PDA

View Full Version : Internet Users Up 30pc - 655million


meatloaf
11-25-2002, 02:47 AM
Internet users up 30pc - 655million

I read in the paper today that the United Nations expects the number of internet users to grow to 655 million by the end of 2002 - (that’s only 1 more month!) This is a 30% increase on last year.

They also said developing nations will account for a third of the new users. By my calculations that is approximately 150 million new users, 50 million of them from third world countries.

Assuming the same growth rate next year can we expect 195+ million new users, total of 850 million users, with another 65+ million users from the third world countries.

So what does all these new users mean, what does 655 million people on the internet and a massive number of web surfers from the third world countries mean to our business?

Most third world customers don't have access to financial instruments like
credit cards & check accounts, some don't even have phone accounts or personal computers. But these 3rd world countries are arming their citizens with free internet, for example Myanmar. Then you have India & China...with over 2.5 billion citizens, increasing access to the internet and add to this a large number of Indian citizens have a good handle on the english language so they can understand and navigate our sites.

We already see processing companies blocking customers from certain countries that DO have access to credit cards due to high chargebacks, what about customers from countries where they assume the roll of freeloaders with no way of every becoming a consumer of premium porn products?

Will we see free sites like TGP's having to implement some form of geo-barring against countries they deem to be non-productive? The business model of free sites require some form of upgrading customers to paying products...and that requirement is very important for content publishers (tgp posters)...so will we see those webmasters under taking their own geo-barring in order to maintain positive ratios?
I don’t sound an end to TGP’s but I personally see them restricting their availability to some countries in return to maintain on increasing their business model, their own profitability and poster's profitability….but I see free sites cashing in on growing traffic flows from our traditional high value markets.

With that said do you see will we see premium markets like USA, Canada, UK, west & central Europe, Australia etc. yield a lot more new customers in addition to existing ones?

I think it will be cheaper to just bar unproductive countries and dump them at the door step of yahoo and let them deal with them....or will they even take them? Maybe there is a webmaster out their with a solution?

ahhh....the pot of gold at the end of the net continues to grow :rolleyes:
maybe the best $$$$$$ is yet to come? :wnw:



Last edited by meatloaf at Nov 25 2002, 12:18 AM

Winetalk.com
11-25-2002, 09:35 AM
nope...the best is behind us
;-))

Mike AI
11-25-2002, 10:19 AM
Unless you can figure out how to make money from 1 billion chinese, indians, pakisatanies, koreans it will just become a burden on your severs.

That is why most people have started redirectng foreign traffic away, off servers....

Foreign traffic is a problem, not a good thing... at least for now, and for the forseeable future.

Growth of the internet in 2nd, 3rd world countries is not good for our busniess.... it jus invites more leaches, more hackers, password thieves to do their best to get porn for free.

meatloaf
11-25-2002, 07:10 PM
Hi Mike,

What scripts do you use for your geo-targeting/redirecting ?

BTW - this is one sweet board, it is the best system I've ever seen on the net so far....it is a great cross between convience, eye candy, functionality and most of all I reckon the wide range of immotion icons add such personality & life..

I've got to get myself an avatar now! :rolleyes:

meatloaf
11-25-2002, 07:14 PM
Hey Mike, I've got a few more questions I forgot to ask you in my last post....

what countries do you redirect?
where do you send them?

thanks,

meatloaf

Mike AI
11-25-2002, 07:16 PM
Meatloaf, I am in the process of setting up Akamai... it is a pretty sophisticated setup, and one that is expensive.

There are many people, especially dialer companies that will give you ip ranges and other tools to filter people. The problem I see with most of this is most of the dialer companies I am familair with are pretty scummy and have questionable business practices. So I am not sure I would trust their software to filter my traffic.... if you know what I mean.

I hear there are some people who are developing some solutions for that, including a friend of mine who has a great name in the indsutry, and whose reputation is BEYOND reproach - but I am going to let him post if he wants to. He may want to keep it a secret for a little while longer.

It is important you filter well so you do not lose your good traffic, and that you get the people you do not want off of your severs - the 3rd world people who do nothing but leach!



Glad you like the board - I think the software is first rate as well. The graphics and icons are first class - and I attrubte this to Edd and Mutt...

They RoKK :rokk: :rokk:

meatloaf
11-25-2002, 08:09 PM
I'm looking at the product by http://www.georedirect.com/
it covers what I need to do and some, the price is high for what I think is a fair price but like everything you've got haggle what you pay.

Thanks for the heads up on the dialer companies, I was looking to go down that route as well.