Money for nothing
In the end, we pay for it.
That money has to come from somewhere, and that is from the end user / customer. Either directly (subscriptions to services or buying something outright) or through advertising. The more a product is advertised, the more expensive it will be, in order to recoup those marketing dollars.
Which means that we pay for it. Whether that money then goes into the founders pockets, the investors pockets, the company's bank balance or it is frittered away on "stuff" is irrelevant, we've already paid.
So, no, we don't get the stuff for free.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
