Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward
Will the free model win? Certainly, over time, but there will always be pocket of non-free in the mix. This is a wrenching readjustment for everyone used to the old model. The one thing I can guarantee is, there's no going back. The world is not going to destroy digital technology.
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What is purposefully given away free today? Generally, gifts (which usually have to be paid for by the giver, even if only with their time--I suppose you can argue that they are trying to get your
affection, another form of compensation), and things designed to get you to pay for something else, like a subscription or another product. If a product isn't paid for by something, it won't last... if, for no other reason, because most people will stop creating things they will not be compensated for. (Or, they'll keep creating, but they won't offer it to anyone... for the consumer, same thing.) If anyone thinks that this world will be as rich as it is now, if no one will be compensated for their creative works, they have another think coming.
I think that calling this oft-discussed model "free" is inaccurate, and what causes much of this discussion to get overly-heated at times. A "free" product is not sustainable. In the examples discussed above, e.g., Neil and Cory and the article, a "free" product is actually a "subsidized" product, enticing you to buy something else (or inducing someone to invest in them).
Direct payment or subsidization is sustainable, and ultimately, all content will be offered in one method or the other. Which one depends on the content. In terms of digital media, subsidization will probably win out in almost every case.