friends looking at my data are leaking my data. With an EV SSL cert and forced https, they could even use it as a marketing gimmick. Something along the lines of, "Frid.ge. We take the security of your personal data as seriously as your bank does"
Maybe I'm just not savvy enough to get it. The only thing I can think of is targeted advertising but even that seems a little sketchy given the premise that Fridge is ultra-private. How do you capitalize on a social graph without seeming to cross the line with privacy?
I guess the other option is to eventually charge for features in a sort of Freemium model.
Anyone have any other ideas how you monetize such a thing?
Who would buy such a thing? Seems like an interested party might not like the idea that the TOS is so locked down (I'm presuming that the privacy is spelled out in a TOS, I haven't looked). Is a developed social graph really worth that much, especially if (as is mentioned in another thread) the groups are temporary, one-time use? I guess there's always the possibility of buying it and dispensing with the TOS and replacing it with a more open version.
Again, I'm just very curious. Having a hard time wrapping my head around this.
I don't use any other site with a .ge extension. I tried thefridge.com and got to something totally different.
Searched Google for "Fridge", "The Fridge", "TheFridge" and no where on first page did it appear (not surprising given how much money should be in SEO/fridge sales)
Am I missing something?
PS ~ blue overload == great.
while this isn't terribly valuable right we might introduce the concept of larger contextual groups that are open to invites that we can start suggesting for related context
I don't mean to belabor the point endlessly across submissions, but I'm really seeing a disconnect between the marketing and PR for your site and your goals.
all Fridges will always be accessible to only those in the group. if you aren't in the group you don't have access to it. we are already seeing users create Fridges for larger and more "open" groups like conferences, events, interest groups, etc... and the members are the ones that share the invite URLs to add members.
the main point here is that members of one group do NOT have any information or access about the others groups you are in unless you share it. the group members of a Fridge can decide how open or closed they want their group to be.
in the future an administrator can customize group settings to enable a group to be "listed" or "discoverable" allowing organizations or events that want to open to be open. it would definitely be transparent to the members and settings ONLY for that group with their other groups closed, private, and not listed...
To paraphrase a fake Mark Zuckerberg, "I got people to share their personal information with me because I assured them I believed in privacy. When I found out how much advertisers were willing to pay for that information, I stopped believing in privacy."
EDIT: Link to my question in the previous thread about the fridge: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1628877
monetization is definitely in the works with a few things cooking and not necessarily from freemium offerings only.
while the right acquisition is fine and dandy we are trying to build something that has legs...
Can we expect any kind of data report from you? A growth chart, usage data, anything that might defend the viability of the concept to those who question whether we need another social network?
after the dust settles and we get the fridge humming we should be able to have some meaningful data...
not sure the fridge is "another" social network but rather clusters of networks where people follow interests rather than other people... eh, semantics i guess but feeds into how we are growing the product.