[cpbotha]

This is exactly what the Brave company is setting up.

New chromium-based but privacy-focused browser, also called Brave. You pledge a certain amount per month (this is opt-in). The time spent by all Brave users determines how much of that pool of cash is distributed to all of the sites that they visit.

See https://brave.com/ -- they have just released their beta and it's pretty amazing. Payments in the new beta are not yet live though.

[hennsen]

If it requires installing something extra that you otherwise don’t need the mass market won’t join...

Also in general the masses probably will never see why to pay 10 bucks or whatever for quality content as they are happy being served the other stuff... i mean, ads wouldn’t be so successful if there weren’t people viewing the crap content they are placed in... even less being clicked on.

But there are thousands of people even responding to spam mails and sending money to some Nigerian Kings...

Wait. How about paying quality content from these. I mean, just telling them your brother has a million in the bank and they just need to pay 1000 to get it out and be rewarded with 10% etc... instead of nothing as usual, they get quality content! Ok after reading too much of that they won’t do it anymore. Selfdestructing Business.

[beerlord]

Its a good idea - but its missing the killer feature which I think would be the ability to access certain news article (NYT etc) through micropayments. Right now it seems like giving money away for no recognition or reward.