Lifehack.org has a great article on how Open Source concepts could be applied to areas outside of software development. I’ve shared their thoughts on Education for quite a while, but their thoughts on Money, Corporations, and Entertainment were particularly new and interesting.

Open Source Life: How the open movement will change everything - lifehack.org

I’ve just spent some time reviewing the Google Sightseeing site. It’s a site where people share interesting sites found using Google Earth and Google Maps. I just added their RSS feed to my Google Reader.

There’s a whole section on the new Google Streetview feature that shows some of the more surprising images captured. They also show quite a few aircraft, famous and large houses, animals. All very amazing.

IndieKarma has created a payment system that allows you to drop a penny in the box for each site you visit. It’s easy. It’s fast. It has the right intentions.

Here’s How to get involved

• Signup as a member to IndieKarma (use the little box on the top of the right column).
• Signup your website to IndieKarma.
• Place the 2 lines of code on your site to have your own IndieKarma box
• Visit sites and contribute your pennies.

Why will this Change the World?

• You will be giving a small token of appreciation to the owner of a site that you have visited.
• You will be receiving small tokens of appreciation for your efforts.
• You will be helping to spread IndieKarma.

More Info

• IndieKarma User FAQ
• IndieKarma Website owner FAQ
• Article:Receive micro-payments through the indieKarma Network

Bottom Line

Make a difference to the people that work hard creating sites that you find valuable. If you are lucky, some other people might find your work valuable too.

You should read this interesting article about different Business Models that Web businesses might have. I especially liked the term “freemium” which refers to a site that offers a free version of a service or product and also market a premium version for additional fees.

Here’s the link: Beyond AdSense: A Business Model Checklist from Like It Matters.