[archive] Why Users Leave their Data on the Web ?

In light of recent developments regarding privacy, mass surveillance, AI and general misunderstanding of the Internet, AI and the Web, I decided to revive some of my old blog posts. This is a re-print of a post that has been originally published on my blog on 28th of December 2010.

In one of my previous posts I talked about how value is created on the Web, and how users, by interacting with the services provided on the Web generate value (mostly through generating data and giving attention i.e. marketing space). I also wrote about why some social networks take off and others don’t (at least about some of the possible reasons of this).

However, a key to understanding of those phenomena related to user interaction with the Web and the success/failure of some Web services, is the understanding of motivations of users to use the Web and interact. As a step towards such an understanding I have created a Web pyramid of needs, strongly influenced by Maslow’s general pyramid of needs. The idea is to try to explain the hierarchy of user needs (and find examples of Web services and their features that satisfy those needs). The basic needs are represented in the lower parts of the pyramid, and should normally indicate more frequent needs. The higher needs usually come later, once the basic ones are met.

The pyramid is still unstable and may be subject to change as new understandings emerge but comments are welcome at all stages of its development.