What is the model of FREE really? Two posts ago, we mentioned that there are costs. There are opportunity costs, there are time costs, there are monetary costs, and there seem to be a variety of other “miscellaneous” costs as well.

If there are costs to someone that must be paid, is this really a FREE model?

Perhaps, the model of FREE may be more aptly tracked by refreshing on the topic of “giving vs. receiving”.

Give vs. Receive

Giving – to make a present of something having value (infers a cost)
Receiving – to be given a present of something having value (infers a cost)

Perhaps, the model of FREE is really just a re-branding wrapper around an age old concept. If this is true though and this is a re-branded concept, then how does it work?