One of the people who contacted me after reading my weblog profile in the Chicago Tribune article mentioned that her friend had started a company called RedPaper where regular folks could publish their journal articles and get paid. Considering that so many people provide unlimited access to their online journals for free, I was (still am) skeptical about the business model. However, after reading a press release from RedPaper (excerpt below), it looks like there are quite a few people who are willing to pay a fee to read other people’s journal entries. Thus, it will be interesting to watch the development of this company over the next few months. RedPaper is backed by backed by Adobe Systems, Granite Ventures (formerly H&Q Venture Associates LLC), and Sextant Group.

CHICAGO, Jul 30, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — RedPaper, LLC, recently announced the official launch of its information-trading forum, RedPaper.com. A vehicle for the exchange of citizen-based news, the site is designed to give anyone the opportunity to buy and sell information.
“We believe that information can be as valuable as any other commodity, if not more,” said founder and editor Mike Gaynor. “There is no other infrastructure on the internet like this. Whether it’s breaking news or your mother’s pie recipe, a whole collection of information can be exchanged through this site.”
Since its official launch on July 4, 2003, RedPaper.com has accrued over 600 registered users who have published several hundred articles, including favorite recipes, homebuilding tips, dating experiences and short fiction. In just one month, the site has been witness to more than 1,000 article transactions.