Millions of free e-mailers soon may pay fees

USA Today ^ | 4/1/02 | Jon Swartz

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Free e-mail could become an endangered species at major Internet portals.

Yahoo and Microsoft, which have hundreds of millions of free e-mail users, are launching premium e-mail services that cost $20 to $30 a year for heavy users. Portal giant Terra Lycos also is considering charging.

[mgc1122]

So? Most of us are conservatives that understand the underlying message ... no such thing as a free lunch. If the market deems "free email" sticks around, it will.

[Lazamataz]

Ping for heavy Yahoo email use.

[randog]

I've got a friend that runs his own web-hosting service. He provides free e-mail accounts to his friends and family and I have taken him up on the offer.

[Walkin Man]

I just checked at yahoo and it still says sign up for free e-mail, so whats the deal? Waiting until the last second to spring in on people?

[Arkinsaw]

Based on the experience of AuctionWatch charging I would say that there are fools out there who will pay for anything no matter what it is.

I won't though.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I agree. What about people that send under 10 emails a month? LOL! If this happens, here comes the taxes!

[Conservative Vet]

I just checked at yahoo and it still says sign up for free e-mail, so whats the deal?

It's free if you log onto the site to check your mail. That way they can ensure you are viewing the ads. I never log onto the site however--I use Outlook express to upload and download my emails throgh the POP3 server. I read and compose emails offline--it's worth 20 bucks a year for me to continue to use the service in this manner, especially since I use my yahoo mailbox for so many things.

[Walkin Man]

It's free if you log onto the site to check your mail.

Ah, that explains it, thanks. I'll look at the ads as long as the e-mail remains free. I have an e-mail account with my ISP but have used yahoo since starting on the Internet.

[TomGuy]

In the latter 1990's many various types of internet/web concerns tried to use ads to pay for their services. This concept is similar to TV. Let ads pay for the content. However, for some reason, net advertising failed. Many net services in the early 2000's went under. Now, they are trying fee based services. Some of the more popular ones will succeed. Many of the content and information sites, which don't have a wide supporter base, will disappear. Net use we become increasingly more expensive: $20 per month ISP, add subscription for this and that and other things--ranging from $1 per month to $20 per month.

Many sites, like FR, will try donations. Again, some will get enough donation support to continue, but many will not.

It will become a weeding out.

[Voltage]

I believe that most users get e-mail as a part of their IP service. Where other e-mail services are used its likely because there is some benefit to the user, and since so far it has been free the benefit it provides can be very small.

If they are going to charge, then they are going to have to provide real benefits.

One benefit I would be willing to pay for would be 99% effective spam blocking, since now about 50% of my e-mail is spam.

[Harrison Bergeron]

Email is a cheap commodity. My former dial up ISP let me keep my popmail account indefinitely as a courtesy - no charge - when I told them I was moving to broadband cable.

[Lazamataz]

A nominal fee is probably okay for Yahoo mail services, since you can get on any computer and check your mail without needing to set up a mail account in a mailer program.

I'd pay a (very small) amount for that convenience.

[BronzePencil]

could this be an april fools article?

[LetsRok]

Yahoo is gradually turning GeoCities from free to pay service

GeoCities is the "trailer park" of the internet. They should be getting lots of complaints soon.

[js1138]

--I use Outlook express to upload and download my emails throgh the POP3 server. I read and compose emails offline--it's worth 20 bucks a year for me to continue to use the service in this manner, especially since I use my yahoo mailbox for so many things...

This is a great service -- an email account that is independent of your internet provider. This allows you to switch providers, even use internet cafes in other countries to read your email -- without switching your email address.

A permanent email address is worth a few bucks a year.

[rwfromkansas]

Well, I am not going to be able to check home e-mail on Yahoo anymore. I sure as heck aint gonna shell out cash for something as small as that.

[strela]

I use Yahoo email primarily as a launching point for spam complaints and to have a replyable address for web site submissions. If they start charging for it (which they have the perfect right to do; free enterprise and all that), then its sayonara to Yahoo for me.

[1Old Pro]

i BELIEVE i AM PAYING FOR E-MAIL, IT'S PART OF MY MONTHLY isp FEE.