Motley Fool Unveils Content Marketplace

Posted on August 3, 2000

The Motley Fool has announced the launch of Soapbox.com, an online marketplace where people can buy and sell information. Soapbox.com features reports written by individuals with a wide array of experience and knowledge. Currently, over 70 reports have been posted for sale at Soapbox.com.

``We are really excited about Soapbox.com and the opportunities it represents not only for our business, but for the millions of people who use the Internet to share information,'' said Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool co-founder and the prime mover behind the new concept. ``Soapbox.com plunges online learning into a free-market environment where individual enterprise and innovation can flourish.''

On Soapbox.com authors create their reports, set pricing, and sell to consumers via their own personal ``soapbox.'' Consumers go to Soapbox.com and search for topics they want to learn about. After purchasing a report, they can engage authors on the Soapbox.com discussion boards. Consumers can also share their evaluations of the products they've purchased through a public rating system.

``People online are truly discriminating,'' remarked Kevin Dewalt, Director of Soapbox.com. ``They're smart when it comes to learning and they know good content from bad. Day in and day out on Soapbox.com, they are proving that best and most accurate way to judge quality is to put that responsibility in the hands of consumers.''