[8ytecoder]

You seem to think it’s a bad thing. I’d argue “Free” products destroy innovation. It’s extremely hard to beat gmail or Facebook without massive VC funding.

[JohnFen]

Yes, and just to underline your use of quote marks there, those "free" products aren't even remotely free. You're just paying with a different currency, and -- in my view -- it's absurdly expensive.

[fleddr]

Underrated comment, well said. The "free" model supports billionaires and mega big tech.

When paid services are normalized, it opens up a huge amount of potential for smaller players to innovate.