[dragonwriter]

> This meme needs to be shouted from the mountaintops until everybody understands it.

This meme needs to die in a fire as it is actively harmful for understanding economic interactions in the real world.

[dhimes]

Nonsense. The problem is that it is not harmful enough to those who wish to operate a business by taking advantage of others' ignorance.

In a fair business transaction both sides understand the implications of said transaction. In this type, one is vastly more aware of what is being collected and how it may be used than the other.

It's like being tricked/coerced into giving up the mineral rights to your property because you don't understand the value. Or domain name squatting.

Oh, I know. "It's just business." So that makes it ok.

[gress]

Nope. Those sophisticated enough to have a nuanced discussion about economic models can handle a coarse meme.

The meme serves to dispel the notion that free-of-charge services don't cost you anything.

This notion is a deception relied on businesses that monetize personal data to fool consumers into undervaluing the data they provide.