The team over at Read-Write-Web posted an article called “The Danger of Free”
Everyone loves to get stuff for free. We line up to get a free drink, we sign up for free checking accounts, and we’re happy to get a free gift with the purchase of our next car. We love free stuff, even though we all know and understand that free is an illusion. After that free drink, we pay for the next three. The bank is making money by investing what we put in that checking account. The car dealer can afford to give away a small gift because the profit on the car is large. But none of this seems to bother us – free things still have a certain allure. But is the concept of free taking us down a dangerous road?
This is a good article, down to breaking down different “free” sites and how they are monetizing different parts of their business.