New Web site creates forum for buying and selling of ideas

 

By Kristen Lara
Daily Bruin Contributor

With the rapid rise of e-commerce, it’s not surprising
that there is now a Web site that markets practical knowledge.

Launched last August, IdeaExchange.com is a site
dedicated to the buying and selling of ideas. It’s an online
marketplace which offers a wealth of knowledge that can be applied
toward almost any category, ranging from “Arts and
Literature” to “Technology and Engineering.”

Based on the principle that each person’s unique
experiences are a worthwhile source for valuable and practical
ideas, the idea exchange available through the site provides anyone
and everyone the opportunity to market innovative thinking.

For a minimal monthly fee, people can post their ideas on
anything from everyday living to social responsibility. The site
offers brief descriptions of these ideas, along with how much it
would cost to purchase them. As far as pricing goes, they can be
sold once for a high price, several times for a modest price, or
even given away for free.

Every time someone purchases an idea, the person who posted it
receives the set price minus a modest transaction fee. The company
mails checks each month for ideas sold the month before. Ideas can
be purchased for as little as one dollar or as much as 100 dollars,
or higher.

In addition, the company enables sellers to obtain statutory
legal protection for the security of their intellectual property
rights. Sellers needn’t worry about the protection of their
ideas because the act of posting itself ensures legal copyright
protection.

Some of the ideas currently featured on the site include
information on how to make flying more enjoyable and how to turn
lemons into batteries. If a consumer sees an interesting idea
summary, he can click for more detailed information, such as a
rating of the idea’s value.

Browsers can also search the site’s store of ideas for
applicable knowledge on a variety of topics by simply clicking on a
category, a subject and an area of focus. Such searches yield
anything from insight on how to remove scratches from used CDs to
proven ideas for getting out of traffic tickets.

In general, the site showcases new ideas, insight and solutions
for business or personal use. Its aim is for consumers to purchase
an idea, download it, and put it into practice. Likewise, the site
is especially useful in that it also enables people to request
ideas by posting summaries and detailed descriptions of problems to
which they seek solutions.

Created by Robert Brazell, the concept behind IdeaExchange.com
stemmed from his work in co-authoring “The Idea
Economy.” The fictional novel follows the world’s move
from an economy based on service to one that’s based on
ideas.

As of last September, the site has been of interest to college
students with the presentation of the Idea Exchange’s Campus
Tour 2000. The Campus Tour is a program that gives students the
opportunity to earn scholarships and awards for valuable ideas.

The program is based on a system in which there are several ways
students can earn points. For instance, students can accumulate
points every time they post ideas or for each time their idea is
purchased. After reaching a designated total, students become
eligible for scholarships and other prizes.

Overall, browsing the site is a welcome alternative to many
tired uses of the Internet. Instead of frequenting a chat room or
checking out the latest wares available on eBay, people can browse
the site to buy, sell, or request ideas or solutions to burning
questions and aggravating problems.

Additionally, because IdeaExchange. com is a worldwide
marketplace, it’s a good place to find innovative answers to
unique and very specific problems.

One of the more unique requests currently showcased on the site,
for example, asks for ideas on avoiding neck tightness while
cycling.

On the other hand, a slightly frustrating aspect of
IdeaExchange.com is that many of the searches don’t yield any
results. After clicking on a category, visitors to the site are
often disappointed that no ideas are available for a particular
focus.

If not looking to buy or sell an idea, however, the site offers
mild entertainment in checking out the interesting ideas that
people are hawking. For example, sellers can tell you if mirrors
are double sided or how to awaken your inner hero.

The site operates under the concept that one person’s
unapplied knowledge is another person’s sought-after
solution, and is definitely worth checking out if one has an
innovative, potentially money-making idea, a valuable insight, or
even just useful knowledge.