The Illusion Of (free) On The Internet!

[iGuest 3]

The Illusion of (Free) On The Internet

Just like the real world, the Internet has its ups and its downs, its good and its bad. Just like the real world, the Internet is made of decent folks and crude folks, respectable Website and sleazy Websites, truths and lies.


And just like the real world, the Internet has a rule that has invariably proved itself correct ... Nothing Comes For Free!


But if thatâs true, then how come we seem to see this word, FREE, everywhere we look? Free membership, free subscription, free graphics, free software, free hosting, free offer, etc.


To answer that question, we have to understand what free means ...


Of course, like any other word, it has many meanings. But the one definition that concerns us here is:

not costing or charging anything

So, according to that definition, whenever you see a Website presenting something free, it implies that you donât have to pay anything for it. The emphasis here is on the word anything.


So letâs take a look, with this definition in mind, at some of the allegedly free offers we find online ...





Step #1: FREE Doesnât Exist


Take a look at http://www.dot.tk/en/index.html?lang=en. This is a service which promotes itself as a âFree Domain Name Registrar.â But when you get right down to it, the only free thing about it is the name. Now consider what you have to put up with ...

• 
  
• Pop-up advertisement
  

• 
  
• The Non-standard look of the domain name.
  

• 
  
• The lack of name-server configurability.
  

• 
  
• The slow service.
  

• 
  
• The risk of the registrar going offline and of losing the domain name.
  

... to name a few.


So how could such a service be free, according to the definition above? This service is costing you a lot ...

• 
  
• You lose the confidence and trust of your visitors,
  

• 
  
• You get an unprofessional, amateurish stigma,
  

• 
  
• And ultimately, you lose the money that you couldâve gained from your visitors had you paid for a known domain name like a

.com or a .net.



Step #2: FREE Doesnât Last


Iâm sure youâre used a trial or a shareware version of software before. We all have. For example, ACDSee has always been one of my favourite pieces of image viewing and manipulation software. It can be downloaded as a 15-days trial version.


But what happens after those 15 days? Well, you have to buy the full version, or the software keeps annoying you with purchase reminders, and eventually stops functioning altogether. And thatâs the way it is with all shareware and trial versions of any software out there.





Step #3: FREE Doesnât Come Cheap


Consider the Linux Operating System. We all know itâs free, right? You donât have to pay anything for it, right?


Well, I donât know about that ...


Itâs true that you donât have to spend money in order to get yourself a Linux distribution, but you pay in other ways.


You find yourself having to learn the basics of a different operating system. You find yourself dealing with a new paradigm, in terms of infrastructure, code compilation, software compatibility, user-friendliness, availability of quality software, and customer service, or lack thereof.


So indeed you pay for using a Linux. Perhaps not with cash, but with time, effort, and peace of mind. Linux may be free, but for most, it certainly isnât cheap.





Step #4: FREE Doesnât Suffice


A prime example for this is PayPal.


At PayPal is free to join, to send money to another PayPal account, and to receive money from another PayPal account. But with the free account, there are limitations ...

• 
  
• Thereâs a certain limit, above which money can neither be sent to nor received from another PayPal account.
  
• You canât use credit cards to increase your funds, nor can you receive money from them.
  
• You canât accept donations through your Website.
  
• You canât deposit your funds into your bank account.
  

... and many, many more restrictions.


Yes, PayPal can be free. But does free suffice? I think not.





Nothing Comes For Free!


And so the rule proves itself again to be perfectly true. The word free is an illusion. It works only because people believe in it. Itâs fueled by greed and nourished by ill logic.


No matter what you see, no matter what hype wants you to believe, always remember this ... That which costs nothing is worth nothing.


Yes, you can get something without having to pay money for it. But keep in mind, money isnât the only determining factor. In both real life and the Internet, there are many factors at work.


Most Websites offer their services or products in exchange for something. They might ask for money, an e-zine subscription, a regular presence and helpful posting in forums, viewing advertisement, etc.


Those Websites are the one to take seriously. Theyâre NOT free, even if they sometimes use that word. They want something in exchange for their services and/or products. They understand the golden rule ... That which costs nothing is worth nothing.


Finally, I have one last piece of advice for you. If and when you see a Website claiming that youâll get this or that absolutely free, RUN ... run your butt off!


By now, Iâm sure you know why, right?


Yup. Because Nothing Comes For Free!




Regards,
Dr. Tamer Aly

[writemaggie1 0]

The Illusion of (Free) On The Internet

 

 

Just like the real world, the Internet has its ups and its downs, its good and its bad. Just like the real world, the Internet is made of decent folks and crude folks, respectable Website and sleazy Websites, truths and lies.

