Paying for Things can be Cool

One thing abut the internets that I really don’t like is the culture of “everything is free”. There is an expectation that if you want something, be it web hosting, email or a way of sharing with your friends a picture what you had for dinner then it seems like you can you can get it all for nothing.

There are a few things about this that I don’t like. Firstly, folks need to realise that lots of services are built on the back of this free stuff that may ultimately come back to haunt you. Secondly, companies that acquire market share by giving stuff away may not be around for the long haul. Finally, and this is the kicker for me, if something goes wrong you are completely stuck, as nobody has a financial motivation to make you happy.

I pay a small sum each month to Squarespace who in return host this wonderful blog. On Sunday I had what I thought was a problem, so I emailed support. They responded within the hour and as a result I found that it was actually something I was doing, not their fault. They’ve just sent me a feedback form I can use to rate the quality of their service. Great stuff. And almost certainly not what would have happened if their service was free.