Why c and x MOOCs are attracting different number of participants?

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Why c and x MOOCs are attracting different number of participants?
Sui Fai John Mak, Learner Weblog, April 21, 2013
It's a question I'm sure many people have pondered: why do the xMOOCs attract hundreds of thousands of people, while cMOOCs attract far few. Sui Fai John Mak rounds up the reasons:

1. branding and affiliation with elite institutions and professors,
2. well established courses with rich support on resources and assessment (grading/peer assessment),
3. granting of certificates of achievement or statements of attainment (in recognition),
4. degrees of difficulties – xMOOCs are much easier compared to cMOOCs,
5. perceptions of learners – xMOOCs are based on 1,2,3 above, and 4 – learners – cMOOCs would have to curate resources and create blog posts/join forums,
6. pedagogy,
7. assessment. More...