My How Times Have Changed

I always used to wonder how there was so much free stuff on the internet. I figured it was like television. Advertising paid the freight, and the competition was to provide content that would bring viewers to the advertisers. I think that has to be how it worked in the good old days.

Not any more. I set out to send my sweetie a birthday e-card this morning. The days of free e-cards are apparently over. I recognized the names of the big guns in the industry. Same places I used to send free cards. I also used to at least glance at the ads on their sites. Their ads now are the really obtrusive hijack your browser type that no one in their right mind would click on. I would have to think that their advertising revenue is up, so why no more free cards?