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A present is free just for the recipient, not for the giver. If it had been free for the giver too, it will imply that it required no use of scarce assets (inputs) or that it has no market worth. It will not be a present, as a result of the recipient might get it free of charge by herself. “Take a look at the moon” shouldn’t be a present if the moon is shining. From an financial viewpoint, nothing is free that includes the usage of scarce assets (together with time) or has a market worth (someone else is keen to pay one thing for it). A present might not be free even for the recipient if, to learn from it, he must pay or do one thing (say, purchase a subscription).
One could in fact outline “free” as one needs, however there is a bonus in utilizing a coherent idea, as does the analytical custom of economics during which assets are scarce and invaluable and nothing produced with these assets (together with labor) will be free for everyone. Both the assets are conscripted or someone has to pay for his or her use. Even for Christmas, free items don’t exist: someone pays for them–which must be fairly apparent.
A fund-raising advisement on Wikipedia’s web site gave me an excuse for this reflection. They had been asking for some ridiculous minimal donation –one thing like two {dollars} and some cents. The technique clearly works: like yearly, I fell for it and gave slightly extra. I don’t use Wikipedia as usually as different reference instruments. For instance, I normally want Britannica’s signed entries. However I nonetheless use Wikipedia sometimes and infrequently discover it helpful. Like many individuals, I felt morally compelled to contribute to charity which, on this case, quantities to the personal manufacturing of a “public good.”
Quickly after my contribution, I bought an automatic reply signed by the CEO of the Wikipedia Basis; an excerpt:
Thanks a lot for the one-time reward … to help Wikipedia and a world the place data is free for everybody. …
I’m actually grateful on your help in enabling billions of individuals to expertise the reward of information by way of Wikipedia.
We’re decided to increase this entry so far as attainable to be sure that irrespective of the place you’re born or the place you reside, the power to entry free data is all the time inside your attain.
These few phrases comprise a lot nonsense. A world with free data is a mirage or a fairy story. I believed that such cliched advertising deserved a reply. I despatched a brief e mail explaining that
Data shouldn’t be and may by no means be “free for everybody.” Some entry to some data will be paid by someone else than the patron; some other promise is extremely deceptive. Furthermore, in fact, the time spent on studying is a part of the associated fee (non-price value), which neither I nor you reimburse to Wikipedia customers.
I ought to have added that checking the validity of latest data is expensive, which additionally applies to Wikipedia. I famous that Wikipedia is helpful however mustn’t say that it offers what it can’t give.
My reply should not be quite common, for I obtained a solution that had nothing to do with my little lesson on giving and the price of data. On the finish of the reply was a word:
As a result of quantity of inquiries we obtain, we use Zendesk as a donor response platform. By emailing donate@wikimedia.org, you perceive that your data can be processed by the Zendesk Group in accordance with Zendesk’s phrases.
Merry Christmas to all EconLog readers! (Notice that this want reward did use some assets albeit of a really low marginal value.)
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