 

 

And just like the real world, the Internet has a rule that has invariably proved itself correct ... Nothing Comes For Free!

 

 

But if thatâs true, then how come we seem to see this word, FREE, everywhere we look? Free membership, free subscription, free graphics, free software, free hosting, free offer, etc.

 

 

To answer that question, we have to understand what free means ...

 

 

Of course, like any other word, it has many meanings. But the one definition that concerns us here is:

 

 

 

So, according to that definition, whenever you see a Website presenting something free, it implies that you donât have to pay anything for it. The emphasis here is on the word anything.

 

 

So letâs take a look, with this definition in mind, at some of the allegedly free offers we find online ...

 

 

 

 

 

Step #1: FREE Doesnât Exist

 

 

Take a look at http://www.dot.tk/en/index.html?lang=en. This is a service which promotes itself as a âFree Domain Name Registrar.â But when you get right down to it, the only free thing about it is the name. Now consider what you have to put up with ...

Pop-up advertisement

The Non-standard look of the domain name.

The lack of name-server configurability.

The slow service.

The risk of the registrar going offline and of losing the domain name.

... to name a few.

 

 

So how could such a service be free, according to the definition above? This service is costing you a lot ...

You lose the confidence and trust of your visitors,

You get an unprofessional, amateurish stigma,

And ultimately, you lose the money that you couldâve gained from your visitors had you paid for a known domain name like a .com or a .net.

Step #2: FREE Doesnât Last

 

 

Iâm sure youâre used a trial or a shareware version of software before. We all have. For example, ACDSee has always been one of my favourite pieces of image viewing and manipulation software. It can be downloaded as a 15-days trial version.

 

 

But what happens after those 15 days? Well, you have to buy the full version, or the software keeps annoying you with purchase reminders, and eventually stops functioning altogether. And thatâs the way it is with all shareware and trial versions of any software out there.

 

 

 

Step #3: FREE Doesnât Come Cheap

 

 

Consider the Linux Operating System. We all know itâs free, right? You donât have to pay anything for it, right?

 

 

Well, I donât know about that ...

 

 

Itâs true that you donât have to spend money in order to get yourself a Linux distribution, but you pay in other ways.

 

 

You find yourself having to learn the basics of a different operating system. You find yourself dealing with a new paradigm, in terms of infrastructure, code compilation, software compatibility, user-friendliness, availability of quality software, and customer service, or lack thereof.

 

 

So indeed you pay for using a Linux. Perhaps not with cash, but with time, effort, and peace of mind. Linux may be free, but for most, it certainly isnât cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

Step #4: FREE Doesnât Suffice

 

 

A prime example for this is PayPal.

 

 

At PayPal is free to join, to send money to another PayPal account, and to receive money from another PayPal account. But with the free account, there are limitations ...

 

Thereâs a certain limit, above which money can neither be sent to nor received from another PayPal account.

You canât use credit cards to increase your funds, nor can you receive money from them.

You canât accept donations through your Website.

You canât deposit your funds into your bank account.

... and many, many more restrictions.

 

 

Yes, PayPal can be free. But does free suffice? I think not.

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing Comes For Free!

 

 

And so the rule proves itself again to be perfectly true. The word free is an illusion. It works only because people believe in it. Itâs fueled by greed and nourished by ill logic.

 

 

No matter what you see, no matter what hype wants you to believe, always remember this ... That which costs nothing is worth nothing.

 

 

Yes, you can get something without having to pay money for it. But keep in mind, money isnât the only determining factor. In both real life and the Internet, there are many factors at work.

 

 

Most Websites offer their services or products in exchange for something. They might ask for money, an e-zine subscription, a regular presence and helpful posting in forums, viewing advertisement, etc.

 

 

Those Websites are the one to take seriously. Theyâre NOT free, even if they sometimes use that word. They want something in exchange for their services and/or products. They understand the golden rule ... That which costs nothing is worth nothing.

 

 

Finally, I have one last piece of advice for you. If and when you see a Website claiming that youâll get this or that absolutely free, RUN ... run your butt off!

 

 

By now, Iâm sure you know why, right?

 

 

Yup. Because Nothing Comes For Free!

 

 

 

 

Regards,

Dr. Tamer Aly

 

If you think Pay pal is free in any sense think again. Try cancelling a subscription. the process is very complicated and there is no redress against a compnay that continues to take subscriptions after you have unsubscribed. Anyone got any ideas how to get out of this impasse.

