I came out defending the freemium space. But I, under no circumstance, am suggesting that is the only business model. Your hamburger stand better charge. Your coffee shop better charge for coffee. Walmart would not be the most successful company in the history of humanity if it did not charge. Your house should cost money. Food is not free. They pay you to work. You are not free.
It is just that the freemium kind is my favorite business model for online ideas. There are companies that charge. MeetUp charges the Organizers who go ahead and sometimes charge those who attend. I am going to the NY Tech MeetUp tomorrow evening for a cost of 10 bucks and I am happy. There are 700 others like me.
The job numbers for June came out and they were not looking good at all. The worst recession since the Great Depression is not over yet, but I am on record saying the bungee jump phase is over, and now we are in the plateau phase. And I don't think the plateau phase will last as long as the bungee jump phase did.