Everybody wants stuff for free but we seldom question what it means to get something for free. Today's quotable moment is a reflection on what it means when a company gives it all away.


Photo by stopnlook.

This particular quote comes from a discussion on MetaFilter, regarding the massive changes at the social aggregation news site Digg earlier this year. MetaFilter user blue_beetle accurately observed that "if you're not paying for something, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold". This sentiment doesn't just apply to unhappy Digg users but to a significant portion of the online experience and many real life interactions. We pay, for example, for the awesomeness of Google's free array of services by helping Google build an enormous database filled with our billions of searches and personal information.


This week as you scour the internet and stores for holiday deals, keep in mind that when you're not paying with cash you're paying with your personal information.

[via MetaFilter]