[iGuest 3]

Hello Maggie,

 

 

 

If you think Pay pal is free in any sense think again. Try cancelling a subscription. the process is very complicated and there is no redress against a compnay that continues to take subscriptions after you have unsubscribed. Anyone got any ideas how to get out of this impasse.

 

Even though this is beside the point of this topic, I'm going the following link would help you out ...

 

How Do I Close My PayPal Account?

 

 

 

 

Best Regards.

[finaldesign1405241487 0]

Well, there is no such thing as FREE BEER. We all know that. But some things are free on this world. For example, Air. You still aren't paying anything to take it. Everything else, is thing to discuss, but mainly nothing is FREE.

[iGuest 3]

Well, there is no such thing as FREE BEER.

Yup. That's basically the only thing I wish was free

 

 

We all know that.

I wish that was true, my friend. But many folks that are new to the Web do NOT know that. They fall too readily into the FREE-stuff trap. And after they get hurt, they never think of blaming themselves. They only come to forums like this *****ing and moaning.

 

 

This article is meant to be a warning sign for newbies, so that they don't have to fall into that trap. It's a way to save everyone time and effort .

 

 

 

 

 

Best Regards.

[Alegis 0]

It's ridiculous. Sure you take some examples as .tk, but it's definitely insufficient information to generalise.

 

Because the internet features such easy to reach content, those people that love doing stuff for free have a huge market. Free stuff does exist. Free support does exist on the web.

 

Free programs that enhance your working or surfing experience better than commercial products DO exist. You don't pay for the majority of "fun stuff" on the web now do you. You don't pay for viewing websites (not to those websites. Don't use the ISP as argument, we're talking about content delivered for free on the web).

 

As long as there are people who like doing stuff for free this will continue. And I don't see it ending.

 

Step #3: FREE Doesn’t Come Cheap

Basically you're saying the statement "The internet has stuff for free" is false by broadening the definition of the word "free" used here to, without money and effort while it's obvious only 'without money' is meant here. You didn't refute anything here. You merely stated you can't get stuff without effort. I'm sure some preschoolers didn't know that yet. You always perform effort. Either effort to look, open something ... This is ridiculous.

 

 

You don't pay for every content or program the web has to offer. People make stuff available to you without you having to pay them for it.

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

While I agree for the most part, I know I've personally used many 100% free pieces of software that were no harder to use or less feature rich then their expensive counter-parts. No downsides with no costs... unless you say that we need to pay for the internet to download it :unsure:I have also obtained 100% free beer... but that's another story haha

[Vyoma 0]

Now that I have mulled over things, I think I know of a free software that is very valuable and as good as most of its competitors. I have been using it for quite some time, and I got it for free. Of course, I paid for the internet charges to connect to their website and download it and I also paid for getting it burned onto a new CD, but I never paid for the program. The software I am talking about is Blender. It is awailable, freely, (yes, freely), at Blender.org.

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

Exactly. I would agree that truly free things are rare. But there ARE cases where you can obtain 100% free things. A good example are various free games people make as a hobby and release. THey have no intention of making money off of you and simply release the game as freeware. No ads, no cost, just enjoyment.

[iGuest 3]

Hello Alegis,

 

 

It's ridiculous. Sure you take some examples as .tk, but it's definitely insufficient information to generalise.

Of course, you're right. But my friend, I didn't generalize because of this example. I generalized because I've never, and I repeat never have come across a service that is totally free, in every sense of the word. And I tried to show that there are many senses of that word

 

 

Basically you're saying the statement "The internet has stuff for free" is false by broadening the definition of the word "free" used here to, without money and effort while it's obvious only 'without money' is meant here.

Actually, no. Time is a major factor, as major as money. At least for very successful and very busy people, to whom time is always money

 

 

And no, my friend, I didn't broaden the definition. I quoted the definition from Merriam-Webster's dictionary. The definition itself is broad enough, without my doing anything more to it . I think you, dear Alegis are the one who's narrowing it, by excluding out everything BUT money.

 

 

 

And lastly, could you kindly give me an example of something absolutely free, according to the definition given by Merriam-Webster? Of course, if you find another dictionary that doesn't offer a similar definition, I'll agree with you automatically .

 

 

 

Best Regards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alright everyone. I have to say something now.

 

 

Perhaps I did over-generalize. I don't think I did, and I still believe in everything I said above, but honestly, that Blender software looks amazing .. lol.

 

 

I won't argue this point anymore. I'll leave it at this, maintaining that I'm not closed to your opinions, but I'm still not fully against my own earlier opinion.

