YouSendIt has been getting lots of good press as a service that allows people to send large files to each other easily.
It’s free. You just can’t send more than a 1 GB file, which is totally fair. And it’s a legit and decent service.
Here’s the site:
But there’s another site, called zango.yousendit.com (Zango is part of 180Solutions).
It’s the same as the normal YouSendIt. You get to send a file up to 1GB. But in exchange, recipients of your file have to install Zango Search Assistant, which will provide a rich advertising experience like few others.
So apparently if you don’t know enough not to go to the normal YouSendIt site, you might go to this one and get your friends to install Zango Search Assistant.
Is there any value add? Apparently not. I mean, if you could send a 20 GB file or something, maybe I could understand the quid-pro-quo. (Update: actually there is a value add—see note at the end of this blog).
Is this what 180Solutions means when we hear this?
In the new content economy, Smith says, in exchange for highly desired Internet content, such as an online game, we can agree to advertising. On the Internet this translates into what 180Solutions calls “time shifted” pop-up ads that display when you’re searching for information. As with TV, Internet consumers have options too. If you don’t want to trade free content for pop-up advertising, you can pay for content. Link here.
Alex Eckelberry
12/4 Update: Apparently the difference between Zango’s YouSendIt and the normal YouSendIt is that you can send out 25,000 downloads with Zango’s, as opposed to 25 with YouSendIt.
12/4 Clarification: You don’t have to install Zango Search Assistant to send a file. However, you need to install it to get a file. Here’s what a screen looks like to a recipient:
So you send some family pics to a friend and then he has to install Zango Search Assistant to get the file.