Flattr
Encyclopedia
Flattr is a microdonation system that launched in March 2010 on an invite-only basis and then opened to the public on 12 August of the same year.
Flattr is a project started by Peter Sunde
and Linus Olsson. Users are able to pay a small amount every month (minimum 2 euro
s) and then click Flattr buttons on sites to share the money they paid among those sites, comparable to an Internet tip jar. (The word "flattr" is used as a verb, to indicate payments through the Flattr system-so when a user clicks a Flattr button and they are logged in to the Flattr site, they are said to be "flattring
" the page they are on.) Sunde said, "We want to encourage people to share money as well as content."
In the beginning of the service Flattr itself takes 10% of all the users monthly flatrate, although this fee may be reduced at a later date if the economics permit it.
In December 2010 Flattr received large-scale attention when it was tweeted to be a method of donating money to WikiLeaks
, which had recently been cutoff by Paypal, Visa, and Mastercard.
On 28 April 2011 Flattr announced by email that they won't require users to flattr others anymore before they can be flattrd starting from 1 May 2011.
to prove useful, it is necessary that users join and have the opportunity to flattr and be flattr'd. A wide number of platforms are supported including WordPress, Blogger, and Jooomla among many others. To foster faster adoption, including on sites that may not natively support Flattr, a Firefox plugin, Överallt ("everywhere" in Swedish) has been developed. It allows the equipped browsers to parse a simple plain-text tag (
s. A number of existing services exist to allow for the "flattr-ing" of non-web-based content, including offline content, using many smartphones' capability of recognizing physical QR codes. Utilizing QR codes attached to Flattr buttons allows for donations to the specific physical or non-web-based item of choice.
, Moneybookers
, several credit cards (including Visa, EC and Mastercard) and other methods.
Flattr is a project started by Peter Sunde
Peter Sunde
Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi is an IT expert with Norwegian and Finnish roots. He is best known for being a co-founder and the spokesperson of The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent tracker site.-Personal life:...
and Linus Olsson. Users are able to pay a small amount every month (minimum 2 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s) and then click Flattr buttons on sites to share the money they paid among those sites, comparable to an Internet tip jar. (The word "flattr" is used as a verb, to indicate payments through the Flattr system-so when a user clicks a Flattr button and they are logged in to the Flattr site, they are said to be "flattring
Flattery
Flattery is the act of giving excessive compliments, generally for the purpose of ingratiating oneself with the subject....
" the page they are on.) Sunde said, "We want to encourage people to share money as well as content."
In the beginning of the service Flattr itself takes 10% of all the users monthly flatrate, although this fee may be reduced at a later date if the economics permit it.
In December 2010 Flattr received large-scale attention when it was tweeted to be a method of donating money to WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, which had recently been cutoff by Paypal, Visa, and Mastercard.
On 28 April 2011 Flattr announced by email that they won't require users to flattr others anymore before they can be flattrd starting from 1 May 2011.
Extensions
As the service relies on network effectNetwork effect
In economics and business, a network effect is the effect that one user of a good or service has on the value of that product to other people. When network effect is present, the value of a product or service is dependent on the number of others using it.The classic example is the telephone...
to prove useful, it is necessary that users join and have the opportunity to flattr and be flattr'd. A wide number of platforms are supported including WordPress, Blogger, and Jooomla among many others. To foster faster adoption, including on sites that may not natively support Flattr, a Firefox plugin, Överallt ("everywhere" in Swedish) has been developed. It allows the equipped browsers to parse a simple plain-text tag (
[Flattr=ID]) and replace it inline with the Flattr widget. This extends the range of Flattr, so that not only sites that support Flattr, but all sites, can have Flattr buttons.For real-world or non-web content
Flattr is also being demonstrated as being useful for micro-donations to offline content, including those which are non-computer based, by way of mobile device recognition of QR codeQR code
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...
s. A number of existing services exist to allow for the "flattr-ing" of non-web-based content, including offline content, using many smartphones' capability of recognizing physical QR codes. Utilizing QR codes attached to Flattr buttons allows for donations to the specific physical or non-web-based item of choice.
Adding funds
Adding money to a Flattr account, and withdrawing revenue from a Flattr account can be done via PayPalPayPal
PayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
, Moneybookers
Moneybookers
Moneybookers is an e-commerce business that allows payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. It serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as cheques and money orders. Moneybookers performs payment processing for websites, online auction sites, and...
, several credit cards (including Visa, EC and Mastercard) and other methods.
Awards
- Best New Startup in 2010 - TechCrunchTechCrunchTechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
Europe. - Hoola Bandoola BandHoola Bandoola BandHoola Bandoola Band was a Swedish progg group from the 1970s with leftist political texts. Leading members were Mikael Wiehe and Björn Afzelius.-History:Hoola Bandoola Band was, together with Nationalteatern, the biggest band of the Swedish progg movement...
award. - Top-10 in Netexplorateur 2011.