I've just come to the realization (I'm a late bloomer, I know) that while a lot of people have made mega bucks off the Internet, it has caused a loss of income for others. Why? Because everything (or practically everything) is FREE. (For me?)
Books, movies, music, art, website hosting, encyclopedias, social media ... all of it for free.
First off, I'm NOT cool with piracy. Anytime something is illegally FREE on the internet, it should be reported and avoided. What was up with everyone watching Frozen online these past months? I never looked into it, but I could only assume that since it hadn't yet been released on video that it would be pirated. I never ever, no, never! download movies or music that I'm not buying the rights to. Artists need to make money from their creative endeavors or they will end up having to work at Subway. And no one wants that.
But I do listen to free music on Pandora and YouTube. I also love watching TV from their online networks, especially since we don't have satellite. I watch the ads, so it's just like me watching it on TV, if I actually lived in town and had free TV. BUT! More and more shows are being locked and you are not allowed to watch them unless you sign in with your service provider. I think that's hokey. Do you? Or am I showing a double standard?
Our local newspaper has recently begun locking its online articles as well. You have to have a subscription if you want to read more than 5 articles a month. I get it. They are losing money. But, news should be free, shouldn't it? Like a public service? And again, I read the ads, so that should count for something, right?
I like getting free books on Amazon (always legit to download for free on Amazon), but it's rare that a free book is worth the time spent reading it. Cheap books on Amazon make me more happy the free stuff since you can spend a couple of bucks and still end up with a great read.
I remember back when I had to spend hours scouring library reference books for research, but now, everything can be found for free on blogs and websites. That is amazing to me, yet someone somewhere is surley missing out on money they would have been earning by writing reference books.
If I lived by this library, I'd forget the internet and spend my days browsing ALL those books instead.
But back in January, there was a ruling that was struck down blah blah blah legal mumbo jumbo, but what the bottom line is: there is speculation that we could see the day when we have to PAY for all those services. We've come to expect free blog hosting, web hosting, Facebook, etc, so much so that I think if we had to pay to watch a video on YouTube, pay to Tweet, pay to send an email, there would be a worldwide revolt and everyone would just throw their computers out the windows. Ya think? No, I don't think so either. We'd all suck it up and pay to feed our addictions.
If you had to pay to use certain sites on the internet, how would it effect what you browse?
What freebies do you enjoy off the internet? Are there things you haven't bought in years because you now do them online? Mine would be magazines, especially any type of home decor or recipe magazine. I haven't bought any of those in years. I also haven't bought any of the clip art or lesson companion books for church in years: all of that's on Sugardoodle.
My favorite internet freebie is Fitness Blender. They have hundreds of different workouts: all you have to do is enter how long you want to workout and what area of the body you want to focus on and BAM, you workout! It's the best thing since to hit the fitness industry since Richard Simmons. BTW, thanks to Bigskyboys for finding Fitness Blender. I should make you some cookies to thank you.
OK, tell me all about what you enjoy for free on the internet and what would make you roll over in your grave if you had to begin to pay for it. One, two, free ... go!
6 comments:
I enjoy everything free on the internet. The only things I pay for are when I'm shopping online. I don't pay for subscriptions (the Republic does that too- I get around it by using my phone and two computers and so I never have to pay. Their limit is 20 articles though). I wait until shows come on the network site for free (Psych is an exception- IMDB shows it a couple weeks later, so we're a few weeks behind but it's better than paying for it). I hate paying for cable. I was looking at our old bills last night and we were paying $75 a month for 98% of things we didn't watch! Basically everything we wanted was on USA- Psych and NCIS reruns.
I'd suck up paying for email and Pinterest though. Facebook, I don't know if I can justify. I like keeping in touch with family and college friends though. I guess it depends on how many people stay and what the cost is. But probably not.
My #1 favorite free thing on the internet (which really isn't free, since we have to pay our internet service provider 3 1/2 voice lessons worth of work each month to have access) is email. I used to send lots of snail mail back in the day, and when email came about, I fell in love with the internet. I love staying in touch with my friends and loved ones more than anything.
I would be willing to pay for email and facebook, and hulu, I guess. And Youtube. I love Youtube. What I would HATE to have to pay for is fact-y stuff, like nutritional information, and recipes, historical data, etc. I think that stuff needs to all stay free.
Nicole: Psych is worth any price. I would maybe even give up one of my children to get an extra season out of them, but that all depends on which child and who would be writing the episodes. Why can't we just pay for the channels we actually watch on cable or satellite? Obviously they have the technology to do that. Makes much more sense. Then we would never have to leave the house for entertainment!
Jenna: Can you be a professional letter-writer? You'd be so good at it! And you could make millions. How about we start a business where you write to people who are strange/lonely/bored/or otherwise anti-social and they pay you for your services! (I just described myself, BTW.) It'd be like a dating site, except for it'd just be for friends. I think I'm on to something, yes?
Lori, I think our editing business idea has a little more promise, but if you think I could make millions...maybe it's worth a shot?? ;)
So I enjoy watching my TV shows the day after they are on TV because there are nights I have to work while it’s on or there’s FHE or whatnot. I can still watch Bones for free which I am very pleased about but now I have to wait 8 days because I don’t have a satellite provider! And I can’t watch ABC Family shows like Twisted or Once Upon a Time which is DUMB!!!! That’s mostly what I like to enjoy for free. I must confess that I did pirate my music at one point but not anymore! I use iTunes and Spotify and listen to the blasted commercials. I also like YouTube and my mom has a Netflix account so I get to use that but someone’s gotta pay for it. I’m annoyed that they make us pay for these things because I’m a poor college student! I have to work my butt off for anything I want and have to pay a blasted tuition, even though it’s a lot less than most places, So that I can be seen as worth something in our modern world. It annoys me to no end.
Devree: I'm so glad you are no longer a pirate! But do you still say "ARGH" when you get mad? I do. It's in me blood. Everything should be free on college campuses! Even the Ramen! I seem to like exclamation points tonight! I'm giving them to you! For free! Because I really really like you! Enjoy all your free exclamation points Devree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... !
Post a Comment