 

 

I'll leave it, like many things in life, open to debate ... something that only time can prove .

 

 

Thank you all for your lovely contributions. It's been an honour talking to all of you.

 

 

 

 

Best Regards,

Dr. Tamer Aly

Edited July 5, 2006 by isMobham (see edit history)

[Alegis 0]

Hello Mobham,

 

And no, my friend, I didn't broaden the definition

and lastly, could you kindly give me an example of something absolutely free, according to the definition given by Merriam-Webster? Of course, if you find another dictionary that doesn't offer a similar definition, I'll agree with you automatically smile.gif.

A feature such as Merriam Webster or for example, dictionary.com (for which you do not need to pay money to use the service) lists all definitions of for example free.

 

This is a collection of instances where and how the word can be used.

 

 

Now, when people say 'The internet is free" they use the definition of the word 'not costing money'. You claim to debunk this statement by filling in the other contextual meanings of free and debunk those.

 

This is a logical fallacy which is called "the straw man".

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

While I appreciate your efforts to inform other people (for free) that they'll have to perform effort on the web, just like they performed certain effort to open this page, you're not debunking the Illusion of free.

 

It's as if I'd take a certain statement from someone, replace the meaning of a word with something else in the dictionary, and debunk that. Straw man.

Edited July 5, 2006 by Alegis (see edit history)

[iGuest 3]

This is a logical fallacy which is called "the straw man".

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Honestly, I'm enjoying talking to you, Alegis, but like I said, I wish to draw myself out of this particular discussion, even though I'm the one who started it .

 

 

And by the way, The Straw Man Fallacy is essentially a "substitution" fallacy, as you pointed out. And being that, I didn't commit it. You see, I never meant to debunk a one meaning by implying the invalidity of another. I rather pointed out that the term at hand, free, by definition encompasses several meanings, and I tried to debunk each at a time, relating to its appropriate circumstances.

 

 

I'm only replying to this because it seems like we're both fans of philosophy .

 

 

 

 

Best Regards.

[Omkar™ 0]

This post, I presume, can be a corollary to Dr. Tamer Aly's main post tor 'The illusion of (free) On The Internet!', but I hope the moderators here don't move my post to a new topic!

 

I wish to emphasize on the fact that it may be very true that nothing comes for free, but even the things that we pay for, aren't usually worth it. There is always a paid substitute for free software, but is it always worth it?

 

For example, there are many free CD-DVD Burning softwares available for 'free' (agreeing with the definition of Dr. Tamer Aly), but there's Nero - we got to pay for it - and a whole lot too! What more does it give? It burns my CDs and DVDs - Yes, the free things does that too. It erases my old CD-RWs/DVD-RWs - the free thing does that too. What more do you expect from a CD-DVD Burner? Make CD covers which is actually image editing software? And pay a whole lot more what you actually didn't intend to do with your software?!

 

What I wish to convey is that sometimes, so-called 'free' software is worth more than the 'paid' software. So, for newbies - if you've found a free (keeping in mind Dr. Tamer Aly's definition) resource, then look for the same resouce in paid version. Compare the two and see what (more) does the paid version offers you. Do you really need all that much? Think again, the so-called 'free' software might just be your cake, despite all its costs!!!

----

Disclaimer:I've figured out that I don't need a disclaimer here!

[iGuest 3]

Omkar, that was an absolutely lovely read

 

 

The fact of the matter is, I honestly don't know why I wrote that article. It could be boredom .. it could be too much free time these days .. it could be the attitude of some young people who are new to the Net and desparately seeking the free even when it's obviously NOT always the route to go.

 

 

Perhaps that stirred a reaction that was equal in velocity and momentum, while opposite in direction .

 

 

The funny thing is, I'm a big fan of the "Free." I support it whole-heartedly. I use GPL software a lot, and recommend it to others. My OS has been mostly Linux since as far as I can remember. I frequently encourage people to share their knowledge and experience with others, merely in the spirit of "sharing." I always try to tell others that "give" and "take" are two words that don't necessarily have to be in the same sentence

 

 

So I admit it, I was wrong. I generalized too much, where I should have been more specific. Yes, I was too irritated, but that never is an excuse ... merely a reason.

 

 

And so, in the hope of making it up to you, to myself, and to the "free" movement, I intend to write another article to try and right what I said wrong. It should be a delightful exercise in Schizophrania

 

 

Thank you all for your wonderful input. It was truly a joy to read.

 

 

 

 

Best Regards.

[Hillary1405241547 0]

Yes..I agree a lot. Nothing is for free. Even the internet. For exmaple, you have to pay for Internet access...