While many believe they have a natural right to information on the web I
am afraid that it is not true.  Much of this information is owned by
companies who are in the business of business.  At least in the USA they
are not required to give away their property, at least most of the time,
though they may give it away some of the time if they believe that it
advances their business interests.

One way of thinking about this is that information products are typically
designed by those who wish to pay for them.  For much of the information
that is being supported by an advertising model -- we, the readers or
consumers of information -- are the product that is being peddled to firms
 who are looking for a "good" place in which to expand their customer
mining operations.

Or look at it this way -- you walk into a bank on Saturday morning and
they have free coffee and doughnuts.  One day you walk in and they want to
pay a dollar for a doughnut.  Is it a bad business that alienates their
customers?  Maybe, but then again all you ever do in the bank is use the
ATM machine, read the Wall Street Journal and eat a free doughnut.  And
maybe the bank is not that concerned about alienating you.  After all they
are not your doughnuts and you have no inherent right to them.

I am afraid the same is true for many of the informational sites that
Peter so kindly forwards to our attention.

Dave Gaynon

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