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Is information really free? Or does it come with a hidden charge? When I first heard the question I thought about the information that the internet provides for no charge. But is information really free? I do not think so. The fact is our current system entitles us to some free information, and it requires us to purchase or license other information. America Online is an example of the current system, it’s a service that provides all types of free information, but you still have to pay in order to receive these services. Another example is Kazaa, an mp3 downloading provider, which allows users to download music at no charge, but all this information still has to be licensed. So is information really free? In my opinion, information is not free. Free information is just an illusion. For information to seem free, someone has to pay for it. Free information is part of business, which is not to imply that producing the information was free or that it has no value because businesses do not charge for it. Also, colleges and universities put out a lot of free information. So does the government. The funding for free information comes from tuition and income taxes. Some of the money is used to create free information. The fact is we pay all the time, even if we personally do not use the information. Every product that we buy bears both an overt and a hidden tax for information. Some portion of every consumer sale is going into advertising, which is in turn financially supporting free information. Every dollar that we earn gives a portion to federal, state and local taxes, some of which goes to subsidizing free information. All membership fees, subscriptions, licenses and use charges all contribute to the subsidizing of free information. If information wants to be free, then everybody pays indirectly. I am pretty sure that almost everybody thinks that information should be free and I know a couple of reasons why people may think this. For example, when you go to the library, you expect to check out a book for free.
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