Google has really embraced this in the web world I think. They reduce costs by eliminating phone/email support most of the time, which allows them to offer fre

Google has really embraced this in the web world I think. They reduce costs by eliminating phone/email support most of the time, which allows them to offer free (ad supported) products on huge scales. This can be infuriating in the rare case where you hit a true bug and can't reach a real support person. But I think the trade off for them was worth it. It's almost like they are saying "we build stuff for smart people and make them free, if you need a lot of hand holding this might not be the right product for you". The quality of questions coming through a typical support center is so low, it's tough to find people who've encountered a true bug that needs fixing.