How do we teach young consumers to grow up in a "free" economy?

We all like to win something or get something for free. I dare say, that people have even spent money on something they really didn't need so they could get the "free" offer. That is called marketing.

But how do we deal in a technology economy where most things (free or otherwise) are available within the comforts of ones home through their computer? Freeconomics is now driving the web.

A great article that I came across in Wired called "Free! Why $0.00 is the future of business" put more questions in my head than answers.

"Until recently, practically everything "free" was really just the result of what economists would call a cross-subsidy: You'd get one thing free if you bought another, or you'd get a product free only if you paid for a service."

Classroom Chat.....

What is the cost to society for "free?" How do schools prepare students for freeconomics? Can entrepreneurs be successful in a free society?

How to easily build your own music server

Hi all....I'm back. Life got a wee bit chaotic but back to the blogging.

Is your music collection getting out of control? Do you find that you are constantly having to update and change your mp3 player to reflect your updated music collection? We know how well those plastic jewel cases holding our CDs last.

If you have an old PC or Mac sitting around that is collecting dust, why not turn it into a personal music server?

Wired "How-to-Wiki" takes you through an easy step by step guide on how to setup a digital music server. "First and foremost, building a media server gives you access to all of your tunes from anywhere in your house. You'll be able to search for songs and play them back whether you're in your kitchen, living room or your home office, regardless of where in your home your media server sits. If you're extra savvy, you can also set up your server to be accessible over the internet."