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Automation has done a lot of good for digital things, it's still crazy to me that services like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube or GitHub are free to use for the
by olalonde 10y ago
Automation has done a lot of good for digital things, it's still crazy to me that services like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube or GitHub are free to use for the most part. Probably a long shot, but I wonder if the freemium or ad-supported models will eventually be adopted for physical things. Imagine fast food chains giving away free meals but with more delicious/healthy paid options on the menu (hmm, I admit that particular example sounds a bit dystopian but I couldn't come with something better). Not sure that's ever going to happen within a capitalistic system but it's fun to wonder about.
- chiefalchemist 10y agoNothing is free. Noth. Thing.
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y agoFree* *Conditions apply, nothing is free.
- olalonde 10y agoThat is a very profound and original insight. That being said, I meant "free of charge", see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium for more context.
- ZenoArrow 10y agoEverything is free, we inherited the underlying wealth of the world for nothing, we just choose to charge for it.
- chiefalchemist 10y agoNot every cost is financial. It could be time. It could be personal privacy. But free - even free of charge - isn't free.