Userplane Trades Live Chat Software For Ad Network Traffic

Social software provider Userplane is offering ad-supported, free use of its live “chat’ application. The offer is aimed at generating traffic on the Userplane Ad Network, where targeting is available via keywords, demographics, user profiles, and ad orders can be placed via category, similar to the BlogAds networks we wrote about last week. BlogAds’ Henry Copeland told MediaPost he didn’t perceive the offer as a threat: “No one is really cannibalizing anyone else at this point, because ad dollars are just flowing in and the pie is just so big and diverse, everyone who has anything worthwhile can carve out their little piece.”

MediaPost reports that the chat software has been downloaded at least 1,000 times since the offer was posted a few weeks ago to mixed response. It adds another layer of management for sites already overwhelmed with comments, the chat traffic accrues to Userplane, not the sites using it, and, more important, Userplane gets all the revenue. Userplane says revenue sharing is being considered and that a micro-payment system is on the way.
Related: BlogAds Expands Genre-Based Ad Networks; Battelle Offers More Info About His Planned Blog Net

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