Would you buy nothing for something?

Unemployed graduates initiate the biggest Internet experiment of all time.

Malaysia, Sept: An Internet experiments initiated by three Malaysian graduates recently have now evolved into a money-making opportunity. What are they selling? Nothing.

Its site, aptly named sellingnothing.com, speaks about consumers today who are willing to spend on luxuries, keepsakes or forgettable items, which to some, would be of no purpose. Examples given were the selling of bottled air from Wales and designer water from France.

"If people can put in money to buy something for absolutely nothing at all, will they buy nothing at all?" wrote founder Samuel Y. And that is precisely what the experiment is all about.

The graduates know that it will be extremely hard to actually sell nothing. That’s why they’re selling nothing with fries on the side and a free toy. Whilst keeping true to the experiment, they decided to assist the sales of “nothings” by offering advertisement space to buyers. It comes in the form of banners that can link visitors to the buyers’ website.

Unlike other websites offering advertising space, the banners come in similar sizes (120 X 30 pixels). The amount bought determines the scrolling speed of the banners. The more “nothings” you buy, the slower it is and the easier it is to be seen. Plus, the highest buyer gets to have a permanent spot at the top of the page. Now, that is your free toy!

Initially, their website was mostly publicized to family and friends. Now, they are also encouraging bloggers to publicize on their blogs. As traffic builds up, they hope that potential advertisers will also take interest in their page. They are a really young and optimistic group

“To actually sell something, that’s nothing. On the other hand, to sell nothing at all, that’s really something!” quotes Samuel.

For a more detailed explanation of this experiment, visit www.sellingnothing.com