Wow–how is this for a monetization method?
1) Create a compelling free service.
2) Many, many people come to depend on it for what it does, and for what it will hopefully continue to do.
3) Say that you have to shut it down for lack of money.
4) Make money.
OK, I believe that tr.im put out the warning that it would shut down because of a lack of ways to make money. And it’s true that since Twitter has apparently designated bit.ly as the URL-shortener of choice, tr.im finds itself at a real disadvantage. But it didn’t take long to acquire the means to continue. Surely this wasn’t a case of backlinks held hostage…..
