But Is Free Really Free?

Free in my mind is a myth. Om thinks voice will be free. I learned a long time ago that there is no such thing as a free lunch, something Om as a real journalist knows all too well and has to make sure everytime he takes a trip or is out to dinner a PR type that he covers his own expenses. I know it too as I regularly get propositioned about doing this and someone will "owe" me one. That's kind of how I look at Voice in the future. While we may not pay in currency per se, we will pay with data, details, habits and behavior.

We live in the era of data mining. Where our surfing habits are tracked by cookies. So cookie the calls, know what we look up, when we look up and from where we look up in the electronic 411 called Google or yp.yahoo.com and then click to call. Factor that into what we get offered in the way of ads, text messages and voice mail offers and Free won't be as Free as you think.

Still, Om's piece is right on the mark as usual and a must read as it picks up on what you've been reading Aswath, Martin, Alec and moi for the last few months and really cinches it.

Comments

[peteror]

Did anyone thought about just how much more things advertising can pay for? Sure, there is still lots of flexibility in businesses, but just how much more can advertisers pay? And where will they draw the line?