Over the past few years, many of us have backed crowdfunded projects on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We did it because we wanted the projects to succeed, and if they did, we’d get one of the products, some public appreciation for our support, or maybe even a cool t-shirt. As of this week, the same crowdfunding principles are being applied to the investment world where anyone can now put their dough into startup companies making a public plea for financing (this highly risky privilege was previously available only to “accredited investors”). I’ve been investing in Internet startups since the earliest days of the first boom. It’s worth noting that sometimes those investments don’t get you much more than a t-shirt either.

+ Felix Salmon is not a fan of the trend: “Today’s a big, exciting day for anybody who has found it simply too difficult, to date, to throw their money away on idiotic gambles.”