Why is it bad to charge people to contact you via email?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9107653

by ivanpashenko • 11 years ago

3 16 11 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

gt565k• 11 years ago

I think the question you want to ask is, would you pay to contact people via email?

The answer is most likely no.

ivanpashenko6• 11 years ago

It is actually the opposite. I want to know why people don’t feel comfortable charging to contact them via email.

notahacker2• 11 years ago

I have no objection, in principle, to people paying to contact me by email. But there are quite a few people, organisations and mission critical bots I might like to receive email from that are unlikely to pay to send it, and whitelisting every email or domain that's allowed to contact me is more of an irritation than deleting unfiltered spam. I don't object to strangers paying but I am quite concerned at missing out on useful emails through erecting the most blunt spam filter imaginable.

I think that goes for most people.

It makes a little more sense to charge for a guaranteed response as LinkedIn does indirectly...

monroepe• 11 years ago

ivanpashenko6• 11 years ago

Could you explain why? What is wrong with that?

mariuolo• 11 years ago

Instead of?

ivanpashenko6• 11 years ago

instead of not charging (like it is now).

wkearney99• 11 years ago

Perhaps you could also as "Why is it bad to ask poorly formed questions?"

If you're engaged in billable time practices, responding to e-mails is little different than phone calls, faxes or letters. It's all about the time you spend engaged on the work for the client.

ivanpashenko6• 11 years ago

My bad. Is the question not clear enough?

dyeje• 11 years ago

This could use some elaboration.

Charge who? Your clients? Businesses trying to contact you? Everyone?

How? Do they have to pay before they can even send it? You send them a bill afterwards?

ivanpashenko6• 11 years ago

Everyone who write to your public email have to pay. So basically new contacts. For friends and people you know you use your private email.

This is how a solution could look like: http://wrte.io

Jipha• 11 years ago

I could see it being used. Lots of people get hundreds of emails a day being pitched to or asking for help. Charging people (even a small amount) might get people to put more effort into their emails.

MalcolmDiggs• 11 years ago

I wouldn't say that it's "bad", but, personally, I don't think it'd be in my best interest to use a pay-wall.

Most of the emails I get are from people who want my money (vendors/businesses). But I get the occasional email from someone who wants to give me their money (a potential client). I wouldn't want to do anything that would stop a potential client from sending me an email.

Two other concerns:

1. The practicality aspect. If I'm requiring bitcoin, then the sender needs to be bitcoin-literate, which not everybody is. If I'm requiring a credit card, then the charge is too small to justify the merchant charges.

2. The branding aspect. Do I really want to be known as someone who charges for emails? I'm not sure that message would align with very many people's personal brand/image. I'd be more likely to wait on the sidelines until charging-for-emails is commonplace, then I'd feel comfortable joining in. But until that time comes, you might have a first-mover-disadvantage. This creates a problematic catch-22 for any SaaS/PaaS offering this kind of thing. (Few people wanting to be an early-adopter).

gesman• 11 years ago

If you're a porn star it might work.

Why is it bad to charge people to contact you via email?

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