Classifieds are not meant to be free
So says David Manaster, CEO of Electronic Recruiting Exchange:
In our industry, modest fees are a form of quality control. They weed out the spammers and scammers, and make people think twice before paying to post an inappropriate or off-target ad.
I agree with David. While "information wants to be free", what fees in the classified industry serve to control is not information, but behavior. That "free" leads to abuse of a good is the basis of economics -- pricing mechanisms serve to channel goods and behavior to the collective benefit of all.
